Super Mario as Transformative Icon for the Working Class
These sorts of moves exist throughout the whole Mario & Luigi franchise . The physical comedy and showmanship of those titles is so similar to vaudeville that it is easy to connect them with the sight gags discussed by Garin and how those sight gags contribute to the telling of a story and the development of character in that context . This fluidity of form made available to him as a working-class hero has never really left him since his birth over 30 years ago as Jumpman in Donkey Kong . As previously noted , Mario first appeared in the 1980s , an era known for romanticizing the working stiff in popular culture as heard in Bruce Springsteen ’ s music or in demonizing capitalism as seen in the character of Gordon Gekko in the film Wall Street . This tendency to romanticize the lower class in particular is not far off from the tendencies of the cultural era of silent film to do so as well . Within those films resides a reflection of the struggles of people who experienced the Great Depression . Popular culture is shaped to appeal to those who consume it , and Mario ’ s various incarnations are no different .
The most recent iteration of Mario suggests an even greater versatility in our hero . Consider the use of Mario ’ s hat shown in the most recent Mario game , Super Mario Odyssey . Mario uses his hat this time around to possess the bodies of other creatures . At one point , he even transforms into a T-Rex , but the player is assured that this larger than life monster is still the player ’ s Mario because the beast is wearing that signature red cap . If the T-Rex had Mickey ’ s ears or Chaplin ’ s bowler , the audience could be similarly assured of his true identity . This provides comfort because people want to know that their heroes will stay the same at heart despite those heroes ’ transformations . This proposition convinces us that we too will stay the same good , down-to-earth people no matter how much we change , as we learn new things and take on our
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