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ALVIN McEWEN
I like to think of myself as a connoisseur of comic books. Now one comic book in particular that I have found to be very interesting is “The Punisher” by Marvel Comics.
“The Punisher” is about a former soldier whose family was massacred by the Mafia. Since that time, he has carried a very effective one-man war against crime.
In the last few years, “The Punisher” comic book has been the showcase of, shall we say, repulsive actions, all viewed in living color including but not limited to:
Eviserations (i.e. disembowlements), cannibalism, rapes, immolations (i.e. setting people on fire), close-ups of violent shootings, death by snakes, piranhas, sharks, polar bears (the scene in which the polar bear swipes the man’s head clean off was simply incredible), beheadings, the destruction of an entire island by a nuclear bomb, a tossing of a gangster from the top of the Empire State building (in the full view of a young teenager who got super excited over it), testicular castrations . . .
I think you get the picture.
But not once, I repeat, not once have any religious right group raised anything resembling anger, outrage, disgust, or downright shock over any of these things.
But these groups are crying bloody murder now and you know what they are angry about?
The wedding of a gay superhero, Northstar, to his boyfriend in another Marvel comic:
From that lovely bastion of phony news, One News Now:
Pro-family groups are outraged by the recent announcement about plans for some comic book super heroes to embrace alternate lifestyles.
. . . Focus on the Family’s Glenn Stanton, director of family formation studies, says it is “shameful” to press this issue upon children.
“What’s really disturbing about this is the real arrogance of these cartoon creators who think their job is not just to entertain, but to indoctrinate, to preach at us,” he observes. “We go to church to be preached at; we don’t go to comics to do that. And again, it’s just arrogance on the part of these creators.”
He also dubs it a political move. “It’s kind of activist comic books, which we don’t need. Comic books are for entertainment; they’re not for activism, social activism,” Stanton contends.
. . .Monica Cole of OneMillionMoms.com, an advocacy branch of the American Family Association, agrees.
“DC Comics and Marvel, they have an agenda, and it’s to indoctrinate children at a younger age,” she laments. “And they’re doing it. They’re being successful at it.”
Now I usually end a piece like this with a quirky comment, but I don’t think I need to.
Sometimes the idiocy of the religious right speaks very well for itself.
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Filed under: Views & Voices
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imagin that
Personally, I think comics provide a parable allowing writers to discuss all kinds of issues; X-Men could be argued, or has been seen as, a metaphor for various ethnic and social “minorities” ostracised by the rest of the world.
Marvel should be proud of Northstar and his story, and mustn’t bow to pressure from these “pro-family sentinels”.
I also think Northstar should be in the lineup for the next X-Men TV series/film, and portrayed as he is on the printed page.
That Focus on the Family guy clearly shows that he doesn’t read comics. Comic books, particularly Marvel comics in recent generations, has ALWAYS had a social activism bent. Spiderman and the Hulk were often cited as favored fictional models of the revolutionaries of the 60s and 70s. X-men can be seen as an analogy for EVERY minority group ever hated by the majority. The examples go on and on. DC even did the same back in its WW2 hayday by having its character ACTIVE tell readers to donate money for US war bonds and so on.
Oh it’s unhealthy alright. I think anything so closed-minded, judgmental, and hateful is unhealthy. Even god’s will.
It doesn’t prove anything – but the illustration of the truth is Awesome!!
In fact, someone just recently told me that it is a SIN to harm gays in any way, but in the same breath expressed acceptance for and agreement in god punishing gays for having gay sex by inflicting disease and anguish upon them. Is that not contradictory or does it matter if god’s will makes sense? All in all, I’m proud of and thankful for Marvel making healthy ‘alternative’ lifestyles just a little more mainstream. We can all stand to help others understand that homosexuality (or being different in general) isn’t wrong and doesn’t hurt people.
@ Leandrah Which “Truth”? That comic books often reflect society’s triumphs, mores, and dilemmas? OR the “truth” that Focus on the Family Focus on the Family is (a global Christian ministry dedicated to helping families…) focusing on Gay as negative ALWAYS? Yet, here’s something from their own page: “We believe that all people are of infinite value, regardless of age, development, appearance or ability.” http://www.focusonthefamily.com/about_us.aspx
Hmmm??!! Now we are looking to COMIC BOOKS for truth? They are fiction–MADE UP stories!! No one is forced to read them, much less believe them!
Being a major comic book nerd I love the fact that Marvel and DC have gay characters it gives younger readers an open mind. I am happy to call Northstar, Green Lanturen, Hulkling, and Wiccan some of my favorites
where was the religious right when the Women in Refrigerators article came out?
STAN LEE IS A PROPHET AND A GENIUS! That is all.
Comic books are made fiction and made up stories…but they are brilliant analogies of life. Plus so is the Bible.
Yes comic books are made up fiction! But then again so is most of the Bible. Comics are fun, smart, amazing analogies for life. I think there’s more wisdom in comics (if you are smart enough to see it) than there ever was in the major religious texts.
and…STAN LEE IS A GENIUS AND A PROPHET. That is all.