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Thread: Lois Lane #1

  1. #76
    Extraordinary Member kjn's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tzigone View Post
    And I do think it's at the expense of the character's expertise, though not to a huge degree. Being a bad speller doesn't make one a bad reporter, but you can't really say equally-good-at-prose-and-investigating, but one version can spell and one version cannot are the same professional quality. One is, at least, marginally better.
    Being able to spell correctly is really just a small piece of being a good writer or prosaist, perhaps even the smallest, at least insofar as that it's relatively easy and straightforward to fix. Likewise, the best speller in the world might be totally unable to string the words together into an interesting or even coherent whole. There is at least one Hugo-winning author that I know of who is dyslexic, and depends on first hunting the red squiggles in the word processor, and then sending of their texts to an editor for proofreading.
    «Speaking generally, it is because of the desire of the tragic poets for the marvellous that so varied and inconsistent an account of Medea has been given out» (Diodorus Siculus, The Library of History [4.56.1])

  2. #77
    Astonishing Member JackDaw's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by kjn View Post
    Being able to spell correctly is really just a small piece of being a good writer or prosaist, perhaps even the smallest, at least insofar as that it's relatively easy and straightforward to fix. Likewise, the best speller in the world might be totally unable to string the words together into an interesting or even coherent whole. There is at least one Hugo-winning author that I know of who is dyslexic, and depends on first hunting the red squiggles in the word processor, and then sending of their texts to an editor for proofreading.
    Yes, but, of course, you’d expect a successful writer who finds spelling difficult to have enough nous to make sure published text was spelt correctly. (The one you quote is an example of that..the person concerned checked initially via word processor and then arranged further proof reading.)

    I think we can all accept a star reporter finding spelling difficult...but would be surprised if person didn’t see this as important and took extra care in making sure final text was perfect. (Not least because wrong spelling can sometimes radically change meaning.)

  3. #78
    Extraordinary Member kjn's Avatar
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    And she has an editor: Perry White.

    Now, what I think happens here is that comics doesn't carry tone well. They're old friends who have known each other for a long time, and I think what we see is banter and light loving teasing, rather than complaints. Note also how Perry White is ready to bat 100% for Lois, by offering to run it under what is practically his own byline.
    «Speaking generally, it is because of the desire of the tragic poets for the marvellous that so varied and inconsistent an account of Medea has been given out» (Diodorus Siculus, The Library of History [4.56.1])

  4. #79
    Astonishing Member Yoda's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by kjn View Post
    And she has an editor: Perry White.

    Now, what I think happens here is that comics doesn't carry tone well. They're old friends who have known each other for a long time, and I think what we see is banter and light loving teasing, rather than complaints. Note also how Perry White is ready to bat 100% for Lois, by offering to run it under what is practically his own byline.
    Exactly. It was a joke between friends. She doesn't actually have the power to overpower spell check. Neither she nor Perry would allow articles with misspelled words or without an editor pass. It's a running joke and personality quirk. If she didn't have that people would complain that she was "too perfect" and unrealistic.

  5. #80
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    Quote Originally Posted by Yoda View Post
    Exactly. It was a joke between friends. She doesn't actually have the power to overpower spell check. Neither she nor Perry would allow articles with misspelled words or without an editor pass. It's a running joke and personality quirk. If she didn't have that people would complain that she was "too perfect" and unrealistic.
    Pretty much this.

  6. #81
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    Quote Originally Posted by daBronzeBomma View Post
    In real life? Of course not. In comics? Yeah, kinda.

    Lois is a much better journalist and reporter than Clark, who never misspells or has typos.

    My point is we have enough personal flaws/ quirks with Lois that she doesn't need professional ones to make her seem more relatable.

    Lois already has relatability in spades without the typos. They add nothing, IMO.
    How exactly is Lois a much better reporter and journalist than Clark? I'm sure if he put his mind to it he could exceed any journalist in the world, including Lois. With him being Superman and all. But fortunately that's not his mindset.

