Alternative Media: Superheroes

We live in a world where self expression and individualism are important to our survival. These attributes are needed to satisfy our desires of establishing our own identities, in order to differentiate ourselves from others in a world of 7 billion people. Mass media has enabled us to express ourselves freely and create our own images. (add in more points about media)

While mainstream mass media represents the dominant discourse of our society, alternative media provides us with an escape from our harsh capitalistic reality. You could say alternative media allows us to re-establish our identities and create changes to our lives. It is an outlet for our need to not conform with society's mainstream ideologies - allowing us to follow our own set of ethics and rules.

According to Intersections of Media and Communications by Greenberg and Gilberds, alternative media are non-hierachical and “seek to give a voice to the concerns and aspirations of groups marginalized by mainstream media [to democratize communication]" (p 207). Alternative media are and should be extensions to our senses to achieve the goal of self expression and freedom, giving everyone a chance to voice their opinions.

 A media production like Superheroes act as an alternative medium empowering people, allowing us to express  and communicate freely, and helping us establish identities in our society. The superhero theme also validates ideals of justice and utopia in a historical and social context. This essay will look at how Superheroes, categorized into the Golden, Silver, and Bronze era, as alternative media redressing a lack of diversity in the content of mainstream media outlets – or the lack of diversity in dominant discourse.