Poor Superman

Alright, when I thought I had heard everything, the current debate on the new Superman has gone where no one has gone before. For some, Superman really is gay and other others he is a Christ figure.

Bryan Singer has had to play down speculation from newspapers, magazines and the Internet that his version of Superman is gay. The Advocate, a gay magazine, on its cover asked:

How gay is Superman?

To push this even more, some see Superman as a gay icon because he is forced to live a double life, with his super-self in the closet. Argh! I think some people have too much time on their hands.

It seems that some of the speculation over Superman's sexuality is because of his appearance in promotional posters. I'm not joking here. Singer actually had to respond that his version of the superior is

"very romantic icon" - handsome, virtuous and vulnerable.

And definitely not gay.

Those who are debating this absurd concept should check out the synopsis of the film. After a five year absence, Superman returns to Earth to find things changed, including Lois Lane (his true love) has a new boyfriend and a child.

Now I doubt this shock would turn this veritable American icon gay. Lois has been his focus of attention since forever. Larry Niven even wrote a short piece in the 70's about why Superman and Lois could never get it on. So what Lois has a new beau & a kid. By the end of the film, she will be back in his arms, ready for the sequel.

What bugs me about this is just the audacity that some people even considered the possibility that Singer would do something this radical. We are not talking about a secondary character like Batwoman. Or a sidekick.

Superman has been part of our culture for ages. From my knowledge, there never was a stint where his sexuality was vague or questioned. Even someone like John Byrne or Frank Miller wouldn't go that far. We are dealing with a major, mainstream character. Not some throw-away secondary character.

And come off it. Singer would be committing Hollywood suicide if he dared fiddle with something like Superman. He stands for the American way. Truth and justice. He is whiter than white bread. Comic book fans start foaming at the mouth when details like the costume is changed. Or skin colour. What would they do if their favorite character, after years of being straight, announced he is gay? This is just insane. That would be akin to saying Rush Limbaugh or George W. Bush is gay.

I know there is a push to have more gay characters in comic books. The new Batwoman is a lesbian. Marvel, in Young Avengers has a gay couple with Wiccan and Hulkling. Yet this is a safe avenue. These are characters that are not part of our psyche. They can leave, be replaced or completely dumped.

And let's get real here, the American public isn't ready for that. Then again neither are Canadians. Or many other countries. They have a hard enough time wrapping their brains around things like gay scientists or politicians. There is no way they would be able to hand a gay Superman. Except in a Bizarro world.

As if the gay issue isn't enough. There are some that are seeing Superman as a Christ figure. Steve Skelton wrote a book examining parallels between Superman and Christ. He writes:

"It is so on the nose that anyone who has not caught on that Superman is a Christ figure, you think, 'Who else could it be referring to?' "

Tom DeHaven, in a book about Superman's status as an American icon points out that in the 1930's, Superman was the hero of the New Deal. He was seen helping the destitute and cleaning up American slums. By the 1950's, he turned into a tireless crime fighter because of fears of postwar urban lawlessness. And his early TV persona showed him as an idealized father figure.

This is standard with any comic book hero. Batman was a vigilante in the beginning. He worked alone. It was over time that this solitary crime solver got a sidekick like Robin. Heros change to reflect their times.

Now, Steve Skelton in The Gospel According to the World's Greatest Superhero looks into the comparison between Christ and Superman, which Skelton said started almost immediately since the origin of Superman in 1938.

Let's look at the situation. Superman is a hero, sent to Earth by his father to serve mankind. What gives even more of a Biblical overtone is Superman's real name is Kal-El. "El" is the Hebrew word for God. Yup, sounds like Biblical to me. Really Old Testament.

What is sparking this is not just the book by Skelton. The preview for Superman Returns is sparking debate. The preview shows Superman with his eyes closed as the voice of his father telling him he was sent to Earth because humans "lack the light to show the way." On top of that, Jor-El continues with "For this reason, I have sent them you, my only son."

Of course these lines have resonated within Christian circles, especially with bloggers. One blogger wrote:

The allusion to Jesus Christ could hardly be accidental

To stretch this out even more, speculation is even more rampant because Superman returns to Earth, after a long absence. For some, this is likened to Jesus' death and resurrection. And to make things worse, supposedly in the movie, there is a point where Superman gets a stab wound similar to the spear jabbed in Jesus' side. Also, there is another scene where Superman poses with his arms stretched out, as if crucified.

This flurry of comparing Superman to Christ is causing some interesting reactions. One person, Amy Pedersen, who is writing her doctoral thesis in art history, on superhero comics is jumping into the fray. She points out something about the creation of Superman.

According to Pedersen, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, who were Jews, were inspired by the Old Testament story of Moses and the golem character from Jewish folklore when creating the Superman character.

Singer brings up a good point in this discussion. He says the notion of Superman as a messianic figure is simply another case of contemporary storytelling borrowing from ancient motifs.

But for someone like Skelton:

"The way in which the Christian population can get behind a movie that they can agree with is a huge push financially. It's a smart move in terms of attracting an audience"

At the same time, it should be noted Skelton also distributes Bible-study kits that draw scriptural lessons from classic television episodes. He sees parables in shows like the Andy Griffith show.

Here we have an American icon that is being hijacked by different groups. The sarcastic guy I am says:

Duh, look at Superman! Have you ever seen anything more gayer than Superman. He would fit in a pride parade!

As to the Christian thing, once again Christians are trying to grab something that is Jewish and make it theirs. Agreed, once Siegel and Shuster moved on, the next set of writers, etc. might have thought about Christian themes but I doubt it.

For me, I never was a major Superman fan. I preferred darker characters and more angst. But in the end, hello, he is just a fictional character. Those who are wasting their time trying to find parallels with Jesus or being gay have way to much time on their hands. Then again, so I do for spending all this time babbling on this. The joys of a dead day at work!