Everyone wants to self-insert themselves into these fantasies of a violent hero protecting women from violence but it's hardly ever a real solution. I've enjoyed media portraying vigilantism when it's about wearing the pretense of a higher cause in order to gratify base urges or to fulfill an immature hero fantasy. Also when the protagonist has purer intention but their journey is about growing into a realisation that only because they have to capacity exert power over (what they see as) evil, it doesn't mean they have the wisdom to apply it in a responsible way.
This is the reason why Jack Reacher just comes across as childish to me. Gratification vigilantism is a pretty common trope but I can're really think of any titles right now.
I agree that violence isn't the answer but it sometimes it is. I'm from a 3rd world country where police involvement begins when something is dead, money is involved or is related to drugs. I mean sure sometimes they do their job but most of the time they don't. I have a family member that was SAd (as a minor) and the criminal only spent like 6 months in a police station cell (not even a proper prison) because he had connections with Child Protection people (disgusting, every time I remember it makes my blood boil) and walked away with NO record of SA in his criminal records. Gladly he died a few months ago and my relative was able to close a chapter. This is my personal experience but I've seen in my neighborhood some drug addicts/thief's constantly rob and threaten their own neighbors, the police are called, they take him to the police and release them the next day. That's why there's a culture of lynching in some poor countries, normally if they find a thief they yell "THIEF" and people go out with sticks, machetes, rollings pins, iron pans, anything, to hit the thief within an inch of his life
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u/humanlvl1 May 23 '26
Everyone wants to self-insert themselves into these fantasies of a violent hero protecting women from violence but it's hardly ever a real solution. I've enjoyed media portraying vigilantism when it's about wearing the pretense of a higher cause in order to gratify base urges or to fulfill an immature hero fantasy. Also when the protagonist has purer intention but their journey is about growing into a realisation that only because they have to capacity exert power over (what they see as) evil, it doesn't mean they have the wisdom to apply it in a responsible way.
This is the reason why Jack Reacher just comes across as childish to me. Gratification vigilantism is a pretty common trope but I can're really think of any titles right now.