The X-men metaphor: is it changing?

[FIGHT]

Is that a direct quote? If that's the case it maybe goes someway toward explaining why I don't think either of them have been a very good fit for writing the x men

I was going off what Anduinel said in the first page. I know Remender said something similar and then Araon jumped in to make a comment on twitter or something. ( I don't rly follow this type of stuff).

[coveredinbees]

I thought Remender was approaching it from another angle, rather then ignoring it. He touched on it, regardless of how well he did, in Uncanny Avengers.

[Optic Rage!]

Is that a direct quote? If that's the case it maybe goes someway toward explaining why I don't think either of them have been a very good fit for writing the x men

Both have made in abundantly clear that they think the mutants as minority metaphor is a load of bullshit. Hence all fans of Aaron & Remender should be excommunicated from our community.

[Phoenix Egg]

I definitely remember Aaron saying something to that effect, but I was already generally disillusioned with our esteemed creatives at that point so it didn't really shock me.
Aaron's still better than some other stuff we've had.

[ZNOP]

I guess i'm curious as to what your intentions were when you posted that comment. Why bring that up?

Why? Because, I answered the OP... That's why!

I came across this article about X-men: First Class and it think it highlighted a lot of my thoughts about the topic of the mutant metaphor.

Do you guys think the metaphor is becoming less about race and civil rights movement and more about gay rights?

It's something that became more apparent to me during Fraction's run. The scene where Pixie and her friend get attacked when leaving a club is to me a big parallel to homophobic acts.

What do you guys think? Can anybody remember more recent connections?

[Optic Rage!]

Why? Because, I answered the OP... That's why!

How did you go from the OP highlighting the obvious analogy to gay bashing to pointing out black people not having their version of DODT in the American military(which doesn't exist anymore in case you are't aware) What's the connection there? How is that answering the OP's question?

[DDD]

Discrimination is discrimination. There are varying levels of it, but it's discrimination no matter which social group is being targeted. The X-Men are AGAINST discrimination.

[ZNOP]

How did you go from the OP highlighting the obvious analogy to gay bashing to pointing out black people not having their version of DODT in the American military(which doesn't exist anymore in case you are't aware) What's the connection there? How is that answering the OP's question?

It's apparent your trying to drag me into your psychosis. So, you'll excuse me if I no longer participate it this discussion.

[vitruvian]

Gay rights are civil rights. The X-Men cover all outsiders. It always had gay connections. Mutant powers manifest at puberty, for example.

For a more direct example try Generation Hope #9: It doesn't get better.

It has always been used as a metaphor for all forms of prejudice and the civil rights struggles of all kinds of oppressed groups, but isn't equally analogous to all, and it's certainly possible for those that are seen as most applicable to shift over time. In the context of the 60s, prior to Stonewall, it's doubtful that gay rights specifically were on Stan and Jack's minds in creating the X-Men, although generalized youthful Rebel Without A Cause rebellion may well have been... but even then, the fact that most mutants were born to 'normal' parents made it not that great as an analogy to prejudice against ethnic and racial majorities, which after all most folks are born into from, well, birth.

[Optic Rage!]

It's apparently trying to drag me into your psychosis. So, you'll excuse me if I no longer participate it this discussion.

lmao.

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww. Guess that will teach you.

[Grey]

It may be because I'm newer to comic books so I'm not desensitized yet, but in almost every xmen comic I read I feel some sort of personal validation as a minority myself.

I can see why others don't feel the same, I imagine it really involves so many subjective factors.

But for me, I still feel the mutant metaphor that I got when I used to watch the cartoons and movies as a younger person. So the mutant metaphor is still there for me, and perhaps evolving.

[vitruvian]

It was originally a metaphor about environmental rights. It was an outgrowth of all those old B monster movies about pollution and mutants.

So, Stan and Jack's X-Men were monster antagonists? Those issues don't read that way.

[vitruvian]

I guess i'm curious as to what your intentions were when you posted that comment. Why bring that up?

Apart from the bit where the quote ignores the very real phenomenon over the centuries of some people of African-American descent 'passing' as white folks, in the context of this discussion it only has one implication - another point in favor of anti-mutant prejudice being more analogous to homophobia than to racism. After all, the majority of Marvel mutants don't look funny and can always choose to 'pass' by not using their powers, with only a small number having visible or uncontrollable mutations. In that way, this fictional group's struggle is more analogous to that for gay rights than that against racism.

[xhx23x]

I think it largely depends on the times and what aspects of the civil rights movement is relevant when story arcs are being done. Not to mention the level of comfort each writer feels about tackling the mutant metaphor.

I think it's still inclusive to all minorities, but as many said some writers gloss over it now. Bendis and Remender are using it to a degree now, but neither is doing a very good job with it so far.

[DDD]

It has always been used as a metaphor for all forms of prejudice and the civil rights struggles of all kinds of oppressed groups, but isn't equally analogous to all, and it's certainly possible for those that are seen as most applicable to shift over time. In the context of the 60s, prior to Stonewall, it's doubtful that gay rights specifically were on Stan and Jack's minds in creating the X-Men, although generalized youthful Rebel Without A Cause rebellion may well have been... but even then, the fact that most mutants were born to 'normal' parents made it not that great as an analogy to prejudice against ethnic and racial majorities, which after all most folks are born into from, well, birth.

Their message was that other people are just like us. We're all Alexes.