"All my heroes have now become ghosts..."

It would seem the theme for the day is "Super Heroes." According to online news sources, Jim Carrey crashed Conan O'Brien's show Saturday night dressed as Superman.

The show, a stop on Conan's "The Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour", was held at Gibson Amphitheatre in L.A. Conan was performing his cover of Five for Fighting's song Superman (It's Not Easy) when, according to reports, Jim Carrey surprised Conan by arriving dressed as Superman and singing along.



As I watched the video and smiled, (Jim Carrey and Conan O'Brien are a few of my favorite comedians), I began to wonder. With the recent release of movies like Kick-Ass and Losers and upcoming releases of Iron Man 2 and Green Lantern, are we wanting a superhero?

Well I don't know about you, but someone shows up in tights and a cape to "save" me, I'm gonna flip out. Unless it's Jim Carrey...then I'll probably faint from shock and excitement. Or throw myself at him. I'm sure those are both very logical responses.

But we, as a society, have always idolized heroes, set select peers on a pedestal and made them into something glorious. Even the earliest civilizations had their heroes. Look at Greek or Roman mythology and you'll find a slew of material to rival your best Marvel comic books.

Why do we need these fictional characters with mythical powers and extraordinary abilities? Is it because we feel that there isn't such a thing as a real hero? Is it because we have lost faith in our fellow man and so instead we lose ourselves in fiction and pretend that it's just for the entertainment value?

I'm not knocking comics or super hero movies, I love them just as much as the next addict :) I'm just wondering why we don't look harder to see the real, every-day heroes that are right in front of our faces.

Our Armed Forces, risking their lives everyday for the freedoms we all hold so dear.



The parents everywhere who work hard to provide for their children.



Your city's finest, your local police men and women, who put themselves in harm's way every day to keep us safe.



People who stand up and speak out to protect our civil rights.





The volunteers of organizations like Red Cross and United Way who give so much of themselves to help others have a better life...EVERY DAY.





So I ask you... Who is your hero? And if you're holding out for Superman, ask yourself this: What is the fascination with a guy in tights? Really...I would love to know ;)