Dylan Moran

Blog Post: April 6

        The role of the “white male hero” in the early 90s was changed due to the political figures running America. The comforting white leaders from the 80s such as Bush Sr. and Reagan did not have as good of reputations as they used to. Hollywood’s interest in Justice had been won over by the interest of family. The overall perception of morality had begun to change in society and in cinema. Reagan used this in his campaign and begun to emphasize the importance of family. This transition of a man of justice to “family man” can be seen in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s film Kindergarten Cop. In the beginning of the film he is a tough, masculine man who fights for justice. By the end of the film he gives all of it up to become a kindergarten teacher full time. He learns that family is more important than serving justice, which was exactly the kind of image that our political leaders were trying to showcase during this time. This is also shown in Terminator 2, which was the film that we watched in class. Arnold’s character at first is a killing machine; he has no regard for humans or human life. It is only until the young man who he is supposed to protect tells him not to does he stop. This terminator becomes the father figure that John Conner never had. His mother watches the terminator fondly as her son high fives him over and over. She says that he would never drink too much, never hurt him, and only protect him forever.  This shows the transformation of the justice server to family man. He begins as a machine but becomes humanized as the film carries out. John teaches him how to talk and act like a human being, which therefore makes the audience begin to accept him as one. At the end of the film, the terminator sacrifices himself for John Conner and his mother. This is symbolic of the justice server sacrificing what he loves for the good of a family. These roles that Arnold plays represent the ideology of American society during that time period.