"Super Hero": How real is it?

I said in my earlier post that “Who Wants to Be a Super Hero” was a cute, endearing reality show.

It’s still cute and endearing; I’m just not sure how real it truly is. Of course, I understand that people masquerading in super hero costumes is not reality. I’m talking about how much of the show is staged.

Last week’s episode started off innocent enough as the super heroes were asked to anonymously provide questions for each other to Stan. Among the revelations was that The Iron Enforcer has a body odor problem and possibly uses steroids. Then, the heroes were challenged to make it across a backyard while being pursued by trained attack dogs (The heroes had on the proper protective gear.). If they wished, they could cry “uncle” and the dogs would be called off. TyVeculus made it across the yard in 16 seconds, Major Victory did it in seventeen seconds with a dog attached to each arm (He has to be the favorite.) and Monkey Woman fought it out with the dogs for nine minutes, refusing to say “uncle” since she was almost eliminated last week. Feedback also made it across the yard, but all of the other heroes failed.

Stan singled out four for elimination: Cell Phone Girl, who claimed to have a headache and only lasted four seconds; The Iron Enforcer, who strangely gave up inches from the finish; Lemuria, who allowed the dogs to drag her back to where she started; and Creature, who laughed during the entire challenge. Stan eliminated Cell Phone Girl telling her, “Your minutes are up.”

Up next for the heroes was a costume makeover. All of the makeovers were an improvement, except for TyVeculus, who looked ridiculous in a feathered helmet. However, when Stan said himself that he wasn’t sure it was quite right, TyVeculus said he loved it and launched into a speech about how his destiny had been fulfilled. Clearly, this was another of Stan’s tests and TyVeculus failed, because he truly didn’t like the costume. After Feedback mocked the feathers, TyVeculus went back to Stan to tell him he didn’t like the costume, even though he feared it might mean his elimination. Stan allowed him to return to his old costume.

Meanwhile, when Stan saw The Iron Enforcer’s makeover, he said that there was something missing, but he wasn’t sure what.

Then, of course, it was time for another elimination and Stan singled out TyVeculus for lying to him, Feedback for making fun of TyVeculus, and The Iron Enforcer for his unpopularity, giving up on the dog challenge and for just not being right. “Maybe I just can’t get past that gun,” Stan told him. It was no surprise when Stan eliminated The Iron Enforcer.

However, there was more to come. As The Iron Enforcer walked down the street, Stan appeared to him on a TV screen and made him an offer to become the show’s super villain. The Iron Enforcer, of course, accepted and became The Dark Enforcer.

At first, I thought it was a cute twist; but when I gave it some more thought I had to wonder when this was conceived. Did the Iron Enforcer know all along that he was going to become a bad guy? Is that why he gave up in the dog challenge when he was only 12 inches from the door? How much of the rest of the show is staged?

I’m not so naïve that I believe everything about reality shows is real, but this one is bordering on professional wrestling now. What made “Hero” different was that it took something so silly and made it oddly compelling. This twist could make it just odd.

However, for now, I’m willing to stay tuned. For now…