Stan Lee's Gay Superhero

[Temis the Vorta]

I kind of like that for the title...Stan Lee's Gay Superhero...anyhoo...

Showtime is developing an hourlong project from comicbook icon Stan Lee that tracks the life of a gay superhero.

...


Story, which focuses on an up-and-coming superhero who struggles to hide his secret identities, is based on the book "Hero" by Perry Moore.

Mmm, actually this sounds pretty dumb. I mean who cares if the guy is gay. Anybody heard of that book? Is there anything to this?

 

[Kryton]

It's been done.

 

[highlander]

It's been done.

LMFAO!!!!!!!

 

[Vanyel]

Here it is, Hero, by Perry Moore.

 

[Teelie]

I kind of like that for the title...Stan Lee's Gay Superhero...anyhoo...

Showtime is developing an hourlong project from comicbook icon Stan Lee that tracks the life of a gay superhero.

...


Story, which focuses on an up-and-coming superhero who struggles to hide his secret identities, is based on the book "Hero" by Perry Moore.

Mmm, actually this sounds pretty dumb. I mean who cares if the guy is gay. Anybody heard of that book? Is there anything to this?

I have to agree. Who cares the superhero is gay? Making him gay serves no real purpose. It doesn't contribute to why he's a hero, it doesn't affect being a superhero (as opposed to say an alcoholic, gambler or someone with anger and control issues). It's just a gimmick to throw on top of what is almost certainly going to be a subpar story.

 

[mostlyharmless]

I kind of like that for the title...Stan Lee's Gay Superhero...anyhoo...

Showtime is developing an hourlong project from comicbook icon Stan Lee that tracks the life of a gay superhero.

...


Story, which focuses on an up-and-coming superhero who struggles to hide his secret identities, is based on the book "Hero" by Perry Moore.

Mmm, actually this sounds pretty dumb. I mean who cares if the guy is gay. Anybody heard of that book? Is there anything to this?

I read the book. It was a great read. I may have identified with it more strongly being gay, but it explored a lot of themes that were universal.

 

[DS9Continuing]

Mmm, actually this sounds pretty dumb. I mean who cares if the guy is gay. Anybody heard of that book? Is there anything to this?

I have to agree. Who cares the superhero is gay? Making him gay serves no real purpose. It doesn't contribute to why he's a hero, it doesn't affect being a superhero

Maybe that IS the point. To have a gay character who has no issues about being gay, whose being gay affects them negatively or positively in no way whatsoever, whose sexuality is completely irrelevant, but who just happens to be gay.

Isn't that what everyone who wants gay characters in Star Trek is asking for?

 

[mostlyharmless]

Mmm, actually this sounds pretty dumb. I mean who cares if the guy is gay. Anybody heard of that book? Is there anything to this?

I have to agree. Who cares the superhero is gay? Making him gay serves no real purpose. It doesn't contribute to why he's a hero, it doesn't affect being a superhero

Maybe that IS the point. To have a gay character who has no issues about being gay, whose being gay affects them negatively or positively in no way whatsoever, whose sexuality is completely irrelevant, but who just happens to be gay.

Isn't that what everyone who wants gay characters in Star Trek is asking for?

Well, actually, that isn't really the case in the book Hero. The main character is struggling with his identity. Maybe on the t.v. show, it can be a character arc, one that allows him to grow past it, and THEN it will become less of an issue. But as much progress has been made, our world is still not the Star Trek Federation of the future, and homosexuality is still an issue.
While a show that dwells on this would be alienating to a mainstream audience, using it as one story element that is used to explore different themes can be interesting.

 

[Teelie]

Unfortunately it will almost certainly only reinforce stereotypes or do a poor job of exploring the difficulties of his non-superhero persona. I see it like this; do we have any superheroes who are heterosexual and are constantly given screen time regarding being heterosexual?

You could bring up how they show Bruce Wayne with women on his arm but it's an act, a cover of the "playboy" persona he's meant to have, not the real him. We all know he has little interest in romance and rarely do we see romance factor into a superhero story unless it's meant to further a plot. The hero and the villianess fall for each other type thing, or the love of the hero's life is indangered.

If it were brought up in that context, maybe it would work, but to make it a primary characteristic of the hero is a gimmick and a degrading one at that. It does little to further the acceptance of homosexuals as just another person. It turns them into another character trait or even a flaw as it's already being interpeted as.

 

[Lapis Exilis]

Unfortunately it will almost certainly only reinforce stereotypes or do a poor job of exploring the difficulties of his non-superhero persona. I see it like this; do we have any superheroes who are heterosexual and are constantly given screen time regarding being heterosexual?

