On the way home from a screening of 'Man of Steel' (see my review of the film), in an attempt to understand the horror show we'd just witnessed, the question came up "Why is it so hard to get Superman "right"? A good friend of mine postulated that perhaps Superman (as I see him) is too "old fashioned", that he doesn't resonate with today's audience. Therefore, we get a Superman in 'Man of Steel that is angst ridden and unsure of himself because that is a reflection of the current (youth) culture. I agreed, but added that what makes Superman seem "old fashioned" is that he is inherently good, and infallible; making him less relatable than say...Bruce Wayne or Peter Parker.
Ironically, being good seems to alienate (pun intended) Superman from a lot of people, particularly in the mainstream. Unfortunately, movies (as cultural products) are reflecting the mainstream notion that character complexity is only achieved through flaws, defects, or psychosis/mental illness. This "humanizing"(as it's called) often involves sympathy...something very hard to do with a white, male heterosexual able-bodied all powerful GOD. However, the success of 'Man of Steel's Superman being relatable comes at the cost of other problematic messages about immigration, religion, masculinity and feminism that are embedded in the film.
Immigration
One of two ways that Superman's story can be understood is as an allegory to US immigration. Superman was created in 1933 by Jerry Siegel and Joel Shuster two young Jewish immigrants and it was their hope to portray Superman as a cosmic immigrant. Superman's, or to be more specific, Clark Kent/Kal-el's story is one that fits Cultural and Structural Assimilation theories of race and ethnicity. Clark has become culturally assimilated by adopting the cultural practices, rituals, behaviors and interests of [the host culture] Earth (specifically the United States) while minimizing display of or reliance on their home culture ( Krypton). Also Clark/ Kal-el has structurally assimilated by having a job at the Daily Planet, and paying taxes etc. It is through these assimilation practices, (that are only fully possible because he is a White male) that he becomes a model immigrant...and the poster child for US freedom and equality.
This pro-American, fully assimilated image is blatantly presented in 'Man of Steel' by the way that he (violently) rejects Zod and the other Kryptonians. The message here is that through the process of assimilation, Superman has "transcended" his race (culture), that "elevates" him above the other Kryptonians. He is not "like the rest of them"(a not so subtle racist statement). This transcendence is even presented visually through costumes. While the other Kryptonians are often faceless and/or dressed in black, Superman is wearing clothes bathed in the colors of his adopted world (Specifically the US). Also, toward the end of the film, this assimilation is verbalized when Superman tells a General (who is worried about Superman's allegiance to the US) that he "Grew up in Kansas" and is "as American as [a person] can get". Not only does this dialogue narrow the scope of Superman (not caring for the world) it also conjures up frightening images of a militarized Superman who works at the behest of the US government (ala Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns") becoming the "weapon of the west" regardless if it is on "his terms" or not.
It is refreshing however that in the current conversation there has been a lot of emphasis on Superman's undocumented status
Religion
The other way that the Superman story can be interpreted is as a Christian allegory. It is this interpretation that is the most visible and referenced. The parallels are richly available: "God (Jor-el) gave the world his only son (Kal-el) to save humanity and die (which Superman has done on more than one occasion)." He will have apostles (the Justice League) he will perform miracles and be the light of hope to show people the way.
The major issue with this Religious interpretation of Superman (who's origin has added parallels with Moses) is that it is the quintessential "white savior" trope that you find in A LOT of entertainment and popular culture. This "white savior" trope has its beginnings in the Roman Catholic church depicting Jesus as a white man. This was used as a mechanism for imperialism thereby effectively ignoring the geography, culture and climate that surrounds Bethlehem and the people who live there (i.e. if Jesus existed he wouldn't be white).
Superman, like Jesus, is white; therefore his importance, and the importance of his story, is never questioned. This is a form of white privilege. Stories that have the most complexity and deep character development are USUALLY about white people. The majority of stories that are written, produced and marketed, are white stories. This has become, as Foucault would say, a normalizing norm, something that isn't questioned, even to the point that people of color are more willing to see stories about people who are white (in part because of the lack of representation) than the opposite.
