How Will a Gay Icon Fly at the Box Office? Superman appeals to gays.

LA Slimes ^ | June 2, 2006 | John Horn

[bpjam]

STUDIOS love magazine stories that breathlessly hype their summer popcorn movies, so you would think that Warner Bros. might have been happy with Alonso Duralde's cover story about "Superman Returns," which gushed, "Superheroes — let's face it — are totally hot."

There was a twist: Duralde's "Superman Returns" story was not in Entertainment Weekly or Newsweek or Premiere. It ran in the May 23 issue of the Advocate, the prominent national gay magazine, next to the headline: "How Gay Is Superman?"

Man of Steel has been missing from the movies for 19 years, and now that he's scheduled to fly into the multiplex on June 28, his worries may not be limited to Lex Luthor and kryptonite. Even at a time when moviegoers and awards organizations embraced the overtly gay love story "Brokeback Mountain," there may be a different challenge for a mainstream action movie that happens to be attracting a gay following.

[1rudeboy]

I had three successive girfriends whose first names all rhymed. I was one slip-of-the-tongue away from certain death at all times.

[HitmanLV]

Does Lois Lane know about Lana Lang and Lori Lemaris?

There have been so many 'resets' in comic book continuity that I gave up entirely on new comics and now just reread silver & bronze age comics in my collection, or reprints. To answer the question, based on continuity still valid through the 1970s and into the 1980s, Lois is aware of Lana and Lori.

Strange how those "Double L's" keep popping up in Superman's life. Hmmm, and all that recent talk about the new Batwoman being a "Lipstick Lesbian." :-)

[Jameison]

"Any male with an exemplary physique is an icon to that group"

No surprise a lot of conservatives (including me) think being "gay" is a perversion.

Just seeing 2 men kiss makes me physically ill..and unfortunately this is something that the rabid gay people in New York keep forcing on the public .

[HitmanLV]

I tell you, I think the 'gay-ification' of the Superman legend has its most recent roots in that 'Smallville' tv series. I have several friends and family who watch it, and the few episodes I saw had too many pouty young guys taking off their shirts for my taste.

Maybe it's for the women in the audience, but still...

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

I was reading some comments on "Gomer Pyle, USMC" the other day on the Jump the Shark website, and one writer claimed that show was obviously full of homosexual references and appealed to mid-America's secret fascination with homosexuality.

I know Jim Nabors has been rumored to by gay, but c'mon -- "Gomer Pyle" a gay show?

[A CA Guy]

Gays are an abomination IMO, not Superman.

[martin_fierro]

[HitmanLV]

By the way, X-Men's Colossus is now gay?

[Malsua]

So instead of Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex(funny read by the way) we get "Man of Steel, Colon of titanium"?.

[steve-b]

From the Jabootu snark review of Superman IV:

At this point I was still waiting for the "It was all a dream!" thing. I finally realized it wasn't coming when Supes leaned in to deliver unto Lois another of his patented Amnesia Kisses. As with the second film, this amazing smooch somehow causes Lois to lose only those exact memories that Superman wishes. Hmm. I know Superman's not gay, but why doesn't he take one for the team and kiss Lex Luthor? Perhaps he could make him forget how to be Evil, or at least how to construct all his various superweapons. Hell, it could take Luthor years to relearn all the physics and stuff behind them. Then Superman could just kiss him again. After all, we now know it's safe to use the Kiss on someone more than once.

[Ptaz]

Me too. Hopefully Lois Lane doesn't find out. She has the hots for Superman.

[MrCruncher]

That is very dangerous.

[Milhous]

1934: Siegel & Shuster's original vision of Superman.	1978: Superman movie pays homage to S & S vision.
2001: Smallville television series "triumphantly rethinks an American classic" by keeping S & S colors while dropping tights, cape, and chest insignia.	2006: Superman movie noirishly retrogrades to tights, cape, and chest insignia only to end up looking old school IMHO.

[Sonny M]

Unforunately, the Studio is marketing the film to gays and making as many 'ambiguous' comments and edits as possible. They actually WANT this to be seen as a queer film in the queer community without blatantly pissing off the rest of us. But they don't get it both ways, either its Brokeback or its not.

The studio should fire the idiot who is running it then, he is obviously an incompetant.

Based on the trailers, its clear that Louis Lane and Superman have the same thing going....and for the first time I have seen, superman even shows hints of jealousy regarding louis lane.

The trailers, coming attractions, and teasers, are all straight as an arrow. If this is how the studio is going to market it to gays, I would love to see how they would market brokeback mountain to straight folks.

[Mr. Blonde]

Am I the only one who thinks we will find out that Lois Lane's kid in the movie is also Superman's? Superman has been away for about 5 years the kid is about 5 years old. Or was that just Superman trying to fight his true nature?

I guess that puts to rest the argument Brodie and T.S. had in Mallrats

Brodie: It's impossible, Lois could never have Superman's baby. Do you think her fallopian tubes could handle the sperm? I guarantee you he blows a load like a shotgun right through her back. What about her womb? Do you think it's strong enough to carry her child?

T.S. Quint: Sure, why not?

Brodie: He's an alien, for Christ sake. His Kyrptonian biological makeup is enhanced by earth's yellow sun. If Lois gets a tan the kid could kick right through her stomach. Only someone like Wonder Woman has a strong enough uterus to carry his kid. The only way he could bang regular chicks is with a kryptonite condom. That would kill him.

[theFIRMbss]

>Nah. Superman has had many love interests in the comics

[GSWarrior]

Who cares?

[theFIRMbss]

Bathhouse image worries Cleveland gay leadership

[Starter]

I know you're mostly ignoring modern continuity, but Superman & Lois have been married for about a decade now.And pretty much the entire basis of the "Lois & Clark" TV show was that the pair was hot for each other. This isn't ignorance, this is just people flat out ignoring reality.

(Well, as real as a show about a human-ish alien who flies can shoots heat beams from his eyes can be.)

[StuLongIsland]

It is enough they messed up Mob Movies, as the Sopranos, now Superman? Geez they ruined my image of Truth Justice and the American Way.

They trying to brain wash our kids to thinking it is cool Chris Reeves was cool as Superman, we all knew he has a wife and kids, especially since his tragic accident.

What red blooded American male is now going to want to walk into their local movie theater and see this now? Hey they can be what ever they want up in Manhattan or San Francisco, and I have no problem with it, but pleasssssssssse in public don't pervert my movies and tv.