Superman's love for Lois Lane has been a major character point in every version of the character from Action Comics #1 to whatever issue was released this month. Superman was the first and definitive superhero, so to say a superheroes heterosexuality is not an issue is a tad ridiculous.

Scott Summers and Jean Grey's romance has been a major element in X-Men.

Peter Parker's love for Gwen Stacey and his relationship with MJ have been major elements in Spider-Man.

Daredevil and Elektra. Rogue and Gambit. Bruce Banner and Betty Ross. Selina Kyle and Slam Bradley. Tony Stark is a raging hetero lothario.

These are just off the top of my head.

You could bring up how they show Bruce Wayne with women on his arm but it's an act, a cover of the "playboy" persona he's meant to have, not the real him. We all know he has little interest in romance and rarely do we see romance factor into a superhero story unless it's meant to further a plot. The hero and the villianess fall for each other type thing, or the love of the hero's life is indangered.

Being hetero is to be of the dominant culture. It is the norm. It is rarely an identity issue the way being homosexual. Identity issues are a huge part of superhero stories - who am I? why am I like this - different from everyone else? how can I balance my difference with the rest of my life and trying to fit it?

If it were brought up in that context, maybe it would work, but to make it a primary characteristic of the hero is a gimmick and a degrading one at that. It does little to further the acceptance of homosexuals as just another person. It turns them into another character trait or even a flaw as it's already being interpeted as.

A difficulty fitting into society is not a flaw, especially when that difficulty comes from societal norms forcing a person to the outside. X-Men is explicity about this and often explores whether having the X-factor makes one inferior, superior or simply normal with a difference. Sexuality could easily be handled the same way.

 

[Hicks]

"I'm going to slap you SUPER hard for that one!" [/SouthPark]

 

[Hyperspace05]

It's been done.

Gotta love the Ambigously Gay Duo!

 

[Kira's Mom]

It's been done.

I don't see a problem with a superhero casually mentioning a gay relationship. It's fine if it's just one facet of his character.

 

[Christopher]

Mmm, actually this sounds pretty dumb. I mean who cares if the guy is gay. Anybody heard of that book? Is there anything to this?

I have to agree. Who cares the superhero is gay? Making him gay serves no real purpose. It doesn't contribute to why he's a hero, it doesn't affect being a superhero (as opposed to say an alcoholic, gambler or someone with anger and control issues).

I suspect you're looking at it the wrong way around. It sounds to me like the character's double life as a superhero is being used as an allegory/parallel for the identity issues faced by many gay people in our society. There's certainly plenty of precedent for using superhero stories as allegories for gay themes -- see the X-Men, particularly the movies, for a prime example.

 

[stj]

Obviously some people care a great deal if the superhero is gay.

 

[TheMasterOfOrion]

DC comics beat him to the punch

 

[Kryton]

Wertham was right about them 50+ years ago!

 

[firehawk12]

I think the point is that it's drawing an explicit link between the allegorical closet and the "real" closet that gay men find themselves in. The character has two secret identities.

Heroes was supposed to skirt the idea with Claire's gay friend who turned straight because the actor's agent doesn't want the actor to be typecast as gay.

I'm not sure if that idea is sustainable as a complete series though...

 

[Maurice]

I think the point is that it's drawing an explicit link between the allegorical closet and the "real" closet that gay men find themselves in. The character has two secret identities.

Already been done, in a short film I wrote last year for the 48 Hour Film Project. You can find it on 48.tv if you search for "Secret Identity Crisis".

 

[3D Master]

Unfortunately it will almost certainly only reinforce stereotypes or do a poor job of exploring the difficulties of his non-superhero persona. I see it like this; do we have any superheroes who are heterosexual and are constantly given screen time regarding being heterosexual?

Superman's love for Lois Lane has been a major character point in every version of the character from Action Comics #1 to whatever issue was released this month. Superman was the first and definitive superhero, so to say a superheroes heterosexuality is not an issue is a tad ridiculous.

Scott Summers and Jean Grey's romance has been a major element in X-Men.

Peter Parker's love for Gwen Stacey and his relationship with MJ have been major elements in Spider-Man.

Daredevil and Elektra. Rogue and Gambit. Bruce Banner and Betty Ross. Selina Kyle and Slam Bradley. Tony Stark is a raging hetero lothario.

These are just off the top of my head.

But that's not "being given screen time regarding their heterosexuality". They just have relationships, and since they're heterosexual it's from the opposite sex.