I’ve considered doing an article series just for Superman songs. There are so many songs that reference or outright discuss Superman but I’ve had a hard time finding one that I feel really understands the character, nevermind speaking to what I love about my favorite superhero. It doesn’t help that currently Superman’s values are either ignored by writers, editors, and directors, or looked down upon as some archaic thing. And yet if someone challenges the laws of physics and comes up with Superman’s powers you better pray to God whether you believe in Him or not that he or she will carry Clark Kent’s values or you can kiss your future goodbye.
While I’ve got enough troubles and article/video/comic ideas to add that project here’s are two examples of what I’m talking about. In this corner we have “Superman (It’s Not Easy” by John Ondrasik, aka Five For Fighting despite being one dude. On the other we have “Superman’s Song” by Brad Roberts, lead singer of Crash Test Dummies despite being a human being. As far as I know anyway. Maybe John is like Trey from Power Rangers ZEO and Brad just has a really good disguise. These two songs attempt to speak to the downsides of being the standard for powered superheroes and the most important of the DC Universe. Which does it better? Let’s examine.
BW Media Spotlight 
The “Superhero Fatigue” Fallacy
Genre’s come and go out of fashion but despite the wishes of the media snobs they never go away. (Sadly, neither do the media snobs.) And the media snobs really hate superhero stories. No matter what else gets said here, let’s understand who is out there ready to dance on the grave of the superhero genre. Auteurs and would-be auteurs who want to turn a spacefaring sci-fi franchise into a gangster picture or turn a comic book supervillain into a nutjob in makeup. Showrunners who just want to snap at fans for not liking a certain movie despite liking another movie that did a better job with the thing they’re upset you didn’t like in their movie. Directors who were already balking at action science fiction because every story ever is only worthy to them when it has a message with depth and meaning. They want you coming out of that theater less happy than when you walked in or they don’t feel successful because introspective and sorrow are the only “feelings” they believe a movie should convey.
Basically, self-important super-biased mega-snobs. You know, morons.
These people already hate superhero stories so when they see a superhero movie fail, pushback against the next movie, and TV shows not making the studio money they’re thrilled…despite being the parties responsible. They want you, or rather the studios, to believe that the general public is done with superheroes and now it’s time to go back to the feeling-inducing, self-reflective, over-hyped, self-indulgent passion projects that the “well done” from their peers.
Now please, don’t misunderstand. I’m not saying those movies are bad. I even liked some of them in the past and others look worthwhile as well. A Man Called Otto is on the Finally Watch list and it just came out. I just needed to get that out of my system not because of the movie but because of the Hollywood mindset that looks down on anything that they don’t consider award worthy or punches
sidewaysup. So they look at superhero movies not doing well and think that’s a good thing because it’s more money spent on the “approved” story genres. Except it’s not that we’re burned out on superhero movies. It’s that they’re currently producing crap by people who don’t want to make superhero movies and will go out of their way in interviews and on social media to let you know it. Although you can tell from the movies themselves.Continue reading →
Tell others about the Spotlight:
Posted by ShadowWing Tronix on February 8, 2023 in DC Spotlight, Marvel Spotlight, Movie Spotlight and tagged commentary, superhero movies.
3 Comments