A Super Review

Debbie Schlussel has some fine comments about the new Superman movie that is coming out.

While I agree with some that movies are good just for their entertainment value, it shouldn't be forgotten that they are also very effective "soap boxes" for good or ill. We've been browbeaten for years by films that push a liberal view of life on the American public. Based on the box office success of these films, we can tell how much the American public embraces (or at minimum puts up with) these ideologies.

I've been so distracted by the recent Internet buzz about this new Superman's sexual orientation (the director says he's hetero, by the way) that I've not even realized that the other iconic character in the world of Superman is being tweaked. Now I'll admit that I never watched a single episode of "Lois & Clark" or "Smallville". So, I really don't know how Lois was portrayed in those shows. I don't know if Lois and Supe had...let's call it an active physical relationship. I wouldn't be surprised if they did. We know that they did in Superman II, but as far as I can remember, it was only once (off-camera no less), and if memory serves, it wasn't repeated in any of the sequels. It's a sad commentary on our culture that we've grown to expect that a romantic relationship on television or film has to include by default a physical relationship. That we don't even complain about that sort of thing any more is revealing that we've bought into the idea that it's okay... or at minimum acceptable behavior even if we wouldn't do it ourselves.

But what I think is breaking new ground in this film is that now Lois has a child out of wedlock. Apparently, if I read Ms. Schlussel's article right, there is even some uncertainty about who the father is, meaning of course that Lois had more than one "suitor" at the time. Lois is no longer the one-man girl she's been for decades.

This hardly breaks new ground on film or in any media for that matter, but it does change the fundamental elements that make up who these characters are supposed to be. Comics are a part of American mythology and Superman is right up there at the top of the list. To take these iconic characters and to change them to support modern ideology is to change how we see ourselves. Superman was the icon for "Truth, Justice and the American Way". Lois loves him. Lois is us. We love Truth, Justice and the American Way.

Now Lois loves... someone else. Or at least enough to bring another person into the world. Doesn't that defeat her iconic meaning? I'm hoping that by the end of the film, Lois realizes how wrong she's been and falls back into the blue spandexed arms of her true love, but a baby by another man won't go away even if she changes allegiances by the end. How are we supposed to interpret this new little icon? What does the baby mean? If anyone would like to make a guess, I'm curious.

Spider-Man and True Love

I just saw the trailer for the new Spider-Man 3. And right up front I'm going to say... it looks good.

It's been an interesting trend lately. Not only have superheroes really found a home on the big screen, but it's been more interesting to see how they are portrayed so darkly. We've come a long way from the Superman of the 50's or the Batman of the 70's. We had a dark Batman in the late 80's and an even darker one last year. Superman is being portrayed with some darker undertones. Soon we will have a Spider-Man who is apparently going to have to fight his inner demons.

Not that I think it's a bad thing, altogether. After all, the superhero genre has always meant to be a way to measure ourselves against a higher standard. Superman for example fought for "Truth, Justice and the American Way"; an icon for our country in WWII. But now the enemy is seen to be within. And while I would probably differ greatly with what anyone in Hollywood would say those demons are, there is truth in that.

We all have our weaknesses, and sometimes they're nothing more than personal shortcomings. But sometimes our weaknesses have a direct impact on the people we love. And these really shouldn't be ignored. We live in a country that seems more and more to celebrate selfishness and to disdain the notion of sacrifice. I'm going to go out on a limb, though and say that the only way Peter Parker will overcome his inner demons and get the girl is to embrace sacrifice on some level. I really don't know anything about the movie other than what I saw in the trailer, so I could be completely wrong.

But we know deep down, that sacrifice is at the heart of true love, and when it's portrayed correctly, audiences eat it up. The first movie that comes to mind is "The Notebook". Other movies try to show love as being a totally selfish endeavor and they wind up falling flat on their faces. The first to come to mind is "Must Love Dogs".

So, even though it's not really on the surface in our culture these days, deep down we know that to truly love we must sacrifice. And to love deeper means to sacrifice deeper. This is when love becomes charity. Hopefully Spidey will not disappoint in making my case. But given the recent output from the Left Coast, I won't hold my breath.

What would you say... ya DO here?

(JMJ)

And so I begin.

To quote a funny line in an SNL skit, "Who am I? Why am I here?"

And I have no idea. But I've been recently bit by the blogging bug, and I want to see what life would be like with a public journal in which to vent my occasional rants. If I had to guess what sort of things I will most likely write about, I'd say it would be the topics of culture: the arts (mostly movies - America's art form), religion, family life and maybe a little politics.

But keep in mind that I am an expert in none of these areas. You want to know how to draw a complex mechanical device in a 3D envioronment? I'm your man. But that would be really boring to read about, don't you think? And no...my stapler is not a Swingline. Not even red.

I don't spend much of my idle mental bandwith thinking about work but these other topics surface frequently. I rarely share them, because.. well... who cares what I think? Then the idea of the blog began to surface. I can put these thoughts out here where the world can take them or leave them. But for those who know me, they'll perhaps have the chance to get to know me a little more.

So, I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes. I don't have any grandiose plans. Now that I have this set up, I'm not even sure what to write about. But at least the blank page is set, the pencil sharpened, and I will have a place to put the next thoughts that come along.

See you then.