But that's not comic books being the new mythology, that's commercial fiction being more important nowadays than mythology Mythology, qua mythology, is much less of a thing in modern society I think the distinction does matter
-
-
In particular, I think the people who own Spider-Man *want* us to think of Spider-Man as something that "just exists" in American culture the way Paul Bunyan and Pecos Bill and John Henry just exist -- that it's an organic tradition and not a commercial product
-
And I think blurring that distinction is dangerous, it makes us uncritical of things we really ought to be critical of, given how powerful the IP holders behind the superhero media machine have become
- Show replies
New conversation -
-
-
I think “mythology” is pointing less to cultural relevance than to how these figures have been around long enough to have so many stories & versions in different media that a certain core idea emerges somewhat independently of any specific creator or company, like oral tradition
Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
-
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.