In Its Final Season ‘Smallville’ Rips Conservatives
by Vic HoltremanFor me, the CW TV series Smallville has always been pretty much a guilty pleasure.
Yes, it’s cheesy. Yes, for a very long time it devolved into a teenage soap opera. And yes, it’s written with the subtlety of a car wreck… but it’s about how Clark Kent becomes SUPERMAN. How can I not watch that?
The series has ranged from “decent” to “awful” to “OK, that was kind of cool” over the course of its nine year run. It started out fairly family friendly, but as time went on succumbed to the typical CW temptation of adding some female skin, sexual situations and even one episode that was as close as they dared get to one of the Saw movies as far as gore. I’ve never missed an episode, and as far as I can remember they always stayed away from politics.
Until this (supposedly) final 10th season.
Before I go on, let me say that I’m fully aware that superhero stories have been used as allegories for what happens in the real world – it’s well known that in the X-Men comics that mutants living in fear represented gays. Marvel Comics’ Civil War saga (conceptualized and written by well known Leftie comic book scribe Mark Millar) about the “Superhero Registration Act” in which superheroes had to reveal their secret identities to the US government and go to work for it was a reaction to the War on Terror (or as it’s now known: “The disagreement with those who shall not be named”) and the Patriot Act.
But Smallville always steered clear of all that (stick with what works with your target audience: teenage romance and angst).
Back in spring 2008, series creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar decided to leave the show. They’d completed seven seasons, and despite the press release-type statements, the real reason they left was never known. For season 8 and beyond, the highest ranked staffers on the show stepped up to produce it. That season wavered between good episodes and not, but season 9 turned out to be one of the better seasons of the entire run with Clark really getting into the whole superhero thing, appearances by the Justice Society (Star Girl and Hawkman’s costumes notwithstanding).
However, now, in its 10th and what is supposed to be final season, a definite political agenda has crept into the show. It started out fine with the season premiere episode, but in the second episode (entitled “Shield“) they introduced a character from the comics named Cat Grant. Here she was portrayed as a typical Conservative woman as seen through the distorted glasses worn by a Liberal: She was naive, arrogant, judgmental, and annoying as hell in a squeaky clean way. She referred to the fact that superheroes should “come out of the shadows (i.e. closet)” even though she thought they were obviously “bad.”
I was annoyed but thought, eh, maybe I’m reading to much into it.
The following episode, entitled “Supergirl” opened with an obviously “bad” radio talk show host (made to seem like Michael Savage, Glenn Beck, etc.) talking about the evils of these super-powered vigilantes (read: illegal immigrants) and how they must be stopped, etc., etc. He’s taken over by a super-baddie and fans the flames of fear and hatred against super-vigilantes. Oh, he’s religious, too.
Second episode in a row… maybe it’s NOT just my imagination.
Now we’re onto the next: “Homecoming.” In this episode, four minutes from the end, Oliver Queen (aka Green Arrow) goes off full-on into a liberal talking points speech – talking about oil money greed and putting up a barbed wire fence to keep out people that just want a better life. Granted, the comic book character has always been portrayed as a Liberal, but he’s been on the show for 3 1/2 years and this is the first I’ve noticed it.
Yeah. Something is definitely up.
And last week’s episode, “Isis” – where I cringed at the return of Cat Grant who was her pleasant self once again. I suppose the writers figured that they were being too subtle for the typical Smallville fan, so in this episode they actually had her say “I will never understand liberals.”
Of course I’ve gotten into arguments with readers on my own site over this – but even some of those who at first were saying “aw, come on, you’re reading too much into this” are starting to say “What the hell – can they knock this political crap off?”
Of course at least one irony found in this situation, is that while the staff of Smallville is all for using super-powered vigilantes as allegory, I’m pretty sure they’d be the first to cry foul at the thought of real-life vigilantes stopping crime, just as I would guess they’re against allowing citizens to protect themselves via the second amendment – you know, the one that makes you and me “super-powered” against an overpowering adversary. Of course this is all speculation on my part… *cough*.
I emailed the press contact for the series, and at the time I’m writing this have yet to receive any sort of reply regarding a change in tone or staffing on the show that might explain this.
