The conservative pearl clutching over “why does sexuality have to be part of the story now” is so outrageously disingenuous:
articularly:: for this franchise that I can’t even stand it.
For as “wholesome” as Superman supposedly is, his relationship with Lois has been extremely sexually charged for literally decades. The interview scene from Superman: The Movie was a literal oral sex innuendo for 10 minutes straight. No, kids didn’t understand it but it’s extremely clear for adults that that scene is FILTHY. There was a love scene in Superman 2. In like 1980!
Lois and Clark? The show Dean Cain I guess thinks was so devoid of this stuff was, again, loaded with sex in the 4th season.
In fact, I actually don’t think there has been a Superman media property in the last 40 years without a love scene between the two. And not like an ::implied:: love scene—but like an actual sex scene. Smallville had them using the Kent farm porch swing as a sex swing and had extensive long “dream” sequences (that were actually Lois’s memories) in the 9th season of sex scenes that they literally used to promote the show at comic con that year.
And, yes, there has been some “think of the children” BS with Lois and Clark too. Mostly linked to misogyny or slut shaming of Lois or the implication that she’s too slutty for him etc etc barf. And it’s very much linked to that messed up mindset that teaches that only “bad boys” like and enjoy sex and so people can’t handle someone like Clark who is very much viewed as “pure” (whereas misogyny dictates that Lois is impure) engaging in sex. And so you get a lot of “oh is this appropriate for the kids” nonsense like after Batman v Superman came out etc where people are just so “concerned” for the kids seeing Superman have sex with someone he loves in a bathtub but the violence is fine for the kids! Because intimacy and love making will damage children but seeing Superman get his face kicked in is fine, I guess. Conservative logic!
But my point is….it’s just so completely disingenuous to get up on a soapbox and say that sexuality doesn’t have a place in this franchise as if the implication and explicit canon for decades hasn’t been repeatedly that Lois and Clark f*** each other’s brains out as a hobby. Like it’s not even debatable, that’s definitely the canon. So, now, to stand up there and act precious about Jon Kent engaging in literally JUST A KISS on a cover—when his parents have been shown doing only God knows what for the last 40 years—is just plain BS. It’s homophobic nonsense.