Spider-Man: Who I Carry With Me
Hi! Just a disclaimer, this article talks a bit about bullying and feelings of hopelessness. It also talks about bisexuality. This IS a safe space for all queer folk, if you're homophobic or transphobic in any way, please get the hell off my page, block me, and never interact with me again! I hate you.
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Not everyone can say that they wanted to be Spider-Man when they grew up, not everyone can say that they still kind of DO want to be Spider-Man. But I know quite a few people who saw themselves in Peter Parker, and wanted to be Spider-Man. I know that I still want to be Spider-Man, or at least be as close as I can be.
There is something about being so incredibly âaverageâ, yet so incredibly FEARLESS that really stands out to me. Now, donât get me wrong, I know Spidey isnât fearless. I know he fears SO many things. I know that he fears quizzes, I know that he fears his villains, I know he fears something happening to Aunt May, I know he fears. Period.
What I mean by incredibly fearless, is that he refuses to let fear stand in his way. I want to be like that, I want to be fearless like Spidey. I want to make sure that others have hope, and when they don't, that they can find it in me. I want to look fear in the eyes and say âno moreâ.
When Marc Webbâs Spider-Man came out, I was five. I donât remember where I saw it, when I saw it, or who I was with; but I know it had such an impact on me that I still think about it to this day.
Andrew Garfield is a perfect portrayal of the Spider-Man I see, and who I want to be. In this article/essay, I will be talking about the impact that he has had on me, how I see the world, and why I carry him with me everywhere I go.
A scene I remember loving as a kid who struggled with being bullied, is the scene where Flash is picking on this kid, heâs got his face shoved in pizza. Peter steps in even though he knows if a fight breaks out, he isnât going to win it. That is bravery, itâs stupid, but itâs brave and noble.
He tells Flash, a boy that he knows is so much stronger than him, to put the guy down. In fact, heâs firm and he stands his ground when Flash tries to intimidate him.
Peter definitely gets his ass kicked, and he knew he would, but he still stepped in. He still helped. Sometimes, thatâs all you can do. Take the shit so somebody else doesnât have to. If you can save one person, do it. If you can save a thousand people, do it.Â
Always stand up for whatâs right, because with great power comes great responsibility. Every single one of us has great power, you just have to reach down to find it. Maybe you need somebody in real life, like Skyline or Red Ranger. Maybe you can find your power, your bravery, in Spidey, Supergirl, Squirrel Girl, or anyone. Maybe you just need a friend. Maybe you needed to know that your love for Spidey isnât some silly, childish thing. Because it isnât, if somebody made an impact on you, fictional or not, youâre more than allowed to love them.
A scene that always makes me cry, that always reminds me that ANYONE can be as strong and as brave as Spider-Man, is when Peter gives the mask to the kid in the car thatâs falling off the bridge. The car catches fire, this kid is scared, but heâs brave. Your bravery makes you kinder. Your kindness will always come back to you. Sometimes in small ways, sometimes in huge ways that help you better the world, in this case it was a huge way. The kidâs dad was a crane manager/operator, and he made his guys, who were supposed to be evacuating, line the cranes up and help Spider-Man get to where he needed to be, which ultimately made him able to save the city.
This kid thinks that you need the mask to be brave, to be like Spidey, but you donât. You need YOU. Sure the mask helps, but you have to find bravery in yourself.
Everyone has bravery in them, itâs just a means of unlocking it. Finding it. If you need somebody to look up to, to help you find and hold that bravery, then you have Spider-Man. You have real life heroes too, people like Skyline. You can always, ALWAYS find somebody to look up to, to help you find your voice, your bravery.Â
For me, it was Andrew Garfield and his portrayal of Spider-Man.
The last scene I need to talk about, is the scene where Rhino is wreaking havoc on the city, and this kid stands up to him in a Spider-Man costume, and Peter is in his room. He hasnât put the suit on, because itâs simple. He doesnât think he can. He thinks bad things are going to happen if he puts the suit on again.
But he does anyway. Because he knows that he has the power to save the city, to help stop the chaos.
Peter suits up, and gets to the scene where the kid is at. He walks up behind the kid, which comes the iconic line that inspires me all the time, Spider-Man saying âhey Spider-Manâ to which the kid responds, âI knew youâd come back!â I really enjoy this scene because it always reminds me of how Spidey inspires people, how Spidey shows us that no matter how small you are, you can make a difference in this great big world. If you can stand up to somebody, they donât have to be a super-villain, YOU can make a huge difference.
Stand up for those who canât do it themselves, because it makes a difference. It really, truly does. I wish I had somebody who would stand up for me, but I didnât. I had to start doing it for other people in order to have enough confidence to do it for myself, and itâs still a hard thing to do.
Another thing Iâd like to mention is the inclusivity that was urged for by Andrew Garfield, he wanted a bisexual Spider-Man, I would have KILLED to have my sexuality represented. Andrew taught me that it was okay for me to feel the way I feel, do you realize how important that is? As a tween girl, watching interviews, reading articles and seeing your favorite person in the entire world, somebody you looked up to your ENTIRE life say that he wants your IDOL to be like YOU? That is something I can say has happened to me before, and it is magical. Inclusivity is something we need, especially in times like this.
I really look up to him. I found my confidence because of him, my voice. I use my voice every day now, if I see something that I donât think is right, I stand my ground. I say what needs to be said. I point out, hey, youâre being rude, or, hey, youâre being stupid.
Spider-Man inspired me to keep going. To keep running, and when I canât do that, to keep walking, and when I canât walk, to crawl. To keep fighting, and to rest when I canât fight.
Spider-Man inspired millions to be kinder, better, more inclusive. Anyone can be under the mask; A person-of-color, a gay person, a trans person, a loved one, an enemy.Â
Whoever you are, wherever you are: YOU can better the world. One small act of kindness at a time, one call, one text. You are never alone, even when you feel completely hopeless. If you ever feel that way, remember to reach out. As scary as it is, the world needs your light.
I think that another thing that every Spider-Person has taught me is to follow my dreams, to always figure out a way to achieve my goals. I think thatâs a very valuable lesson. I mean, who would we be without our dreams? What purpose do we have, if not to dream? You always have the option to give up, but you also always have the option to keep kicking and screaming. You always have the option to throw a tantrum and move on, to keep working towards your goals, to keep doing what YOU want to do.
Something that Spidey always showed me, is that you can be whatever you put your mind to. So put your mind to it. Get that work done, go to college, get that degree. Or get that guitar, get on stage, scream your heart out! Make Peter Parker proud! If that is the motivation you need, then DO IT. Think about how cool it would be, if you could meet Spidey, and tell him âhey! I finally did this thing!â
You can do it. Everyone believes in you.
When you have to sit there and cry, when you lose somebody you love, when you feel entirely alone: TALK. Because as stupid as it sounds, as silly and childish as it sounds, Spider-Man would not want you to feel alone. Spider-Man would want you to have a community that you feel safe in.
Peter Parker teaches to love louder than you hate, to make sure your friends are okay, to make sure the people on your street are okay, to be YOU. Peter Parker taught me to be free, to be myself, to be the nerdiest version of myself I can be, that itâs alright to be so strange that nobody else could ever completely understand you.
I think we could all learn a little something from somebody so fearless. Remember: Be YOU. Be nerdy, be weird, be crazy passionate. As long as itâs authentically you. Because that is what Spidey would want.