I Don't Need a Superhero

So I just finished watching "Green Lantern" (yes, again - Ryan Reynolds in green spandex?? Who wouldn't watch that repeatedly?) and I wanted to give a great big THANK YOU to the writers.  Now, I'm sure that when they were putting the storyline together they didn't sit down and think about how the single girl might view the ending, or what deep philosophical lesson she might take from it, or even that it would be any different than any other superhero movie. Ever.  But between the half-naked shots of Mr. Reynolds and the distracting green spandex (yay for that) there was a lesson to be learned.

SPOILER ALERT!!!

The superhero leaves at the end.

We've grown up on these stories where the hero swoops in, saves the single and unfortunate girl and they live happily ever after.  Every time you put a superhero in a movie there inevitably has to be a love story that goes along with it, and it always culminates with the same damn ending.  They end up together.  Forever.  Or at least through the credits and then on in your mind.

Think about it - as young girls we're read Cinderella.  The charming prince (read: hero) saves the girl from a life of wicked slavery.  TA-DA!  Then there's Sleeping Beauty.  No need to rehash that story.  Superman, anyone?

So what do we learn as young girls?  Every single girl needs a superhero.

But in Green Lantern, Ryan Reynolds leaves.  He flies off.  With some crazy line about have to be "gone for awhile."  And guess what happens then?  Nothing.  The girl doesn't break down sobbing or dwelling on how her life has now been ruined since the man who just saved her is leaving.  She goes on.  At least through the credits, and then on in my mind.

Superheroes swoop.  They swoop in, they swoop out.  They're great for the big stuff but not so fantastic with the day-to-day, not-feeling-so-good, have-mucus-running-down-my-face kinds of stuff.  I had a superhero and I remember telling my friends - he's great for the big stuff (he flew out to Ohio when I needed him to be there) but not so great on anything else.  Recently he's decided his flight plan would include California once again.

I don't need (nor do I want) a superhero.  I'm confident in me - I know that I'm fully capable of taking care of myself.  What I want, eventually, is a partner.  Someone who can stand next to me in the bad moments, bring me Nyquil when I'm sick, share my successes without feeling overshadowed and partake in my life in every moment, not just the ones he thinks he can save me from.  I don't need saving.

Thank you Green Lantern.