Superman Quits America, Fox News Readers Take the News Badly

[Jason Danger Keyes]

The thing that stood out to me most in this article is that Fox News actually reported something fairly and honestly for once. Who'd a thunk it?

 

[Shamanic Rhythm]

You know, if you stop for about five seconds and consider this storyline in terms of the very very very obvious real-world allegory it presents, it's not even about deferring to liberalism. It's simply making the point that America cannot intervene in foreign conflicts without someone like Ahmadinejad implying that their intentions are imperialistic, and turning people against them in the process. Libya is a recent example: even operating under the UN mandate with the support of large sections of the Libyan population, Gaddafi still spouts propaganda that NATO forces are invading the country to control its oil.

That's not even making any kind of value judgement about any moral role America should or shouldn't play in global politics: that's simply coming to terms with cold hard reality of what happens if you intervene in a foreign conflict. Beating the 'this story is placating the hippies' drum only serves to illustrate your own paranoia and inability to interpret things any way other than literally.

 

[QUINTIX]

The thing that stood out to me most in this article is that Fox News actually reported something fairly and honestly for once. Who'd a thunk it?

I'll just leave this [http://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=9P0Fq5uwdd4] here:

Despite what you hear from FoxNews, Russia's media aren't state run. You need to take your head out of your $#@hole, yankee.

Volunteers without choise for most of them..

Yes, reporters on Fox News tends to interview far more right leaning commentators than their competitors, and Fox definitely has more right sided op-ed shows than their competitors. Considering their competitors, I for one think that is a [em]good[/em] thing. Not everything on Fox is Briebert style sensationalism.

 

[Saelune]

I was going to say mean things about Fox and conservatives...but I just realized the irony of Fox beinf upset at the loss of an immigrant that snuck into the country illegally.

 

[Logic 0]

Wow sounds like superman's really getting them out of the wood works with this issue.

 

[gorfias]

1) Bullshit, Superman has human emotions in the sense that he has empathy, dreams, desires and hopes, unlike Dr Manhattan who loses more and more of his humanity every day.

2) The values Ma and Pa Kent bestowed upon him are not something exclusive of the United States

3)(also, please stop, using America for everything US related, you don't represents Canda, Mexico, Panama and so on, you people aren't America).

It was the values of a simple life and with the simple moral structure of doing what you felt is right and righting wrongs, him leaving the US citizenship does not change that, it only means that he wants to help people anywhere in the world without having to give explanations to anybody, or since the US is in conflict with Irak he automatically can't help civilians in Irak?

4) Hell, it's the same reason the Justice League of America makes no sense, seeing how some of their more powerful the members have no relation whatsoever with the US (one an Amazon, another an alien from Mars), specially when half the time they intervene it's in a global scale.

That they don't limit themselves to US soil or US policy doesn't mean they will turn into the Authority, it is just a testament to their desire to help anybody in the world, no mater nation, race or any other thing, simply because they have the power to help and feel it's their responsibility.

5) As I see it, as long as he doesn't actively intervene in political issues, it is irrelevant, since an innocent should be worth protecting, no matter where he is.

1) Depends on the artist/continuity. The film, "Superman Returns" treated him truly as an alien who merely aped human emotions, much like Dr. Manhattan.

2) I'll agree that "goodness" is not inherently a USA value, but Ma and Pa Kent are USA archetypes of the Protestent work ethic, and arguably were meant to be so. I'd also think that, were Pa a real person, he'd be deeply ashamed of his adopted son renouncing his USA citizenship.

3) Much of what I posted is a quote, but your point is taken.

4) Did they put the "America" back in the JLA? I think for a time it was just, "Justice League". Due to their international affiliations, that made sense to drop the America. Superman, though, is an individual, raised in the heart land among amber waves of grain.

5) What constitutes an innocent? It is one thing if Superman simply acts as the world's fireman, rescuing people from natural disasters. But it helps make this over-powered demi-god interesting when he has moral quandries. If Superman is not a US citizen, what is to stop him from flying to the Sudan and dismembering every soldier involved in racial genocide? Shouldn't he? If he is a US citizen, isn't he more interesting in that he has core values instilled by ma and pa that sometime conflict with the demands of his country (example in link, being ordered to Gotham in "The Dark Knight" to go bust Batman). The US is often in conflict with its core values. That can make for good drama.

