Assholes aren't Heroes

I've been gone quite a while, but I plan to remedy that. From now on I expect to keep a regular update schedule. That said, let's get on with this update.

The more I watch of television and movies, the more I become disturbed by a bothersome trend. Assholes are everywhere. Much like Lord Dark Helmet, I feel like I'm surrounded by them. At one time, long ago, it seemed like assholes were in stories for the soul purpose of receiving their comeuppance. Now it seems that assholes are often in literature as the person you are supposed to cheer for, the person you are supposed to believe in, or even the person who's supposed to be making the funniest jokes. In short, it is much as though assholes have become the hero.

Some might argue that this is the rise of the antihero, but this is simply confusion. Typically, the hero is larger than life, a morally perfect person who continues to do the right thing despite overwhelming odds. Unlikely heroes are people who are relatively commonplace but are thrust into unlikely situations and manage to overcome the difficulties presented them. Antiheroes are people who exhibit morally questionable characteristics, often stumble down the wrong path, but in the end will always do the right thing, or try to. Villains are people who are larger than life, much like the traditional hero, but who maintain a moral ground that is considered morally reprehensible and works only to destroy rather than save or create.

Assholes occupy none of these areas. Why they are often morally reprehensible like the villain, they show no interest in affecting matters right or wrong. If they do act, either for good or bad, it is out of self-interest rather than any other motivation. Assholes also never learn from what they've done wrong, or even if they do learn from it, they fall back into their old patterns.

Yet it seems to me that more and more, assholes are replacing any form of hero in stories. Assholes, motivated by their own self-interest, often find themselves taking the role of the unlikely hero, thrust into extraordinary situations and attempting to make the best of it. On occasion they might befriend other assholes, extending their motivation, but mainly the continue to work for themselves. If they do what is right, it is only out of self-interest, not out of any interest in doing what's right or attempt to redeem themselves.

And for some reason, we're supposed to cheer these people on. For some reason, we're expected to laugh at their crass, biting insults. For some reason, we're expected to think of assholes as heroes. I don't know about anyone else, but I never buy into this. An asshole is always an asshole, and if he makes no attempt to redeem himself, I don't know why I'd stop thinking of him as an asshole. But maybe I'm just part of a dying culture, part of a group who still enjoys believing in heroes. Maybe I'm just not part of this new world order where everyone has caved-in to the idea that all people are assholes, there is no good left in the world, and so why shouldn't our stories at least be about assholes who lead interesting lives?

I guess I just want stories to represent hope, rather than a grim acceptance of a fate I don't believe we've really reached.