Could a Conservative Leaning CW Superhero Show Work?

[numberthirty]

Out in the actual world...

There are folks who come form all sorts of different personal backgrounds. The idea that just choosing to tell those stories is someone even "Inclusive..."(which, let's face it, is laughable that someone is even saying is "Liberal")? Never mind anything more progressive than that?

It's just hard for me to see anyone getting a bee in their bonnet over it. It's the actual world you are living in. These people are a part of it the same as you are.

[Powerboy]

Describe a modern conservative hero. How would he be different than a liberal. Oppose Gay Marriage? Try to stop families at the border? Help only Christians? Be in thrall to corporations? Help polluters? Please explain how this conservatism would manifest.

Thank you. That was going to be pretty much my reply. Oh, I know conservatives don't see themselves that way. Gay marriage is wrong because everyone must adhere to my religious beliefs or dislikes? Separating families because of some crisis that's not a crisis at all? Only Christians should be able to force their religion into schools while all other religions have to obey the rules? Pollution is good because short-term profit and scientific ignorance are virtues? Women have no rights to abortion because protoplasm is a baby?

I mean, the conservative version of the Crisis on Infinite Earths would be that other earths exist and some of them come here and claim the earths are more than 6000 years old and weren't created by a tribal god on one of the earths and that climate change and evolution are real.

[Powerboy]

So...a conservative hero would be against those things?

In his own mind, no. But I think the world has moved too fast for conservatives. Too them, something like gay rights isn't civil rights or equality. I think the average conservative shakes his head and thinks that wrong has become right and right has become wrong. I honestly think liberals change within a generation while conservatives change from one generation to the next. Or it may be that liberals are just a generation ahead.

It's generally not that conservatives are racists or sexists but that they are operating on a definition of what racism or sexism or religious intolerance are that, to a liberal, seems to be the stock view of decades ago.

[Powerboy]

I know a guy who dislikes the CW shows because they are normalizing gay relationships which he clearly implies are immoral although he doesn't really have religious beliefs. I suppose you could do a character like that but he better start changing by the end of the first episode. Either that or just evade all social issues and focus only on stopping crimes so that he's only conservative by default because there's nothing either way about what he thinks about such issues. Or make him a Captain America. His views are decades out of date and show that he's a good guy but cannot completely adapt to such drastic changes (although Cap in the movies clearly did).

[Jon Clark]

I think this thread pretty much shows why a conservative hero would never fly on the CW. No one knows what a conservative is and any attempt at a definition is either a bunch of strawman arguments or synonymous with a blind supporter of Trump. I doubt there is a writer at the CW that can write someone not holding liberal values who is still sympathetic. And to be honest I can't picture many conservative commentators that could write a superhero strip that had a superhero who held left-wing values.

[Username taken]

In his own mind, no. But I think the world has moved too fast for conservatives. Too them, something like gay rights isn't civil rights or equality. I think the average conservative shakes his head and thinks that wrong has become right and right has become wrong. I honestly think liberals change within a generation while conservatives change from one generation to the next. Or it may be that liberals are just a generation ahead.

It's generally not that conservatives are racists or sexists but that they are operating on a definition of what racism or sexism or religious intolerance are that, to a liberal, seems to be the stock view of decades ago.

Agreed 100%

[KNIGHT OF THE LAKE]

Describe a modern conservative hero. How would he be different than a liberal. Oppose Gay Marriage? Try to stop families at the border? Help only Christians? Be in thrall to corporations? Help polluters? Please explain how this conservatism would manifest.

This is pretty much it. Too many problematic issues are tenents of conservativism today. I guess you could have like a hero who gives lip service to fiscal responsibility and states rights, economic deruglation, etc. But that seems kind of unneccessary.

[Agent Z]

People might take issue with this...but Luke Cage was a pretty conservative character. Former military and cop, personal responsibility, etc...

Actually a lot of people have pointed that out.

Second...

The "Stargirl" show that's coming up. Wouldn't that likely be what some of you are talking about?

How would it be conservative?

[Aahz]

Describe a modern conservative hero. How would he be different than a liberal. Oppose Gay Marriage? Try to stop families at the border? Help only Christians? Be in thrall to corporations? Help polluters? Please explain how this conservatism would manifest.

Easiest was to do that would be to just leave all the contemporary political stuff out, not push to hard for diversity and representation (and probably not have any LGBT-characters in the main cast), and just concentrate on the crime fighting aspect and keep it accurate to the (classic) comics.

