2007-11-24

The new hero is totally different than the old hero. By that, we mean exactly the same

Edmonton's Nathan Fillion is the new face of heroism:

The handsome, chiselled face of an Edmonton-born Hollywood actor will soon be the symbol of a new kind of hero -- one that will be seen worldwide on the Internet and in a large-scale digital projection on the side of an historical building in London, England.

Nathan Fillion will be the face of Hero, a work of public art that challenges traditional notions of heroism. The project is the brainchild of Martin Firrell, a self-described British cultural activist who decided it was time to re-evaluate what we mean when we say "hero."

Well congrats to Fillion, though this quote did catch my eye:
"I woke up one morning, and I don't know why it was in my head, but I thought, 'Interesting, who we call a hero,'" Firrell said in a recent telephone interview from London.

Popular culture, Firrell said, characterizes heroes as white, male and violent. But are these descriptions accurate? Appropriate? No, Firrell decided.
The number of unarmed men in the movie Serenity that Malcolm Reynolds, the white male character that Fillion plays, shoots? Three.