All that being said, the vast majority of black and other "manufactured token diversity" superheroes actually do suck. Why? Because they're written as Black Superheroes, not as superheroes who just happen to be black.
I would LOVE to hear him try to justify that statement. I always find it hilarious to watch people try to squirm out of 'I'm not racist but...' comments like this one.
To be honest, most of the remotely 'cool' black superheroes read like Mr. T (Or Barrett in Final Fantasy VII). The other problem is there aren't enough authentic Afro-American voices in the comics biz.
Still, I'd have to say Michonne from The Walking Dead is the very best black super hero of all time, if she even qualifies. I also enjoyed the shit out of Steel when he showed up in the Superman books in the 90's, when I was a kid.
We still have a long way to go, though. Having said that, I haven't read most X-books (there are too many to even bother), Blade, Black Panther or other 3rd string superhero books (Black Lightning? Help me out here.)
That reminds me of the Seinfeld bit, "I'm not gay! (Not that there's anything wrong with it.)" It is a shame that we can't express our personal opinions without immediately having to go on the defensive when we are accused of being an -ist, e.g., racist, sexist, misogynist, ageist, homophobe (sexualityist?), etc.
Maybe the person does not like Black superheroes because they are drawn and characterized poorly? But we immediately assume he's a cloak-wearing member of the KKK.
I think if he were bagging on black superheroes for being a kind of caricature, he might've said that. The statement as it is almost explicitly states a racist opinion.
People are entirely too goddamned quick to accuse someone of being a racist (or sexist, or whatever), but a broken clock..
I'm not a racist, but I would wonder if a black superhero was really born in America and not in Africa. I'd need to see a birth certificate. Plus, I hate when black superheroes get all uppity.
So if he didn't like male superheros would he be sexist against his own gender? If he didn't like Robin or Aqua Lad, is he homophobic? If a black customer said he only likes black superheros, would anyone even blink? Yeesh, touchy touchy.
The way he says it, without elaboration, does sound incredibly racist. That's where the humor lies. He may not like black superheroes because so many are horrible caricatures, but that's not what he said.
In person, we might give him a chance to explain himself, and he might say something reasonable that shows he isn't racist at all. But this is a one-panel comic, where the character (based loosely on an actual human being) needs to be summed up in one humorous statement. There's no chance to show the depth of his opinions toward black superheroes, black people, or race relations in general.
The character in this comic is, like the superheroes he dislikes, an oversimplified stereotype, portrayed as such for entertainment purposes only.
And now that I've explained the joke, I think I've killed it.
Don't usually post but felt compelled when so many people here seemed to agree with him or justify what he said!
Maybe 20+ years ago there were a number of token black heroes but as the years have gone on these have become pretty well rounded. Surely you only need to look at John Stewart.
Also, if he is reads Batman then how can he not have liked Onyx?
And... before anyone counters with an example of how '2D' a black character is; any character can be made to look simple and not well thought out. I mean, SUPERman moved to METROPOLIS from SMALLville.
I can totally understand why so many of y'all are defending this guy. Because we all know racism doesn't exist anymore, right? It's not like black folks are being asked to show their papers to prove their citizenship or anything. *cough* And God knows everyone in the comics community have always been champions of social justice. Seeing this straight white guy with the disposable income victimized this way makes me weep. It is so hard being white in America.
People are sort-of defending him because it's possible that his actual opinions are not as Homerically stupid as this comment would indicate. I've never seen giving someone the benefit of the doubt as a bad thing, actually.
In my experience, the benefit of the doubt is a whites-only policy. Tell me, Diane. If this had been an African-American customer saying "I don't like white superheroes," would you be interpreting his comment as anything but bigotry? Have you asked yourself why so many people here seem to think that a white guy being accused of racism is worse than black people living with racist comments like this one every day?
