Willingham: 'Superman' is entertainment, nothing more
This post was written by cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham, a psychology professor at the University of Virginia and author of “Why Don’t Students Like School?” By Daniel Willingham In an iconic scene in the film Back to the Future, Marty McFly (played by Michael J. Fox) uses a skateboard to escape bully Biff Tannen (played by Tom Wilson). The scene culminates when the bully crashes his convertible into a truck which dumps manure all over him and his pals. It was the only role of note for Wilson, and the actor reports that he is frequently stopped by strangers and asked “Was that really manure?” His answer? “It’s a movie.” In other words, it’s a story, a piece meant to entertain. Reality takes a back seat to these goals.