no stories of modern heroism?

[smileyeagle1021]

Has anyone else noticed that very few stories now, be it in books or movies or TV have characters set in a modern time that can truly be considered "heroic", putting everything and everyone else before themselves? At least not to the same extent as you see in both the tales of old and a lot of stories set in the far future.
I mean, take for example Lord of the Rings, Frodo after hearing of what the ring is, doesn't hesitate to ask "what must I do" and gives up everything to do it, or even the countless nameless characters who ride into battle without a second thought of their own lives, knowing the battle is not in their favor. Looking at the far future, you can see examples in shows such as Babylon 5 where during the Earth-Minbari war pilots went into battle knowing the were going to die, but went anyway because it might mean even one more civilian would make it off the planet alive. Hell, don't even have to go that far back in time or forward, look at the world war 2 era, stories of soldiers going behind enemy lines to rescue captured comrades without a second thought of their own safety.
Yes, there are some heroes in modern shows, but it is a small scale, one person type thing, you don't see the massive shows of heroism that are set in other time periods. Am I just not watching/reading the right things, or is it really something that you don't see anymore.
I believe human nature is still somewhat selfless when it comes to times of need and crisis... just look at any natural disaster how quickly people rush in to help those in need, after the terror attacks people rushed in to try to find survivors, and as every city dweller is well aware, when someone falls on train tracks there's always at least one person who will without hesitation jump onto the tracks to get them. So why is it that entertainment has seemingly limited itself to protagonists (in the current time period) who do what they do because it's their job, not because it's the right thing to do?

[BroomJockey]

It's because it's a lot easier to fudge things when it's not set in a strictly familiar time period. That's why almost nothing is ever even set "in present day." Aids suspension of disbelief.

[AdminAssistant]

Even the classical Romantics (Schiller, Hugo, Dumas pere, Goethe...and I suppose you could add Shakespeare as a precursor) rarely set plays in their own time period/location. French Romantics wrote about Spain. German Romantics wrote about England. Shakespeare wrote about Italy. And so on....

(I realize that Romantic novels are a much bigger part of the movement, but I'm not as familiar with those authors as I am playwrights)

[powerboy]

Because most people now-a-days wants to see the explosions, the sex and drugs. If they do put a show on with heroism in it. Then it would be cancelled probably in the first season. I love watching war movies. I kinda enjoy reading books about heroes. But sadly, most of the world does not care about it. That's my opinion anyway.

[BlaqueKatt]

Swan Song (http://www.amazon.com/Swan-Song-Robert-McCammon/dp/1439156735/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251240334&sr=8-1)

Dead sea (http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Sea-Brian-Keene/dp/084395860X/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251240430&sr=1-8)

City of the dead (http://www.amazon.com/City-Dead-Brian-Keene/dp/0843954159/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251240430&sr=1-6)
The Conquorer Worms (http://www.amazon.com/Conqueror-Worms-Brian-Keene/dp/0843954167/ref=pd_sim_b_3)
terminal (http://www.amazon.com/Terminal-Brian-Keene/dp/0553587382/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251240430&sr=1-2)


all horror fiction but all have "heroes" risking everything-and all the heroes are not typical.

Swan song-Homeless woman, Autistic child, pro Wrestler
Dead Sea-Gay man and two inner city kids
City of the dead-Prostitute/junkie, single father.
Terminal-cancer patient with a few months left to live

[Slytovhand]

I'll echo Powerboy's thoughts, but add...

I think when it comes to 'entertainment', the single hero motif is losing pulling power - unless there are the explosions. Batman, Superman, Spiderman, can only be big draws if there's big effects.

How much money would a movie on St Theresa be?? Not likely to be a massive pull. Or Gandhi... now, speaking of which, I would have to bring in a simple fact - when Gandhi first came out (as a movie, not the person... and not as gay either.. :p ), but the Ben Kingsley movie, it was big... that sort of stuff just doesn't attract people any more - we're in a different society.. and frankly, one where guns, violence, and 'heroism' is a pretty standard day to day thing for us... in movies, on tv, and video games. Especially the latter, when you can be your own hero - so why bother paying to see someone else do it??

