Man of Steel answers insight commentary episode 17 trucker tantrum action tribute welcome to Man of Steel answers insight commentary on your Man of Steel apologist Dr. awkward I cover a mosaic of topics for fans who love discussing the Man of Steel and the DC cinematic universe together will endeavor to answer the questions criticisms and controversies raised by Man of Steel and those eagerly anticipating the DCC you in this episode it's the Cassidy roadhouse and how this scene pays tribute to action comics number one will talk about the smashed truck smiles Clark's sex life and end this sumptuous smorgasbord with a side of mailbag this podcast dives deep into Man of Steel to answer the critics and the confused the show is not meant to convert anybody but celebrate a film that will lead us into the DC cinematic universe reasonable minds will differ but this is a show for fans who love Man of Steel and who love to chew their food health food hum so hungry well welcome back it's been a while since our last commentary episode so let's get right into it when we last left off we finished up the flashback were Jonathan reveals the ship to Clark affirms his son ship and asks him to hope and strive for a great future one with answers one with purpose and one where he can stand proud before the people over I just want to quickly revisit that to give credit to the 2010 Superman secret origin written by Geoff Johns I mentioned the cues from birth right and earth one but neglected to credit John's for inspiring the you are my son line secret origin takes many of its cues from the silver age in the 1978 film so it often tends to slip my mind in terms of analyzing modern takes on Superman nonetheless the inspiration for that line definitely deserves recognition so we know Jor-El has rested his hopes and his dreams unparallel we've seen that Clark is driven to rescue people despite the personal cost however we've also seen Clark's difficulties growing up at this point in the film we already know that Clark isn't living out the promise the Jor-El or Jonathan had hoped for Clark knows that he wasn't shot across the stars debate cages or bus tables but he doesn't know what he use why he's different or why he's here we've already seen that Clark saves men on the oil rig even after Jonathan's admonishments that he must maintain a secret so were left wondering what if anything changed between then and now were Clark is continuing to save people yet forced to walk away afterwards the flashback with Jonathan gives us context for why Clark is bussing tables at Cassidy's and not trying to collect his paycheck and belongings from the Debbie sue unless just quickly pause to point out that the movie novelization location is the bearcat bar near Yellowknife there are always going to be incongruities between the source material and adapted works a bit of that in mind before relying on such things as definitive proof rather than mere persuasion okay so in present day we see Ludlow's truck Polin the scene is just about two minutes something to play the audio and refresh your memory had is is is is is range on Ellesmere Circle is vital crazy right you movies with her to what they're calling it an anomalous object whatever as you aware of guy or good have to actually reduce the there is a we hear Allison Crowe's rendition of ring of fire popularized by Johnny Cash as far as I'm aware this is the only source music that is die genic music that the people within the film itself can hear as opposed to the score for the soundtrack that the audience hears in the film there may be good reason for that but will get to that later I did a little digging into ring of fire but I couldn't find any significance meaning or symbolism for its use here it may simply be a cool song of course let me know if you have any thoughts about why ring of fire was chosen that said let's listen to Zack Snyder and Allison Crowe's behind the scene thoughts about the scene again… A little bit about Allison Kral and be seen in the far as a service out the scene is this music is that Allison is performing and out of a giant fan can have a healthy growth and so the combination to me seem like an awesome opportunity if we can make it happen have been I talk about trying to some of the music and one of my movies ever we could and dialogue but are in the film then there's no way it will work so as we get out and I think and believe anything anything about four years ago the first and within the last and probably have there lacking in contrast so interesting and in singularity is to this scene where Henry any intrinsic face-off and Henry did a lot being beer for hundred and beer cans thrown at them all that stuff so you be Superman all the time but the character you know will get his comeuppance he Clark bussing tables and clearly he's not appear to Clark's not above working at an establishment that serves alcohol Clark gives the waitress Crissy a smile and she smiles back incidentally I didn't use this and other smiles in the film in the Man of Steel many myths episode mostly to match the timing of Lily Allen's chorus there are plenty of smiles joy and humor in Man of Steel but since the latter is subjective and often requires set up or explanation it isn't really easily communicated in my short video series but it might be the kind a topic that we cover in the future podcast will have more room for discussion anyways this little exchange in the later line have made some wonder whether the two are involved will discuss that later but incidentally only 20 seconds have passed in the film and flee of already talked this much this film is so tightly packed and that's why it's easy to miss the fact that the Canadian servicemen mention Ellesmere