I never thought that it was just baggy clothes and glasses that kept his identity hidden. Some sort of Kryptonian nanotech perception filter must also play a part.
Pre-crisis, his glasses were capable of sending out post-hypnotic suggestions. Post-crisis, as Superman he subtly vibrated his face at superspeed to blur details.
I think my idea of a perception filter is more believable than vibrating your face all of the time. That must take a lot of concentration even for Superman. And it sure doesn't take into account the possibility of getting knocked out, does it?
It is stupid of Lois but you make the excuse that she's a busy lady and preoccupied with her job. Lex Luthor, however, has no such excuse. He is OBSESSED with Superman and is constantly granting Clark Kent interviews. The first time Kent walked in the room, Luthor should've been like, "YOU!!"
There is a story where Luthor finds out Kent is Superman, but he still doesn't believe it. Luthor couldn't grasp the idea that someone with that much power would willingly choose to wander around not taking advantage of it for any amount of time, let alone half his life.
I've always thought the main reason no instantly pings Kent as Superman is because the connection is too ridiculous to make -Dweeby reporter/World's Greatest Superhero. It wouldn't even occur to them.
There's also that time during his run as the protagonist in Action Comics. He discovers that Clark is superman and is so upset by the experience that he goes into denial. Literally within pages of the revelation he just resolves never to speak of it again.
Because Superman doesn't wear a mask, no one thinks of this Kryptonian masquerading around as a human being with another identity. At least, that's current reasoning...
Pretty much this. Superman essentially operates on the assumption that he has no secret identity. Everyone knows that he's Kal-El from Krypton, so they just assume he's always like that.
Just think about how even some famous actors can pull that one off, because people assume this plain guy could NEVER be someone like that. Here are examples in the real life section: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ClarkKenting
And of course there are even people who look like VIPs WITHOUT being them, like doubles. Wasn't there even a situation when someone commented on how funny it was, that Clark looked a bit like Superman and just shrugged it off as a great joke?
There's more to the Clark Kent disguise than just the glasses and clothes. There's also how he acts, how he talks, his behaviors, his voice. Mild mannered doesn't even begin to explain it; he's a dork. Sure we can all see at a glance that he's Superman in the comics, but that's because we're not around him all day. We weren't there when he got his tie caught in the office paper shredder, inexorably and helplessly pulling him to his doom, and he had to be rescued by a female coworker. We weren't there when he went hit the pavement hard while doing a story on an orphanage because a rambunctious 5 year old resident toddled up and punched him square in the balls. We weren't there when he got drunk on long island ice tea at the Daily Planet office christmas party (nobody told him they were alcoholic) and got slapped propositioning 6 different women and ended up sleeping it off in the supply closet. We didn't have to go with him to the police station to give a statement about the teenage girls who mugged him in the alley behind Daily Planet. So sure everyone in Metropolis can see that Clark Kent looks a lot like Superman, but they know he isn't because he's dorky pathetic Clark Kent for f's sake. Good reporter. Fast typist. Well meaning. Bad dresser. Complete loser.
And before that sounds like too much of a stretch, consider this: celebrity look-a-likes happen a lot in real life. There's a guy in my office building who looks just like Edward Norton. Now I've never seen them both in the same place at the same time, but I'm still pretty certain they are two different people.
So the real question isn't why Lois Lane hasn't figured out Clark Kent's secret, but why Superman maintains the Clark Kent act to protect his identity. It doesn't make any sense at all, because if you're Superman why would you even need a secret identity? You could just be Superman all the time.
Personally I think the whole Clark Kent thing is Superman's way of trolling humanity.
More appropriately why does Clark Kent need Superman? There's no reason he has to change into spandex in bright primary colours and adopt a new alias to do what he does. Perry White would probably be more understanding every time he disappeared for months after getting booted into the N'th dimension or dragged into a cosmic journey with the Justice League.
"Nah, Clark don't worry. You were saving the world. Your job's safe."
Here's the thing - Batman is the real person and Bruce Wayne is a mask. With Superman, Clark Kent is honestly who he is - he was raised as Clark Kent, farmboy from Kansas who was interested in journalism.
