Okay, so you know why this picture sucks? I googled "Superman Symbol" and then "Average Fat Man" and-I swear to Rao-every picture of an average fat man was disgusting. Not because they were fat-saying that would contradict today's whole post-but because they were all slobs or eating or sweaty-looking. So, good ol' Jonah Hill came through for me again. Regardless, why are there no fat superheroes?
The last five years have been revolutionary for comic books. Characters of all races, genders, and religions are on the forefront of the comic book genre. Well, despite the fact that characters of varied nationalities have been around since the 60's. But hey, we have the internet now so nothing before matters, right? Anyway, I was thinking of characters I could dress up as for Halloween earlier and usually found myself saying "that's too expensive" or "I'm not fit enough". And that led to my epiphany that despite Muslims, Homosexuals, and every other demographic of people being represented in comic books, fat people aren't. Neither are trans-people, but give it time. Tumblr users will write comics eventually. No offense. But yeah! Why no fat superheroes? Could there be an actual reason? Well, yeah, but we'll save that until the end.
And just so we're clear, I'm saying there are no fat "superheroes". There are fat characters: Harvey Bullock from Batman comics, Foggy Nelson from Daredevil comics, Amanda Waller (before 2011), The Kingpin, The Penguin. But you'll notice a theme. Not only are none of them superheroes, but most of them are bad guys. The only two characters who aren't bad are Harvey and Foggy and both of them are treated as lesser characters to both Jim Gordon and Matt Murdock, respectfully. And then there is Bouncing Boy. Don't know him? I'm not surprised. Bouncing Boy is a member of DC Comic's Legion of Superheroes, an army of heroes in the 30th Century. He is overweight and his power is to inflate his body and bounce at people. But his body has always been portrayed as portly. So we have a character who is fat and who's power is to become fatter? Even if he is a hero he is so obscure and his power is so offensive. And speaking of offensive, what about The Blob? The X-Men villain who's power is to be fat? Yeah, him. Not only is he obese, but he is a stupid, selfish, egotistical, sexist, unhygienic glutton. He's a villain with no sign of good in him. He-in an alternate universe-ate a person!
But among all these poor representations, there is Faith. Not the feeling, the character. Faith Herbert/Zephyr is a character created by Valiant Comics in 1992, but a few years ago saw a reemergence as a plus-sized superhero. And her weight isn't even a story element! She can fly and control the wind or some such, but the important thing is that her being overweight isn't part of her character. She just is. Superman has blue eyes, Wolverine is short and hairy, and Faith is overweight. She's all the community has, but there is still an issue. And it's a touchy one. Plus-sized women are more accepted by the media than plus-sized men. Completely serious. Plus-sized women are appearing more as main characters in films and on the covers of magazines. Open a male model catalog and it's all the same abs and triceps. In my millennial head it all comes down to who cares more. Overweight men don't usually care about how people see there body after High School. But women are different. Women are naturally beautiful, that's what society has always taught us. From Greek myths to Disney to video games to television. Women are sexy through and through, men are sexy when they're fit. And I know the plus-sized women movement is still pretty new in the media, but my point stands. Overweight men just aren't as attractive-at least in the eyes of the media.
Now I'm not trying to push any buttons here. I weight 270 Ibs. on a good day. My shirts are XL, my pants are 36 wide and 30 long. I can't brag, I can only relate. But physically I can't relate with any comic book characters because they're either evil, lesser, not my gender, or have powers related to their weight. And that doesn't just suck for me, it sucks for other comic book readers. I think it's safe to say most comic book readers are overweight. Fact is, comic books help young, body-sensitive men ignore their personal issues and enjoy a story following people who can do the impossible. Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man wouldn't judge you because you're fat. They'd judge you by who you are. Because they serve as inspiration. And that's why none of them are fat.
We are supposed to aspire to be like superheroes, that's why most superheroes are built like gods! Faith and Bouncing Boy may be there to tell you it's okay to be fat, but every other superhero is subliminally trying to inspire you to treat your body better. That's just a part of comics that won't fade away. That's why there are no fat male superheroes. Because for as much as it would sell, it's easier to rehash the characters artists feel confident drawing. Because to our society, fat men aren't attractive. They're funny, they're gross, or they're somebody's pal.
That being said, do we need a fat superhero? Uh, yeah! Who am I supposed to dress up as!?
Thanks for reading!
Who should I dress as for Halloween? Comment below!
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