I am not really into superhero movies. The only superhero I like is the Phantom, and his only superpower are his moral certainty and his mystique (ie Ghost Who Walks, Man Who Can Never Die).
[I will of course make an exception for Wonder Woman. And Black Widow. And Alison Brie as Captain Marvel.]
Hence I did not see that Superfriends movie which came out a few years ago, where, when Aquaman or some such asks Ben Affleck’s Batman what his superpower is, he replies “I’m rich”.
In the context of witty repartee in a film which is not expected to take itself seriously, this line works quite well.
But when the media has been reporting on the interactions between billionaire Anthony Pratt and various world figures, including Donald Trump, and Mr Pratt is quoted as saying “Being rich is my superpower”, it does not really work. He comes across as both somewhat insecure and crass.
And where someone like Donald Trump then, totally without irony, describes him as a ‘red haired weirdo’, it does descend almost into the surreal.
Longer term readers of my blog (ie those netizens paid by the Peoples Republic of China to keep an eye on online critics) will know my definition of crassness.
From my first trip to Italy, I determined that Crassness is when rich people behave badly (eg Rome is crass), Crudity is poor people behaving badly (eg Naples is crude), Magnificence is when rich people behave well (eg Venice is magnificent), and Elegance is when poor people behave well (eg Livorno is elegant, albeit extremely boring).
Being boastful about one’s inherited wealth and the doors that it will open and the influence that it will buy is not a very becoming look. It appears quite crass.
And to return to the general theme of superheroes, we have learned from Spiderman’s late uncle that ‘With great power comes great responsibility’.
Perhaps Mr Pratt should keep that in mind.
Lost For Words! 