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148 Comments
Liberals aren't against stopping crime.
The only problem is that the 'crimes' they want to stop are things like business, religion, and patriotism.
Any other run of the mill crime, like say terrorism, is really just authentic cultural expression the ignorant rubes in the Bible Belt could never appreciate.
Thanks Superman for stopping those nasty conservatives, Christians, and people who care about America.
Your job is done here.
This show is DONE! My son stopped watching this in season 7 when it got to be too talky and preachy. I didnt know what he was talking about then, but now I do-that way his was of saying it was too liberal for even a pre-teen fanboy!
I wonder what Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster would think. The Superman of this era is more the champion of PC causes than their original creation who fought against the National SOCIALIST Party of Germany. And as a longtime comic fan, it bothers me most of all that not only do certain producers feel a need to espouse liberal views, but they also feel the need to demonize conservative views by creating such strawmen as the Cat Grant character on Smallville. I hope the folks at Smallvile get a sense of the conservative fans frustration before this season is in the can and perhaps re-adjust their focus a little. Otherwise it will leave a bad taste for the legacy of the show as a whole.
Why do they do this? Are they so bereft of ideas that they can't come up with anything better? Besides being hackneyed and hurtful it ruins any suspense. The religious/conservatives are always the bad guys, unless they happen to have an experience where they are made to "see the light" and are transformed into a glorious liberal. Same old song and dance.
Really I am surprised it took as long as it did. Politics always seems to creep into shows it doesn't belong in. Usually much faster than a show's 10th season. I watched smallville for about 8 seasons, but it got too mushy and hokey and I finally gave up. I guess it's liberal street cred, shows like V and KINGS were almost conservative and that made for a short life. Now it seems if you don't bash conservative your time on TV is short lived.
The Expert Knows
it's just more of the 'Narrative'…
Hollywood has a viewpoint, they ARE ideological, and they intend to pursue it whether it has financial rewards or not. THis is just mor of the same, like the 'Law and Order' with the evil Morons, or the Sarah Palin nom de plume used to solicit abortion in that dreadful biker show on FX.
The drooling minions watching this nonsense don't get it, anyway. And those who would get it don't watch it.
'Smallville' may have been a guilty pleasure, as you say- but it is still made by the same grist mills. So, what did you expect?
A guest spot by a smiling Glenn Beck?…
I've also noticed (how could anyone not?) how Smallville has sunk into the standard Lefist pulpit this season. As for Oliver/Green Arrow's thimble deep rant at the end of last week's show, at first my temper flared up a little because the writer's kept pushing their nonsense. Then, like you, I thought, "Well, GA's a huge lib in the comics, too, so…" But, before I could even complete the thought, Clark started smiling and nodding his approval.
I've stuck with the show for its entire run, despite the MANY times that the writing was so bad that it was almost unbearable, and this is how the hacks pay loyal fans back. They attack, not just conservative boogeymen, but the political positions of about 65% of the country. Maybe they figure they don't need to keep the audience since the show isn't coming back.
I have to dispute one thing… the X-Men were not created as an allegory for homosexuality, but as a way of telling stories that teenagers… who all feel that they're different and that the world is against them… would appreciate. The homosexuality thing is fairly recent, as gay groups have basically tried to hijack the X-Men. Stan Lee has been pretty clear that mutants are just a stand in for ANY people that feel marginalized…. whether or not they really are.
As for Smallville, yeah, I picked right up on the Glorious Godfrey-Glenn Beck similarities. Godfrey certainly does seem like a caricature of what liberals believe right leaning talkers to be. You hate it, but eh, that's what we get for rewarding an entertainment industry that hates our guts. It's our own fault when we hand our money over to these people.
well, i have never watched this series, for one simple reason. why do they need to keep making sequals to everything? can't they come up with new superheros? we have superman, batman, and star trek way over remade. the fact is they either don't have ideas, or are too lazy to come up with new ones. now james cameron is now going to do avitar two and three, imagine that? where are the new stories, or new ideas, this is why hollywood is in so much trouble, they keep remaking the same thing over and over again. the same thing can be said for music, where are the creative artists?
