The importance of Clark Kent
mypajama.com is all about storytelling. Stories and essays are published at an alarmingly infrequent rate. Subscribe with RSS or via email.
I wouldn’t say kids actually aspire to ‘be’ them. There are no kids as stupid as that. At five, one may be taken by the muscles and the gadgets and the colours that define superheroism, but man is born sane and faith in the super only comes after the ‘real world’ beats you to squishy pulp.
There is something in a super that kids really appreciate. I think I speak for all kids when I say that Superman wouldn’t be half as super if there was no Clark Kent. Superman is a lot of things (truth, justice, freedom, blah blah blah…) but what is Clark Kent? Just a clever disguise?
We don’t think so. Clark stands for the more accessible virtues. While Superman does things, Clark is important for not doing things (not those things anyway). He is like you and I. He walks (doesn’t fly), bumps into people (apologises every time), and doesn’t get into fights (keeps his specs on).
Superman’s being more than human is a given (pay attention to the name). But Clark’s being human is so much more awe inspiring. The keyword here is restraint. What makes big blue a truly (probably the most) inspiring character to have appeared in any age is the startling… almost superhuman levels of responsibility he displays.
Enough banter. Superman Returns in June. I have a good feeling about this. Can hardly wait.
Posted on Wednesday, April 26th, 2006 at 4:14 am and filed under Myth, movies, comics, theory.
Do you believe in destiny? Click here to read a random post.
I publish new stories and essays with alarming infrequency. To stay updated, subscribe to the RSS feed or get email updates.
Visit me at my new blog: http://www.vmohanty.com
See the way I see it… Is that Superman is the real thing. Clark Kent is the alter ego. Spidey, Bat man, they all are the alter egos, the human is what they are. Superman is real. Clark Kent is the disguise. In a sense then, Clark Kent is a commentary on humanity. Clark Kent is how Superman sees us…
Well, ok, that’s stolen from Kill Bill 2. So?
Lie low Plagiarist. Until the recent hubbub passes at least.
Hehe yeah… Then again, it might be my only shot at getting onto the front page somewhere… I’d originally planned to get there with a byline, but what the hell…
Hey, meant to say last time… the new look is brilliant!
Watched Supereturns the first week it released in India. Loved it. After that, went and bought DVDs to watch ALL the 4 other Superman films that were made.
The only other “series” that beats Superman for me is ROCKY. Rocky 1 thru 4 are AMAZING. I only watched half of part-5 and part-6 hasn’t released yet though I had read that it was to release sometime this year.
-PeAcE
–WiTh
—GuNs