Could a Conservative Leaning CW Superhero Show Work?

[kidfresh512]

It seems like it would have to be a "period piece" show not based in modern conservative values. At this point in time modern conservatism is so far right wing it would be pretty niche in appeal.
If you went back in time to when LGBT was a hidden thing out of necessity, thus being able to skip gay characters. Back to when you wouldn't see many minorities on TV so you could skip minority characters. I guess you would have a starting place

[lowfyr]

It seems like it would have to be a "period piece" show not based in modern conservative values. At this point in time modern conservatism is so far right wing it would be pretty niche in appeal.
If you went back in time to when LGBT was a hidden thing out of necessity, thus being able to skip gay characters. Back to when you wouldn't see many minorities on TV so you could skip minority characters. I guess you would have a starting place

Again that is not conservative.

[ilovelocust]

A conservative hero has a villain like Joker from Joker. A liberal hero has a villain like Joker from Suicide Squad.


Edit: To add more, a conservative hero would fight against villains who wish to punish innocents for the sins of their fathers. They'd have allies who are Christian and live up to the ethos of helping those in need.

[kidfresh512]

Again that is not conservative.

Based on what the OP is looking for and what he wants to distinguish from the "current" CW shows it is.

Hes saying the moderns shows are too "in your face" with "liberal" views. So that would be a Lesbian Batwoman lead no? I am trying to get rid of what he sees as too liberal to get a picture of this show he would like.

[Baseman]

Based on what the OP is looking for and what he wants to distinguish from the "current" CW shows it is.

Hes saying the moderns shows are too "in your face" with "liberal" views. So that would be a Lesbian Batwoman lead no? I am trying to get rid of what he sees as too liberal to get a picture of this show he would like.

Not necessarily. There are LGBT folks who lean conservative. A conservative show wouldn't have these people out

[kidfresh512]

Not necessarily. There are LGBT folks who lean conservative. A conservative show wouldn't have these people out

You are ignoring what the OP is asking for though I am not. He specifically mentioned Batwoman promoting civil rights and equality. Are there log cabin republicans? Sure. But even they would want some equality. How would you portray a LGBT character in the world the OP is looking for that doesnt come off as wanting equality?

[Aahz]

If you went back in time to when LGBT was a hidden thing out of necessity, thus being able to skip gay characters.

Not really, there are still a lot of TV shows that don't have any LGBT characers in the main cast made today. And big Hollywood moves have rarely any.

[kidfresh512]

Not really, there are still a lot of TV shows that don't have any LGBT characers in the main cast made today. And big Hollywood moves have rarely any.

Agreed. So his conservative show would have no LGBT. And I guess no minorities so you can avoid any "liberal" civil rights stories.

[Killerbee911]

Granted, the CW skews towards a younger audience, but I feel like since Supergirl, their superhero shows have been becoming more and more liberal to appeal to fans on the left side of the political spectrum. Black Lightning and Batwoman continue to promote civil rights and equality, which are typically seen as liberal values.

If anything, the Flash is probably the most conservative superhero show simply because of the respect given to the police officers, but it still feels fairly liberal. What if the CW wanted to have a liberal show with the new Green Arrow series and air it back-to-back with a conservative one (say, starring Hawkman or something)?

How would that work? What conservative issues and values would it address? Could something like that still appeal to CW's demographic?

I don't even know how to approach this topic with being a little of bit of an a-hole so let me get it out of my system right now " civil rights and equality, which are typically seen as liberal values" and "Flash is probably the most conservative superhero show simply because of the respect given to the police officers"...Lolll. Okay now I am done.

Okay time to answer the question seriously a Superman show that focus on "old school values" and focus on making the world around him great again by fight corruption and crime I guess would fall into conservatism. Make Superman basically super patriotic and Clark Kent super Kansas farm boy oblivious to issues meaning that while he helps out he never leans to point of view to people he is saving and is almost always neutral in most things I guess you could do a successful show. Few characters can lean on Americana and traditional value and it seem genuine and is maybe the Superman is the one character that can pull it off.

Now there is no way in hell that happens Superman is immigration story and it is super hard as hell to write stories about dealing with bad things without the hero taking a side.It is not worth the effort not try to step toes or even the audience. So people are going to have to deal with "liberal things" in Superman story. When basic good person stuff like equality and civil rights is seen a "liberal values" I don't know how super heroes will avoid being liberal. Helping the little guy or the oppressed is the kinda their thing.

[Chris0013]

As we've recently seen, neither of these are conservative values right now.

Don't equate neo-cons and establishment Republicans with actual conservative/constitutionalist values.

Talking "Rule Of Law..." in shows where there are costumed crime people acting as vigilantes sort of pokes right in the eye of "Rule Of Law..."? Just like, the very premise of these show is giving it the raspberries?

I was speaking specifically about the storyline in Supergirl where the President Marsdin was revealed to be an alien and removed...and the story was swept under the rug. That storyline should have continued with a federal agent (possibly a super powered one) appointed by the AG conducting an investigation into how it all happened, did anyone else know (as said above there is a point in which Alex and others become accomplices to the crime), and what sort of punishments for anyone found to be a party to the crime. Maybe you can resolve this with Marsdin lying and taking the heat herself to cover for others. But after the agent is told it is over...he implies to Alex and others he knows there is more to it and will be keeping an eye on them.

As far as conservative representation...this agent could have been that. A constitutionalist who is not conducting a politically motivated witch hunt but trying to find the people responsible for the greatest political fraud ever perpetrated on the American people.

But what do we get for 'conservative representation'?? Agent Liberty and the racist along with the corrupt president in the pocket of Lex Luthor.

[ilovelocust]

Agreed. So his conservative show would have no LGBT. And I guess no minorities so you can avoid any "liberal" civil rights stories.