A list of GOOD black superheroes would be useful about now... Well, there's Spawn, Blade, Cage... I'd have to exclude any that are called BLACK WHATEVER due to that coming off as racist nowadays... Technically I should then discount any that are gangsta types or tribal/savage in nature cos that would seem racist too... Hmm... Steels reputation can't defeat the terrible film version... Do you SEE how it would seem odd that a black comic reader would say that they don't like white superheroes, and less so that a white kid would say the opposite? The field is really limited to one side, and the general view of black characters is done really poorly, usually by white people - and mostly comes off as parody/blaxploitation (WhiteHatingCoon, anyone?). Sure the kid could've be being racist, but it's more likely that he's just telling it how it is - most comics with a black hero aren't any good. Don't even get me started on female heroes and, dare I say it - black female heroes. (Wonder if there are any decent gay superheroes too... Summoning WIKI powers now!)
@3:19 In my experience, being white means sometimes being able to ignore race. That's the only real perk. Whites are also caricatured as racists, almost universally, and if a white person says something racist, there's very little he can do to shake that new stigma.
You don't combat race prejudice with race prejudice. It's only easy being white if you're white and rich. Hicks, trailer trash, hillbillies, etc..
not to mention the shit-ton of negative white stereotypes (tiny pricks, lack of talent, lack of balance, et. all)
Also white people tend to catch flak for slavery to this day, in spite of having been born more than a hundred years after it was abolished (on paper, granted). Even if, say, their ancestors came from Ireland, more than a hundred years after slavery was abolished (on paper, granted).
Don't cite the late Dwayne MacDuffie if you're going to get it all wrong. The reason he helped found Milestone comics was precisely because he hated the fact that you couldn't have a superhero who just coincidentally happened to be non-white. They always had to be "the black superhero" or "the hispanic superhero" or whatever. Their race took precedence over their own personality. As a black kid, he probably wasn't all that impressed with black superheroes either. As a white guy, even I could tell that some Milestone titles had more well-written minority characters than most imprints have through their entire lineup. The real question isn't whether anyone who commented here can name five black superheroes that aren't lame, but whether even a single person here managed to do so without listing John Stewart.
Funny how most people here seem to think the way to counter racism is... more racism. Not that I'm surprised, as most Americans are racists, but still. (and yes, I am sure there are some non-Americans posting: I assume they account for the non-racist comments)
interesting that the guy is saying he does not like african american comic heroes yet i would not be surprised if his pull list includes x-men or avengers. and yet also saying he is not racist for not liking fictional characters because of their skin color still today.
Storm, Blade, War Machine, Luke Cage, Cloak, Falcon, Dr. Voodoo,Rage, Spawn, Mr. Terrific, Black Lightning.
Oh look more than five.
Several lame black heroes?
Oh god, the shitty Blue Marvel.
And yet, with all those good ones listed, criticise one of the worst written chars in history and listen to the unfounded accusations flow. If that's not bigotry, I don't know what is.
I'm not sexist, I just don't think girls have any place fighting crime...
ReplyDeleteI'm not a homosexual but Robin is my favourite superhero.
ReplyDeleteAnytime someone starts a conversation with "I'm not x but...." you know that they are totally x.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a racist, but I think chinese people have really given a lot to the world throughout history.
ReplyDeletei'm not gay or nothin but i'm really into batman.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sexist, but Wonder Woman needs to be drawn with some HUGE tits!
ReplyDeleteMaybe American Panther turned him off?
ReplyDeleteI'm not a misogynist, I just really like Liefeld's work.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a superhero, but I hate racist douchebags.
ReplyDeleteAll that being said, the vast majority of black and other "manufactured token diversity" superheroes actually do suck. Why? Because they're written as Black Superheroes, not as superheroes who just happen to be black.
ReplyDelete^
ReplyDelete| This.
LONG LIVE LUKE CAGE!
ReplyDeleteYes! Luke Cage kicks so much ass! And though I know many who would disagree, I still like John Stewart.
ReplyDeleteSome of his best friends are black.
