Wannabe Heroes Give TV a Healthy Dose of Reality

By Stanford W. Carpenter

Published September 3, 2006 at 1:38 PM EDT

"Who Wants to Be a Superhero?" started with eleven wannabes. By the final episode this week, two contestants remained. One fit the image of a superhero. The other looked anything but.

This reality show doesn't focus on superhuman feats. Rather, it tests the contestants on compassion, courage, integrity. It's about rejecting the cultural status quo and doing the right thing, which is rare in today's ethically murky, cutthroat culture.

The contestants invented their own superhero personas. The winner will be immortalized in a television movie and a real comic book by Stan Lee, creator of The Fantastic Four, Spider-Man and the X-men.

Stanford W. Carpenter

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

Protect Connecticut Public