If you believe the only characteristic of a gay character can be "I'm gay", minorities may only have story lines related to their minority status, and women are only strong if they hate the opposite sex, then I could see how you'd come to that conclusion. If you believe a black man's story line can center around the struggle to do what's right vs keeping his family safe from criminal elements. A gay man's story being about revealing corruption at city hall, or a woman's story about stopping a meteor from crashing into the planet. It becomes surprisingly easy to have characters of all backgrounds as one shots or ongoing characters.

If you must wade into physical identity stories, a conservative story would start with monsters can't be identified by sex, race, or sexuality. Explore stories that rigid liberal story telling won't touch because the only acceptable unsympathetic villain is white, male, and straight. Write about a lesbian whose being abused by her girlfriend but has trouble accepting that because abuse is something only the straights do. Have a black man struggling through a false rape accusation where innocence doesn't fix the damage to his life. Equality, justice before revenge, save the innocents before you punish the guilty, these are conservative values that apply to anyone's story.

And now I need to stop slacking at work.

[thwhtGuardian]

If you believe the only characteristic of a gay character can be "I'm gay", minorities may only have story lines related to their minority status, and women are only strong if they hate the opposite sex, then I could see how you'd come to that conclusion. If you believe a black man's story line can center around the struggle to do what's right vs keeping his family safe from criminal elements. A gay man's story being about revealing corruption at city hall, or a woman's story about stopping a meteor from crashing into the planet. It becomes surprisingly easy to have characters of all backgrounds as one shots or ongoing characters.

If you must wade into physical identity stories, a conservative story would start with monsters can't be identified by sex, race, or sexuality. Explore stories that rigid liberal story telling won't touch because the only acceptable unsympathetic villain is white, male, and straight. Write about a lesbian whose being abused by her girlfriend but has trouble accepting that because abuse is something only the straights do. Have a black man struggling through a false rape accusation where innocence doesn't fix the damage to his life. Equality, justice before revenge, save the innocents before you punish the guilty, these are conservative values that apply to anyone's story.

And now I need to stop slacking at work.

None of your suggestions sound like stores that conservatives would empathize with though, and they don't sound like plots that liberals couldn't do either.

[Username taken]

If you believe the only characteristic of a gay character can be "I'm gay", minorities may only have story lines related to their minority status, and women are only strong if they hate the opposite sex, then I could see how you'd come to that conclusion. If you believe a black man's story line can center around the struggle to do what's right vs keeping his family safe from criminal elements. A gay man's story being about revealing corruption at city hall, or a woman's story about stopping a meteor from crashing into the planet. It becomes surprisingly easy to have characters of all backgrounds as one shots or ongoing characters.

If you must wade into physical identity stories, a conservative story would start with monsters can't be identified by sex, race, or sexuality. Explore stories that rigid liberal story telling won't touch because the only acceptable unsympathetic villain is white, male, and straight. Write about a lesbian whose being abused by her girlfriend but has trouble accepting that because abuse is something only the straights do. Have a black man struggling through a false rape accusation where innocence doesn't fix the damage to his life. Equality, justice before revenge, save the innocents before you punish the guilty, these are conservative values that apply to anyone's story.

And now I need to stop slacking at work.

If we're using the CW shows as a "liberal benchmark", then the bolded part isn't true at all.

It become more untrue when we expand it to TV as a whole.

[kidfresh512]

If you believe the only characteristic of a gay character can be "I'm gay", minorities may only have story lines related to their minority status, and women are only strong if they hate the opposite sex, then I could see how you'd come to that conclusion. If you believe a black man's story line can center around the struggle to do what's right vs keeping his family safe from criminal elements. A gay man's story being about revealing corruption at city hall, or a woman's story about stopping a meteor from crashing into the planet. It becomes surprisingly easy to have characters of all backgrounds as one shots or ongoing characters.

If you must wade into physical identity stories, a conservative story would start with monsters can't be identified by sex, race, or sexuality. Explore stories that rigid liberal story telling won't touch because the only acceptable unsympathetic villain is white, male, and straight. Write about a lesbian whose being abused by her girlfriend but has trouble accepting that because abuse is something only the straights do. Have a black man struggling through a false rape accusation where innocence doesn't fix the damage to his life. Equality, justice before revenge, save the innocents before you punish the guilty, these are conservative values that apply to anyone's story.

And now I need to stop slacking at work.

I didn't make the Original post. I agree with you that minorities and LGBT are far more complex and nuanced and have just as much depth in storytelling as anyone else. But, the OP specifically thinks that the current crop of shows are too liberal in storytelling.

I would disagree right, I think Black Lightning is about a man and his family wanting to protect their city and fight for his family. I don't think that's in your face liberal. I would think that's something anyone should be able to relate too. But, that's me.

Batwoman I mean yes she was discriminated against by the police when they found out she was a lesbian and they didn't want to call her with the Batsignal anymore until the public protested and showed they were behind her. So yes that was clearly a civil rights, equality type story the OP thinks is too liberal. I mean how do you avoid that type of story in Gotham though? Is Gotham city so evolved people wouldn't have those reactions? Again me personally I don't think that's entirely a "liberal" story. The people protesting for her to be recognized and called for by the police again could have easily have been "conservatives too" right?

[David Walton]

I don't think the CW's Oliver Queen was ever a liberal icon. This actually seemed like a point of frustration for Amell, who, going by his comments, wanted to lean into that aspect of the character but was never given the chance.

In terms of his major character arc, he's arguably a conservative who softens a bit over time, going from lethal force to torture and maiming as tools in his war on crime.

I can't recall him ever pushing for criminal justice system reform or workers' rights, but maybe I missed it?