Searching For A Hero

It was a lonely Saturday night. It was just me, my rusty recliner, a bag of Orville Redenbacher's popcorn from the Dollar Store, and a pirated copy of the culturally iconic movie Ð''Footloose'. One hundred ten calories and an hour later, I found myself gazing at Lori Singer dancing to the tunes of Bonnie Tyler's "Holding out for a Hero".

"I need a hero, I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night

He's gotta be strong, and he's gotta be fast. And he's gotta be fresh from the fight ..."

Throughout the movie and even afterwards, the song kept playing itself on and on in my head. It's surprising how a lonely Saturday night can raise a thought-provoking question; in this case being Ð''What is a hero?'' Did Bonnie Tyler truly believe that the only criteria for being a hero was that they should be strong and fast? According to the definition provided by the Webster's dictionary, a hero is "any person admired for noble qualities or special achievements." This definition does not serve our purpose as we do not live in a simple world and our convoluted society more often than not, demands the questions "What are noble qualities?" and "What achievements do we consider special?" Heroes are probably the people who possess the capability to do tasks which will provide an array of benefits to a society, tasks which a greater section of the society would find unthinkable and even impossible to perform. When I saw how Ren, the protagonist of the movie Footloose played by Kevin Bacon, charismatically wooed a whole town into embracing rock and dance music, I decided that a hero was in fact a go-to guy, a guy whom we all looked up to for reassurance, and someone we could always count our hopes on. Heroes were always the people I wish I was like. At times I wished I had the strength and confidence of Muhammad Ali, and at times I yearned for the innocence and charisma of John Lennon.

The lonely Saturday night was steadily kicking in. I found myself flipping through channels at a lightning pace. It wasn't like I had anything better to do. And then I happened to come across a rendition of John Lennon's "Working Class Hero' by Green Day. When somebody mentions the name John Lennon, a few words come to my mind. Rebel without a cause, free thinker, alcohol, cocaine, The Beatles, Love, a poet, a subtle bundle of contradictions, a jigsaw puzzle of idiosyncrasies, cultural icon; and most significantly, a hero. John Winston Lennon was born during the course of a German air raid in World War II. The man, who was raised in violence and subsequently died as a result of violence at the hands of Mark David Chapman, was a source of inspiration to those of us who have always maintained the simple-minded mentality that art can change the world. During the same period when John Lennon was whipping out a generation worth of musical classics like "Give Peace A Chance'', a twenty three year old boxer was defending the world heavyweight title against Sonny Liston. One of the most controversial bouts in boxing history. The score-card of the bout simply summarized Ð''First Round, First Minute. Total Knock Out'. Standing over his recovering opponent and literally screaming at him to get up, the twenty three year old pumped his glove clad fists in the air to celebrate his victory. (Kram)That boxer was none other than Muhammad Ali, the Sports Illustrated Ð''Champion of the Century' and the self proclaimed Champion of the World. Both John Lennon and Muhammad Ali were undoubtedly heroes in their own rights, but what qualities did they possess which earned them a scribble in the annals of history?

Muhammad Ali's professional boxing record of 56 wins attests his physical prowess in the boxing ring. But the factor which raised him to the stature of a hero was his sheer confidence. Early on in his career, Ali predicted the rounds in which his opponents would fall to his vicious blows. While this form of arrogance may seem as it is a by-product of his several inferiority complexes, it actually is a feeling of fearlessness and domination. A trait noticed in a traditional war-mongering hero. It should be noted that Ali's arrogance didn't stem from the fact that he was insecure about his skill, and thus felt the need to prove his strength at any given point. His arrogance was a cumulative product of his victories over his competitors. It is a well known fact that Ali did not pass the American army's basic mental examination. When asked if he had performed below par as a means to evade service in the army, he replied "I only said I was the greatest, not the smartest" (Myers). The statement made by Ali is a testament to his honesty. He acknowledged that he would rather be on a higher ground morally, than be more intelligent. Even though Ali lost against contemporaries like Joe Frazier and George Foreman, he fought valiantly. With his confidence, honesty and unprecedented courage, Ali brought about a positive hysteria to the American's who were still reeling from an agitated phase in the 60's and 70's period American History which marked the advent of the Vietnam war and the Civil Rights revolution. Ali always professed his faith in God before each fight, he spoke of humanity, he spoke of the starving poor, he expressed his sympathy for the downtrodden, and he truly electrified the sport of boxing. He truly and definitely stood up for something of a higher cause and because of this, the people who rushed into the boxing bouts and chanted ecstatically at his mention, stood up for something of a higher cause too. (Walter)

If Muhammad Ali had 56 wins to his belt, John Lennon had a legacy. John Lennon was one of the first musical artists who used rock music as a means to make political statements. John Lennon tried to persuade a convoluted and self-obsessed society to realize that peace and love would definitely overcome the odds of vicious violence, and bring out the hope that people could come to terms with each other's social, cultural and religious beliefs. Like Ali, John Lennon had propagated an idealism which got people through the dark days following the Vietnam conflict, and the series of political scandals which we all collectively known as the Watergate disasters. If Ali's confidence, arrogance and courage proved his heroism, Lennon's unblemished innocence made him a legend. His revolutionary ideals made him a legend. His humour, inexplicable spontaneity, and his belief in humanity made him a legend. John Lennon was my hero just because he was my voice; he always said what I was thinking. (Nation) Even while