I don't think this is such a big deal. It's not like a Sons of Anarchy character using Sarah Palin as an alias when getting an abortion.
I gave on this show half way through the pilot episode. This show was made by people who disdains superheroes but exploit them and their fans to make a cheap buck.
Where's Richard Donner when you need him? He may have been a self-professed leftie, but he respected the source material and his audience.
Yeah, sorry I missed that episode along with all the others…
another pithy gem from you…
You have a gift for understatement- and it does crack everybody up here…
Are these so lacking in imagination that their only refuge is to attack conservatives?
Why do they do this? Are they so bereft of ideas that they can't come up with anything better?
Basically. It's a politically-flavored jumping the shark. To me, it has the stench of desperation: they're out of good plots, so they have only their own personal mythology to fall back on. It's the only thing they know.
It's why I've never really been a fan of Marvel. One commenter a while back whined when I pointed out that for some time now Marvel has been relying on the Darker and Edgier trope a little too much, to the point where just about everything can be neatly summed up with the lyrics to Linkin Park's "Crawling". But the fact is that Marvel's flirtation with the self-indulgent Emo trend has been going on for years, specifically to bring in teenaged readers. It's not especially political at its core, just appealing to the "nobody understands me!" crowd.
The downside of this is that it can be a bit alienating for readers who aren't interested in reading "Dawson's Creek: the Comic". Not to say that DC can't get its "meaningful political commentary" on, but it tends to be less self-indulgent when it does.
Look up in the sky, it's a bird, a plane…it's Liberalman! Yes, it's Liberalman! Strange visitor from Chicago who came to the White House w/ with NO powers or abilities beyond those of mortal men. Liberalman, who CAN'T change the course of mighty rivers, bend steel with his bare hands, and who, disguised as Barack Obama, mild-mannered President of the United States, OBSTRUCTS a never-ending battle for truth, justice, and the American way."
Smallville is a huge guilty pleasure for me, as well. I haven't enjoyed every episode, but I did enjoy the fact that it was one of the most politically neutral shows out there. The creators recognized that this show is fantasy and that nothing kills the fantasy quicker then politics. Which is why I have been disappointed by this season. Like the writer of this article, I was skeptical at first. I have since moved into the "Can they knock this political crap off?" camp.
There has been 1 thing that has saved this for me. Clark Kent has remained politically neutral. As long as Clark isn't the one spouting off, I can deal with it. After all, this is its final season. Although I have to admit, I would prefer to enjoy, not endure, the final season. So if the writers could knock it off I would appreciate it.
Every one has an ideology. Part of human nature. How we interpret reality around us.
The ones I worry about are the ones who insist they don't have one. I know better.
Every one has an ideology. Part of human nature. How we interpret reality around us.
The ones I worry about are the ones who insist they don't have one. I know better.
I've followed the show since the beginning and this actually isn't the first time it's take pot shots at conservatives. Back in season 7 when they introduced Black Canary they made her secret identity an abrasive conservative radio talk show host. She was a dupe for Lex Luthor who paid her to go after Green Arrow and she was inclined to believe Lex over the others because he was a corporate CEO.
I was willing to overlook Oliver's liberal rant because in the comics he's a huge lefty. I mean he once hooked up with a bunch of anarchists that were going around blowing up gun manufacturers like Colt, err…I mean Mustang, and trashing the 2nd Amendment because only the government should be armed. I was willing to cut Glorious Godfrey some slack since the character originated in the 70s and his job was whipping up public support for Darkseid though this incarnation was obviously tinged by liberal political thinking. But Cat Grant…
First of all, this is the second Cat Grant they've introduced in the series. The first one, who came in last season, was a beautiful, smart woman who went on a blind date with Clark for some TV show he and Lois were auditioning for. That they recycled the name for a new character, and she even acknowledged that she wasn't the same Cat Grant, just goes to show their lack of creativity. And she's a blatant liberal stereotype of what a conservative is supposed to be like. Her random rant about liberals while running for her life was meant to bludgeon us over the head with the fact that she's supposed to be a conservative. Even as political satire it's very poorly done and highly offensive to conservatives.
