boxy wrote:Super heroes were all about hiding their true identity. No reason to change that...
I see. So you would have no problem with this, as long as the writers hide his sexuality from you, as effectively as they hid the fact that Batman was really Bruce Wayne?
Good to know.
Seriously. Did you actually try to make that argument? It's like you don't even try any more
I’ll make my argument more clearly then. (or at least try)
The sexualisation of material that children read is inappropriate.
There is a long standing tradition that late teen and adult comics can contain more explicit references to the character's sexuality and even their preferences.
The standard super heroes of the type that Marvel Comics produce had a core appeal to the younger pre-teen and young teenager in that they presented fantasies that the reader could relate. They presented clear cut good guy vs bad guy scenarios. The good guy had noble human characteristics that were valued by society and a couple of character flaws or traits that made him/her more human. They also have to have some vulnerability to their super powers that they had to use wit and cunning to overcome. They were not perfect.
These super heroes were placed, when they were in a human society in normal human settings. Family, work and social situations. Their interactions in these normal settings included them have same sex friends and sometimes girlfriends if they were male and boyfriends if they were female. They are the relationships that were normal for a young person to associate with so the problems of normal life still existed for the poor super hero.
They often had to choose between their private life relationships and their higher calling of being there for the greater good of humanity. They made sacrifices. The establishment of some normal relationships with us mere mortals was needed to highlight their personal struggles with duty and being selfish. Their duty always won out. Probably good mental conditioning of the reader for the next world war I guess.
Now when I read the comics I never thought about their sexuality or even sex. Sex was never implied or suggested. Christ they didn’t even stay overnight. It was just like going to the toilet is not mentioned in comics. We all know everyone does it but it’s not call out. Sex is not mentioned. Normal and by normal I mean what the majority of humanity call normal, human social interactions were described to position how difficult it was for the super hero to pretend to be normal… they just were not normal and did have normal problems. It was more a backdrop for this message.
It would be up to the reader to interpret the super hero and their values and be inspired.
I saw Wonder Women as a leader and equal to the male super heroes. She was sexy but so should a super woman. All the men had perfect bodies, the ideal man, so should the women. Saw nothing in that. All the super heroes were perfect specimens of humanity.
If the lesbians want to see Wonder Woman as an icon… that’s fine.
If the gays want to pick a super hero as a role model… that’s fine.
I see no argument for the declaration of a super hero’s sexuality in these comics. It is not supporting the plot by demonstrating they have normal struggles interacting with the rest of us. It is not necessary for the plot. Have a straight girlfriend is normal (90% so). Have a gay partner is not normal (10%).
In short and to summarise:
1) We are introducing adult sexual constructs and political correctness into children’s stories which is the traditional comic book and into the declared characteristics of the super hero. We wonder why kids are shagging each other at 12 years old now. It is because adult concepts to them far too early. Children should have a chance to stay children as long as they can.
2) What is normal. While this is a contentious statement it is normal to understand the world in simple terms when you are a child. Families have mothers and fathers. Boy and girls when they get older marry. Kingdoms are ruled by Kings and Queens. Fairies live at the bottom of the garden, not in your brother’s bedroom.
3) Minority sexuality or social constructs are not needed for the super hero plot. They should not be introduced. They are adult constructs. Leave it for the adults to read.
4) Introducing more and more sexual themes into our children’s lives is the continuation of the sexualisation of children. Just read the shit in a girls book today. They basically give them head job guidance when she is 13.
5) By having everyday more mainstream social interactions in the comic books they become a background to the story, like the scenery. Introduce themes that are not mainstream they come to the front of the story. They don’t feature in the imagination and the fanticies a child construct around the comic book hero.
In short. Leave the comic hero out of the political correctness drive to shove gay rights down all our throats. As an adult, I believe everyone has the right to do whatever they like between consenting adults. As a parent, I want this drive to make homosexuality to be seen as normal by promoting it to the young as completely unacceptable and wrong. Leave our kids alone. Leave what they read alone.
PS: Never read anyone wanting to hit on Vampirella even though she was drawn a a sexy woman. No-one held her hand.
