You will never walk alone...

Sunday, September 09, 2007


Superheroes!!
Anyone watched the new 'reality' series Who Wants To Be A Superhero?

Its a stupid show.

People dress in really 'interesting' costumes of their own imaginary superheroes, competing to... "out-hero" (?!?!) each other. The winner will be immortalised in a comic book (series?) by the world famous... umm... that guy who draws superheroes (oops... can't remember his name).

Anyway, it was really either tv or studies and of course I chose the former (yes, I AM feeling guilty). Contestants were told, rather dramatically, that they would be tested not on just superficial hero stuff but to test their qualities as super-HUMANS. One who helps those in need, who are there and care for the poor, the lost and the least. One who is willing to take the time and effort to make the world a better place, not in a SAVE-THE-WORLD style thingy but through little things.

I was admittedly rather skeptical I guess. I was questioned... how the **** were they going to test people's innate qualities and morality and even if they could, make sure that they were doing what they were doing not just for show.

Here's what they did. A 'test' on speed. They were to change into their costumes inconspicuously in a public area (like superman going into the telephone booth to change that sort of thing) as fast as they could and reach the destination as fast as they could. Now the interesting part... a young girl crying for help (as she was supposedly lost) was placed along the path the 'heroes' needed to take to reach their destination. She was practically opposite a security station thingy.

She was crying "help me... ... I can't find my mommy... I'm lost" out loud at passerbys.

I thought... wth... so obvious... they're obviously not testing the contestants on speed... I assumed everyone would stop to help the girl. She was practically telling them HEY I"M YOUR MISSION!

I was obviously wrong. There were 10 contestants. 4 stopped. 3 gals and 1 guy stopped to help. No one actually knew that was the main test DESPITE the guy telling them they were going to be tested on their qualities as human beings the night before. Sad ain't it? 6 of them ran past the crying little girls, paying no heed to her at all, serious case of 'dao'ing. The girl even stared straight into the face of one of the contestants. Even worse, you could tell that the contestants (the 6) were soooooo caught up in trying to act cool as superheroes... they completely shut themselves out from their surroundings. An explosion could have taken place along the path without them even noticing it. (k... maybe that was slightly exaggerated but still...)

I actually thought stopping to help would be pure instinctive. Maybe to an extent it was - note how 3 gals stopped to help compared to one guy who also so happens to be the only father there I believe.

Do 'superheroes' not exist to help others, especially the lowly and weak ones?
Is completing the mission more important than the people they were sworned to protect (at least in the comics they are)?

If we think about it, there's a superhero inside all of us. Everytime we do a good deed, no matter how tiny, we're changing the world, making it a better place.

Perhaps that is the message this show is trying to convey to us, at least indirectly. I don't believe I'm saying this but... It might not be such a stupid show after all.

and finally... here's some random videos :)

Why Do Men Have Nipples? by Budak Pantai


Creep by Marty Casey on the show Rockstar INXS (I LOVE THIS VERSION OF CREEP)


Clouds by Marty Casey & The Lovehammers (Love this album too, all the songs are great)


wrote at 1:21 AM
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