Of Mice and Men-Children

Of late I have been troubled with the notion of my generation’s (generation y?) increasing trend towards emotional and intellectual arrested development. Particularly young white-males like myself. Am I a victim to my own infantilism? After all I’m a twentysomething with a tendency to engross myself in all the things that would have previously been considered child's entertainment. I love comic books, video games and board games. Furthermore I don’t have kids, responsibilities and I live at home, where my father at my age had a career, family and house. Is this wrong? Am I a failure?

1) Evidence

So first things first, is this notion that my generation is becoming increasingly infantilised based in any actual evidence?

So in 2009 the British Office for National Statistics claimed that young adults, particularly men, were postponing their transition into adulthood into their 20s and 30s. A claim they made off of the number of people still living at home, and when they do move out it is not to live with a partner or alone but to cohabit with others in the same position. As well as our lack of independence my age group is also singled out for our lack of employment and our reluctance or inability to get on the property ladder. So aside from some nitpicking this does happen to fit me like a tee. Of course I'd like to point to the recession as a clear contributing factor, however I'd be lying if I said I was doing everything to change my situation.

Does this make me a man-child, am I as they suggested somehow postponing my inevitable march to adulthood? Or is it I am a man-child because of my chosen habits? Have I adopted the mindset of an infant or have my interests turned me into one? I certainly do not think being mature is solely defined by employment and housing. If it were that simple those with the most would be the most mature and a look at the royal family pretty succinctly sinks that myth. Or a passing glance at Donald Trump for that matter, make it fleeting for your own sake, no own need look at that child like buffoon for too long.

2) Superheroes

So a popular argument has been made that the film de jour of superhero movies is proof of my chosen mental retardation. Because superheroes are for children... right?

So lets start of by saying whilst I do like my superheroes they aren't my favourite movie genre. We haven't exactly reached a point where a superhero film has, in my mind, lived up to its full potential. I mean V for Vendetta (James McTeigue, 2006) kind of missed the point of its source material, Watchmen (Zack Snyder, 2009) clung so closely to its source material it was almost as if someone was reading the book aloud. The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan, 2008) and Avengers (Joss Whedon, 2012) were high points certainly, but I'm still waiting for the first superhero masterpiece. I'm not sure it will ever come given that these things are hundred-million dollar ships helmed by committee but call me an optimist. However that was not the question I posed, are these stories innately infantile?

I don't think so. I've always thought of the superhero as a modern mythological figure similar to the Greek Pantheon however viewed through a contemporary lens. They are the gods of the 21st century. If Jesus was a contemporary creation he would undoubtedly be considered a superhero, not unlike Superman who need we forget, in the 90s did in fact die for our sins. In Grant Morrison's iconic run on All-Star Superman (Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely, 2006-8) he made it clear that he could be viewed as a proxy for God. I find it hard to believe people can scoff and sneer at the great wealth of literature that mainstream comics have laid out for us. Of course some of it is bad not every novel is a work of art. Sadly the success of 'graphic novels', a meaningless veneer if ever there was one, has helped fragment literary opinion on the matter, yes “Watchmen was a graphic novel but a monthly book like The Justice League well that was just tat”. You cannot divorce “worthy” comics from the mainstream if you do we lose Warren Ellis, Grant Morrison, Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Bill Willingham, Garth Ennis and so many other great creators.