Originally Posted by
hellacre
Ah good to see you back Lady P!
I think Clark did not tell her she needs to stop being perfect. He said coming from a being who others perceive as perfect, her message could get lost or taken on negatively in some quarters. I see his pov and I think Diana took it on board. It is where the ID came in useful to blend in to connect to the ordinary man as just a woman. This is one use of the ID I am comfortable with it being used for a purpose. Not as DC tries to make it out Clark is better or more grounded than her for it. Fact I'd argue he isn't all that grounded if he denied the other part of himself because you have to embrace all that you are to be an actualized person. But for a while an ID can give you a different perspective and see the world in a wider lens. Not as a Princess. Not as a hero. Not as a celebrity. Not as a diplomat. Not as a spy. Not as a wealthy Amazon living in penthouses dealing with Gods as her job. She can get in and among normal people...situations where people will not be in awe, stand on ceremony with her, fawn or feel intimidated by her, give her privilege ( be it limos, hotels, tv spots , magazine interviews etc all the trappings that went with the Ambassador) to be followed by Paps to report her every step, to have people hassling her for selfies etc etc.
It is important to do a job without all that sometimes if you want to understand different worlds and cultures and peoples. A regular woman struggling with a band of children , a single mom, a factory worker, a shop keeper, a farmer, a teacher, a refugee around the world etc. They are not going to feel someone of wealth and privilege can walk in their shoes and feel their pains. Yes, a rich person can feel compassion and dedicate money and time to charity etc. I know she had some stuff she did as an Ambassador and that was great but...it is not the same as living among them. In my humble opinion Diana needs some time to go incognito to truly get it. Even if it is a year out of her long life to understand. In Spirit of Truth she did. She did for herself. She worked as a volunteer, trying to remove landmines, I saw her looking as if she was was helping the sick...all as Diana Prince. Just so she can do what we all do. I think coming out of a Paradise and just saying you love everyone without even knowing who everyone is for me needs addressing. I like the ID for that. I don't think she needs the ID to define her or needs to keep it forever. When she is ready she can leave it or go to it. It's not done to lecture anyone or preach at anyone but just to understand better.
I expect the same of Clark too. His world needs expanding. He talks a lot about everyman pov but he needs the global lens too and Peace of Earth does show that in a very . Too much stuck in one city that really does not need him that much imo as a reporter. He should be writing from other parts of the world and country. Parts of the world and US that the media often forgets after a big story breaks, like life after that hurricane, earthquake, during drought, etc. It's not glamorous or sensational I guess. Have you seen some of those food vloggers on youtube? They not only eat but see a country and open up the culture for the world that sometimes the media created a negative impression because they ( media) might report one pressing thing about a place and not the many other wonderful things? Clark can take any subject and do this and he can inform and educate people that there is more to unite us than divide us. As Superman he does the bigger things, risking his life and fighting the big fights but as Clark he can be a voice for our conscience by just showing, not judging or lecturing at people but allowing his readers to absorb and open their eyes too. Instead he's doing investigative journalism which frankly puts his own ethics at question and his intellect. But again old troupes. Notice too in Spirit of Truth Diana does this journey importantly on her own. He is not lecturing her or guiding her. Clark is used as her sounding board and ear because he is the best one to understanding her battle. He isn't telling her what to feel or what to do on that journey. She is allowed to find it out on her own. It's like after a long hard day's work we call our bestie and say...What a day I had...and like a good friend...they say...Tell me about it.
If they did Clark this way, it would be inevitable he would cross paths with Diana. Whether she was an Ambassador or used the ID. They have the same interests in terms of effecting social change. But some writers seem to ignore this. Esp Superman writers and of course try to dump on Diana as if her pov is somehow not relevant. I also think when SM and WW challenge each other it is about reciprocation. It can't only be a one way street. So while he might be more an expert at the world, he lives in it longer than she has, she can offer that innocence and freshness and amazon passion that even one as himself ( an idealist) can connect with. It's hard to find a lesson for Superman and Wonder Woman if you write them as icons and can make them less interesting. They should be allowed to have a learning curve. No one is perfect . No one. Even the kindest person can feel heartbreak or feel disappointed in the world. The world is also a dark place. It's always been. It's not picnics and road trips. To assume it is means living in a bubble. This is where characters like Clark and Diana get to shine. They stay the optimistic beings they are yet you see the emotions they go through and growth by trying to deal with the world or universe as the case might be. Clark and Diana can be so compelling as people, as interesting as Batman. You have to leave some of those old troupes behind though to do it.
In the DCEU Diana is an antique dealer supposedly . Fine. I am assuming she could not have been one all those decades. She did others things. I have no idea what Patty will have her do in 1984. But this idea of Diana being part of the world , what did she do all those years, why did she hide etc and only came out for a photo of a dead man and did nothing when an alien invasion came etc...all certainly needs addressing. If Wonder Woman is to be about love, it shouldn't be around one person. Similarly if Clark is to be about hope and protecting the world, it should not be about one person. These concepts of love and hope are unconditional and wider if you are supposed to be flying the banner for them.
So the Clark Kent convo with Diana Prince is one that would writes itself IF they cared an iota for the source material.