I've noticed a lot of discussion lately regarding superheroes and secret keeping as a result of both Arrow and The Flash using it to fuel story lines. Most of the discussion focuses on how frustrating it can be to watch and how damaging it can be to viewers' and readers' perceptions of the characters being kept in the dark. The problem intensifies the more others are let in on the secret, leaving the other individual as the odd one out. Numerous articles have sprung up like this one from The Atlantic which actually labels it the "Lois Lane Problem." More recently, GeekMom posted its thoughts on the matter. Among their points is this one:
The hero pushes people away because, well, he’s too different. And sad. And lonely.
When DC comics rebooted a few years ago, we ended up with angsty, lonely Superman, who was also featured on the big screen in Man of Steel. Superman’s alien nature pushed him away from humanity, made him sad, isolated, and lonely. In other words, he became Peter Parker, whose personal life sucks on a regular basis.
Except Clark Kent isn’t Peter Parker. Clark Kent has a good job he loves, work friends, and friends from Smallville. Clark Kent likes people. He’s a well-adjusted guy. At heart, he’s a small town farmboy made good. Having the most powerful person on the planet mope around doesn’t work. And having the most powerful person on the planet mope around because he won’t tell Lois how he feels is ridiculous. At least Man of Steel avoided that last one. Not so the current comics.
My primary question, after weighing these new opinions with my own, is whether or not others agree that Lois Lane should learn Clark's secret in the comics sooner rather than later? If you do not, why not? If one wants her to know it, how would you like her to learn it? What do you think the effects would be?
I'm also curious, though to a lesser extent, whether others agree that Lois Lane is an apt comparison to these other characters? Is there something unique about the way the secret operates in the Superman mythos that protects Lois from suffering too much from her lack of knowledge? Is there a threshold where the secret is no longer tolerable, such as when Lois and Clark are close friends or dating?
I'd love to know everyone's thoughts.