Heroes and Celebrity

It is interesting how the two theories that we are discussing is heroes and celebrity.  This is interesting because in the story of Batman, he falls into both categories.  As the hero Batman, he fights for the safety of the people, fitting exactly into the definition of a hero.  As Bruce Wayne, he is the richest person in the city, and therefore is a celebrity.  He is constantly being followed by the media.  But there is another side, each of the personas also fit into the other category.  In several story arcs of the Batman, there are groups of people that follow the character closely and even try to emulate him, as if he’s a celebrity.  Likewise, as Bruce Wayne, he gives lots of money to various charities, in order to help people who are suffering.

In addition to the character in the world of the comic, in the world outside the comic, Batman/Bruce Wayne can be both celebrity and hero to everyone.  We see people who are wealthy like Bruce Wayne, act in similar fashions.  These people may not be directly influenced by the character Bruce Wayne, but I think it could be fair to say that they may have been indirectly influenced by him.  Looking at people like Warren Buffet or Bill Gates who spend most of their money supporting charities they feel are important to the advancement of the human race.  The Bill and Melinda Gate Foundation, which was started by Bill Gates and his wife Melinda have given away $26.1 billion since the inception of the foundation in 1997, as of the end of 2012 (www.gatesfoundation.org, 2013).  In addition to the influence he has as a hero, Batman is easily recognized, he is a celebrity among the people in this country and probably elsewhere.  Most people would be able to recognize any of the iterations of the bat symbol as the symbol of the Batman.