SUPER HEROES AMONG US
© 1986 Paramount Pictures
HEROES ARE PEOPLE TOO AUTHOR John David Kolter , MD
Like many men of a certain age , when asked about a personal hero , Ferris Bueller percolates , through the cache , to the surface . Ferris was a blockbuster , Hollywood made fictional hero who had it all : personality , cunning , wit , a hot girlfriend and MTV in his own room . Watching his namesake movie , Ferris Bueller ’ s Day Off , was uplifting , in a way that revealed a reality where coolness beyond oneself indeed existed . After all , Ferris spoke directly to the camera , and to attuned youthful ears , throughout the film . Cameron , Ferris ’ best friend , and the character who has the ability to ground him in his misdeeds , states what many felt so plainly . In an awkward moment of teenage angst after Ferris saves him from a feigned suicidal drowning attempt , he proclaims , albeit sarcastically , “ Ferris Bueller , you ’ re my hero .” Cameron was right . Ferris Bueller was a hero who demonstrated , right there in technicolor , that better days than your middle school slog were indeed possible .
However , Ferris was a bit of a louse . He had every self-confidence , but it was fed by a preternatural popularity . Ferris ’ s proclivity for lies and deceit , for which much comedy was constructed , was easily ignored because he was so successful otherwise . And , it was funny ! Yet , Ferris ’ s high life was dependent on bringing down others . Many years on , and a lot of cultural water under the proverbial bridge , the attuned ears of youth , now situated on either side of more seasoned cerebral matter , hear the inevitable imperfections in a character of so erstwhile revere . This may seem an overwrought assessment of a fictional teenage wonder , but it reflects well the realities of heroism .
Heroes are Human . Humans can , and often do , great things , but humans are more than capable of falling short . No one has a free pass , and no one gets an exception . All take honorable mention . Yet , holding heroes in exalted regard , as if their good deeds allow us to disavow any natural aberrancy in their character , is an oft repeated fallacy that leads to inevitable disappointment . Webster tells us a hero is “ a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities .” There is no assurance of perfection therein .
Webster provides a definition that maintains the bounds of heroism , where the guardrails remain securely in place . However ,
( continued on page 8 ) DECEMBER 2021 7