Oct

13

Horn-rimmed Glasses from Hero

Filed Under Brand Wave, Designer Sunglasses, Fun with Eyewear, Inside SmartBuyGlasses 


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The man with the horn rimmed glasses in the hit NBC show Heroes lurks throughout the series as somewhat of a mysterious schizophrenic. Part father and part government company man, Noah Bennet is both the face of fear for the majority of the civilians with superpowers and a loving and protective father to his adopted daughter.


Bennet’s double life makes his characteristic eyewear somewhat of a costume necessity. Throughout the series the camera angle shows the world through these horn rimmed frames, as if showing the predicaments Bennet finds himself in through his own eyes. His adopted daughter, Claire, is also a mutant (in the sense that she has the ability to heal any wound) and in series one was labeled as the savior of the globe. Bennet was forced to decide between turning her over for experimentation by his mutant-tracking government gang, or escaping with her into the desert. He chooses the later course, but leaves his family on several occasions where he returns to his dark side (though for good reason).


The glasses are Demi-Amber/Gold Universal Country Squire brand glasses with tortoise shell coloring and gold accents, a very old fashioned style and color choice for a modern TV hit. Tim Kring, the creator and co producer/writer for the series claims that Bennet’s character wears this particular style and brand of glasses because he felt they were reminiscent of early CIA style frames, and looked “very company-man.”


It is noteworthy that Bennet’s features are somewhat remote and bland. His classic hairstyle, plain grey suits and unassuming shoes and accessories make him a fairly forgettable character. His calm but monotone voice paired with pale skin and a plain car also help to make Bennet disappear into the crowd. Yet the glasses themselves stand out in people’s memories in the series, and he becomes known to the mutants only as ‘the man with the horn rimmed glasses.’


He first acquired the glasses when shopping with his daughter, Claire. He was wearing grandpa-style thick, dark frames that shaded most of his face and added to his bland appearance. Claire picked up the horn rimmed glasses for her father and complemented him on the change they made to his appearance. Pleased with his daughter’s choice, and obviously infatuated with her, Bennet purchased the frames and is hardly seen without them. It is striking that his daughter heard of a dangerous man with horn rimmed glasses several times before connecting the super-villain to her father, whom she helped create the persona for.


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Throughout the seasons, Bennet’s glasses have been broken several times, spit on, and have appeared in visions painted by a fortune telling artist. He is known around the globe as a killer and the lone assassin of a government program tagging and killing mutants. His glasses are symbol of his former life as a killer for The Company. Though he tries to flee with his family for a normal life and safety, he finds it hard to let go of his former self, and expertly plays the villain when needed, and the father when called upon. His glasses, then, are the most poignant throw-back to his company days, and to the internal battle that rages inside his character. This writer predicts that the glasses will vanish in later seasons when the character defeats the company.

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