Villains are heroes today:
iconographic notes on the prominence of evil in current media

Authors

  • Javier González Torres Fundación Victoria – Universidad de Málaga

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37467/gka-revvisual.v4.1546

Keywords:

Villains, Evil, Iconography, Violence, Iconic Model, Cinema, Television, Video Games

Abstract

It only takes a quick glance at movies, television series or video games to realize that we are being fed a massive dissemination of shocking images, violent acts and violations of classic standards. A plethora of representations of evil have become the protagonists by taking advantage of certain iconographies that make them look like heroes, thus developing an extraordinary potential for feeding their powerful egos. Our purpose is to highlight some of these archetypal features by considering a range of renowned productions. We intend to match the profles, functions and deeds of these characters to their infuences, the patterns they follow and the corruption lying behind their recognizable appearances, as well as the reasons for their personal crusades. In order to do this, we will be using the history of art, anthropology and sociology as main tools. 

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Published

2017-12-12

How to Cite

González Torres, J. (2017). Villains are heroes today:
iconographic notes on the prominence of evil in current media. VISUAL REVIEW. International Visual Culture Review Revista Internacional De Cultura Visual, 4(2), 63–74. https://doi.org/10.37467/gka-revvisual.v4.1546

Issue

Section

Research articles