Of course this is the comics industry where a bunch of white liberals once lectured a black writer (Jim Owsley/Christopher Priest) on how his black characters (Luke Cage) sounded too white and needed to be more ghetto.
Why pray and spray, when a well placed double tap will do?
I used to follow this series faithfully, but I dropped off last season. The writing went downhill, and some of the story lines seemed muddy. I enjoyed the show when they were tip toeing around with the Justice League. And I definitely loved the seasons with Lana in it. (smoking hot actress)
people who believe in nothing ARE nothing…
And those who think men to be as gods are in for the rudest of all rude awakenings. Our ideology is based on flawed men with feet of clay trying to advance as best as they can to the next level. That what you say, and what you do, have Greater Meaning. That your life is important in the scheme of things as far as your spiritual development goes, and little else. That nobility and self sacrifice for principled positions is the key…
Easier to secure funding for a proven profitable idea.
I noticed this trend with the show a few seasons back… the trend of equating Lex Luthor to George W. Bush or to anyone else defending the country from foreign threats (ie. radical Islam), an episode that was for all practical purposes propaganda for illegal immigration, etc., etc. I ended up only watching a few episodes last season and I haven't watched at all this season. Too bad. It used to be a great show.
DC went through it's own darker and edgier phase following the publication and success of "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns" and "Watchmen." I hated it. They totally trashed Hawkman, one of my favorite characters, and the Legion of Super-Heroes, one of my favorite books, in the process. Thankfully they got over it.
The big problem with the writers of the show is they can't write. The stories are either blatantly swiped from recent movies or they're all over the place and none of the characters ring true. I really hate how the show made Clark Kent into this hand wringing, unconfident weak-minded dude who needs these strong women to tell him how to think. I watch it because I am a Superman fan, but it gets on my nerves.
I noticed the lame politcal stuff this season. It's so badly written it's almost a parody.
I knew the X-Men/gay allegory became official when the entire team and a bunch of other mutants moved to San Francisco, where they were welcomed and accepted.
That, and at least six characters in the X-titles are now gay or bi.
I can deal with Darker and Edgier in measured doses. DC can get pretty dark, and I'm not always a fan of their work when they do, but their writers seem to know that doing any more than what they already do is overkill.
The really sad thing is, it's actually a pretty good season in terms of finally moving Clark towards becoming Superman. The episode where Oliver spouted off was one of the best in the entire run, and it's like someone whispered in their ears, "Hey, conservatives might be enjoying this!" "Not on my watch! Write a speech for Oliver!" I would really like to just be able to enjoy this show, but it's now been three episodes directly in a row of this kind of crap. If this week's has any, there is no hope.
By the way, it was pretty disgusting that the conservative host went to a sex club while under Darkseid's influence, but Lois decided to run the incriminating pictures of him anyway. The message seemed to be, "Oh, well. Truth or lies, the important thing is to destroy a conservative."
Rule # 8, The Double Tap…..
Bingo. I was looking forward to seeing the show wrapped up, despite some of the annoyances but after two episodes of the anti-conservative politics, I stopped.
OK… I'll predict the next coming meme…
Lex Luthor comes back, and is supporting both Conservative TV shows, and a Tea Party type movement… which then supports a Hot Female Conservative Politician…. named Penelope Palane or somthing like that…
Have to agree with you on ALL points. I stopped reading "graphic novels" (SOO Pretentious,..WHAT?) in 02 for the same reason. I will stick with the show for no other reason than to see how they tie it up. To bad the writers have to have a luny left predilection though. I am STILL amazed at how much Tom Welling actually looks like the old comic book Superman. When they re-re- re- Imagine "SUPERMAN' for the "new" BIG screen version they should get him to play Superman.
How many agree or disagree?
I watched for 7 1/2 seasons and gave up due to the fact that Clark was a "hand wringing, unconfident weak-minded dude." I did catch the JSA episode and Legion episode, both written by Geoff Johns.
I heard last season (9) was good, so I started watching it again this season. I've been pleased with the progress they are finally making Clark into a confident Superman.
But I have noticed the conservative slams this season, including Cat's "I'll never understand liberals" line. I wasn't surprised by Ollie's liberal rant, since he is a liberal in the comics.