That would not be super conservative, but probably conservative enough for conservative viewers and not directly piss off the liberal viewers.

[lowfyr]

Black Lightning and Batwoman continue to promote civil rights and equality, which are typically seen as liberal values.

Shouldn't that be conservative values, too?

[chamber-music]

The heroes in some of these shows are Women, African American, LGBTQ, ect so it would be pretty difficult to make them and not address issues like equality or civil rights.

Jefferson Pierce aka Black Lightning actually seems more conservative leaning to me in the tv show. There are Conservatives that have LGBT kids that and are accepting. Jefferson's non-conservative issue seems to be his civil liberties/equality views.

I think a center right conservative Superhero could work. The conservatism in America is broadly more right wing currently at the national level. Centrist views aren't in vogue. Green Lantern's Hal Jordan/Guy Gardner/John Stewart could all probably work as center right leaning heroes.

Equality or civil rights shouldn't be a left or right issue, these things should be a human issue. People may have different ideas on how to implement equality or protect civil rights but being outright against these things is generally the domain of fascists, bigots and authoritarians. Supervillains are the ones usually against equality or civil liberties.

[lowfyr]

I think this thread pretty much shows why a conservative hero would never fly on the CW. No one knows what a conservative is and any attempt at a definition is either a bunch of strawman arguments or synonymous with a blind supporter of Trump. I doubt there is a writer at the CW that can write someone not holding liberal values who is still sympathetic. And to be honest I can't picture many conservative commentators that could write a superhero strip that had a superhero who held left-wing values.

Problem is that even a conservative writer would have Problems writing a character with the values mentioned as conservative or not liberal and still make him or her a positive one.

Being conservative does not mean being against civil Rights or gay marriage.

If someone stays away from the usual cliche it could work.

[Vakanai]

but being outright against these things is generally the domain of fascists, bigots and authoritarians.

Which is the problem - that is conservatism in America today.

[Midvillian1322]

I see your point but at the same time I also see 90'sCartoonMan's as well

With Politics today, its extreme left vs extreme right. This is also reflected with movies and shows today too.

In the past, anybody could enjoy a show because it focused more on telling a story which might leaned towards a message.

Today, I feel like I watch too many movies/show where it tries to force a message where it easily results in sacrificing a good performance/story

Supergirl is the only superhero movie or show I've seen that throws politics in your face. As other said Arrow even had a gun control episode and presented both sides of the argument fairly.

But yea outside of The Question I dont see any other superheroes working as being seen as truly conservative by today standards. Star girl could be highly patriotic if they wanted but she isnt gonna oppose Gay Marriage, minority rights, green initiatives, helping refugees and whatever else the talking points are today. As someone whos very liberal I find myself getting pushed more and more towards the middle the older I get on certain issues. Anyway this doesnt apply to the CW but Punisher and DD could hit certain talking points but would be left on others. Though with Frank you could have him just not care about issues he would differ from the Rights stances.

The real problem is the removal of nuance from any political discussion. Let's the vocal minorities on the fringes hijack the conversation. But yea to be honest it's rare to have any right leaning anything outside of Fox news in today's age. I mean Last Man standing while lasting a good while got alot of crap. And that show had Allen saying Conservative ideas and basicaly being mocked by his wife, Kids, nd Black neighbors for it. So the shows wasnt the right leaning when you look at the whole picture. Might have changed the last few season, I didnt watch after it switched networks.

[Steel Inquisitor]

Out in the actual world...

There are folks who come form all sorts of different personal backgrounds. The idea that just choosing to tell those stories is someone even "Inclusive..."(which, let's face it, is laughable that someone is even saying is "Liberal")? Never mind anything more progressive than that?

It's just hard for me to see anyone getting a bee in their bonnet over it. It's the actual world you are living in. These people are a part of it the same as you are.

The real world has shown there's plenty of cultural, and financial, currency in railing against liberalism in media. This has occurred in video games, tv shows and movies the last few years. Gamergate, Star Wars, Star Trek, Supergirl, Black Panther, Ms. Marvel, Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel, Flash. All have had massive campaigns made against them from conservatives that "want politics out of [blank]" whether it be LGBT, women and non-whites getting proper representation. It's baffling that you're ignoring all this, CBR itself rebooted its forums from scratch due to backlash over one of their columnists wanting more representation in comics.