ReplyDeleteI would LOVE to hear him try to justify that statement. I always find it hilarious to watch people try to squirm out of 'I'm not racist but...' comments like this one.
ReplyDeleteWhat makes it worse/funnier is that one or two different words at the end would make it considerably more acceptable.
ReplyDeleteex. "I'm not racist, but I don't like Black Panther."
To be honest, most of the remotely 'cool' black superheroes read like Mr. T (Or Barrett in Final Fantasy VII). The other problem is there aren't enough authentic Afro-American voices in the comics biz.
ReplyDeleteStill, I'd have to say Michonne from The Walking Dead is the very best black super hero of all time, if she even qualifies. I also enjoyed the shit out of Steel when he showed up in the Superman books in the 90's, when I was a kid.
We still have a long way to go, though. Having said that, I haven't read most X-books (there are too many to even bother), Blade, Black Panther or other 3rd string superhero books (Black Lightning? Help me out here.)
That reminds me of the Seinfeld bit, "I'm not gay! (Not that there's anything wrong with it.)" It is a shame that we can't express our personal opinions without immediately having to go on the defensive when we are accused of being an -ist, e.g., racist, sexist, misogynist, ageist, homophobe (sexualityist?), etc.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the person does not like Black superheroes because they are drawn and characterized poorly? But we immediately assume he's a cloak-wearing member of the KKK.
The very best black character is Tyroc. From costume to origin, he is a fine representative of both hero and race.
ReplyDeleteI think if he were bagging on black superheroes for being a kind of caricature, he might've said that. The statement as it is almost explicitly states a racist opinion.
ReplyDeletePeople are entirely too goddamned quick to accuse someone of being a racist (or sexist, or whatever), but a broken clock..
That's the most ethnonormative thing I've heard all week.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a racist, but I would wonder if a black superhero was really born in America and not in Africa. I'd need to see a birth certificate. Plus, I hate when black superheroes get all uppity.
ReplyDeleteSo if he didn't like male superheros would he be sexist against his own gender? If he didn't like Robin or Aqua Lad, is he homophobic? If a black customer said he only likes black superheros, would anyone even blink? Yeesh, touchy touchy.
ReplyDeleteYeah, what's up with people saying that not liking characters because they're black is racist? Yeesh, touchy touchy.
ReplyDeleteThe way he says it, without elaboration, does sound incredibly racist. That's where the humor lies. He may not like black superheroes because so many are horrible caricatures, but that's not what he said.
ReplyDeleteIn person, we might give him a chance to explain himself, and he might say something reasonable that shows he isn't racist at all. But this is a one-panel comic, where the character (based loosely on an actual human being) needs to be summed up in one humorous statement. There's no chance to show the depth of his opinions toward black superheroes, black people, or race relations in general.
The character in this comic is, like the superheroes he dislikes, an oversimplified stereotype, portrayed as such for entertainment purposes only.
And now that I've explained the joke, I think I've killed it.
Ah, the old "I'm not racist but (insert racist statement here)."
ReplyDeleteSuddenly, Dwayne McDuffie comes back to life and punches this guy in the groin.
ReplyDeleteIf only.
Robin and Aqualad are gay?
ReplyDeleteBest tags yet on this one, Mr Tim.
ReplyDeleteDon't usually post but felt compelled when so many people here seemed to agree with him or justify what he said!
ReplyDeleteMaybe 20+ years ago there were a number of token black heroes but as the years have gone on these have become pretty well rounded. Surely you only need to look at John Stewart.
Also, if he is reads Batman then how can he not have liked Onyx?
And... before anyone counters with an example of how '2D' a black character is; any character can be made to look simple and not well thought out. I mean, SUPERman moved to METROPOLIS from SMALLville.
@Anonymous 4:35
ReplyDeleteThere is no way you can possibly tell that from what is presented. He could have been talking about poor characterization
I can totally understand why so many of y'all are defending this guy. Because we all know racism doesn't exist anymore, right? It's not like black folks are being asked to show their papers to prove their citizenship or anything. *cough* And God knows everyone in the comics community have always been champions of social justice. Seeing this straight white guy with the disposable income victimized this way makes me weep. It is so hard being white in America.