Of course, slams on conservatives is pretty common in TV. Maybe I'm too numb to it to be bothered.
The destruction of an American icon continues. This show has sucked since season 2. They had a mild recovery in season 6 with the Justice League, but the preaching of falsehoods will be the final nail in the coffin of a show that has run twice as long as it ever should have.
As little as I like seeing liberal slants on tv shows I watch, I've seen it so often on every other show that I just rolled my eyes and ignored it on Smallville. They've been doing this stuff with comics for decades and half the reason they do it is to get a rise out of people that are so thin-skinned about it as to go "Ohhhhhh, this is on my boycott list now!!" and freak out like Gladys Kravitz watching Samantha casting spells for the first time. Seeing Bill Maher openly calling Americans stupid is one thing, watching Ollie Queen give a lame speech about greed, or seeing a "bad radio personality" character are quite tame in comparison.
I agree with James Hudnall, that the bigger problem with the show is that not only is the special effects budget not able to keep up with what the show needs to stay interesting, but moreso that the writing is just really hit or miss. Case in point: Lana being possessed by a witch (season 4).
That show is still on?
It's ok. Only about 10 people still watch Smallville and they know the show is awful. The show is in its death throws. Smallville just wants some attention. It hasn't been decent since season 3. Now Smallville is a good fit for Supernatural, the show that airs after it. Supernatural also started throwing in conservative bashing a few seasons ago and even die-hard fans know it's terrible now. Both of these shows are treated as a joke in fandom. The entertainment industry is a real font of original thought.
and that is our bond, Brother…
I like Smallville, as long as I think of it as an alternate universe version of Superman. Otherwise, all of this stuff with Clark being completely unsure of himself, an occasional whiny brat, and everyone else being preachy liberals would really annoy me. I also don't think they did the JSA justice, the patriotic characters were treated pretty badly. Is it me, or does Michael Shanks seem to be stereotyped as a version of Daniel Jackson in almost every show he's in?
I've watched smallville on dvd seasons1-9. Thanks for the heads up(I can now save my money on season 10.
I totally agree with the Tom Welling casting.
Wouldn't conservatives embrace superhero vigilante justice? We need them because of Democrat cuts to the defense budget. Libs would be the ones against superheros, complaining about proportionality like when Reagan invaded Grenada and that it's best left to the (inept) government agencies.
Besides, the left would say, supervillians are a product of our failed capitalism.
you bet- and we posit that it exactly THIS- is why the left cannot ever understand what life's meaning is all about, and noodles endlessly with trivia such as sharing bodily fluids with those of the same sex, or 'hurtful feelings' trumping truth, or passive inaction instead of mastering all which one surveys…
Glad im not the only one to notice. The literal comment was somewhat subtle too. What a shame to see all these shows take the same route, I used to love my shows, watched Smallville since episode 1. Law and order was the first one to be obvious about it now there is rarely a show without implications. Glad Chuck seems to be sticking around. Keep me entertained John Casey, I know I can depend on you.
Where's the damn Twinkies!?
One could almost feel sorry for these pathetic creatures, but that may give us second thoughts about dispatching them, if the time ever comes…
You're reading Conservative persecution into a story where none exists.
The overall story arc this season is based on a 6-part story from the mid-1980s called "legends", where one of Darkseid's minions works the media of the time to turn public support against superheroes. Even the Justice League of America folded at this time under his pressure, to be reborn after "Legends" ended. The very same character you seem to think is some conservative icon from the "Supergirl" episode, was the character who led the media campaign against heroes in the 1980s.
Darkseid, the creation of comic legend Jack Kirby, is the final season's "big bad", and we'll be seeing more of his minions as the season progresses, along with the TV debuts of a half-dozen costumed heroes.
Catty remarks about the show are really cool among people who don't watch the show, or who just hate Superman. To suggest that the series is on it's death throws or isn't popular is simply showing ignorance of the facts. The series has actually improved in the ratings these past few seasons as it has shifted from teen drama to a full-out superhero series. This year it has regularly won both its 8pm time slot and the entire night for the 18-49 demographic.
