Captain America Takes on the "Tea Party"

[Greg Cox]

Can democrats not wear/love The Flag?

Of course they can, but I'm not sure some people (and the media) realize that!

What's embarrassing is that Marvel is apologizing for this. If the writer (or artist) wants to get political, more power to them. Who says comics can't be controversial?

 

[Dusty Ayres]

Great, Disney has just claimed it's first victory....

This has to be a result of Disney's oncoming buyout, and of the fallout over that asshole Mike Medved's screed about Marvel being not rightwing enough-I know fucking well now that this result is. Just great.

 

[Bad Bishop]

Congratulations, Marvel, for not knowing what will actually be printed on every page before issues leave the press. Way to go!

I would like to add that I never cared for the Falcon. He sounds like Al Sharpton with lame superpowers. He only got into the Avengers because of Henry Gyrich's affirmative action program.

*psst* Gyrich and the Falcon aren't real. It was probably the writer (Jim Shooter?) who added him.

Nice cop-out. If you're going to do that, then why discuss fictional characters anywhere at all?

 

[Mistral]

Can democrats not wear/love The Flag?

Of course they can, but I'm not sure some people (and the media) realize that!

What's embarrassing is that Marvel is apologizing for this. If the writer (or artist) wants to get political, more power to them. Who says comics can't be controversial?

Actually, Marvel never apologized for mocking the tea bag slogans-they apologized for not vetting their book properly. A slight but significant difference. As for Dems and the Flag of These United States-too often the Right-wing Republicans paint Dems(or actually, "liberals" -they aren't all Democrats) as anti-Flag, anti-US, anti-freedom, etc. Anyone can tear down, it takes an effort to build up. They have tried to foster a persona of Dems as flag-burners, lacking respect for our Hallowed institutions. Sadly enough, many people buy into this. Strange, as the Dems seem to be fighting for their vision of America as passionately as the Right-wingers are.

Greg-in my collection are a series of Captain Americas from the 50s where he spends his time smashing "Communist spy rings" and busting "pinkos" while spouting dialogue that reads like Tailgunner Joe wrote it himself. He hasn't always been FDR/JFK liberal. FYI.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Congratulations, Marvel, for not knowing what will actually be printed on every page before issues leave the press. Way to go!

I would like to add that I never cared for the Falcon. He sounds like Al Sharpton with lame superpowers. He only got into the Avengers because of Henry Gyrich's affirmative action program.

*psst* Gyrich and the Falcon aren't real. It was probably the writer (Jim Shooter?) who added him.

Nice cop-out. If you're going to do that, then why discuss fictional characters anywhere at all?

Not a cop out at all. The Falcon's addition to the Avengers was made so the writer could make a comment about affirmative action. It was an actual plot point in the storyline. Creator intent and motivation is a very valid point of discussion. IIRC The Falcon turned down Gyrich at first because he didn't want to join in that way, but Cap talked him into it.

 

[Greg Cox]

Greg-in my collection are a series of Captain Americas from the 50s where he spends his time smashing "Communist spy rings" and busting "pinkos" while spouting dialogue that reads like Tailgunner Joe wrote it himself. He hasn't always been FDR/JFK liberal. FYI.

True, which is why I qualified my remarks by stating that he's been portrayed as a liberal since his revival in the 1960's. Indeed, Marvel even went so far as to retroactively establish that the Red-baiting Cap of the 50's wasn't the real Captain America, but a temporary replacement--who later went insane and turned into a villain!

Back when I was teenager, Marvel writers routinely wore their (mostly liberal) politics on their sleeves. The Black Panther and the Fantastic Four fought apartheid, Man-Thing set close-minded book burners on fire, the X-Men were all-purpose metaphors for every kind of discrimination and prejudice, etc.

Which is why it kind of baffles me that they would apologize for it now?

 

[Nerys Myk]

Greg-in my collection are a series of Captain Americas from the 50s where he spends his time smashing "Communist spy rings" and busting "pinkos" while spouting dialogue that reads like Tailgunner Joe wrote it himself. He hasn't always been FDR/JFK liberal. FYI.

True, which is why I qualified my remarks by stating that he's been portrayed as a liberal since his revival in the 1960's. Indeed, Marvel even went so far as to retroactively establish that the Red-baiting Cap of the 50's wasn't the real Captain America, but a temporary replacement--who later went insane and turned into a villain!

Back when I was teenager, Marvel writers routinely wore their (mostly liberal) politics on their sleeves. The Black Panther and the Fantastic Four fought apartheid, Man-Thing set close-minded book burners on fire, the X-Men were all-purpose metaphors for every kind of discrimination and prejudice, etc.

Which is why it kind of baffles me that they would apologize for it now?

And 50s Cap is the villain in the current storyline.

 

[Bad Bishop]

Greg-in my collection are a series of Captain Americas from the 50s where he spends his time smashing "Communist spy rings" and busting "pinkos" while spouting dialogue that reads like Tailgunner Joe wrote it himself. He hasn't always been FDR/JFK liberal. FYI.

True, which is why I qualified my remarks by stating that he's been portrayed as a liberal since his revival in the 1960's. Indeed, Marvel even went so far as to retroactively establish that the Red-baiting Cap of the 50's wasn't the real Captain America, but a temporary replacement--who later went insane and turned into a villain!

Back when I was teenager, Marvel writers routinely wore their (mostly liberal) politics on their sleeves. The Black Panther and the Fantastic Four fought apartheid, Man-Thing set close-minded book burners on fire, the X-Men were all-purpose metaphors for every kind of discrimination and prejudice, etc.