island and that's why Clark heads their next in an earlier draft of my notes I had a extensive segment on Canadian joint operations and US military involvement in scientific and archaeological endeavors but as I started yawning reading it I have mercifully decided to cut it may be will see the light of day is a blog post someday but for now the short version is that Man of Steel is on point in clearly had military consultants helping the film to be and feel authentic so even as the soldiers talk the conflict with the semi driver Ludlow is brewing but before we analyze the scene within the reality of the story let's take a step back to see it as the tribute that it is I'm a little surprised that I haven't seen anyone else make this connection so maybe it's only in my head but hear me out and you be the judge but to me the roadhouse scene is a clear all montage to action comics number one let's talk about the parallels if you've never read action comics number one you might be surprised to know that it's over 60 pages long but only 13 of them are dedicated to Superman and in fact each panel is numbered so we know the entire story is told in just under 100 panels if you want to read action comics number one for yourself CDC has published a high quality scan of their grade 9.0 copy which sold for over $3.2 million now long time Superman fans will be familiar with the cover where Superman smashes a green car in 1937 Chrysler DeSoto touring sedan to be exact which has been parodied remade referenced and paid a mosh to a countless number of times in Superman returns they put Superman into that pose hitting the reference squarely on the nose however Man of Steel was far more subtle in its approach first in terms of parallel promotion that smashed car being on the cover is our first impression of Superman from Man of Steel the smashed truck was one of the first looks into the film published on or about January 12, 2012 the cover references only one of four stories in Superman section starting with panel 46 where Clark makes eyes at Lois asks her out and she agrees on a whim this is perhaps like the exchange of smiles between Clark and Crissy so one panel 47 there at a roadhouse where there is music playing and the drinks are flowing in Man of Steel Cassidy's is a roadhouse where Allison Crowe is playing music and the patrons are well lubricated in panel 48 three tough guys sit at the table and only the bully is given a name bunch this is like Ludlow being the only named bully at a table of three in panel 50 but forcefully demands that Lois dance with him saying you'll dance with me and like it this is like Ludlow trying to force Crissy to sit down panel 51 Lois rebuffs much with a slap just like Crissy slaps away Ludlow's hand both Lois and Crissy say let me go panel 52 which tries to provoke Clark by insulting him telling him to fight and pushing Clark in the face Man of Steel mirrors this with love those insults and provocations like pushing him throwing beer in his face and hitting him with a beer can to the back in action the narration says reluctantly Kent adheres to his role of weak link in Man of Steel Clark also reluctantly has to swallow his pride after everyone has left the roadhouse in panel 66 Superman ensures that no one is in the green car and then of panel 67 Superman gets his revenge smashes Butch's car into the rock as we seen on the comics cover in panels 70 and 71 Superman hangs put up on the utility pole as a final punishment in the film Clark leaves the roadhouse and without hurting anyone smashes Ludlow's truck and leaves it propped up on lumber often used as you guessed it utility poles maybe it's all mere coincidence or I reaching but I think there are enough parallels to at least entertain the possibility if you believe it's a tribute you can cast aside any doubts about the layers of intentionality or sheer brilliance of this film we were given such a subversive yet faithful Oman built into the film that went right over everyone's head the oh mosh and returns is a nice an obvious nod but it tends to take you are the film by causing you to explicitly recall that covered action one is a real thing in the real world reminding you that what you're watching isn't real however Man of Steel take that same source material to use as inspiration for deftly crafting a scene so authentic that everyone is focused on the reality of the scene rather than the mosh or meta-commentary that it represents your never taken out of the film or the scene by that extra layer of meaning if there's any fault with the scene is that the all mosh is to subtle so when God it but let me know if you think this is more likely than not or if I've gone off the deep end a probably put together a video soon so that you can judge for yourself and let me know now if you do take it as a tribute than some of the structure of the events makes more sense in terms of challenging the reality of the situation Clark overhears Crissy fending off love those advances Ludlow growth set her which is enough to sustain a charge of sexual assault under the criminal code of Canada sections 265 and 271 grabbing her wrist could also sustain another charge but thankfully Clark steps in Crissy was unfortunately a victim of the bystander effect or bystander apathy which is a sociological phenomenon where bystanders fail to offer help to a victim when other people are present sadly the more people standing around the less likely the victim is to receive help because of the diffusion of responsibility obviously I'm greatly simplifying this heavily studied and observed phenomenon but basically if none of the other patrons people at or behind the bar or playing pool move no one will accept for Clark it would've been easy