ReplyDeletePeople are sort-of defending him because it's possible that his actual opinions are not as Homerically stupid as this comment would indicate. I've never seen giving someone the benefit of the doubt as a bad thing, actually.
ReplyDeleteIn my experience, the benefit of the doubt is a whites-only policy. Tell me, Diane. If this had been an African-American customer saying "I don't like white superheroes," would you be interpreting his comment as anything but bigotry? Have you asked yourself why so many people here seem to think that a white guy being accused of racism is worse than black people living with racist comments like this one every day?
ReplyDeleteA list of GOOD black superheroes would be useful about now... Well, there's Spawn, Blade, Cage... I'd have to exclude any that are called BLACK WHATEVER due to that coming off as racist nowadays... Technically I should then discount any that are gangsta types or tribal/savage in nature cos that would seem racist too... Hmm... Steels reputation can't defeat the terrible film version... Do you SEE how it would seem odd that a black comic reader would say that they don't like white superheroes, and less so that a white kid would say the opposite? The field is really limited to one side, and the general view of black characters is done really poorly, usually by white people - and mostly comes off as parody/blaxploitation (WhiteHatingCoon, anyone?). Sure the kid could've be being racist, but it's more likely that he's just telling it how it is - most comics with a black hero aren't any good. Don't even get me started on female heroes and, dare I say it - black female heroes. (Wonder if there are any decent gay superheroes too... Summoning WIKI powers now!)
ReplyDelete@3:19 In my experience, being white means sometimes being able to ignore race. That's the only real perk. Whites are also caricatured as racists, almost universally, and if a white person says something racist, there's very little he can do to shake that new stigma.
ReplyDeleteYou don't combat race prejudice with race prejudice. It's only easy being white if you're white and rich. Hicks, trailer trash, hillbillies, etc..
not to mention the shit-ton of negative white stereotypes (tiny pricks, lack of talent, lack of balance, et. all)
Also white people tend to catch flak for slavery to this day, in spite of having been born more than a hundred years after it was abolished (on paper, granted). Even if, say, their ancestors came from Ireland, more than a hundred years after slavery was abolished (on paper, granted).
ReplyDelete@Anon 3:28:
ReplyDeleteDon't cite the late Dwayne MacDuffie if you're going to get it all wrong. The reason he helped found Milestone comics was precisely because he hated the fact that you couldn't have a superhero who just coincidentally happened to be non-white. They always had to be "the black superhero" or "the hispanic superhero" or whatever. Their race took precedence over their own personality. As a black kid, he probably wasn't all that impressed with black superheroes either. As a white guy, even I could tell that some Milestone titles had more well-written minority characters than most imprints have through their entire lineup. The real question isn't whether anyone who commented here can name five black superheroes that aren't lame, but whether even a single person here managed to do so without listing John Stewart.
Hahaha, looks like someone needs to start reading 4thletter.net
ReplyDeleteFunny how most people here seem to think the way to counter racism is... more racism. Not that I'm surprised, as most Americans are racists, but still.
ReplyDelete(and yes, I am sure there are some non-Americans posting: I assume they account for the non-racist comments)
interesting that the guy is saying he does not like african american comic heroes yet i would not be surprised if his pull list includes x-men or avengers. and yet also saying he is not racist for not liking fictional characters because of their skin color still today.
ReplyDeleteFive non-lame black heroes?
ReplyDeleteStorm, Blade, War Machine, Luke Cage, Cloak, Falcon, Dr. Voodoo,Rage, Spawn, Mr. Terrific, Black Lightning.
Oh look more than five.
Several lame black heroes?
Oh god, the shitty Blue Marvel.
And yet, with all those good ones listed, criticise one of the worst written chars in history and listen to the unfounded accusations flow. If that's not bigotry, I don't know what is.