Kick Ass 2 - Problem for us in the future?

I liked Kick Ass, but Kick Ass 2 is coming out and I have a feeling that we're going to have some big problems come up within the community. What do you guys think?

Here's the trailer

How would a movie cause problems with the Community?

It depends on the opinions expressed, what kind of light is shed on RLSH, the future amount of posers, etc.

When most people see movies they usually regard what happens in the movie as "just a movie". However I do remember something my mom said when watching the first movie: "See what happens when people try to 'be a SuperHero?'" (in reference to the main character getting run over by a car [she also doesn't like SuperHeroes]). But nothing bad happened after the first movie when some people were thinking it would cause problems and I don't think anything bad is going to come from this movie.

People thought that a lot when the first one came out.

But, if people actually saw the movie, they would see a guy who had no idea what he was doing. Little training (just a few pushups and sit ups in his room - didn't hurt - but more was needed), then he gets stabbed without armor, and wasn't smart enough to armor up when he got back out there. (Despite him supposedly doing both of those things in the sequel, as shown in the previews).

If anything, I think his mistakes would show people what NOT to do. And if anything, make people less likely to do it.

There have been other superhero movies in the past that felt more realistic, but only slightly exaggerated, like Blankman, Mystery Men, Defendor.

I think Kick-Ass 2 will boost the amount of newcomers to the community for a while, and some of these newcomers will obviously need a lot of guidance. Whether it'll be good or bad for the community depends on their (lack of) capability to listen.

My advice is simply to remember to treat newcomers as your equals; with respect. Listen to them as much as you want them to listen to you. Don't ever start out with "Well, I've been doing this for 10 years now, so shut up punk".

well the way that I see it is that movies like Kick-Ass 2 are like a double edge sword for this community in that it could do both help and harm this community. Help in that it could make a whole lot other people think "what If I could do that and what if other people are already doing this for real?" that would lead them to us and well there you go. Also like Tothian said it could as help other to learn for the mistakes that Kick-Ass himself makes. Now as for how it could hurt this community like Raven to make a lot of posers come out of the wood work.

I remember it was around the time when Batman Begins came out that the real life Superhero Community slowly started to form from so few of us finding each other from then. Some of us had been doing it for some years longer but not known about each other yet. With the internet we've all been able to find each other. Which is also why it's very possible that other superhero teams have been around in the decades prior. Some from around the 70's have written books.

Not sure how active or well known much of the others have been.

Anyway, as for the superhero movies, this happens a little bit when new realistic superhero movies come out - if the movie portrays it in a way that is both realistic and popular/entertaining. But I've noticed that it happens a little bit more so when articles about us come out.

Anyway, speaking of Kick-Ass, there was some guy who emailed me asking me about which real life Superheroes the characters from Kick-Ass were based on. The real life Superhero community was still in it's early stages - as a community online at least - around that time that the Kick-Ass comics were made.

TOTHIAN


This is what pretty much sparked the destruction of the legitimacy of the previous HN. A swarm of frauds and posers infiltrating our true business, and overrunning it. You have control over who comes in here, and who does not. Please don't allow a swarm to return and invalidate everything- We have a small good group here that has potential. We can't let a movie ruin it again.

Wall Creeper,

Kick-Ass the movie came out in 2010. The first HN, it started to be different in 2009 - out of respect to people in general I won't give the specifics of who or why here in this thread. The threads and posts in this forum will not be used to insult anyone in this community, friend or foe. That also includes me not insulting the people I don't like. I just make sure I don't mention them, because that's the same respect I'd want shown from them.

But anyways, a lot of people I notice tend to have an idea of what they expect from all of this, and that's a lot of theory. But once they get started and depending on how long they stick with it, they start to see more what works and doesn't work in practice.

The 'familiarization process' - as I call it - some could call it vetting or interviewing - but I think familiarization sounds more welcoming and accurate in this case - is where unlike the old HN I had founded and ran from 2007 to 2009 - this time I talk with people about it a little bit more thoroughly and make sure myself and them get at least somewhat of an understanding of each other first before activating their accounts. So that they understand myself, and what the Heroes Network is and isn't - and also me understand them as well.

None of us will be perfect - and none of us will agree on everything. You kind of have to accept that and sometimes even appreciate the weird flaws people have. With that, comes the good qualities they have about them that they bring forth.

Still, for people who are interested in joining, before I activate them I talk with them about it I usually show them a few blog posts first of what we are and aren't about. And if they're still interested then we talk a little more. And sometimes if other HN Members are online, I introduce the potential new members to them to also give them an understanding.

Okay, good. As long as there is some sort of filter. Thanks for answering and addressing that.

Wall Creeper.

No problem. And of course there is. I mean, I want it to be welcoming, but there also has to be some level of understanding of what we are and what we're not.

Bingo old friend.

I think the only problem that has arisen from Kick-Ass 2 is people seeing me / my team on the streets and calling US Kick-Ass or referring to us as "Those guys dressed like Kick-Ass". Assuming that we're just wanna-be's and not taking us seriously etc. 

I just don't want the locals or authorities to jump to conclusions and think WE'RE out to start problems or to challenge people to physical altercations. The violence and bullheadedness portrayed in the film and the use of the term "Real Life Superheroes" in reference to the characters reflects badly on us who ARE Real Life RLSH's. 

The misgivings in this film series may cause more people to attempt to start a fight with us or cause us more problems than usual.

I just finished watching it. I figured what the hell, might as well see it and know what people are talking about. The movie kind of had a feeling to it that it kind of made fun of RLSH a little bit, and wheras the first kickass movie seemed to have a message of "Do something." the second one was more...cautionary against doing this? With a tongue in cheek kind of message at the end that kind of said, to me at least "but people will ignore the message anyway, so if you're going to do this, at least train and be the outstanding at it."

I FEEL LIKE... people are still confused about us. The movement hasn't (yet?) exploded like we had planned several years ago, back in 2007... movies like that can "unbalance" people even further. We're not a joke, but many think so anyway.

We should work on people's perception. Despite it's hard...