for Clark to act like everyone else to turn a blind eye let her get molested and preserve his anonymity but as Lois later points out not helping people is not an option for him Clark steps up he has to protect a person in need even if it's at his expense now admittedly it was done in a way that could precipitate conflict Clark might've gone over there and then accidentally spilled his bust up all over Ludlow however the way Clark tackles this gives us insight into his character Clark is forthright and direct like his father who raised him and please no games on one hand been confronted so directly in front of his peers would tend to push someone like Ludlow into fighting on the other hand by confronting him directly Clark has taken Ludlow's attention away from Crissy and put a entirely on himself and if Clark is to have any future hear he needs Ludlow to know clearly what the terms are Clark will always be there to rescue Crissy by feigning accident so confronting Ludlow makes sense however let's not pretend that the fight is Clark's fault it may sting his pride Ludlow could back down and apologize and that would be that instead Ludlow leaps to his feet and escalates or what tough guy and again from here Clark could have diffuse the situation to but not without compromising his goals and his character he didn't just want logo to stop sexually harassing Crissy now and this time he wanted below to stop for good and if that meant calling out Ludlow's behavior however embarrassing it was for Ludlow that's what I'll do Clark stands his ground Ludlow throws his beer into Clark's face triggering an indictable charge for assault the crowd that refuse to help Crissy is now amused at Clark's humiliation this injustice is what Clark gets for trying to do what's right something in Clark is mad and Ludlow sees it all their years mockingly he then throws his full body into pushing Clark over but bounces off completely ineffectively for those who say that there are no jokes in Man of Steel I can say that in my viewings the look on their faces Ludlow's and Clark's has almost always gone laughs from the audience now incidentally one wonders what Ludlow was hoping to accomplish had he managed to push Clark down or provoke him into fighting Clark's half a foot taller 20 years younger and even without superpowers that is a terrible one-on-one matchup for Ludlow I don't think we really need to explain this Ludlow is dumb and perhaps drunk maybe he thought his friends with have his back but it's much more likely he wasn't thinking. He's already racked up multiple counts of indictable charges if the busboy he was bullying wanted to press charges so he isn't a terribly thoughtful kind of guy of course human nature would be to strike back Crissy knows this and she implores Clark to back down and he dots Clark turns the other cheek in so far as this exchange is concerned and he starts to walk away Ludlow pressing his luck pitches a can into Clark's back Clark posits for a moment then continues his exit out the door I could believe that if Ludlow hadn't pitched that can he might still have a truck this is one of those points where so much is conveyed in the performance we know that Clark has the power to humble Ludlow right then and there but painted on Clark's face is that disappointment and frustration of having to eat this indignity Clark still values his secret and he can't afford the escalation and the inquiry that roughing up Ludlow a little might bring additionally in the novelization and from accounts that we have onset for dialogue shot but not in the final cut of the film we know that Ludlow being a steady customer gets preference over a busboy and Clark is fired in the film we can assume that Clark more or less quits the instant he walks out that door during his shift so as a nonemployee even if he has the power he lacks the authority to throw Ludlow out it something that will revisit eventually but the distinction between having the power to do something and the authority to do something is often raised by the Superman mythos and here Clark honors his lack of authority within the bar of course and then he stepped outside but before we go outside the Clark let's listen to Ian Tracey talk about playing Ludlow's has its so sad everything you like saying my earlier so I can call it a sarcasm it's good to know if you're going to make everybody likes you good drug she did a really good job jackknifed in an unusual position to might have to watch what I say otherwise my toys will be is a lesson learned very Superman so before joining Clark outside let's take a moment to talk about the line were Crissy says it's not worth it sweetie I mentioned before that the exchanges smiles and the fact that Crissy calls Clark's sweetie has led some to believe that the two are involved romantically one way or another skeptical for a few reasons first sweetie does not necessarily have to be a romantic term of endearment according to the American dialect Society in the American South and parts of Canada speakers will routinely sprinkle sweetie honey sweetheart and darling into conversations with strangers in a platonic manner a small point of distinction Southerners will also say sugar but most Canadians will not second to the extent that it is a term of endearment remember that it can be used maternally when Martha rushes to Clark's rescue at the elementary school she calls him sweetie third as part of the montage where Lois is retracing Clark's journey Crissy says he worked here for a few minutes now even if she doesn't mean literally it's clear the Clark wasn't there long forth it may simply be a writer's trek to keep Clark's name ambiguous remember he was called greenhorn on the Debbie sue and here he's