Instead, you now have a demi-god further unanchored.

 

[BabyRaptor]

And I am sorry, but most of the people who post on the boards don't know enough about anything going on in the media to comment on FOX, CNN or any news outlet and be taken even a little bit seriously.

Including you, apparently. Obviously you don't watch anything but Fox, or you'd know that there's no such thing as the "Liberal media." Most of the news channels out there take everything Fox says and run with it in an attempt to get ratings.

Seriously. Detach from the bias and actually listen once in awhile.

 

[VondeVon]

...Wow. Sometimes the American extremists freak me out more than the extremists actively out there killing people.

I wonder if they wear tin foil helmets to stop those left-wing people pushing their agenda into their brains via cellphone signals.

Good on you, Superman! Today the world, tomorrow the gay pride parade!

 

[xdiesp]

If Watchmen had anything to say, it was that superheroes are really a way to teach jingoism to children. Drop the crap with your Superamerican exporting democracy worldwide. It's surprising he wasn't actually put to fight in Vietnam during some comic arc.

 

[Rocketboy13]

Wow, this message board is a hell of a lot more measured in response than "Comics Alliance":
http://www.comicsalliance.com/2011/04/27/superman-renounces-us-citizenship/

They keep saying that any day now Clark Kent will come out of the closet. Which I find offensive on two levels, one it implies that Homosexuals wish to renounce their citizenship to America, and two it implies that having a different opinion also implies that you are a deviant (note: I am not personally saying that homosexuality is deviant, the commentators I am deriding are implying homosexuality is deviant).

 

[Reallink]

The comments are a pretty clear example of making problems where they don't exist.

If you aren't for us, you're against us.

Good move comic writers, I salute you. In a non patriotic way

 

[Asuka Soryu]

I like that Superman represents America and was invented by a Canadian. xD

 

[CrazyGirl17]

Sheesh, people get riled up over the wierdest things, don't they? Either that, or they're looking too deeply into things. Have these people ever read a comic book before?

Plus, Superman is technically not from America, he's from outer space. Did everyone just forget that in a hurry all of a sudden?

(...Hey Supes, got room for one more? I could use a vacation...)

 

[Quaxar]

Boohoo, I guess now the US will descend into terror and communism. Republicans were right the whole time!

Oh wait...
http://www.wiiclub.de/files/redaktion/captain-america.jpg

You've got a frackin' superhero named after your country! How many more exclusive übermenschen do you need, puritans?

 

[Razhem]

5) What constitutes an innocent? It is one thing if Superman simply acts as the world's fireman, rescuing people from natural disasters. But it helps make this over-powered demi-god interesting when he has moral quandries. If Superman is not a US citizen, what is to stop him from flying to the Sudan and dismembering every soldier involved in racial genocide? Shouldn't he? If he is a US citizen, isn't he more interesting in that he has core values instilled by ma and pa that sometime conflict with the demands of his country (example in link, being ordered to Gotham in "The Dark Knight" to go bust Batman). The US is often in conflict with its core values. That can make for good drama.

Instead, you now have a demi-god further unanchored.

Not much else to add to your other points since they are pretty spot on and not much else for me to add to them (though in normal comic continuity they tend to emphasize his human aspect a lot more and well, the movie is the movie). But to me here is the crux of the issue, Superman except in crazy spin-offs, never takes an active role in political situations, with this I mean he doesn't actively intervene nowadays in human wars (WWII was another time after all), it's what stops him from just becoming the Authority or Miracle Man (if you haven't read it, please do, an amazing story).

He wants to help people, but he does not want to be some sort of guide for humanity, that's why his plane of action is mostly natural disasters, extraterrestrial affairs, events that affect his loved ones and stopping acts that are incredibly "black or white", he will stop crooks and rapists and drug dealers and villains with clear motives based on greed and that aren't covered in layers. It's the reason why he flies in flapows mean ol Toymaker for being a greedy git, calls it a day and flies of yet doesn't single handedly stop the Irak war. It's too complex, too human driven and it makes him actively change the flow of the world, which I always felt was something he tries to avoid.

