Is Superman too gay for EA?
by Ken Weeks 
{ Jun 3rd 2006 at 1:30PM }
The LA Times wonders if the supposed gay undertones in Bryan Singer's Superman Returns will affect its appeal to the famously hetero-centric action film crowd. Of course, if the film turns out to be a little too swishy for macho 8th-graders, it might also affect sales of Superman Returns: The Video Game due June 26 from EA. I played the demo at E3 and didn't detect a "bold queer spirit," although one could argue that flying around in tight red briefs and a cape is inherently gay. Singer successfully worked a "tolerance" theme into his two X-men movies without turning them into box-office Kryptonite, so I don't think a few lingering shots of Brandon Routh's super-package are going to scare away phobic fans, especially if the movie -- and more importantly, the game -- are any good. My first impression: The sense of scale endowed by the corporate bondage queens at EA was cool, but the jaggy graphics were sadly limp for a next-gen title (no pun intended).
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
C. Grant @ Jun 3rd 2006 3:17PM
Agreed re: the game. That's probably why they pushed it back a little bit (fall now I believe).
EvoG @ Jun 3rd 2006 4:55PM
Having read a bit of the article, it wasn't implying Supes was gay, but rather would he APPEAL to a gay audience, who (as per the article) can relate to a character who must live with dual identities, and is usually looked against for his differences.
It goes on to say that superhero movies tend to have that appeal to gay audiences, and simply asks, will Superman do as well.
I dont see how this is going to affect the game one way or the other.
EvoG @ Jun 3rd 2006 5:02PM
Here's a snippet:
"No one suggests that Superman in "Superman Returns" is, in fact, gay. But, as several entertainment and cultural writers have noted, superheroes hold obvious — and growing — gay appeal. In addition to being strikingly good-looking, the characters often are portrayed as alienated outsiders, typically leading double lives. In the case of Superman, the beefcake character historically has struggled with romance, all the while running around in a skin-tight suit."
...and yea I reread how you wrote the posting Ken, so I'll rephrase my last post to state simply that I think most audiences will be oblivious to this fact (outside of media attention to it), and that gay audiences may simply relate better but not necessarily to any overtly gay content.
C. Grant @ Jun 4th 2006 9:10AM
EvoG:
This is exactly what he did successfully with X-Men. Universal themes that are as appealing to the gay community as they are to the human experience at large. The movie industry isn't unlike the video game industry in some respects. There are people that are paid to think about this stuff all day. Bryan Singer is gay, Brandon Routh is a beefcake ... OMG WHAT HAVE WE DONE? Hopefully just made a cool movie. Don't mess it up Singer, you were on a roll!
Dick Herts @ Jun 4th 2006 11:14PM
I think that its fine to put gay crap in movies its good for the gays, and us real humans don't really mind it at all has long as they don't gay up a good movie too much
Justin McElroy @ Jun 5th 2006 8:56AM
Dick, I think I speak for the whole group when I say your tolerance, nay, acceptance is an inspiration to us all.
hyped1 @ Jun 5th 2006 3:05PM
What the hell is wronh with gay characters being gay and straight characters being straight!?! I mean as Stan Lee said about Spiderman, and I am paraphrasing, Spiderman underneath the mask can be any color, race, or creed the audience can porject on him. In other words people will project their own take on the characters, that doesn't mean that was the characters original concept or intention!
JuliusMarx @ Jun 6th 2006 12:44PM
I played the game at E3 too and thought it was pretty cool. I think the "jaggy graphics" can be atttributed to the fact that the game is NOT DONE. Every single screen had a little window that said "Work in Progress- 40% complete" I think by the time it hits (fall-ish) it will be really cool... and it's about time there was a really good Superman game. I've been waiting for one ever since the lame Intellivision version.
Jared @ Jun 7th 2006 1:32AM
to #5:
I'd watch what kind of words you use when posting on the internet. Referring to the gay population as "gays" (which is acceptable) and the straight population as "real humans" can be quite offensive and hurtful. Just watch how you word things. Unless of course you meant to say gays were subhuman, in which case you're ignorant.
In response to the article, I don't think it really matters if the movie has this "gay appeal." Honestly it can only help the industry by attracting more of an audience group. As for deterring the action movie buff crowd, not going to happen, I'll be there on opening day.
Out.
Rand @ Jun 14th 2006 6:17PM
"can be quite offensive and hurtful."
While I dont agree with Dick on his comments, your reply is a joke. We cant live our lives worrying about whether we hurt or offend someone.. because everything we do hurts and offends someone. Live your life for yourself, not for the press.