being called sweetie at Cassidy's and later he'll be called Joe and Ellesmere rather than hit the audience with a flood of irrelevant fake names they carefully scripted around the issue fifth and finally I don't really see Clark as a love them and leave him a fiery out cruising Casanova drifting Don Juan or roaming Romeo wondering wherever he wills breaking hearts however it's ambiguous and if you like the idea of a hunky heartthrob walking the earth to find love you might not be entirely off-base in a May 22, 2013 interview with the New York Times Zack Snyder said quote we assume that Clark is not a virgin I do you don't see that but that's the assumption" of course it's ambiguous on film so you're free to interpret it as you will at the very least Clark doesn't seem uncomfortable around the fairer sex another way that this little exchanges smiles might be taken as a signal that Clark is considered attractive in this universe it sounds stupid that I need to say that let's not take it for granted in some Superman traditions Clark is perceived to be ordinary or unattractive and we need to be told that going so far that when witnesses are asked to describe Clark Kent told police sketch artist the artist rendition is markedly different than Superman is a trope not just confined to Superman you got Phifer in Batman returns McGuire in Spiderman Sheedy in the breakfast club and of course Rachel Leigh Cook and she's all that these are all films with a story has to lampshade the fact that these movie stars are already quite attractive even if in story they need a makeover for it to become apparent in their world is a small thing but it's another point that shows that this film tries not to rely on reality defying tropes like that so finally we get to the site gag and conclusion of the scene where Ludlow leaves the bar and does a double take at his semi-propped up on lumber this was probably one of the most reliable laughs in the theater and I almost wish it hadn't been spoiled by the trailers to surprise and delight even more but it's effective on multiple levels to characterize Clark to show that there's injustice in the world and to provide a clue to move Clark to Ellesmere and of course as a bit of humor the speed of the scene means that it isn't meant to be over analyze but that's this shows bread-and-butter so for me this is one of those scenes where the logistics are a little tough to pin down I'm probably about 80% there and then willing to let that last bit go first we had the timing when Clark leaves the roadhouse it is daylight and by the time Ludlow leaves it has become dark when Ludlow leaves he surprised by his truck the way anyone seeing an elevated truck would be that suggests that Ludlow is the first person to leave the bar after Clark because anyone else would've run back into the bar to tell everyone about the angry modern art directed in the parking lot it also suggests that no one has passed by or come to the bar since Clark left since they to would share what they saw now to be clear this isn't a plot hole nothing within the world or logic excludes the possibility that Ludlow is the next person to leave after Clark however it is a plot convenience the event becomes more unlikely or more convenient the longer the period between Clark and love those departures while the change in daylight would tend to imply a length of time depending on the time of year night can fall quickly although business seem pretty good they all could be relatively regular steady customers meaning that the bar doesn't usually expect passerby's or walk-ins and lastly perhaps the patrons are there specifically for the live entertainment and music and not about to leave unless and until Allison Crowe finishes her performance which could explain everyone staying in together and that leads us into the second question we have the issue of noise part of the reason Clark doesn't flat and Ludlow right then and there is to preserve his secret obviously taking out his frustrations on Ludlow's truck would be a catastrophe if Clark was caught doing it but here's the thing smashing log into and through asphalt and metal takes tremendous force which is going to tend to be loud the jackknifed truck is a sculpture of impulsive rage not premeditated design I don't think Clark slowly and carefully crafted pilot holes with his heat vision and then slowly pushed the logs into place to avoid a racket know it's apparent that he did it right then and there in the parking lot and in a fit so why didn't the patrons of the bar here Clark's mashing up the truck and come out running and this is why Allison's performance being source music is actually important to the logistics of the scene according to Allison Crowe's manager Adrian do Plessy who was present for the shooting of the scene in question after Clark is fired and walks out Allison breaks the tension by resuming her musical performance" indeed things get really rocking the denizens inside Cassidy's are rowdy and this provides plenty of cover for Clark to prepare his surprise for Ludlow" so we've got the where and when and will discuss the why and abet and most of the how but not all of it with the powers that Clark has then and at that stage I'm not really sure how he could build that surprise without careful crafting and this is the brilliance of film and comics and the tools that are made available to the storytellers by using jumps and narrative unseen moments between panels and cuts in editing most of the audience will probably only roughly fill in the blanks with their imagination for the desired effect but trying to re-create this moment with an unblinking stare is going to be tough this might be hard for you to into it because were so used to using