Or maybe everyone knows Clark Kent is really Superman, but they all feel sorry for him what with being the only surviving orphan of his entire planet and being eternally cursed with loneliness what with that "woman of kleenex" problem of his, so they feel that if the man of steel, savior of the world, he's such a wonderful helpful guy really, wants to play pretend at being human, and thinks he has us all fooled by that pathetic act of his, who are we to burst his sad, delusional little bubble of peace and happiness and normality?
I don't buy the hypnosis or vibrating face stuff... that would mean photographs of the two of them would be comparable outside of his influence and he would be found out--think facial recognition devices in crowded airports.
I always just assumed it was as the comic and others have said--no one could accept that Superman, with all his ability and charisma, would become mild-mannered Clark Kent. In the movie series and comics I felt it was believable because the guy had thick glasses, totally different hair (or hat), and obviously would project himself much differently. Christopher Reeve did a great job of it, yes, at times pretty obvious, but we're also seeing it from a POV of knowing who he is, so his coy looks when Lois' back was turned were not visible to her. What I found not believable were the recent TV series' starting with Lois & Clark... thin glasses, and they didn't even attempt to have Dean Cain change his voice, demeanor, etc... even his hair was basically the same... his transformation was basically the suit, glasses and slight hair-doo change. That always bothered me, though I quickly got over it thanks to 1990's Teri Hatcher.
I always just imagine that in any given story, his act is actually as convincing as Chris Reeve's, who is the only version I can genuinely believe would get away with his disguise.
I never thought that it was just baggy clothes and glasses that kept his identity hidden. Some sort of Kryptonian nanotech perception filter must also play a part.
ReplyDeletePre-crisis, his glasses were capable of sending out post-hypnotic suggestions. Post-crisis, as Superman he subtly vibrated his face at superspeed to blur details.
DeleteI knew a guy who could do that face vibration. He was pretty popular with the ladies.
DeleteI think my idea of a perception filter is more believable than vibrating your face all of the time. That must take a lot of concentration even for Superman. And it sure doesn't take into account the possibility of getting knocked out, does it?
DeleteI'm reminded of the comment made on "Lois and Clark":
ReplyDelete"Galactically Stupid!"
Christopher Reeve made it just plausible enough.
ReplyDeleteYeah, no one would guess that Superman's alter ego was a guy in a wheelchair
DeleteI don't even think that Don Rickles would have gone there.
DeleteDon Rickles? What are you, 65?
DeleteHeather Eek, whad ya see a mouse or sumthin?
DeleteNaw, it's my initials. When my mom found out she was preggers at 19, she said, "HEK!"
DeleteIt is stupid of Lois but you make the excuse that she's a busy lady and preoccupied with her job. Lex Luthor, however, has no such excuse. He is OBSESSED with Superman and is constantly granting Clark Kent interviews. The first time Kent walked in the room, Luthor should've been like, "YOU!!"
ReplyDeleteThere is a story where Luthor finds out Kent is Superman, but he still doesn't believe it. Luthor couldn't grasp the idea that someone with that much power would willingly choose to wander around not taking advantage of it for any amount of time, let alone half his life.
DeleteI've always thought the main reason no instantly pings Kent as Superman is because the connection is too ridiculous to make -Dweeby reporter/World's Greatest Superhero. It wouldn't even occur to them.
There's also that time during his run as the protagonist in Action Comics. He discovers that Clark is superman and is so upset by the experience that he goes into denial. Literally within pages of the revelation he just resolves never to speak of it again.
DeleteBecause Superman doesn't wear a mask, no one thinks of this Kryptonian masquerading around as a human being with another identity. At least, that's current reasoning...
ReplyDeletePretty much this. Superman essentially operates on the assumption that he has no secret identity. Everyone knows that he's Kal-El from Krypton, so they just assume he's always like that.
DeleteJust think about how even some famous actors can pull that one off, because people assume this plain guy could NEVER be someone like that. Here are examples in the real life section:
ReplyDeletehttp://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ClarkKenting
And of course there are even people who look like VIPs WITHOUT being them, like doubles.