The series will end next Spring as the longest-running American superhero TV show ever. It will also mark the end of the FOURTH time Superman has been translated into a live-action TV series, where the character has enjoyed far more success than on the big screen. Only the 1940s radio series lasted as long as Smallville, running over thousand episodes before its producers switched to TV. The Adventures of Superman ran for six seasons, with a seventh & eighth season ordered just before George Reeve's death. The1990s series Superboy and Lois & Clark each ran for four seasons. L&C was the only Superman series to ever be truly cancelled due to poor ratings.
I don't think we will be seeing more of Darkseid's minions. Oh, we'll be seeing characters with those names but they won't be the comic book characters that people are familiar with. Instead they'll be normal humans who have been possessed by Darkseid like Glorious Godfrey was. It's Doomsday all over again. They've taken an epic villain they don't have the special effects budget to do justice to and have come up with a lame way to do him instead.
I'm with him regarding Snoballs too…..it's a consistency thing…..
This post is one of the best I've read here at BH.
Bravo…
Yes, yes they are….
I've never seen a minute of this show, it just struck me as exactly how it's described in the article. Dawson's Creek with Superman.
Am I surprised that the show went lock-step with every other inane and poorly written show on TV? Of course not. When I start to watch a series on TV I do it with the knowledge that at some point the writers' politics will spill into the script and I'll get stuck watching someone on a show I like say how much he hates me.
Then I stop watching and do something else.
I've never seen a minute of this show, it just struck me as exactly how it's described in the article. Dawson's Creek with Superman.
Am I surprised that the show went lock-step with every other inane and poorly written show on TV? Of course not. When I start to watch a series on TV I do it with the knowledge that at some point the writers' politics will spill into the script and I'll get stuck watching someone on a show I like say how much he hates me.
Then I stop watching and do something else.
Well……..what do you expect from 'small minds' that created Smallville?!
What I wouldn't do to see a well-written Superman story that's true to the character…
Hey! Art really *does* imitate life!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVFdAJRVm94
Eerily introduced early in the Obama administration before glow disappeared.
I wouldn't knock graphic novels; after all, they're a medium, like any other. There are some great books out there, some of which endorse Conservative values. People have been struggling with what to call graphic novels for a couple of decades now. Got any suggestions?
I'm all for casting Tom Welling, though.
one wil not find salvation on the backs of others. But those who mean harm are fair game. That includes the minion class…
we- Deus, and the crew here, thank you for your very kind words…
The hottest fire forges the strongest steel. So, too, is the strength of the human spirit. Those who do not believe in such things live only to live one more day.
To them we say do not make the mistake of trading 'time' for eternity…
What a shame. I guess they made enough money to think they drivel doesn't stink.
…one to save a thousand"
In spite of the current unpleasantness, I have been a fan of this show and really like Welling as Clark and Durance as Lois. I have no reason to believe that Welling is anything but a stand-up guy. I'd love to see the duo in the upcoming movie. But, there's just no way it's going to happen. They won't want it to be seen as "the Smallville movie," and that's the way it would be seen even if they came out and said, "It has nothing to do with Smallville other than the cast."
Wait until the season's over when we can report if this was just a temporary speedbump or an ongoing thing with the show. Other than these digs, it really has been the best season of Smallville in a long time.
on that note, I'll have me a 5-hour ENERGY…
I just spoke about that, and Ive had enough of that show, too! This show seemed to be about as far removed from reality as any show on TV, but they couldnt resist throwing left-winged bombs in Smallville! Well, maybe before Clark gets to Metropolis the Daily Planet should close down cause no ones reading newspapers anymore, and then they can blame it on "Evil white Christian men in big business!"
You mean TheBaROCK Obama? As first depicted on SNL-ha ha, reall funny! But sad for those living under such an evil dictator he makes Lord Zod seem like Martha Kent!
Something I've been mulling over for a while now is that "Superman" is not really the star of Smallville, Chloe Sullivan (Allison Mack) is. Chloe is positioned as a sidekick, but all of the heroes are flawed. Without Chloe to set them straight and come to their rescue, they'd be dog food by now. Without the Chloe character this season, they are flailing about, rudderless. In the last episode, I found it interesting that Tess will take over at Watchtower, and had an unusual emotional reaction (at least for Tess).
