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You guys right after I woke up and saw yet another "is Superman over" article I had a realization about why people refuse to accept him as he is character-wise.
Maybe it's the lack of coffee talking, but hear me out.
Maybe it's the lack of coffee talking, but hear me out.
One of Superman's iconic qualities is optimism. He always believes there is hope, he always sees the best in everyone, he believes everyone has it in them to do great good in the world.
What do we usually call a character with that kind of optimism? ... a Pollyanna.
What do we usually call a character with that kind of optimism? ... a Pollyanna.
I realized that the qualities of Superman that people keep trying to reject, are qualities we usually only see in FEMALE characters.
When a male character has that optimism, they're usually shown as smaller/weaker/nerdier/dumber, not as a powerful hero.
When a male character has that optimism, they're usually shown as smaller/weaker/nerdier/dumber, not as a powerful hero.
And when a male character has that optimism, they're usually brutally disillusioned by the end of the story. Female Pollyannas are more often allowed to keep it and be proven right, or just have it tempered slightly (like in Enchanted).
Maybe one reason people reject Superman's optimism and his dedication to always doing the morally right thing, is because he's a powerful man doing it. And the loud element the publishers and studios cater to demands that powerful men must be grim and edgy, not hopeful.
