Should they make Superman half Canadian?

[Jim Kelly]

Oh my, Canadians are exotic? I thought the whole point of the Canadian stereotype is that they aren't exotic. They are the most ordinary, bland people in the universe. This is a common trope on TV shows--if you want to signal that someone is mild-mannered and tolerant, you make that character a Canadian. That's why the idea of the Kents or even Clark Kent himself as Canadians appeals to me. It seems something that's baked into those characters. They act like Canadians would act. But I'd settle for Martha being Canadian--it fits another trope, that of the Canadian girlfriend.

I might get deeper into this at another time--because I've been thinking about these archetypes for some decades now. But just in the characters of Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel you have that Canadian-American dichotomy. Joe was the shy, retiring Canadian archetype and Jerry was the brash, forward American archetype. Joe was sweet on the girl that modelled for Lois Lane and Jerry stole that girl away from him and married her. Jerry was out in the world, glad-handing and fighting for his rights; Joe was put down and toiling in obscurity. The Superman and Clark Kent duality that they created was a reflection of their own personalities.

[DochaDocha]

The "exotic" comment was not about the Canadian aspect in general. My apologies. It's more @manwhohaseverything and his stance on supporting characters. If the Kents lived unremarkable lives that you wouldn't want to read a book about, it doesn't mean the Superman lore is being significantly hampered in any meaningful way.

[manwhohaseverything]

I'm not going to tell you what to like and what not to like, but in general, having supporting characters that don't have exotic tales to tell isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially if they're juxtaposed against other characters. If you want an interesting tale about the Kents' past, I understand, but I just don't find it all that necessary (perhaps part of the reason I prefer them deceased). And specific to this thread, making a point that one of them is Canadian just doesn't have any beneficial pay off for me.

Ok. But, then you need the contrast which in my opinion there isn't. Is there anyone in Smallville part of the world with exotic tales? Does clark have an uncle who does have those? No. He is stuck with boring parents.And their only job, wasting panel space on giving clark "lessons". If All, they are used for is fluff and moral guidance .Then i am inclined with @theworld that they serve no purpose and should be gotten rid of. Especially, now that clark is officially a father and lois is a mother. They can't even be called characters.Make room for actual characters.

In smallville tv, ma and pa were actually given arcs and struggles. It's very much appreciated that they did that. Jonathan had his anger issues. Martha hit a pause button on her life since clark. They didn't just preach morality. They were in the thick of things. Jonathan was willing to fight against the luthors for his community.

[DochaDocha]

Ok. But, then you need the contrast which in my opinion there isn't. Is there anyone in Smallville part of the world with exotic tales? Does clark have an uncle who does have those? No. He is stuck with boring parents.And their only job, wasting panel space on giving clark "lessons". If All, they are used for is fluff and moral guidance .Then i am inclined with @theworld that they serve no purpose and should be gotten rid of. Especially, now that clark is officially a father and lois is a mother. They can't even be called characters.Make room for actual characters.

In smallville tv, ma and pa were actually given arcs and struggles. It's very much appreciated that they did that. Jonathan had his anger issues. Martha hit a pause button on her life since clark. They didn't just preach morality. They were in the thick of things. Jonathan was willing to fight against the luthors for his community.

You should take my opinions with many grains of salt, since I generally prefer the Kents deceased. If I preferred to have them around, I'd probably see things more your way.

[Osiris-Rex]

I think Clark should be full blooded Kryptonian.

[manwhohaseverything]

I think Clark should be full blooded Kryptonian.

I think he should be half god and have four arms instead of two. /joke

Dude! Clark is fullblooded kryptonIan. We were talking about earth parents.

You should take my opinions with many grains of salt, since I generally prefer the Kents deceased. If I preferred to have them around, I'd probably see things more your way.

Dead or alive,farmer or no farmer. quality of the story is what matters.That's my point, i am not asking to make the forced cool dudes or anything. But, if people find a treatment cool, than that's welcome. Regardless, ma and pa needs to be treated like actual characters now that they are here.

[Jim Kelly]

As a kid, I loved the classic SUPERBOY comics and I loved Ma and Pa Kent. When I was about nine years old, we were asked to write where we saw ourselves in twenty years and present it at the front of the class. Since I thought that Jonathan Kent had the perfect life, running his general store in Smallville, I pictured myself having that life. I wrote how I had white hair and I had my own general store and when little kids came in the store I would let them have free candy. I just remember the stunned faces on my classmates after I had read out my assignment in front of the class. Only in hindsight have I realized that if I was twenty years older, I would have only been 29, so it's not likely I would have been an old man with white hair. But I still think that Jonathan Kent had the perfect life and I would have been proud to grow up to be like him.