Basically, I like my Superman apolitical and unchained to do what needs to be done, I don't want him to become the spokesman of the daily debate. You may see it as making him bland or a bit of a coward for not really getting himself dirty with the hard stuff, but he really isn't supposed to, he is still the honest little boyscout the helps from the goodness of his heart, and the moment he gets an agenda bigger than that, well, he is one step closer into becoming the crazy world dictator that saves us from ourselves.

I won't deny that the story that spawned this change is overly political, but I do like the end result, just hope the guy that keeps the story going is less preachy.

 

[Verlander]

The people moaning about this are likely to be the people Superman would be leaving America for.

I think this is a great story twist, even Captain America didn't leave to US when he hung up his shield as Cap.

It's almost certainly a sales thing, spread the comics beyond the US. Either way, I like it. Fuck Fox, fuck haters who complain about "the left" or "the liberal" everytime something that their neanderthalic minds cannot comprehend happens, and fuck all the xenophobes

 

[DevilWolf47]

Superman comics doing something smart for a change, making sense, and Fox News readers get hysterical.
...there are so many horrible things i want to say, but i'm not sure if my probation is up yet. So i'll just leave it at this: Fox News, this is your fault. You bred this generation of ignorant bastards. If they end up sparking World War 3, i'll be sure to remind any survivors that it's your fault.

Yes, Fox News is totally and completely responsible for every single stupid person this generation has to offer. And yes, of course Fox News has the power to spark World War 3! Someone must stop them before it is too late!

...idiot.

Fox News is directly responsible for the spread of severe misinformation. They play host to blatant liars and maniacs, present political rhetoric and conspiracy theories as truth, and people believe them. Some people genuinely believe Beck and Hannity and believe that Obama is an illegal alien, a socialist, and a racist. Their implications get more and more severe, and Fox News does nothing to correct the lies about a government conspiracy comparable to tyranny. And you're seeing the results. With nothing to counter Fox News's claims, a gap between reality and Fox News viewers is continuing to grow. Things will become violent if things get much worse, and since there are politicians that genuinely believe Fox News and their batshit crazy opinion personalities, the consequences will get even more far reaching.

Don't underestimate the power of stupid people in large numbers, especially when a "News Station" seems to be pouring more powder into the keg with total impunity.

 

[gorfias]

1) to me here is the crux of the issue, Superman except in crazy spin-offs, never takes an active role in political situations, with this I mean he doesn't actively intervene nowadays in human wars (WWII was another time after all), it's what stops him from just becoming the Authority or Miracle Man (if you haven't read it, please do, an amazing story). ...

2) I won't deny that the story that spawned this change is overly political, but I do like the end result, just hope the guy that keeps the story going is less preachy.

1) Your Miracle Man reference is likely more spot on than the Dr. Manhattan and what I think the author of that link I posted is worried about. If I recall correctly, by issue 15 they've (MM and associate) remade Earth civilization into their idea of an ideal.

Superman can be apolitical, but renouncing national identity, I think, goes beyond that.

2) I'll give the writer this: fine, you've shaved off a bit of his character, curtailed a bit of who he is that provided drama. Now what are you going to do with him? Given how over powered this character has become (originally, the line was something like, "nothing short of a bursting bomb shell can penetrate his skin" suggesting he is very tough, but not invulnerable to everything) he has been difficult to write good stories for. I think that job has just become tougher.

 

[ZombieGenesis]

Boohoo, I guess now the US will descend into terror and communism. Republicans were right the whole time!

Oh wait...
http://www.wiiclub.de/files/redaktion/captain-america.jpg

You've got a frackin' superhero named after your country! How many more exclusive übermenschen do you need, puritans?

This just makes me wonder... what if Union Jack decided to hang up his (ninja mask?) for the United Kingdom. From a UK perspective, it wouldn't make any sense and would seem quite silly. Maybe that's what the people in the US feel, as opposed to right wing political hatred...