- Sep 22, 2013
- 4,956
- 250
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Here's a vigilantism-optimism tale about a random American Internet blogger named Ajay teaming up with the American movie star Tom Cruise for a 'hero copycat' crusade in cities across the USA and meeting an ominous copycat of the comic book super-villain Pyro (Marvel Comics), a flame-throwing pyromaniac.
I think comic books are the new 'three-penny opera.'
Are policemen threatened by vigilantism, because it makes for great new age urbanization-paranoia related storytelling, which is why Hollywood (USA) has been making countless comic book adapted films.
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Tom Cruise had become an iconic American celebrity, and his entertaining work in culturally-symbolic Hollywood (USA) films such as Top Gun, Rain Man, Minority Report, and Lions for Lambs made him known as a 'man of the people.' Hollywood films had become so ingrained into the minds of the American people, since they reflected the pedestrian fantasies and anxieties associated with the proverbial 'American Dream.' Cruise wanted to do more --- he wasn't satisfied with just being a 'celebrity.' He started reading Green Lantern (DC Comics) comic books.
Ajay Gangulee was looking at his diary:
"After posting so much on the Internet about the value of democracy, I realized that I'm not just an 'armchair warrior' or random citizen blogger but actually some kind of 'metro vigilante.' Why not? The Internet has become a giant grid for commerce and human exchange (and information-delivery!). The new terrorist is the Internet hacker, and the new 'priest' is the Internet blogger. So from here on, I will call myself Green Arrow (DC Comics), the comic book superhero who uses his super-archery skills to defend American values."
Green Lantern possesses a special power-ring energized by a magical lantern, so Cruise wanted to find the right 'cultural relic' he could use to represent this sacred lantern. He decided that his lantern would be the bright lights of Los Angeles, and he wanted to prowl the streets every Halloween dressed as Green Lantern and carrying a special green-colored flashlight and an electric stun-gun, which he intended to use on any vandals and goons making trouble for people trying to celebrate Halloween peacefully. After three such Halloween Eves of vigilantism-esque activity, Cruise/Lantern decided he was a successful 'superhero.'
Meanwhile, Gangulee had started carrying a bow-and-arrow and prowling the city streets of Philadelphia every Halloween Eve dressed as the Green Arrow. His arrows were topped by a gas-releasing rubber tip, which when contacted with a human body with sufficient force, would spew a sleeping-gas that could sedate his targets within 10 seconds. Gangulee/Arrow performed vigilantism-esque deeds not unlike those of Cruise/Lantern, and after three Halloween Eves, Gangulee/Arrow decided he too was a successful 'superhero.'
Cruise (Lantern) and Gangulee (Arrow) noticed the headlines they were receiving in the national press (USA Today):
"Two strange masked vigilantes prowl the city streets of Los Angeles and Philadelphia, dressed as the DC Comics superheroes Green Lantern and Green Arrow. They are responsible jointly for the apprehension of multiple criminal gang members and the arrest of random vandals on three separate Halloween Eves. What is uncertain is if the two mysterious do-gooders are somehow working together!"
After reading the headlines, Cruise decided to try to contact Gangulee and arrange an 'alliance.' He sent in an classifieds-personals column to the Philadelphia Inquirer which read, "I am from Los Angeles, and I am the Green Lantern! I seek the friendship and teamwork of Green Arrow to help me clean up America's most challenged city --- New York. If you are interested, Arrow, meet me in Central Park (NYC) on Halloween Eve!" Arrow (Gangulee) took up the challenge and met Lantern (Cruise) in Central Park. The two were both in costume and stealthily found each other and decided to perform a joint-mission that Halloween Eve.
As Lantern and Arrow prowled the streets of New York that Halloween, they helped police arrest three vandals harassing a group of trick-or-treaters. However, they then came across a strange individual who was walking around with a flame-thrower. The strange individual declared he was the 'super-villain' Pyro (Marvel Comics), and he was hoping to engage Lantern and Arrow in a fight the newspapers would rave about the next day. Lantern and Arrow realized they were dealing with a true psychopath, so they shook each others' hands and then Lantern shined his blinding green-colored high-powered flashlight right into Pyro's eyes, while Arrow show three gas-filled arrows right at the villain's head, and the criminal was subdued and arrested.
Lantern and Arrow decided to forge an alliance and go on a cross-country crusade, tackling random urban criminals, so newspapers would declare, "Pedestrian vigilantes are instilling optimism into the hearts of the people who have become demoralized with civics apathy and political corruption in this new age of urban traffic and commerce." They were thinking their high-minded daydreams may be realistic, so they revealed each others' identities.
LANTERN: I'm really Tom Cruise (the Hollywood film actor).
ARROW: Wow, you're a real celebrity!
LANTERN: Correct, but I felt I wasn't doing enough for the people.
ARROW: Well, I'm really an Internet blogger named Ajay Gangulee.
LANTERN: Did you become frustrated with Internet work?
ARROW: No, but I realized that direct urban action was required.
LANTERN: The American city has become beset with cynicism.
ARROW: We must take back the American Dream with ideas about values.
LANTERN: What I'm really worried about is 'copycat psychos.'
ARROW: Right, people impersonating psychos from films and comic books.
