Doctor Strange: "You are the right person to replace Logan."
X-23: "I know there are people who disapprove... Guys on the Internet mainly."
(All-New Wolverine #4)
Genosha, Utopia, third time’s the charm right? And hey this one’s underwater, what could go wrong!
I brought this up in another thread but this is a better place for it. I love Red and I think it is the best written X-men team book right now and has the most interesting things to say.
I think the sentintes are a good metaphor for the real-world complex of misinformation, online bots, and right-wing media that feeds into hate. The "hate machine" in Red are little robots implanted in brains that send mental suggestions that have overtime contributed to anti-mutant sentiments, much like how mobile devices, the internet, and social media have planted mistrust that turns into bigotry. But in Red, the bigots have no agency in their bigotry and are treated as victims as well. Is this a slippery slope or just an example of when real-world parallels don't match up 1:1?
Last edited by Strong Girl Daken; 06-07-2018 at 10:41 AM.
I think it's just not matching 1:1. It seems the 'bigots' are bigots but aren't trying to kill people without the machines. There's likely a whole mess of people who have some prejudiced thoughts about a variety of things, but aren't trying to shot people or beat anyone beat up.
Because the tiki torches and the news rhetoric lined up exactly. If Taylor went there, why wouldn't we expect a real-world commentary.
And if that guy in the hospital was a bigot, but the only reason he shot someone was because of the sentinites, does he still deserve compassion? Or was the entirety of the bigotry mind control?
I don't think that that argument, "they can't help themselves", was made to fit into the social metaphors on purpose. It seem it was put in there in order to fit into the classic superhero story mold: having a clear villain to beat. It's a case of the expectations of the medium limiting the writing, and ultimately, this might just prevent it from becoming a classic run.
Having said that, the endpoint of the story had a pretty sweet and classic x-men message: at the end of the day, after all is said and done, the ideal priority is simply nurturing empathy. Of course, this comic jumps ahead square into that by telepathic science-fictiony means, and although it's an understandable choice, it's also a lost opportunity.
But in this case, the mutant population already live oppressed by their nations. This would be a case of people seeking Independence from that. And even in the fully globalized world, that search for independence can unravel the other ways underlying realities of animosity, hate and violence (like what happened in Spain).Originally Posted by yogaflame
Last edited by Robohut; 06-07-2018 at 12:41 PM.