Comments on: Unheroic Superheroes, Watch out for the Watchmen http://www.stoptheaclu.com/2009/02/18/unheroic-superheroes-watch-out-for-the-watchmen/ Beating Them With Their Own Sickle And Hammer Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:01:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Lawrence Allen http://www.stoptheaclu.com/2009/02/18/unheroic-superheroes-watch-out-for-the-watchmen/comment-page-1/#comment-113607 Lawrence Allen Wed, 18 Feb 2009 23:49:05 +0000 http://www.stoptheaclu.com/?p=20033#comment-113607 Stop dissing Rorschach. Not only is he a strict objectivist, which you conservatives ought to like, but he's also the most badass character in the history of literature. He's also the most just character in the comic, refusing to ever compromise his values and risking his life time and again to protect the innocent. Also, the Comedian never raped his side-kick. He tried to rape the Silk Specter, who was his teammate in the minute, but was stopped by Hooded Justice. Stop dissing Rorschach. Not only is he a strict objectivist, which you conservatives ought to like, but he’s also the most badass character in the history of literature. He’s also the most just character in the comic, refusing to ever compromise his values and risking his life time and again to protect the innocent.

Also, the Comedian never raped his side-kick. He tried to rape the Silk Specter, who was his teammate in the minute, but was stopped by Hooded Justice.

]]> By: Ben http://www.stoptheaclu.com/2009/02/18/unheroic-superheroes-watch-out-for-the-watchmen/comment-page-1/#comment-113602 Ben Wed, 18 Feb 2009 18:12:06 +0000 http://www.stoptheaclu.com/?p=20033#comment-113602 I agree that Hollywood these days is a bastion of left-wing zealotry. However, I'm also a comic fan, and Watchmen was an amazing work. This isn't a recent political play. This mini-series has been around for a long time, and studios have been trying to make a movie out of it for almost as long. I would never see a Michael Moore or Sean Penn movie, but I'll be lining up opening night to check out Watchmen. I agree that Hollywood these days is a bastion of left-wing zealotry. However, I’m also a comic fan, and Watchmen was an amazing work. This isn’t a recent political play. This mini-series has been around for a long time, and studios have been trying to make a movie out of it for almost as long. I would never see a Michael Moore or Sean Penn movie, but I’ll be lining up opening night to check out Watchmen.

]]> By: Brian http://www.stoptheaclu.com/2009/02/18/unheroic-superheroes-watch-out-for-the-watchmen/comment-page-1/#comment-113590 Brian Wed, 18 Feb 2009 13:26:19 +0000 http://www.stoptheaclu.com/?p=20033#comment-113590 Although Moore is a notorious anti-American, I am surprised at the outpouring of "conservative" hostility to <i>Watchmen</i>. The basic, underlying theme of the work, after all - much more basic to it than any superficial anti-Americanism - is simply the observation that if comic book characters actually existed, they would probably make things worse and not better. And this is ultimately easily reconcilable to "conservative" views. On days when right-wing commentators aren't lamenting the "nihilism" of the left, they tend to lament its "naive optimism". [There is a pretty obvious contradiction there which I will leave to you to work out.] The left, after all, believes that Man and society could be perfected, if leftist figures were simply given enough power. The right is supposed to understand that Man is ultimately not perfectable and that if individuals are provided with too much power they are likely to make things worse. In <i>Watchmen</i> Moore observed that the world of comic books is essentially an adolescent fantasy of power, and proceeded to try to imagine what the world would be like if that dream actually came true. My personal politics are far, far right - but of the libertarian variety. And I've never understood the fanatic attachment of my fellow right-wingers to American cultural icons that are ultimately completely compromised by Progressivism. The cloud of outrage [still small at this point, but there] over <i>Watchmen</i> and its deconstruction of comic books is one of those minor mysteries to me. Comic books contribute to the mythology of the left - that it's possible for self-appointed and unaccountable busybodies to improve everyone else's lives for them by the application of blunt force. And all the maudlin rhetoric in the world about heroism or beauty can't overcome that basic Leninism. Although Moore is a notorious anti-American, I am surprised at the outpouring of “conservative” hostility to Watchmen. The basic, underlying theme of the work, after all – much more basic to it than any superficial anti-Americanism – is simply the observation that if comic book characters actually existed, they would probably make things worse and not better. And this is ultimately easily reconcilable to “conservative” views.

On days when right-wing commentators aren’t lamenting the “nihilism” of the left, they tend to lament its “naive optimism”. [There is a pretty obvious contradiction there which I will leave to you to work out.] The left, after all, believes that Man and society could be perfected, if leftist figures were simply given enough power. The right is supposed to understand that Man is ultimately not perfectable and that if individuals are provided with too much power they are likely to make things worse. In Watchmen Moore observed that the world of comic books is essentially an adolescent fantasy of power, and proceeded to try to imagine what the world would be like if that dream actually came true.

My personal politics are far, far right – but of the libertarian variety. And I’ve never understood the fanatic attachment of my fellow right-wingers to American cultural icons that are ultimately completely compromised by Progressivism. The cloud of outrage [still small at this point, but there] over Watchmen and its deconstruction of comic books is one of those minor mysteries to me. Comic books contribute to the mythology of the left – that it’s possible for self-appointed and unaccountable busybodies to improve everyone else’s lives for them by the application of blunt force. And all the maudlin rhetoric in the world about heroism or beauty can’t overcome that basic Leninism.

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