LANTERN: I fear someone will emulate this Pyro (Marvel Comics) copycat.
ARROW: If that happens, we'll try to cure the American city.
====
I think comic books are the new 'three-penny opera.'
Are policemen threatened by vigilantism, because it makes for great new age urbanization-paranoia related storytelling, which is why Hollywood (USA) has been making countless comic book adapted films.
====
Tom Cruise had become an iconic American celebrity, and his entertaining work in culturally-symbolic Hollywood (USA) films such as Top Gun, Rain Man, Minority Report, and Lions for Lambs made him known as a 'man of the people.' Hollywood films had become so ingrained into the minds of the American people, since they reflected the pedestrian fantasies and anxieties associated with the proverbial 'American Dream.' Cruise wanted to do more --- he wasn't satisfied with just being a 'celebrity.' He started reading Green Lantern (DC Comics) comic books.
Ajay Gangulee was looking at his diary:
"After posting so much on the Internet about the value of democracy, I realized that I'm not just an 'armchair warrior' or random citizen blogger but actually some kind of 'metro vigilante.' Why not? The Internet has become a giant grid for commerce and human exchange (and information-delivery!). The new terrorist is the Internet hacker, and the new 'priest' is the Internet blogger. So from here on, I will call myself Green Arrow (DC Comics), the comic book superhero who uses his super-archery skills to defend American values."
Green Lantern possesses a special power-ring energized by a magical lantern, so Cruise wanted to find the right 'cultural relic' he could use to represent this sacred lantern. He decided that his lantern would be the bright lights of Los Angeles, and he wanted to prowl the streets every Halloween dressed as Green Lantern and carrying a special green-colored flashlight and an electric stun-gun, which he intended to use on any vandals and goons making trouble for people trying to celebrate Halloween peacefully. After three such Halloween Eves of vigilantism-esque activity, Cruise/Lantern decided he was a successful 'superhero.'
Meanwhile, Gangulee had started carrying a bow-and-arrow and prowling the city streets of Philadelphia every Halloween Eve dressed as the Green Arrow. His arrows were topped by a gas-releasing rubber tip, which when contacted with a human body with sufficient force, would spew a sleeping-gas that could sedate his targets within 10 seconds. Gangulee/Arrow performed vigilantism-esque deeds not unlike those of Cruise/Lantern, and after three Halloween Eves, Gangulee/Arrow decided he too was a successful 'superhero.'
Cruise (Lantern) and Gangulee (Arrow) noticed the headlines they were receiving in the national press (USA Today):
"Two strange masked vigilantes prowl the city streets of Los Angeles and Philadelphia, dressed as the DC Comics superheroes Green Lantern and Green Arrow. They are responsible jointly for the apprehension of multiple criminal gang members and the arrest of random vandals on three separate Halloween Eves. What is uncertain is if the two mysterious do-gooders are somehow working together!"
After reading the headlines, Cruise decided to try to contact Gangulee and arrange an 'alliance.' He sent in an classifieds-personals column to the Philadelphia Inquirer which read, "I am from Los Angeles, and I am the Green Lantern! I seek the friendship and teamwork of Green Arrow to help me clean up America's most challenged city --- New York. If you are interested, Arrow, meet me in Central Park (NYC) on Halloween Eve!" Arrow (Gangulee) took up the challenge and met Lantern (Cruise) in Central Park. The two were both in costume and stealthily found each other and decided to perform a joint-mission that Halloween Eve.
As Lantern and Arrow prowled the streets of New York that Halloween, they helped police arrest three vandals harassing a group of trick-or-treaters. However, they then came across a strange individual who was walking around with a flame-thrower. The strange individual declared he was the 'super-villain' Pyro (Marvel Comics), and he was hoping to engage Lantern and Arrow in a fight the newspapers would rave about the next day. Lantern and Arrow realized they were dealing with a true psychopath, so they shook each others' hands and then Lantern shined his blinding green-colored high-powered flashlight right into Pyro's eyes, while Arrow show three gas-filled arrows right at the villain's head, and the criminal was subdued and arrested.
Lantern and Arrow decided to forge an alliance and go on a cross-country crusade, tackling random urban criminals, so newspapers would declare, "Pedestrian vigilantes are instilling optimism into the hearts of the people who have become demoralized with civics apathy and political corruption in this new age of urban traffic and commerce." They were thinking their high-minded daydreams may be realistic, so they revealed each others' identities.
LANTERN: I'm really Tom Cruise (the Hollywood film actor).
ARROW: Wow, you're a real celebrity!
LANTERN: Correct, but I felt I wasn't doing enough for the people.
ARROW: Well, I'm really an Internet blogger named Ajay Gangulee.
LANTERN: Did you become frustrated with Internet work?
ARROW: No, but I realized that direct urban action was required.
LANTERN: The American city has become beset with cynicism.
ARROW: We must take back the American Dream with ideas about values.
LANTERN: What I'm really worried about is 'copycat psychos.'
ARROW: Right, people impersonating psychos from films and comic books.
LANTERN: I fear someone will emulate this Pyro (Marvel Comics) copycat.
ARROW: If that happens, we'll try to cure the American city.
====