I cannot help but wonder: Chloe had merged with Dr. Fate. One of his powers is mind control. The last person she visited was Tess. Coincidence?
as Alfred Lord Tennyson would proudly agree with…
have one on us, bud…
BTW, are you familiar with the works of Roy F. Chandler?
I'm a sucker for a superhero movie (I even watched "Ghost Rider" in the theater), but superhero TV shows have always been too hit or miss for my taste. I never really got into Smallville, and every season I try it again, I never get drawn into the drama. Maybe because I'm tainted by the original Superman movie. Christopher Reeve was the best Clark Kent ever, hands down.
I've slowly lost interest in comics over time. "Civil War" and "World War Hulk" killed Marvel for me, and DCs recycled story arcs get old fast. There's always been a slight liberal bent to the comic world, but Millar and others have definitely encouraged it further. It's not the liberal bent that kills things for me on TV, it's when that liberal message seems to overtake the story, a la "Law & Order" or "The Simpsons."
I can't believe that this show is still on the air. I guess it's running out of ideas despite Superman's 70 year history. At some point, Superman is going to reject the Red, White, and Blue in true liberal fashion.
I'm sorry, but comics have always had a liberal-hypocritical slant. I haven't read Maus, but maybe that's an exception. The X-Men may have been a thinly veiled allegory for gay rights/acceptance, but there's no way that any fanboy would accept a gay Wolverine or a gay Batman, etc.
No wonder why Batman rips liberals…
As a cartoonist mysef, I'll use my creations to rip liberals.
So, basically you're saying that the television show is mirroring the editorial policies of the comic book publishers themselves… got it.
I stopped reading comics when Captain America decided that the Avengers could no longer be entrusted to the likes of the United States and S.H.I.E.L.D., and handed the organization over to the United Nations.
The U.N. sure did a fine job watching Cap's back, didn't they?
Vic! I feel EXACTLY the same way. I am a big Superman fan and will take it no matter what way it comes. I love Smallville – despite its faults and there are many. I love the cast and think they've been spot on. However, the writers can't write themselves out of a paper bag – so the political slurs against conservatives are laughable, silly, and…unnecessary. It's pathetic really. I can imagine some simpleton writer thinking, "Oh, it would be "cute" to make the analogy: Because Superman is an "illegal alien" that Season 10 should be about comparing the superhero vigilantes to America's illegal immigrant problem. Somehow CW and Smallville feels it can con its audience into buying the idea that the illegal immigrant debate is about fear and hate – when its about fundamental fairness and what citizen and the rule of law should really mean. Typical Hollywood baloney. I'm surprise Tom Welling as Executive Producer allowed this. I thought he had more sense.
In the same vein, even Smallville fan sites don't want to hear from viewers that they are offended by the conservative slurs on Smallville. Smallville' s fan site – KRYPTONSITE – actuallly banned me this week after me being a fan for 10 years on its website. Why? Because I said the slurs against conservatives offended me. They deleted a thread that talked generically about the idea that this kind of political slurring doesn't have a place on Smallville. ALOT of people on the site felt the same way. Deleting the thread – that's perfectly fine – but its when I commented in an email back to administrators that I felt this was wrong, that's actually when they banned me PERMANENTLY because I "dared" to discuss it with them. This from a site that "allows" adult literature, including torture of its characters, group sex, and violent sexual situations. Funny how liberal censorship works.
I'm with you on the fact that Smallville is ending, not dying. It is one of the highest rated shows on the CW. However, some of your stats are incorrect. Ever since season 2, the ratings for Smallville have, generally, been on the decline. Although it should be said that this season's premiere was up from last year's. Also, this year it has never won it's time slot in either House Holds or the 18-49 demographic. While it is one of the best shows on the CW, it cannot compete with the bigger networks.
As far as your claim that the "Conservative persecution" doesn't exist, I hope that it is true. I hope that these moments have just been a part of the story and that fact is made clear as the story progresses. However, to have multiple episodes in a row seem to disrespect the conservative standpoint makes me ponder whether said "persecution" exists where the question had never even come to mind before. While I am willing to be patient and see if it continues before crying foul, I can still express my dislike of it now.