Your question really harks back to something else in this society - what's happened to honour, chivalry, sacrifice???

[smileyeagle1021]

Your question really harks back to something else in this society - what's happened to honour, chivalry, sacrifice???

thank you, I knew there was something bothering me, and that pretty much summed it up.

[gremcint]

Harry Dresden,
John Maclean,
Bruce Wayne,
Doctor Who (he is in present day a lot, and his sidekicks really step up sometimes)
Galaxy Quest
Peter Parker
Stargate SG1
Stargate Atlantis
Angel
Buffy
Mystery Men
Tons of superheroes in comics, books, movies, games and tv shows (I listed Batman and spiderman separately as they give up the most)
John Connor
Sarah Connor
Good Terminator
Burn Notice
Farscape (gave up ever going home again to protect earth)
Joan of Arcadia (she helps a lot of people at her own expense)

[Nyoibo]

Most of the sacrifice in those is done with a lot of bitching, whining emo crap.

[gremcint]

Most of the sacrifice in those is done with a lot of bitching, whining emo crap.

which specifically?

[Wingates_Hellsing]

Certainly not Burn Notice :D

Even Equilibrium, Bad Boys and a tiny bit of cable news has some chivalry to it, although it's not as pretty/awesome as a knight in shiny armor slaughtering orks for 'insert princess'.

[Nyoibo]

Angel, Buffy and John Connor are the most glaring ones from that list.

[Hyena Dandy]

I agree with most of those, but Bruce Wayne is no hero.

[gremcint]

I agree with most of those, but Bruce Wayne is no hero.

ok this I gotta hear.

Angel, Buffy and John Connor are the most glaring ones from that list.

so three out of almost twenty equals most?

I'll give you John Connor (man he was really whiny sometimes and he didn't exactly choose to be the hero)

And Buff had her emo moments sometimes but she still saved the world a lot and died twice herself. Angel wasn't always in the best mood but he stepped up and literally went through hell and helped save the world multiple times. You can be heroic and still have emotions, It doesn't make saving the world any less heroic because he was upset, if anything he is willing to work past his emotions and do waht is necessary to protect people. So I don't really see how being "emo" makes it less heroic. Also having emotion does not equal being emo.

[smileyeagle1021]

I agree with most of those, but Bruce Wayne is no hero.

... and batman is not the hero that Gotham deserves... but he is the hero she needs...

[Nyoibo]

And Buff had her emo moments sometimes but she still saved the world a lot and died twice herself. Angel wasn't always in the best mood but he stepped up and literally went through hell and helped save the world multiple times. You can be heroic and still have emotions,

Firstly, Angel went through hell because he went evil and tried to destroy the world, not out of any suffering to save it, as Spike said, you had your soul forced on you, you didn't choose it, Spike is more a hero than Angel or Buffy, he actually chose that path, rather than have it forced on him.


... and batman is not the hero that Gotham deserves... but he is the hero she needs...

Geek. :p

[gremcint]

and either Angel or Buffy could have chosen a different path but didn't.

[Nyoibo]

I consider a true hero to be someone who steps up and volunteers to protect others because they want too, not because they have to or feel they need to repent for something.

[gremcint]

Buffy could have walked away any number of times but she didn't.

Angel had a chance to be human, live with the love of his life and be free, but when he realized he couldn't protect those he loved he chose to go back to being a vampire and give up true love.

Also I'm still waiting on the rest of the list.

[smileyeagle1021]

Geek. :p

you say that as if it's a bad thing :p

[MergedLoki]

Part of it I think is simply put... people are NOT that brave.

Think of everyone you know, and yourself included, is anyone really THAT brave/courageous that they would drop EVERYTHING and risk EVERYTHING for some reason?

Probably not.

Hence the problem with 'modern day' settings, is I think people are more critical of it because it's supposed to be in the 'here and now' as oppose to fantasy or sci fi or whatever hwich is generally so far fetched it's easy for a reader to think 'oh yea it was in old timey days things were different' or what have you.

just a thought.