Still Alive

Christopher Reeve will always be remembered as Superman on and off screen because of the star image he created for himself through his personal demeanor. "The star does not cease to be special, but now combines 'the exceptional with the ordinary, the ideal with the everyday'" (Dyer, 22). On screen, he played a heroic figure and off-screen he used his fame and money to change people’s lives as described in the clip. He continuously inspired scientists to do more research and believe that they can find a cure for spinal cord injuries. This hope he instilled in people is still alive and rich after his unfortunate death in 2004. 

Talk with Zoey and Big Bird

Christopher Reeve guest stars on Sesame Street. It is an interesting clip because he is not presenting himself as Superman but as a paraplegic. It is definitely an emotional scene during the episode when Zoey and Big Bird ask about his wheelchair and breathing tube. It provides an emotional connection to the audience, but it also exhibits hope that Christopher Reeve will still be strong. We see a touch of Superman at the end as he carries Zoey on his wheelchair to the library. This is similar in the way Superman always safely carried those he saved. Even though Superman is in a wheelchair, he can still help those in need!

So Uncanny on the WB

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJFtpi4vzG0

Christopher Reeve acts as a guest star on Smallville during the 2^nd season of the then WB and now CW series. The Smallville Interview relates to Christopher Reeve’s star image and his worth on the series. Reeve joins the show as an astronomer/scientist who discovers and deciphers Krypton messages sent from the dying planet. As Clark Kent, played by Tom Welling, and Reeve enter the screen together, the uncanny completely fills the air. The audience sees a double Superman on the screen. We see a younger, stronger Superman and then we see the wise and older Superman in the same room. The guest scenes illustrate a connection between a Past Superman and a Future Superman, which gives us a fully clear and intricate representation of Superman. Even though Reeve does not play Superman on the show, we can see Reeve as the older Superman teaching the young Clark Kent lessons on how to become a better person and superhero.

            

Christopher Reeve on this show adds extra sparkle, because to extreme Superman fans, he is literally Superman. Having double Superman in one scene is a dream come true for fans of the Man of Steel. The extra sparkle also comes from Reeve by way of his disability. This is one of the rarer times Reeve appears on camera after his accident, and we can see his strength and charisma just by his presence in the room. He does not move in his wheelchair, but he completely commands the room. By combining this guest star role and the PSA at the end, we see how Christopher Reeve utilizes the connection between himself and Superman to bring awareness to his foundation and research. At the end of the show, we do not see Christopher Reeve endorsing the Christopher Reeve Foundation PSA, instead, we see Superman.

"S"

With his new identity, Christopher Reeve strives to continue creating change in his respective communities and around the world. Through his foundation, he is able to promote his new image by adapting Superman’s characteristics. To emphasize this new constructed identity, Reeve even uses the character Superman’s trademark symbol “S” for his charity’s foundation. This directly exemplifies how he represents Superman off screen as well as Richard Dyer's concept of individual authorship. He uses his powers to control not only his self image, but also his foundations. This way he is able to present the organization and himself as one. Christopher Reeve is not only himself, but also a super man and an activist.  

On all items associated with his foundation, there is a Superman trademark sign imprinted to iconize his new identity as a savior for paralysis and spinal cord injury. You can buy these dog tags at the Christopher Reeve Foundation. All proceeds go towards Spinal Injury and Paralysis Research. 

An Applause for a Hero

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffSy3-PJ5QI

This video was from the 68^th Annual Academy Awards in 1996, which was less than a year after Christopher Reeve’s paralyzing accident. After the almost 1 minute and 11 seconds minute standing ovation, Christopher Reeve addressed the audience and the viewers at home about the social issues that Hollywood had been tackling in the recent years. Before he actually spoke, you can make out certain members of the audience, like Rita Wilson, tearing up as Christopher Reeve sat in the middle of the stage with his breathing tube and wheelchair. The man who was able to fly and have super strength was sitting in a wheelchair as still as could be. However, when Christopher Reeve spoke, he brought forth a trust to all his fans and to the world that Superman is not defeated.

At the Oscars, Reeve talked about the need to express social problems in both our community and nation. Reeve brought to our attention the power of film in presenting key issues to the public. This outspoken care and need to help society is exactly what Superman would have said. The viewers watching and listening to him look at him as a real-life Superman. Before this quintessential moment, Clark Kent was the man who played Superman in the movies, but now, he has become a symbol of hope and change for the world. This very public and small speech about Hollywood recognizing social issues becomes a turning point in Reeve’s career. At this moment, his identity changed from actor to society’s hero, similar to how Clark Kent changes to Superman. The uncanny is brilliant, because he is sitting in a wheel chaired, paralyzed in front of millions of people, but everyone begins to see him as a real life Superman. His disability is a sign of vulnerability, but in a sense, Christopher Reeve “is” Superman and continues to use Superman’s (and his) values to make a change. We are left in awe listening to a man, who exemplifies the enlightenment of immortality from the point of mortality. 

"New Hopes and New Dreams"

The TIME magazine article titled, “New Hopes, New Dreams,” talks about the past, present and future of Christopher Reeve. It emphasizes how he became Superman, and later on, the article discusses the challenge Reeve faces as a paraplegic and as a tangible image of Superman. Christopher Reeve mentioned in the article that he was very hard on himself in preserving his Superman image. Christopher Reeve’s star image as Superman helped the audience believe that a man can fly and have unbelievable superpowers. After his horrible accident, Reeve faced a dilemma: How can he continue his life, and how can he possibly maintain his image? Kryptonite is Superman’s ultimate weakness, but being paralyzed from the neck down proves to be one of the most difficult struggles anyone can endure. A severely depressed Christopher Reeve had no idea what was going to happen to his life right after the accident. However, instead of focusing on the body parts that could not work anymore, Reeve used his voice and star image as the way to fight for New Hopes and New Dreams.

           

Even when Superman was poisoned and surrounded by kryptonite, he always fought through to save everyone. In this sense, Christopher Reeve battled through his disability to make his voice heard. He has raised millions of dollars in his foundation, and the symbol of hope lies inside of him and is as strong as ever. Christopher Reeve saw his disability as a test to see how strong he really was. Instead of distancing himself from his iconic character, Reeve used Superman as his vehicle towards a universal need: finding a cure to spinal injuries and paralysis. Even though Superman is tied down to a wheel chair, he still lives on and always will through the legacy of his fans, supporters and image. Christopher Reeve role as Superman made him invincible as a star, and the image of Superman became more human and real because of Christopher Reeve’s life and challenges. By morphing together these images of Reeve and Superman, we are given a man and superhero, characters of reality and fiction, and mortality and immortality. These once contradictory images form together to emphasize the connection between Reeve and Superman. Audiences everywhere were able to see Christopher Reeve as more than just an actor playing Superman, but as an ordinary man who became immortal.

Irreplaceable

There is no other like Christopher Reeve playing Superman and Superman playing Christopher Reeve. He is a perfect fit for this character because he is able to play the role of a charismatic, athletic, and influential humanitarian.