Post by goldk on Oct 20, 2005 10:58:05 GMT -5
Let me begin this post by saying that these are my opinions and as such I realize that not everybody, if in fact anybody will agree with them so please don't send me hate mail, or post about how stupid I am? I have plenty of people who tell me that already. Let's have an honest and frank discussion.
I believe that the best policy concerning sex is abstinence before marriage. Having said that, I realize that it is the exception in today's society. I have been a Superman fan for the last 35 years and have seen him through many incarnations. I understand what the producers of Smallville are trying to do, bringing the Clark Kent character to a more modern time frame and audience. Most people would find it more believable that Clark had sex at least once at some time in his life than that he never had sex at all. People can have relationships without sex, some cannot. I believe Superman can. What I have seen in the last 35 years with Superman is the attempt to make Superman more identifiable with the common man. Wrong, can't be done. If you want a hero you can look up to and aspire to be like, you can't drag him down to your level. Let's examine the secret identity. I identified with Clark, 35 years ago. The nerd that got pushed around, and was the brunt of the office jokes. I loved it with Steve Lombard would play some practical joke on Clark only to have him turn it around on him by covertly using his super powers. That's what I wanted to do. Sure pick on me now and shoot spit wads at me, but you'll be thanking me when I pull your butt from a burning building. John Byrne did the greatest disservice to Superman when he turned Clark into the guy all the nerds hated. Good-looking, athletic, popular. So where was the payoff when he turns to Superman? He was still the same guy only now he has an "S" on his chest. There has been greater harm to the Superman/Clark character over the past 35 years than having Clark have sex with Lana. Clark and Lois should have never gotten married, because now we now that Clark and Lois are having "legal" sex. Maybe it's my age, but I liked it much better when 35 years ago Clark finally got a date with Lois and kissed her on the couch in front of the TV, than Superman and Lois barely covered and lying in bed with satisfied smiles on their faces. All they need is a cigarette. I used to love seeing Clark feign being the fool only to turn and wink at the reader or viewer, cause that's what we want to do. We want to think that yes we make mistakes and we sometimes play the fool, but at the end of the day we do the right thing, either by accepting the consequences of our actions or ripping open our shirt to fly off and save the day. I no longer care about the Clark Kent character because he is not interesting. On Smallville he barely even hides who he is. How hard is it going to be for anyone from that town to make the connection when a Super-Powered hero shows up in Metropolis? My problem is not with Clark having sex, it's with the fact that Clark even has the opportunity to have sex. Clark should be a nerd. As for the particular episode in question, I believe it was done in such a way that, if you are old enough to know what sex is, you know what happened, if you're not then you didn't. And to bring this back around to my rantings, if you identify with this particular Clark, i.e.: good looking, athletic, popular, then chances are you already have had or at least the opportunity to have sex. I just don't see that this episode is going to make anyone go, "Oh, OK, Clark had sex, I'm going to." I believe that young people today are much more influenced by pop stars and sports stars than by Clark Kent and Superman. Just look around. How many girls are wearing belly shirts and guys are wearing jeans down to their ankles. They're not wearing primary colors and having wavy perms. Plus, lets not forget that in ten years DC will probably restart everything and say that none of the stories or movies that came before ever existed. I think that Batman said it best. "The last time you really inspired anybody was when you were dead."
For what it's worth that's my two cents.
I believe that the best policy concerning sex is abstinence before marriage. Having said that, I realize that it is the exception in today's society. I have been a Superman fan for the last 35 years and have seen him through many incarnations. I understand what the producers of Smallville are trying to do, bringing the Clark Kent character to a more modern time frame and audience. Most people would find it more believable that Clark had sex at least once at some time in his life than that he never had sex at all. People can have relationships without sex, some cannot. I believe Superman can. What I have seen in the last 35 years with Superman is the attempt to make Superman more identifiable with the common man. Wrong, can't be done. If you want a hero you can look up to and aspire to be like, you can't drag him down to your level. Let's examine the secret identity. I identified with Clark, 35 years ago. The nerd that got pushed around, and was the brunt of the office jokes. I loved it with Steve Lombard would play some practical joke on Clark only to have him turn it around on him by covertly using his super powers. That's what I wanted to do. Sure pick on me now and shoot spit wads at me, but you'll be thanking me when I pull your butt from a burning building. John Byrne did the greatest disservice to Superman when he turned Clark into the guy all the nerds hated. Good-looking, athletic, popular. So where was the payoff when he turns to Superman? He was still the same guy only now he has an "S" on his chest. There has been greater harm to the Superman/Clark character over the past 35 years than having Clark have sex with Lana. Clark and Lois should have never gotten married, because now we now that Clark and Lois are having "legal" sex. Maybe it's my age, but I liked it much better when 35 years ago Clark finally got a date with Lois and kissed her on the couch in front of the TV, than Superman and Lois barely covered and lying in bed with satisfied smiles on their faces. All they need is a cigarette. I used to love seeing Clark feign being the fool only to turn and wink at the reader or viewer, cause that's what we want to do. We want to think that yes we make mistakes and we sometimes play the fool, but at the end of the day we do the right thing, either by accepting the consequences of our actions or ripping open our shirt to fly off and save the day. I no longer care about the Clark Kent character because he is not interesting. On Smallville he barely even hides who he is. How hard is it going to be for anyone from that town to make the connection when a Super-Powered hero shows up in Metropolis? My problem is not with Clark having sex, it's with the fact that Clark even has the opportunity to have sex. Clark should be a nerd. As for the particular episode in question, I believe it was done in such a way that, if you are old enough to know what sex is, you know what happened, if you're not then you didn't. And to bring this back around to my rantings, if you identify with this particular Clark, i.e.: good looking, athletic, popular, then chances are you already have had or at least the opportunity to have sex. I just don't see that this episode is going to make anyone go, "Oh, OK, Clark had sex, I'm going to." I believe that young people today are much more influenced by pop stars and sports stars than by Clark Kent and Superman. Just look around. How many girls are wearing belly shirts and guys are wearing jeans down to their ankles. They're not wearing primary colors and having wavy perms. Plus, lets not forget that in ten years DC will probably restart everything and say that none of the stories or movies that came before ever existed. I think that Batman said it best. "The last time you really inspired anybody was when you were dead."
For what it's worth that's my two cents.