shorthand with superhero mechanics but imagine if the same objects were before you in the same size and scale but all made of collateral notes say soda crackers you may well have the strength to lift and manipulate these cracker logs the truck to a degree but you wouldn't have the size or freedom of movement to manipulate these far weaker materials into place at the speeds and the force that you want to as we discussed back in episode for it Clark can impart some of his strength to the objects that he's carrying that could mitigate the issues without the would tearing apart in his hands before he can drive it into the ground or through the truck however there's still the issue of scale given the angle of the two logs the choreography would have to go something like this Clark drives one log into the ground first then he lifts the front of the truck up and over the full height of the log to in hell it on the first law then he drives the second log onto the top of the truck from above a whole finding good if you can fly but a little tougher to pull off from the ground and again it's not really an issue in the medium that were talking about an action comics number one Superman shakes all the passengers out of the green sedan harmlessly but without really questioning the logistics of that in Superman returns the logistics of Superman getting under Kitty Kowalski's car is glossed over so here to in that tradition for this moment it's more about the end result than the logistics of getting there but if you absolutely need a way to do it without flight I think this is how you choreograph it without making it overly premeditated I think Clark first Knox the truck over onto its right side would never facing the camera in the film so you can't see the damage of it being turned over and then he drives the log into the truck while it's on its side mitigating the issues of height then he pushes the truck back up onto the logs to be propped up as a surprise for Ludlow obviously is not's that I spent so much time trying to reason this out but it's only because this film is so starkly logical and consistent that when something isn't it takes me a little more time to accept it as something that is just like every other movie and story not held to the same level of scrutiny or rigid reality the fact is most films take much larger leaps in logic and more generous liberties with their realities especially for something primarily meant and that kind of visual punctuation which we can attribute to Snyder you know that Superman arising from a crumpled bank vault or's odd swinging the I-beam or a flying train all the visual exclamation marks that he dreamed of bringing to screen and to have in the film and I believe this shot of the propped up truck was one such image on the logistics were properly excluded from the film because this joke and tribute is all executed better with a properly timed punchline rather than worrying about spoon feeding all the logistics in between and like I said before for most of the audience it was a crowd pleaser however for detractors upon reflection they found that there was nothing to laugh about essentially the issue for them is Clark's morality and whether he went too far some are so openly hostile to Man of Steel and ready to pounce on any of Clark's moral failings as if the film did not intend for them to be shown these critics suddenly find in their hearts a well of empathy and compassion for Port Ludlow Ludlow whose only sin was to get a little tipsy now has his entire livelihood destroyed for a moment of indiscretion the price of the semitruck can range anywhere from hundred $50,000-$300,000 the value of the lumbar could be estimated to be roughly around $2500 on Ludlow wanted was some relief from the road to relax with his fellow bloggers while listening to some music but now he's a quarter million dollars in the hole because Man of Steel Superman is an angry psychopath it's a little crazy the level of disdain for Man of Steel would cause such warmth for a molester guilty of assault and one wonders why they couldn't spare a little of that sympathy for Clark to understand and empathize with his motivations but to be fair there is some merit to their points that are worth exploring discussing and answering I've heard it said that Clark was intending to do the world a favor that Ludlow was clearly drunk and a danger to himself than anyone else on the road so Clark acted for the protection of everyone while that might be a nice side effect but I don't think that's the right interpretation first whether Ludlow was drunk or not is an actually crystal-clear in the film Canada does have Graham shop liability also known as host or liquor liability which means that an establishment can be liable for the subsequent damages if it furnished alcohol to somebody noticeably intoxicated and knew that person was going to drive a motor vehicle so maybe Ludlow was cut off so that he could's overall but maybe not since people were publicly assaulted's place in the behind the scenes footage were shown Ludlow stumbling inside the bar as he leaves so at least one take indicates that he was drunk but since that taken make the film we ultimately don't know for a fact that Ludlow was inebriated second I do think that the trashed truck was an expression of Clark's very understandable and realistic frustration if Clark was merely looking out for everyone else he might have taken less drastic but no less effective measures like Lansing Ludlow's tires with heat vision or maybe just letting the air out or if you wanted to be playful without being as destructive he could've turned the truck onto its side rendering it undrivable until righted now it's not relevant here but definitely