Superhero: Clara Tudo

     Throughout the past, Superheroes have given hope to mankind when facing various problems. As our capitalistic society continues to lack value in education and increase it's attention towards perfecting physical beauty, more people, especially women, are altering themselves through cosmetic procedures and attempting to fit into an image set up through media outlets, rather than try to understand their identity through education. According to …,by Charles Moss, “With the Internet and an endless slew of television news channels, the world is exposed to a constant stream of media coverage, and at times, the world seems a more cynical place than ever” (2). One Superhero who is attempting to change the cynicism that exists in the world, is Clara Tudo. With her superpower ability to retain and promote all knowledge that exists in the world, Clara tries to help society gain strength by being smarter in order to form a real identity, not just imitate one that is depicted in magazines, television, or films. Clara's goal is to save humanity from deterioration and mass media manipulation. As seen in places around the world, such as Beverly Hills, beauty is defined by physical attributes and education is not deemed as having as high of value; rather, it is seen as a distraction from gaining power or attention through acts of purchasing products or cosmetic procedures being advertised. In order to save humanity, a Superhero like Clara needs to exist and interfere in the silent manipulation occurring between media, corporations, and society in order to prevent the world from deteriorating. Individual human development and the formation of an identity relies greatly on being educated, which is Clara's greatest intent for mankind.

     Clara Tudo is a young female with a mixture of every race because she represents all of humanity, not just a specific type of people. Therefore, everyone can relate to her in one way or another. Her name is short for Praeclara Pulchritudo, which is Latin for “Brilliant Beauty”. Not only does Clara have a brilliant mind, but a beautiful body as well. She was Born July 1^st, 2013 from a Cloud called Luminis meaning “beautiful light”. She dropped onto Earth in Beverly Hills, CA 90210 on Rodeo Drive in the form of rain drops that watered a rare flower. This flower opened up with a seed in the middle. The seed fell out and as soon as the rain stopped, the suns rays hit the fallen seed and without it being planted into the ground, grew and blossomed instantly into a beautiful woman, eager to learn about the world around her. As Clara observes life in Beverly Hills, she realizes that cosmetic procedures and materialism have poisoned the minds of men and women in this city. Born with great knowledge and an obligation to save society from the evils of mass media, Clara promotes education and exposes the effects of stereotypes through the use of her superpowers.

     Clara Tudo has knowledge of all facts ever written, in every subject (math, science, art, history, literature, languages, politics, governments, sociology, psychology, etc.). She never recalls anything inaccurately and has an impeccable photographic memory. She does not have biased opinions that get in the way of facts. Her superpower gives her the ability to instill a sense of joy in learning through an inner ball of light that forms within her hand. As her knowledge increases, so does her superpower. The origins of her super abilities are a result of being created from a cloud, not from other human beings. Her limitations are that she does not have emotions and is a purely logical creature, unlike human beings. This limits her ability to experience love, like other people. Clara is also not able to create something herself; she is only able to correct information or regurgitate it in the most accurate form. She is different because she does not have the ability to make mistakes and learn from them like other human beings. She is always dressed in a white dress with a ponytail and constantly carries a different book in her hand in order to stay up to date on the latest concepts and information. Well aware of her natural beauty, Clara does her best not to flaunt it or look in the mirror too often in order to stay focused on protecting humanity. Her white dress represents her as being neutral to both sexes and her ponytail represents her femininity while keeping a distance from her eyes so that she doesn't get too distracted or tempted to constantly fix it up for others who may enjoy seeing her look that way.

     Society is in danger of deteriorating because mass media is poisoning the thoughts of men and women, especially in places like Beverly Hills where physical beauty is greatly valued as an asset. According to Lorrie Blair and Maya Shalmon, “If the messages carried by visual culture are not interpreted, we will be unwittingly buying, wearing, promoting, and otherwise consuming opinions with which we may not agree” (17). Clara observes this lack of understanding that men and women have about why they consume and promote products that are advertised. She is also aware of the consequences that a lack of knowledge has on the development of the human mind. “Unwittingly buying” products without a real reason leads to debt, dissatisfaction because it leads to a desire to continue purchasing more and never feeling truly satisfied, as well as insecurity because there is a constant comparison to other people who make similar or better purchases. In order to protect society from giving into the tempting advertisements that mass media bombards us with, education and awareness are the core of Clara's superpowers. Without her help, the world may continue to lose balance and be brainwashed to the point of no understanding as to why anything occurs or exists.

     Clara may not be fighting crimes that put people into physical harm, but she fights an even bigger battle against the more subtle yet significant enemy; mass media and the poisoning of the human mind. Media and advertisements that promote beauty in terms of appearance, wealth, and overall materialism impose the greatest harm on the development of any society because it distracts people from knowing why they do something and who they really are, which effects how society operates as a whole. According to “The Politics of Superhero” by Matthew Costello and Kent Worcester, “...superheroes can shape as well as reflect public opinion, by providing images, narratives, and rhetoric that can inspire action...” (86). Clara is certainly capable of shaping public opinion because her superpower, a ball of light containing knowledge, provides images that give people a better understanding of how they are being manipulated and why it is better to refrain from giving into the lies. The less people are educated and the more they are distracted by aesthetics, the greater the accessibility and power that mas media has to gain control as wells as dumb-down people in order to simply make a profit.

     While some may praise Clara Tudo and her mission to help make citizens more aware of the capitalistic society in which they live in, others may not agree that they are being brainwashed or poisoned in the first place. For instance, there are many wealthy housewives in Beverly Hills that can afford cosmetic surgeries or designer clothing and feel joy when they make such purchases for themselves. This obliviousness about being manipulated into making such purchases is a direct result of the effectiveness of mass media. The ability to spend a lot or a little amount of money is what determines class and racial diversity/inequality. Upper class society may fear that the separation which exists between he classes and races is what creates a sense of stability in life, and therefore should not be interfered with, especially by a superhero. In short, Clara is favored by some and feared by others. Overall, she is the greatest hope for society because she promotes independent thinking and individual success, in the form of an education rather than a physical appearance. In order for there to be a balance of both, it is essential to separate from the hold of media, take a step back, and assess the environment in terms of needs rather than desires. Clara is the greatest hope for the world because she provides the education that everyone desperately needs.

Works Cited

Blair, Lorrie. "Cosmetic Surgery and the Cultural Construction of Beauty." Art Education 58.3 (2005): 14-18. JSTOR. Web. 24 July 2014.

Costello, Matthew J., and Kent Worcester. "The Politics of the Superhero." PS: Political Science & Politics 47.01 (2014): 85-89. Web.

Moss, Charles. “What the World Needs Now: Societys Desperate Need for Superheroes.”            PopMatters. Popmatters, 4 Sept. 2008. Web. 21 July 2014.