"I wonder what Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster would think. "
It depends on what point of their career they were in. Early issues of Action Comics and Superman had him fighting evil landlords and "corrupt lobbyists trying to embroil us in the affairs of Europe." World War II changed things, but in his first appearances, Clark was quite the lefty.
(I'm not endorsing Smallville bashing conservatives, just pointing out that S&S were fans of FDR when they were teens.)
Agree with DesScorp on this one…Marvel has been peddling this "Mutants are an "ostensibly-marginalized-but-oh-so-hip-interest-group" trope since I was a kid in the early '70s, and the marginalized group is always changing. I recall the appeal to the marginalized nerd herd (myself included) with Peter Parker, for goodness' sake (differentiating him from the then-current standard of jockish/jock-wannabe superhero backstories). And the early X-Men, IIRC, had less to do with mutants hiding out from their intolerant "homo sapiens" majority back in the '60s when they first were created – it was just a bunch of really cool superheroes. This "X-Men as allegory" stuff is just bandwagoneering, IMO (Marvel's, not necessarily Vic Holtreman's).
Liberals love to preach. And they own practically all of the electronic and print pulpits in America. That's why they hate talk radio.
I read comics mostly in my teen years, the 60's. I dont remember any super hero being liberal. Looking back, Marvel had more liberal leanings than DC, but they werent preachy about it.
This is why I watch very little television any more.
Wait a sec….the X Men are an allegory for homosexuals? Was this true even in the 70s? (that's when I read them)
Thanks for the input–I confess it was more of an impulse curiosity than anything—I had read (somewhere) that they had been impacted by the Nazi presence in Poland, and that this influenced them in the creation of the character. I've always been interested in the psychological/socialogical desire to create/celebrate heroes that speak to the concerns of the day (Superman=Nazis, Jack Bauer=terrorism, etc.)
"I wonder what Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster would think."
Given that their character was explicitly written as a leftist and a fascist (check out the first couple volumes of the ACTION and SUPERMAN Archives, if you don't believe me; his solution to urban renewal is particularly repellent), I don't think they'd be all that uncomfortable with this portrayal.
Sure, early Supes may have been anti-Hitler (eventually; his first few years of foreign activity were spent deposing various interchangeable Latin American dictators who were insufficiently solicitous of their impoverished lefty activist rabble-rousers), but he was anti-Hitler pretty much entirely in the sense of being pro-American and anti-anti-Semitic. Pro-freedom, pro-Constitution, pro individual rights? Eh, not so much.
The character Oliver Queen/Green Arrow has always been a Lefty/Liberal its part of how he's written.
Oh no!!!! It's in it's final season ! I've never even heard of this crappy show so who gives a chit.
Originally I believe they were meant more as a statement against racism. The homosexual allegory is popularized in the movie versions.
This show is horrible.
Watch Boardwalk Empire.
GA started getting Lib in the late 60s and early 70s. Speedy got hooked on drugs and I believe GA had issues with either Green Lantern or Flash (not so PC) but I may be wrong. I stopped reading comics in 73 or 74.
Its truly sad when this stuff happens. NOT!
I'm not surprised Kryptonsite did that. A lot of fan sites are lefty. The website Television Without Pity censors people too. One thread had posts saying they liked Glenn Beck and the posts were deleted. The posts saying they hated Glenn stayed up. Television Without Pity is owned by NBC Universal. Must be a big ol' coincidence.
The best post here! I'd give you triple thumbs up if I could; thanks for making me laugh.
Tom Welling is the best Superman since Christopher Reeve. He should be the first pick for any up-coming Superman flick.
Green Arrow has been portrayed as a left leaning guy in the comics, so it didn't really surprise me that he went spewing liberal garbage (which is ironic considering his Bruce Wayne-eque social status). But I too felt a little betrayed seeing Clark there nodding at that speach.
This is what worries me the most: at some point Clark will make an anti-tea party statement. Either that or Sups will have to report on some "Horrible anti-vigilante restore America" rally in Washington and have Clark be disgusted at all the "hate and intolerance" that he sees.
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