Beware the Spiderman Generation

I had a strange revelation last week when I went over to my sister's for dinner. When I used the restroom I saw a Spiderman rug, then noticed a Spiderman toothbrush. Then near the front door I noticed Spiderman slippers and a Spiderman backpack, in the kitchen Spiderman plastic plates and plastic cups. Then in the family room I see his toys out, of course a Spiderman playset slide type thing, and a Spiderman figurine with a magnet attached to his web he is slinging (so he can hang from anything metal in the house of course). Also a foot tall stuffed Spiderman that talks to you when you push the center of his webslinging right hand. Not to mention the Spiderman kids stuffed chair.

Then I see on top of the big screen all three Spiderman movies which I find out he watches religiously, the newest one multiple times per day if allowed. All these products got me thinking. At least 60 bucks for the movies, maybe another 200 for the other assorted items. So that's over 250 dollars of which I'm sure the Spiderman movie merchandising gets a nice percentage of. And this is before I even look into his closet upstairs full of Spiderman shirts of all colors, some with Venom on there too (no Doc Oct or Goblin strangely, kinda makes you think why Venom was inserted in Spiderman 3 the way he was...).

As if this wasn't enough, right after the meal he is all excited because apparently at night he is allowed to change out of his nice clothes. I was expecting perhaps Spiderman pajamas. Not even close. He has two different Spiderman full body costumes (very realistic mask included), one normal and one with built in muscles. He then, as it sounds like it is a regular custom, gets his Spiderman 3 movie started in his playroom and for the next 2+ hours runs around the house, jumping, sprinting, climbing, fighting his stuffed animals as though they were Venom and the Sandman. He also has learned to keep his middle and ring finger in so they touch his palm as he spins multiple webs at enemies and family alike. Later in the night he comes into the room ripping the symbiote of Venom from his skin as it has obviously appeared to him that the symbiote is amplifying his negative traits and must be destroyed. The good news is after the movie, he is finally worn down a little (must have been all that pounding from Sandman). Spiderman finally goes to sleep in of course, you guessed it, Spiderman pajamas.

When I think back to my childhood, I remember Star Wars being this popular. I remember owning the MIllenium Falcon and the assorted figures. I remember owning lightsaber weapons and having as many accessories as humanly possible. I also remember as this/my generation got a little older and George Lucas was revered as a possible god. I also remember how angry everyone was when Lucas struck out with the Phantom Menace and I believe thus opened the door for Spiderman to climb right in. My sister's child won't even sit through the whole movie for the Phantom Menace proving he is more intelligent than I was when I first saw the movie. I'm curious as he gets older, is Stan Lee going to be revered as the greatest man ever to live? I also wonder how Spiderman 4 can top Venom and the blacksuited symbiote Spiperman, probably the best marketed villian/parasite in the history of marketing. I am very curious to see as this child grows up how this affects what he does and what he buys. I wonder how many other children LOVE Spiderman this much and what this will evolve to into the future. Stan Lee for President perhaps in 15 years (provided he's still alive)? You never know.

PS- I talked to my sister yesterday, her child won a prize at Haunted Trails (a local gameplace/park) and surprisingly choose a 1 1/2 foot tall symbiote (black) Spiderman. Then after getting his hands on the prize refused to ride anymore rides the rest of the night because he would have to put his new symbiote down.

Stan Lee for President 2024