Superman and politics

Apparently in a Action Comics 987, Supes saves a group of illegal immigrants from a gun wielding white nationalist. A number of conservative commentators (especially those on FOX) are railing that Superman should not be political or that this was an un-American message.

One twitter user even angrily commented that people should have read comics. His assertion was that Supes was a legal alien and legally adopted. This was in response to comments about Superman's legal status.... (Superman is indeed an illegal alien and never legally adopted by the Kents) Kal-El (Superman's birth name) is in fact every bit a Dreamer.

So, why bring this up? Large number of television shows and comic books are making political comments. From diversity to immigration, sexual orientation to freedom of speech, or gun control to religion. And this is making a number of people mad. They seem to think that their entertainment should be free of political or social commentary. They are wrong. Let me tell you why.

The best stories that you love are always making an statement. Some of them are obvious and timeless. Others have lost their original point due the passage of time. New ones are added by audiences when the original are lost. Even that mindless action film you watched last night is making making a statement.

Why does Superman matter, then? Superman was created in 1938 by two Midwestern Jewish boys. The reasons and the psychology of his creation have been written and discussed extensively by numerous authors and psychologist. So I won't repeat it here. But what is of note is how this character has been used over the years.

In the 1940s, he, Wonder Woman, and Batman were used to sell war bonds and promote the war effort. In the late 1940s, the Superman radio show took on the Klu Klux Klan and help to successfully alert the public dangers of that organization. In the 70s and 80s, it was child abuse, drugs, and world hunger. Fictional characters are always used to discuss political issues. Many find that is an easier discussion and has less personal pain than discussing what is really happening in the real world.

In a roundabout way, my point is this: Superman has always leaned left. The Man of Steel has been portrayed as a liberal since the moment of his Inception. Most conservatives have not looked beyond the whole " Truth, Justice, and the American way" headline.