Which is why it kind of baffles me that they would apologize for it now?

Maybe they're apologizing because they know it's wrong to slander Tea Party folk as racist hoodlums. Maybe Joe Q. also feels like he's being watched by Disney.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Can one be slandered in fiction?

 

[Greg Cox]

Maybe they're apologizing because they know it's wrong to slander Tea Party folk as racist hoodlums. Maybe Joe Q. also feels like he's being watched by Disney.

I haven't actually read the issue in question. I just find it interesting that people expect Captain America to be a Republican, despite the last forty years of comics! And that anyone would be surprised or offended that comic book creators might have strong political opinions.

 

[Bad Bishop]

Can one be slandered in fiction?

Sure, if situations in fiction bear a startling and intentional resemblance to persons, places or events in the real world. If you don't think Tea Party folk can be slandered in a Captain America story, then you just don't understand the controversy the same way Marvel does.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Can one be slandered in fiction?

Sure, if situations in fiction bear a startling and intentional resemblance to persons, places or events in the real world. If you don't think Tea Party folk can be slandered in a Captain America story, then you just don't understand the controversy the same way Marvel does.

Just curious as to the laws involved. My thought was that Marvel was more concerned on the PR front than the legal front.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Looking into it more deeply, I see that the actual charge would be Libel, since it is in printed not written form. Though since the Tea Party isn't actually named, just alluded too (the protesters are anti tax and one sign mentions a teabag) I'm not sure there would be an actual case. But I'm no lawyer.

 

[Bad Bishop]

No one really thinks that this incident will result in legal action, so why bring it up?

 

[Nerys Myk]

You mentioned slander, so the door was opened.

 

[Bad Bishop]

You mentioned slander, so the door was opened.

You've already said that you aren't a lawyer. Yet you insist on interpreting the word "slander" as a legal term only. Do you see a problem here or not?

 

[Nerys Myk]

You mentioned slander, so the door was opened.

You've already said that you aren't a lawyer. Yet you insist on interpreting the word "slander" as a legal term only. Do you see a problem here or not?

A problem with...?

 

[Davros]

Greg-in my collection are a series of Captain Americas from the 50s where he spends his time smashing "Communist spy rings" and busting "pinkos" while spouting dialogue that reads like Tailgunner Joe wrote it himself. He hasn't always been FDR/JFK liberal. FYI.

True, which is why I qualified my remarks by stating that he's been portrayed as a liberal since his revival in the 1960's. Indeed, Marvel even went so far as to retroactively establish that the Red-baiting Cap of the 50's wasn't the real Captain America, but a temporary replacement--who later went insane and turned into a villain!

Back when I was teenager, Marvel writers routinely wore their (mostly liberal) politics on their sleeves. The Black Panther and the Fantastic Four fought apartheid, Man-Thing set close-minded book burners on fire, the X-Men were all-purpose metaphors for every kind of discrimination and prejudice, etc.

Which is why it kind of baffles me that they would apologize for it now?

Maybe they're apologizing because they know it's wrong to slander Tea Party folk as racist hoodlums. Maybe Joe Q. also feels like he's being watched by Disney.

But they didn't slander the tea party at all.

 

[Nerys Myk]

True, which is why I qualified my remarks by stating that he's been portrayed as a liberal since his revival in the 1960's. Indeed, Marvel even went so far as to retroactively establish that the Red-baiting Cap of the 50's wasn't the real Captain America, but a temporary replacement--who later went insane and turned into a villain!

Back when I was teenager, Marvel writers routinely wore their (mostly liberal) politics on their sleeves. The Black Panther and the Fantastic Four fought apartheid, Man-Thing set close-minded book burners on fire, the X-Men were all-purpose metaphors for every kind of discrimination and prejudice, etc.

Which is why it kind of baffles me that they would apologize for it now?

Maybe they're apologizing because they know it's wrong to slander Tea Party folk as racist hoodlums. Maybe Joe Q. also feels like he's being watched by Disney.

But they didn't slander the tea party at all.

Thats part of my probmen with this tempest in a teapot (if I may be so bold). Nowhere was the Tea Party mentioned. We saw Cap and Falc discussing their plans to infiltrate the Watchdogs, while observing an anti-taxation rally. Falc mention that the Watchdogs aren't the only antigovenment group out there, Cap chides him for being so "East Coast" and Falc isn't sure the Watchdogs (aka angry white folk) would take kindly to a black G-man knocking on their door. Did Brubaker intend to lump the the ant-tax protester in with the "angry white"? Dunno, it can be interpreted that way. or was it the juxtaposition of the caption/dialog and the picture.

 

[Sci]

Greg-in my collection are a series of Captain Americas from the 50s where he spends his time smashing "Communist spy rings" and busting "pinkos" while spouting dialogue that reads like Tailgunner Joe wrote it himself. He hasn't always been FDR/JFK liberal. FYI.

True, which is why I qualified my remarks by stating that he's been portrayed as a liberal since his revival in the 1960's. Indeed, Marvel even went so far as to retroactively establish that the Red-baiting Cap of the 50's wasn't the real Captain America, but a temporary replacement--who later went insane and turned into a villain!

Back when I was teenager, Marvel writers routinely wore their (mostly liberal) politics on their sleeves. The Black Panther and the Fantastic Four fought apartheid, Man-Thing set close-minded book burners on fire, the X-Men were all-purpose metaphors for every kind of discrimination and prejudice, etc.

Which is why it kind of baffles me that they would apologize for it now?

Maybe they're apologizing because they know it's wrong to slander Tea Party folk as racist hoodlums.

But they are racist hoodlums!