ABSTRACT
Today's play becomes tomorrow's musical or movie and a television program spins off a play or movie. The hero's exit has surely affected the fantasies and models for behavior provided the New People by opera, theatre, musical theatre, movies, and television. The swooning idolators wanted to see their heroes but today's matinee audiences include many women who are almost indifferent to the performers and are attending to help a favorite charity. Off-Broadway is unlikely to feature a romantic hero, except to ridicule him. Audiences' fantasies of power and achievement are enhanced by seeing someone successfully coping with fears and problems. The inadequacy of any single member of a group of heroes may lead to fantasy productions that more closely resemble reality, and ultimately make the media less effective means of escape. Old-fashioned romantic heroines wrote books on cosmetics, clothing, or cooking, but Honor Blackman represents a new breed and has written a book on judo and karate.