[Menacer]

Ok. But, then you need the contrast which in my opinion there isn't. Is there anyone in Smallville part of the world with exotic tales? Does clark have an uncle who does have those? No. He is stuck with boring parents.And their only job, wasting panel space on giving clark "lessons". If All, they are used for is fluff and moral guidance .Then i am inclined with @theworld that they serve no purpose and should be gotten rid of. Especially, now that clark is officially a father and lois is a mother. They can't even be called characters.Make room for actual characters.

In smallville tv, ma and pa were actually given arcs and struggles. It's very much appreciated that they did that. Jonathan had his anger issues. Martha hit a pause button on her life since clark. They didn't just preach morality. They were in the thick of things. Jonathan was willing to fight against the luthors for his community.

Portraying Pa or Ma Kent as a bland, stereotypical "Canadian" is insulting...

Canadians may be polite and say sorry a lot, out of courtesy... but history has repeatedly shown Canadians as some of the deadliest and bravest warriors, diplomatically far more sophisticated then many many other nations and beloved by the world over as peace centric minded as well as economically sound nation who evades recessions, top 10 healthcare systems in the world, not only tolerant but truly accepting, forward thinking and ahead of the curve, socially conscious and attempting to leave no Canadian citizen behind...

If your gonna have Superman or his family take on Canadian heritage portray Canadians as they are, not a feable and insultng stereotype

[Alan2099]

I disagree, every character needs to be as exciting as they can be for superman's world to be exciting.

If everyone Superman knows lives a wild exciting life, then his life looks less exciting in particular.

if you have a scene where Clark flies down out of the sky and his dad is just quietly and diligently working on the farm, the contrast is what sells it. Superman looks even more Super and larger than life when laced next to ordinary everyday people.

[stargazer01]

What do you mean? In the comics and movies, etc? Nah, too late for that, the whole world already know he was raised in the heart of the US.

[Jim Kelly]

What do you mean? In the comics and movies, etc? Nah, too late for that, the whole world already know he was raised in the heart of the US.

I wonder how they will deal with this in the new Superman & Lois show. We know that in the comics, Metropolis is somewhere in the eastern U.S.A., but in the comics Smallville is now in Kansas (didn't used to be, used to be just outside Metropolis). On SMALLVILLE, for economy of plot, Metropolis had to be close to Smallville and thus was in Kansas, too. Which is just stupid! But on the new TV show, they will need to have the two relatively close together, so characters can move between locations quickly (this isn't needed for Superman who can fly and has super-speed). I'd rather that Smallville was moved, than Metropolis--but I have a hunch not.

[stargazer01]

I wonder how they will deal with this in the new Superman & Lois show. We know that in the comics, Metropolis is somewhere in the eastern U.S.A., but in the comics Smallville is now in Kansas (didn't used to be, used to be just outside Metropolis). On SMALLVILLE, for economy of plot, Metropolis had to be close to Smallville and thus was in Kansas, too. Which is just stupid! But on the new TV show, they will need to have the two relatively close together, so characters can move between locations quickly (this isn't needed for Superman who can fly and has super-speed). I'd rather that Smallville was moved, than Metropolis--but I have a hunch not.

I guess as long as they (normal humans) don't travel to Metropolis from Kansas too fast, or viceversa, it's not that important. It's not relevant enough and can be somewhat ignored.

[manwhohaseverything]

If everyone Superman knows lives a wild exciting life, then his life looks less exciting in particular.

if you have a scene where Clark flies down out of the sky and his dad is just quietly and diligently working on the farm, the contrast is what sells it. Superman looks even more Super and larger than life when laced next to ordinary everyday people.

Exciting to read,not exciting lifestyle. A well developed character can be of any background. The character is written well then he wil be exciting to reade. You misunderstood me.

Quietly, diligently working on the farm is great and all. But, then there should be a point to clark meeting his parents in story, otherwise you are basically wasting panels. Most characters need their own wall to climb over. Since, the ma and pa are support. That wall they climb over should ultimately connect back or tie back to superman someways directly or indirectly.

[The Overlord]

What is half Canadian? Like a Canadian motorist finds him and drops him off in Kansas? Or Martha hails from BC and brings him there for summers?

Brian Vaughan, a Cleveland native, did a funny bit on it in We Stand On Guard.

I was born in Canada, but my mother was born in the US, that would make me half Canadian and half American.

Anyway, Clark being Canadian is not necessary, but hey maybe he could visit some relatives in Canada and have a Canadian adventure, DC uses Canada way less than Marvel does or make an else world tale where Superman is a sterotypical Canadian, the Kent farm is in Mantoba and Clark becomes a Canadian Superman and play the whole thing for laughs.

[Gurz]

Yes and they should also make Jor-El bi sexual so we can have half bi Superman. :P