In 'Man of Steel' we are often over saturated with the Christ allegory/imagery. Whether that be the swooping shots of Superman flying or the reverence and majesty the camera is trying to convey as he gently floats in the air. In one particular scene, just before surrendering to the US military, Clark visits a church and talks with a priest. While Clark is in the foreground, in the background are stained glass pictures of White Jesus. This reinforces the value of whiteness, making him seem more trustworthy...more God-like.
Masculinity
Throughout the process of Gender Socialization, that begins before birth and continues till death, American boys are constantly getting the stereotypical messages that they need to be bigger, stronger, faster etc. They need to use that strength to provide and to protect their loved ones. That protection and provision is usually achieved through violence. Violence then becomes a learned mechanism of self and emotional expression in young men. Since many other avenues of emotional self expression are often closed off to American boys (crying, displays of tenderness and romance, fear etc.), many of their emotions are expressed through physical and often violent acts. Superman, especially the Superman in 'Man of Steel' is the epitome of Manliness, as Nietzsche calls it "ubermensch", going above and beyond solidifying these negative masculine stereotypes.
In the marketing and lead up to the film, many reviewers and fans have cited Henry Cavil's physical size, workout regimen, and hairiness, as well as his performance in action scenes in the film, as indicators of Superman's regained Masculinity. This is something that both fans and critics thought was lost after 'Superman Returns'. This was also a not-so-subtle jab at Director Bryan Singer (who is openly gay) for emasculating Superman in their eyes. I constantly heard or read about hopes that Henry Cavil's Superman would "punch something" to "give Superman his balls back." or "be a Man's Man." Based on these sentiments, and the "destruction- porn" that makes up the last hour of the film, Superman was very masculine in 'Man of Steel'. However, it is a type of masculinity that arrests men in an emotionally stunted state of perpetual adolescence where explosions are cool, women are things, and real men communicate with their fists.
Feminism
Feminism is a socio-political movement that seeks to improve the lives of women through access to available resources and seeking justice for multiple and various forms of discrimination both at the individual and the structural level. While there are many different branches of feminism (each with their own focus and issues that they champion), in general, feminism believes that achieving equality for all women will benefit everyone within society ((cis)men, (cis)women, trans, queer, gay, non-gay, disabled, and non-disabled, asexual, inter-sexed, etc.).
Unfortunately, there has been a trend in popular culture lately where the words feminism and empowerment are often labels that are used to repackage old sexist tropes, namely Damsel in Distress, and the Masculine Heroine. The Damsel in Distress is a plot device in which a female character is placed in a perilous situation from which she cannot escape on her own and must then be rescued by a male character, usually providing a core incentive or motivation for the protagonist’s quest. The Masculine Heroine is essentially a male character ( with all the trappings of masculinity) in a female body. This is not an exhaustive list of all the types of faux-feminist tropes that exist in media, but theses are the tropes that exist in 'Man of Steel'
The Damsel in Distress trope is embodied by Lois Lane. While they attempt to make it seem like Lois is more with a couple of lines of dialogue early in the film, her entire arc surrounds Clark/Kal-el, she has no growth as a character (aside from starting a relationship) and she never escapes a dangerous situation on her own without the help of a man, whether that be either Clark/Kal-el or Jor-el.
The Masculine Heroine trope is embodied by Faora. Yes, they did give her a 1 second scene of tenderness when she reacts to the destruction of Krypton, but aside from that she was hyper masculine, cold and calculating which is common in entertainment media depicting women of power. The assumption here is that emotions are both a sign of and will lead to weakness.
The Non Relatable Superman
As I have mapped out the cost of the relatable Superman in 'Man of Steel', it is my contention that Superman shouldn't be relatable, because he isn't. He 's an alien. An alien that learned the best values humanity has, and internalized them. Superman isn't relatable because he is better than humanity, he can maintain a moral and ethical code without fault or compromise. Therefore, he can't be relatable because we all should aspire to treat people how he treats people. He is a paragon, an example of what we could, and should be. If only we were a little nicer, more courageous, valued altruism and were less petty. As I look to the future, I can only hope.