Wasn't there even a situation when someone commented on how funny it was, that Clark looked a bit like Superman and just shrugged it off as a great joke?
Wow, never heard this joke before...
ReplyDeleteThere's more to the Clark Kent disguise than just the glasses and clothes. There's also how he acts, how he talks, his behaviors, his voice. Mild mannered doesn't even begin to explain it; he's a dork. Sure we can all see at a glance that he's Superman in the comics, but that's because we're not around him all day. We weren't there when he got his tie caught in the office paper shredder, inexorably and helplessly pulling him to his doom, and he had to be rescued by a female coworker. We weren't there when he went hit the pavement hard while doing a story on an orphanage because a rambunctious 5 year old resident toddled up and punched him square in the balls. We weren't there when he got drunk on long island ice tea at the Daily Planet office christmas party (nobody told him they were alcoholic) and got slapped propositioning 6 different women and ended up sleeping it off in the supply closet. We didn't have to go with him to the police station to give a statement about the teenage girls who mugged him in the alley behind Daily Planet. So sure everyone in Metropolis can see that Clark Kent looks a lot like Superman, but they know he isn't because he's dorky pathetic Clark Kent for f's sake. Good reporter. Fast typist. Well meaning. Bad dresser. Complete loser.
ReplyDeleteAnd before that sounds like too much of a stretch, consider this: celebrity look-a-likes happen a lot in real life. There's a guy in my office building who looks just like Edward Norton. Now I've never seen them both in the same place at the same time, but I'm still pretty certain they are two different people.
So the real question isn't why Lois Lane hasn't figured out Clark Kent's secret, but why Superman maintains the Clark Kent act to protect his identity. It doesn't make any sense at all, because if you're Superman why would you even need a secret identity? You could just be Superman all the time.
Personally I think the whole Clark Kent thing is Superman's way of trolling humanity.
More appropriately why does Clark Kent need Superman? There's no reason he has to change into spandex in bright primary colours and adopt a new alias to do what he does. Perry White would probably be more understanding every time he disappeared for months after getting booted into the N'th dimension or dragged into a cosmic journey with the Justice League.
Delete"Nah, Clark don't worry. You were saving the world. Your job's safe."
Here's the thing - Batman is the real person and Bruce Wayne is a mask. With Superman, Clark Kent is honestly who he is - he was raised as Clark Kent, farmboy from Kansas who was interested in journalism.
DeleteOr maybe everyone knows Clark Kent is really Superman, but they all feel sorry for him what with being the only surviving orphan of his entire planet and being eternally cursed with loneliness what with that "woman of kleenex" problem of his, so they feel that if the man of steel, savior of the world, he's such a wonderful helpful guy really, wants to play pretend at being human, and thinks he has us all fooled by that pathetic act of his, who are we to burst his sad, delusional little bubble of peace and happiness and normality?
DeleteI don't buy the hypnosis or vibrating face stuff... that would mean photographs of the two of them would be comparable outside of his influence and he would be found out--think facial recognition devices in crowded airports.
ReplyDeleteI always just assumed it was as the comic and others have said--no one could accept that Superman, with all his ability and charisma, would become mild-mannered Clark Kent. In the movie series and comics I felt it was believable because the guy had thick glasses, totally different hair (or hat), and obviously would project himself much differently. Christopher Reeve did a great job of it, yes, at times pretty obvious, but we're also seeing it from a POV of knowing who he is, so his coy looks when Lois' back was turned were not visible to her. What I found not believable were the recent TV series' starting with Lois & Clark... thin glasses, and they didn't even attempt to have Dean Cain change his voice, demeanor, etc... even his hair was basically the same... his transformation was basically the suit, glasses and slight hair-doo change. That always bothered me, though I quickly got over it thanks to 1990's Teri Hatcher.
I always just imagine that in any given story, his act is actually as convincing as Chris Reeve's, who is the only version I can genuinely believe would get away with his disguise.
ReplyDeleteLois Lane is the dumbest character in comics because of this.
ReplyDeleteAnd, AND, Lois has never even bothered to go to the Wikipedia entry on Superman, where it's all laid out pretty well. Stupid!!!
ReplyDelete