Why fix what aint broke?

Whether we are talking about changing the islamic millitants into Neo Nazi europeans as in "The Sum of All Fears", or turning "GI Joe" into a Global anti-terrorism squad there seems to be a concerted push by many in or relating to entertainment to "improve" stories and ideas that, quite frankly, dont need any. In "Superman Returns" this attitude gave us a feminine superman who was also a deadbeat dad and fought for "truth justice and all that stuff".In "The Hulk" we got a Bruce Banner whose dad "experimented" on him as a child and gamma powered nanobots. This attitude even gave us a Daredevil who sleeps in an isolation tank, and wasn't catholic, and an Elektra who wasnt an assasin.

Now while I have no problem with different interpertations of a character, when you start changing the core identities or themes of a character or concept its more than a bit annoying.


In many ways this act is one of the things I just cant stand about feminist bloggers. This seemingly overriding need to change things to suit ones own ideology. It doesnt matter whether we are discussing making GI Joe a "global hero" or wanting Batgirl to be a "better" crimefighter than Batman, in both cases its a situation of someone not liking a something in a fictional work, and changing it just to suit thier own beliefs. Now I have no problems with somone making a movie about a global anti-terrorism force based in brussels, I might even go see it, but not when its called "GI Joe". GI Joe is a "Real American Hero" And unless its an American unit, comprised of American soldiers, its NOT GI Joe. By the same token I have no problem with someone making a "Sue the Feminist Superhero" comic. But when they want to turn Sue Richards into a divorced lesbian living with Namora I'm going to object. Not because I have a problem with a comic about a divorced lesbian living with an atlantian lesbian, but becasue neither Sue Richards nor Namora fits the bill.

What I dont understand is the constant need to try and change the very things that so many people enjoy about a property in order to please people who dont enjoy the property. Wouldnt we be better off in creating new properties to meet thsoe unmet needs and thus increasing the overall size of the market? Rather than putting Huntress in a Burhka to please Muslims fans, wouldnt it be preferable to create a Muslim superhero in a burkha in order to give those fans what they want?

My point is if you dont like something, rather than trying to change it and thus taking away what others enjoy, why not create something new that you can enjoy? Or at least use your effort to get it created? Instead of all the bitchin by feminist fans about how "mysogonistic" supergirl is, why not spend that effort on lobbying for a new book that does meet your needs? Instead of whinging that Powergirls bBoobs "ruin the charcter" why not lobby for a superheroine with a flat chest?

As an example I cant stand Green Arrow. The character makes no sense to me whatsoever, and pisses me off. Partially this is becasue hes a socialist and an ultra liberal. As a result I dont read GA. What I don't do however, is write Blogpost after Blogpost about how stupid the character is, or how insulting his beliefs are to capitalists, and demanding that DC "fix" him by making him believe in free markets. Because I recognise that even though I dont Like GA, others do, and while It might please me if DC made GA a member of the Club for Growth, it would probably piss off his current fans.

But then I also dont get my panties in a bunch over what other people enjoy. You wanna write slash fiction about Batman and Robin getting it on, or read fics which portray the same? Go for it. It doesn't matter to me what you read, as long as I can still read what I like. Your a gay guy who finds my picture online and whacks off to it? I could care less as long as you aint around me while your whacking away. Enjoy fiction in which men are portrayed as animalistic buffons who are servile torwards the regal, powerful, and dominant women that have authority over them in a matriarchal society? Good for you, it aint my cup of tea, but then thats why I aint reading it.

My point is I dont care whether or not other people are enjoying something I find distasteful, so long as I still get to chose what I read and enjoy. The problem is most people, especially those on the left, are nowhere near as tolerant. They dont want anybody to enjoy anything they dont apporve of. Like a comic where the male hero is strong and self reliant and the female co lead is timid, demure, and looks to the hero to save her? "Sorry, thats mysogonistic and sends the message that women need men" Like the fact that superheroines are drawn as sexy beautiful women in revealing costumes? "Sorry but that oversexualises the character and objectifies women" Want to have a religous character express the view that gay marriage is a bad idea? "Cant do it, thats prejudiced and biogted thinking which only the KKK would endorse" Want a comic book character to express oppostion to abortion? "Nope thats mysogonistic and opresses womens reproductive rights"

My point isn't that any of these attitudes or beleifs are right or wrong, just that the expression fo them, for any reason, needs to be censored according to those coming from a leftist perspective. Which is funny since its usually the more liberal people among us who seem to so worship tolerance. In many ways this unecessary moralising is similar to the catholic churces treatment of Galileo, knowing themselves to be "right" they feel justified in taking any action to supress those ideas which are "wrong".

When instead, IMO at least, it would be far better to just let people choose for themselves what they like, and give it to them no matter who it offends (within reason) rather than trying to take away what some people enjoy that offends others.