  7. #82
    Ultimate Member Sacred Knight's Avatar
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    Its a suspension of disbelief thing. If you think about it yeah, he should and could be pretty much better at everything than anyone if you bring the super-intelligence thing into the picture, which comes and goes. But that doesn't always account for making the most fleshed out, intriguing world. Common knowledge usually dictates that Lois is the superior reporter.
    Last edited by Sacred Knight; 07-16-2019 at 11:46 AM.
    "They can be a great people Kal-El, they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all, their capacity for good, I have sent them you. My only son." - Jor-El

  8. #83
    Astonishing Member Yoda's Avatar
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    Nothing in his powerset dicates he'd be a superior reporter. Investigation and writing are two areas where his powers aren't necessarily that large of an advantage. Yes he can hear and see more than an normal person, but you still have to be able to make the connections, work the angles, develop sources, follow leads, etc. On top of that you have to be able to write the story in a compelling way. Plus, he still has to be able to develop sources and uncover the clues in ways that don't compromise his identity which further levels the playing field. It's one of the reasons having him be a reporter remains a good day job. He is on much more level playing field with everyone else. Lois, or any other reporter really, can scoop him.

  9. #84
    Astonishing Member JackDaw's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Yoda View Post
    Nothing in his powerset dicates he'd be a superior reporter. Investigation and writing are two areas where his powers aren't necessarily that large of an advantage. Yes he can hear and see more than an normal person, but you still have to be able to make the connections, work the angles, develop sources, follow leads, etc. On top of that you have to be able to write the story in a compelling way. Plus, he still has to be able to develop sources and uncover the clues in ways that don't compromise his identity which further levels the playing field. It's one of the reasons having him be a reporter remains a good day job. He is on much more level playing field with everyone else. Lois, or any other reporter really, can scoop him.
    I find that an extra-ordinary stretch.

    He can’t hear and see a bit more than a normal human...he can see and hear gazillions times more. Plus super speed, perfect memory. Plus the little matter..in some incarnations of super intelligence.

    If his power set is taken seriously...he should be a better reporter.

    But most super hero comics really aren’t remotely consistent. They start with the premise that some heroes have colossal powers...show those powers as operating sometimes, sometimes not.

  10. #85
    Legendary Member daBronzeBomma's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by The tall man View Post
    How exactly is Lois a much better reporter and journalist than Clark? I'm sure if he put his mind to it he could exceed any journalist in the world, including Lois. With him being Superman and all. But fortunately that's not his mindset.

    That's just it: take away his powers, and Lois mollywops Clark in the journalism department.

    Clark's never (or rarely) had to develop professional skills.

    Hell, keep his powers, and Clark's still usually not as good a writer as Lois.

    Also: Lois is willing to burn bridges in her pursuit of the truth, Clark much less so.

    Also: Clark typically first gets his job at the Daily Planet deceitfully writing about himself as Superman, and falsely painting a picture of his own journalistic integrity (he basically has none when writing about Superman).

    Lois is the more accomplished and respected journalist, and she doesn't have powers to fall back on.

    Clark Kent is the greatest hero Earth has ever seen.

    But the World's Greatest Journalist is Lois Lane.

  11. #86
    Astonishing Member JackDaw's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by daBronzeBomma View Post
    That's just it: take away his powers, and Lois mollywops Clark in the journalism department.

    Clark's never (or rarely) had to develop professional skills.

    Hell, keep his powers, and Clark's still usually not as good a writer as Lois.

    Also: Lois is willing to burn bridges in her pursuit of the truth, Clark much less so.

    Also: Clark typically first gets his job at the Daily Planet deceitfully writing about himself as Superman, and falsely painting a picture of his own journalistic integrity (he basically has none when writing about Superman).

    Lois is the more accomplished and respected journalist, and she doesn't have powers to fall back on.

    Clark Kent is the greatest hero Earth has ever seen.

    But the World's Greatest Journalist is Lois Lane.
    Clark has shown extreme resourcefulness any number of times..including periods when he lost powers or his powers were wonky.

    I guess it’s factual that DC decided sometime ago that he had to be less resourceful and less intelligent than Batman (on spurious argument that otherwise Batman looks bad).

    But if we’re seriously supposed to believe that he’s miles behind Lois (moreover never acquired professional skills!) in a job he’s been dedicated to since he left school...then he’s being written as an incompetent.

  12. #87
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    Quote Originally Posted by JackDaw View Post
    Clark has shown extreme resourcefulness any number of times..including periods when he lost powers or his powers were wonky.

    I guess it’s factual that DC decided sometime ago that he had to be less resourceful and less intelligent than Batman (on spurious argument that otherwise Batman looks bad).

    But if we’re seriously supposed to believe that he’s miles behind Lois (moreover never acquired professional skills!) in a job he’s been dedicated to since he left school...then he’s being written as an incompetent.
    No one has ever implied that he has no professional skills or that he’s incompetent. He’s clearly extremely intelligent and very skilled at his job.

    It just so happens that at this one thing —-a thing where superpowers are not really an advantage unless you CHEAT (and Clark Kent is not a cheater) there is a woman who is more skilled than him.

