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Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities

On-Screen: The Silver, Small And Smartphone Screens Of Heroism, Chris Comerford Jun 2022

On-Screen: The Silver, Small And Smartphone Screens Of Heroism, Chris Comerford

Heroism Science

The representation of heroism on screens, and the ways we make sense of heroic imagery across them, is the theme of this special issue of Heroism Science. Each article makes the case that our comprehension of heroism can only be augmented and enhanced by the film, the television series, the video game, the news broadcast, the phone camera and the social media stream, all of them on screens that are silver, small and smart. The articles demonstrate how the screen’s ability to display, represent, convey, conjure and critique heroic moments. Moreover, this special issue shows how fictional heroism as …


There Goes My Antihero: How Wendy Byrde Broke Bad, Melissa Vosen Callens Apr 2022

There Goes My Antihero: How Wendy Byrde Broke Bad, Melissa Vosen Callens

Heroism Science

Despite the increase of male antiheroes in popular culture, the number of female antiheroes is sparse, particularly when female characters are romantically involved with male antiheroes. There are several reasons for this disparity, partially which can be explained by affective disposition theory. First, female characters are rarely given agency and adequate backstories. Second, in order for female characters to be antiheroes, they typically must challenge gender role stereotypes, especially as they pertain to motherhood. Finally, they are often treated poorly by other characters in the series. All of these reasons have a profound effect on how audiences perceive female characters …


Curb Your Heroism: How Larry David, An Old, Bald Misanthrope, Won The Hearts Of Millions, Scott T. Allison, James K. Beggan, Olivia Efthimiou Mar 2022

Curb Your Heroism: How Larry David, An Old, Bald Misanthrope, Won The Hearts Of Millions, Scott T. Allison, James K. Beggan, Olivia Efthimiou

Heroism Science

For eleven television seasons, viewers of the series Curb Your Enthusiasm have been witness to a main character in Larry David who paradoxically displays attributes that are both endearing and revolting. This article offers an analysis of Larry David’s character with the goal of ascertaining his heroic nature, specifically focusing on whether he best meets the scientific criteria for a hero or for an antihero. Drawing from the literature of heroism science, we examine a large body of evidence from episodes of the series supporting arguments for both heroism and antiheroism in Larry’s character. Consistent with definitions of heroism, Larry …