Super-ruminating

[thebitterguy]

You know, with the latest Superman movie coming out (no pun intended) today, a lot of big blue is flying through the mentosphere ( This one is less relevant, but has more swearing and is funnier). And a lot of people are spending a lot of words on it. "Oh, what is the MEANING of Superman? What does he represent? WHO is he?"

Do you have any doubt that I have an answer? Listen close: Superman means nothing.

Not a thing. He is a strong guy in tights. That's all. Written up by two kids from Cleveland (and Toronto) because they wanted to write about a really strong guy.

Okay, no. That's wrong. I shouldn' t have said it.

Superman means everything. Because what we get out of Superman is what we put into him. And each and every person out there puts a lot into him. Especially anyone reading this.

If you are an immigrant, or even the son of immigrants, you see the immigrant experience, someone coming to a new land where they're a stranger to make their mark. A shy reserved person? You see a shy reserved guy who's really the most powerful man on earth. A person with a strong moral sense? You see a paragon of virtue, who works tirelessly to do the right thing and keep his city, his country, and even his world safe. If you're all three, who knows what you'll see.

And, it's entirely possible, if you're a somewhat closeted gay man (it's a walk in with no door), you may see the dual life, buttoned down and reserved during the day, a whirlwind of colour and action at night, as possibly being reflective of some aspect of your own life, and may choose to direct a multi million dollar film with such subtext, although you may choose to eschew Canada's film resources for WB's sprawling Australian studios. Bastard.

But asking what the real meaning is is useless. Billions of people have, over the past 70 years, imbued Superman with their own meanings. There's no dogma here, no holy writ that says "HE is THIS!" He just is. He's like a boardwalk attraction where you put your head through a hole and get your picture taken. You see in him what you want to see in yourself.

Comments

[pyat.livejournal.com]

Well said. :)

[anidada.livejournal.com]

Eh, semoticians have been blethering about Supes for just about as long as he's been around. *shrug* Doesn't make me want to go see the movie. *misses Christopher Reeve*

[thebitterguy]

Fuckin' Semioticians. What do THEY know.

[anidada.livejournal.com]

Are you saying that Saussure's a schmuck? Huh? Are ya?

[thebitterguy]

Of course not! I used to LOVE his shampoo, when I had hair!

[anidada.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I used to love his jeans, before I got hips...

[anidada.livejournal.com]

...not that Saussure would've known squat about Supes, of course, seeing as he was long dead by then.

However, MY POINT STANDS. *glare*

[thebitterguy]

Don't make me start telling Cultural Studies jokes. I will. SWEAR TO GOD.

[anidada.livejournal.com]

How many theorists does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

[thebitterguy]

I don't know. How many theorists DOES it take to screw in a lightbulb?

[anidada.livejournal.com]

Ceci n'est pas un lightbulb.

[thebitterguy]

Don't you bring Structuralism into this! Don't you DARE bring Structuralism into this!

[uhlrik.livejournal.com]

Too late. Far too late.

[whiteadelphi.livejournal.com]

Nicely said.

[thebitterguy]

Thank you.

[velvetpage.livejournal.com]

You know, you just summed up masters-level Literature courses about making meaning out of text, in a few paragraphs.

Where were you when I was taking that literary semantics course in fourth year?

[uhlrik.livejournal.com]

It's fairly standard postmodern stuff, really. However, it is still insightful.

[sixteenbynine.livejournal.com]

Did you ever read "It's a Bird...!", which to me was possibly the single best meditation on what Superman meant to a single person?

[thebitterguy]

I haven't, no. Who was the author?

[sixteenbynine.livejournal.com]

Not remembering right now but it's a wonderful little graphic novel about a guy who is hired to write Superman, and wants to turn the job down because he doesn't believe he has any emotional connection to the character. He thinks about it, and realizes he has more in common with Superman than he realizes.

It really is worth checking out.

[kynn.livejournal.com]

Steven Seagle, and published by DC/Vertigo.

[kynn.livejournal.com]

Oh, and I second the recommendation.

[madmanofprague.livejournal.com]

I think we want to yell at the same people.

[brand-of-amber.livejournal.com]

Pretty much, at least in the context of the discussions going on right now.

Not, mind you, that all readings are equally vallid. But most people have no ability to differentiate between "what Superman is used to say in a text" and "what I think Superman is/should be."

Which is the problem you get when stupid people come into the waters of post-modernism. It's like watching a bunch of drunken senior citizens jumping into the water with Jaws while singing "we shall overcome."