    Superman is literally the best at every single thing in the world. Put aside Batman for a second because that’s a different problem. Batman didn’t appear on LnC or Smallville etc. Writers within a shared universe making Superman lesser than Batman has nothing to do with Lois.

    Superman is the best at everything. There is one thing in the world where one woman is just a bit better than him. Why is she better? For a myriad of reasons. Some of those reasons are linked to the fact that as a woman and as someone without the same physical privileges that he has, she always had to work a bit harder.

    Clark Kent is an excellent reporter. She’s just slightly better. Clark Kent is not remotely threatened by this. It doesn’t keep him up at night. He admires and loves that she’s as good as she is. He is completely comfortable knowing that at the end of the day, she just is a bit better. It pushes him to work hard the way any normal person would.

    I truly don’t know why this is so threatening for people.
    Last edited by Nelliebly; 07-20-2019 at 04:30 AM.

  13. #88
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    Quote Originally Posted by JackDaw View Post
    I find that an extra-ordinary stretch.

    He can’t hear and see a bit more than a normal human...he can see and hear gazillions times more. Plus super speed, perfect memory. Plus the little matter..in some incarnations of super intelligence.

    If his power set is taken seriously...he should be a better reporter.

    But most super hero comics really aren’t remotely consistent. They start with the premise that some heroes have colossal powers...show those powers as operating sometimes, sometimes not.

    If he’s using his superpowers to cheat (which is what you are implying he should do) than it doesn’t make him a better reporter than Lois. It makes him a cheater.

    Lois is who she is distinctly because she doesn’t have that kind of privilege to fall back on. Her power is her drive and her power is the ability to push and go and pursue when other people might quit.

    There is literally one thing in the world where Superman has to settle for being second best. One thing. That’s it. It certainly doesn’t bother Clark that he’s second best to her. If anything, it turns him on. Why does it bother you so much? Why does he have to be #1 at every last thing?

  14. #89
    Astonishing Member JackDaw's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nelliebly View Post
    If he’s using his superpowers to cheat (which is what you are implying he should do) than it doesn’t make him a better reporter than Lois. It makes him a cheater.

    Lois is who she is distinctly because she doesn’t have that kind of privilege to fall back on. Her power is her drive and her power is the ability to push and go and pursue when other people might quit.

    There is literally one thing in the world where Superman has to settle for being second best. One thing. That’s it. It certainly doesn’t bother Clark that he’s second best to her. If anything, it turns him on. Why does it bother you so much? Why does he have to be #1 at every last thing?
    No, I wasn’t implying he should use his powers to “cheat”. (Though I find that a strange way to think about it, if he uses his powers to get info, then backs up that info via conventional means. That is no different to Lois getting a tip off from a paid informer.)

    I was suggesting that if a guy is resourceful enough to be “worlds greatest hero” loves a job enough to do it when he can do any job in the world...then if you write him consistently he should master the basic skills of the job and become really, really good at it.

    To write it any other way is to move away from writing as a superb all rounder..very intelligent as well as physically strong...to becoming solely reliant on his physical prowess.

    We are not quite at Hulk levels of “me strongest there am” yet, but give it time!

    But for several years now we have seen Batman as way more of intelligent, multi-skilled and resourceful than Superman.

    If Bruce has been a journalist since leaving school..everybody would expect him to be superb. I expect the same of Clark...including those periods where he has no powers.

    I don’t feel remotely “threatened” by Lois being a bit better journalist than Clarke. I was replying to daBronzeBomma’s notion that without powers Clark would be a far worse journalist than Lois. I think that sells Clark way short.
    Last edited by JackDaw; 07-20-2019 at 05:33 AM.

  15. #90
    Astonishing Member Yoda's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JackDaw View Post
    If Bruce has been a journalist since leaving school..everybody would expect him to be superb. I expect the same of Clark...including those periods where he has no powers.

    I don’t feel remotely “threatened” by Lois being a bit better journalist than Clarke. I was replying to daBronzeBomma’s notion that without powers Clark would be a far worse journalist than Lois. I think that sells Clark way short.
    He's been shown to actually become a better reporter during periods where he loses his powers (excluding that God awful JLA Elseworld where he becomes some drunk depressive) Up, Up, and Away comes to mind particularly, where he loses his powers and is shown to be both a more reliable reporter and better for it. Perry in particular takes notice. So I don't think without his powers he's a bad reporter, he'd be better I think, it's just that Lois edges him out for #1.

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