After being exposed for lies & misinformation, Andrew Breitbart & his crew are now going after Captain America. And I wish I was joking, but I'm not kidding.
Created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby in 1941 for Timely Comics, Steve Rogers/Captain America was a patriotic superhero created during World War II to bolster morale. The character has been a staple within Marvel Comics for the past half-century. As part of Marvel Studios' plan to link their characters (Iron Man, Thor, Cap, Hulk, etc.) for an 'Avengers' film (to be directed by Joss Whedon), next year will see the release of 'Captain America: The First Avenger' & 'Thor' movies.
However, it seems Conservatives are upset over a comment made by 'Cap' director Joe Johnston in today's Los Angeles Times, in which he said the movie version of Steve Rogers will not be a "jingoistic flag waver". In a previous diary, I mentioned how some Conservatives are like Fanboys who love their "precious" the way a five-year-old loves their Mommy ("Mommy can never do anything wrong, because she's Mommy.") This seems to be the story that proves it.
Except, if these Cons were comic-book Fanboys, they would know that Johnson's description of the film version is in keeping with the comic-book representation of Steve Rogers/Captain America that has existed since at least 1964 (The Avengers #4, March 1964). For those who might be unfamiliar with the character, Steve Rogers was a sickly & frail young man who would be changed by World War II-era bioengineering. After being rejected as unsuitable for enlistment in the Army, Rogers is given the chance to be a test subject of a Super-Soldier Serum that gives him peak human abilities. Armed with a virtually indestructible shield, Rogers becomes the United States' best & last line of defense, and goes on to fight Nazis, Aliens, Gods, and almost every other supervillain in creation.
From the Los Angeles Times:
|
Captain America, with his name and history, is a sensitive case. A red-white-and-blue character that dates back to the Franklin Roosevelt era stirs up plenty of civic emotion -- just take a look at the dust-up over the recent change to Wonder Woman's costume. "Wonder Woman" comics are hardly a publishing-world sensation these days but still, for a day or two, the whole world seemed to notice that she put on some pants... Johnston answered that in his film -- which is set in World War II -- the character will fight the enemies of America but he won't be a stiff, slogan-spouting guy.
"He wants to serve his country, but he's not this sort of jingoistic American flag-waver," Johnston said. "He's just a good person. We make a point of that in the script: Don't change who you are once you go from Steve Rogers to this super-soldier; you have to stay who you are inside, that's really what's important more than your strength and everything. It'll be interesting and fun to put a different spin on the character and one that the fans are really going to appreciate."
Some pundits will pounce on all of this as another desecration of an American touchstone, but how many of them have ever read the books? For Johnston, the imperative is artistic one, not a commercial one. He wants a character that’s more complicated than a flag and a movie that entertains without borders. "Yeah and it’s also the idea that this is not about America so much as it is about the spirit of doing the right thing," the director said. "It’s an international cast and an international story. It’s about what makes America great and what make the rest of the world great too."
John Nolte over at Andrew Breitbart's Big Hollywood blog doesn't seem to have read the books. He takes Johnston's comment & turns it into a column in which he basically argues the filmmakers are ashamed of creating a "pro-American" film or character.
America’s great ... the world’s great ... and therefore there’s no American exceptionalism. See how they do that? But why not remain true to this morally illiterate vision and rename Captain America something like Captain Earth? After all, why would someone who sees nothing special about America name himself Captain America and wrap himself in the red, white and blue?
Johnston can spout all the talking points off he wants about artistic imperatives, but from an artistically imperative point of view the main motivation of his protagonist now make absolutely no sense.
We should also give Johnston credit for not attempting to spin this decision into the Big Lie Hollywoodists spread in order to hide their own loathing at the very thought of portraying their own country in a positive way.
The problem with Nolte's position is that it's ignorant of what the character is & isn't. Steve Rogers doesn't need to wave a flag. He IS the flag. In fact, he's much more than a flag. In Marvel 616 Canon, Rogers is the defender of America & its people, but he's also the embodiment & protector of the "American Dream". On multiple occasions Rogers has taken stands when he thought the government was acting in conflict with those values.
From Amazing Spider-Man #537:
From Captain America, Vol. 4, #7:
"Captain America is not here to lead the country. I'm here to serve it. If I'm a captain, then I'm a soldier. Not of any military branch, but of the American people. Years ago, in simpler times, this suit and this shield were created as a symbol to help make America the land it's supposed to be... to help it realize its destiny. Ricocheting from super-villain duel to super-villain duel doesn't always serve that purpose. There's a difference between fighting against evil and fighting for the common good. I'm not always able to choose my battles... but effective immediately, I'm going to make an effort to choose the battles that matter. Battles against injustice, against cynicism, against intolerance. I will still serve with the Avengers. I will continue to defend this nation from any and all threats it may face. But as of today, I am not a "super hero." Now and forevermore, I am a man of the people.
Together, you and I will identify and confront America's problems. Together, we will figure out what we are and what we can be. Together, we will define the American Dream and make it an American reality."
From What If #44:
For the non comic readers out there, this is the real Captain America (Steve Rogers) giving the speech. The guy on the ground is the 1950's Captain America, who was a jingoistic, flag-waving, commie-bashing asshole... And Steve Rogers has had to kick his ass a few times.
Even the current Captain America (the former Bucky) faced the guy, and ended up having to kill him to save innocent lives.
1950's Cap was the guy the TEA Partiers want to see in the movie, and it's pretty much established for decades now that 1950's Cap was a total dick.