will be as we put the characters under a microscope in the future but note that the existence of an alternative does not mean that the person is acting unreasonable if they don't take that alternative in law when were asked to evaluate the reasonability of a person or their actions it is not required that they take the optimal or best course of action because the typical person with ordinary prudence still doesn't do everything perfectly but we do consider particular circumstances even if we do not take into account the specific abilities of the defendant or tortfeasor but I digress these alternatives are not dispositive but they are persuasive in showing the Clark probably wasn't acting prudently okay so he was imprudent but when he out of line share of course he was smashing things in anger wasn't why Jor-El sent and earth taking revenge isn't something that would let him stand proud before the human race one day and the risks he took in making and presenting his paranormal piece would have worried Jonathan fearing that his son would get caught so it was out of line but it's not unsympathetic Clark isn't Superman yet he doesn't know what the expectations are for him yet and what he will mean to the world that distinguishes this scene from the revenge taken on the bullying Superman to Jonathan's lessons and promises from the barn at this point are two decades ago Clark has carried the unanswered questions that Jonathan had 50% longer than Jonathan did in nine years he would be as old as his father was back then no closer to his answers is it any wonder that Clark is frustrated is it any wonder that Jonathan's calls for care are cracking decades after the fact you may have heard that hope deferred makes the heart sick in kingdom come after a lifetime of experience and doing good a trauma sense Superman into exile for 10 years and he came back compromised darker and willing to met out punishment here Clark doesn't even have a fraction of Superman's experience and he has been patiently waiting twice as long 20 years to see a glimmer of hope for the promises Jonathan made a finding answers his purpose and to be proudly presented to the world unashamed if 10 years a row did the heart of a seasoned Superman how is it fair to hold a still searching Clark to a higher standard after 20 years of seeking even in this failing are Clark shows monumental patience and character against circumstances which would crush most hearts so yes Clark in part takes his frustrations out on Ludlow but only Ludlow specifically the film is careful not to cast all truck drivers as jerks as Clark depends on the kindness of truckers later in the film Ludlow receives a form of poetic justice but let's look at the punishment to see if justice was served there are many theories of sentencing but the common ones can be remembered with the mnemonic I double D RRR that is incapacitation deterrence denunciation rehabilitation reparation and retribution we can see that many of these don't apply primarily because Ludlow doesn't know that his truck was destroyed by the busboy that he bullied before we left mainly with incapacitation which is leaving the offender incapable of future offense and retribution the moral acceptance of proportionate punishment to satisfy society and the aggrieved we've already discussed incapacitation and it's true that this incident will probably keep Ludlow off the road for a while but it would seem that the main punishment is retribution which seems right something that the punishment is not proportionate to the crime however looking at Canada's sentencing guidelines I believe Ludlow got off lightly if Clark had been someone able and willing to press charges Ludlow was facing as much as five years in prison for each count of assault run concurrently as opposed consecutively touching over the close would likely land him about six months in jail a probation however the grabbing of Christie's arm the violent shove to Clark the splashing of the beer and the throwing of the beer can would almost certainly attract a jail sentence the law is especially interested in deterring random acts of violence upon strangers whereas provoked are initially consensual fights may frequently allowed for discharge diversionary treatment or probation in determining Ludlow sentence he trips several of the key aggravating factors he was intoxicated the time he showed no remorse he degraded the victim and I've seen prosecutors successively stretch throne items into the use of weapons as an aggravating factor for the purposes of sentencing if this hotheaded Ludlow has priors he could be going away for quite some time and he would completely lose his livelihood while being a felon doesn't prevent you from obtaining or keeping a commercial drivers license most trucking companies will not hire a felon in till at least five years has passed from the completion of all sentencing provisions moreover felons can't cross the Canadian border easily be cleared to haul hazardous materials in this light Ludlow was let off easy only having to sort out some insurance issues with his employer and in fact Clark's impossible presentation diffuses Ludlow's responsibility for the destruction since no one could possibly do that to a truck it couldn't be Ludlow's fault that brings Ludlow's punishment down into the range of what you might expect if he were to accept a plea deal for scribes so despite Clark's rage it actually remarkably in line with what we'd expect the proper punishment for Ludlow debate of course there might still be some discomfort with the idea that Ludlow was robbed of his due process than had he been taken to court the state may have failed to meet its burden Ludlow's friends might've lied on his behalf and he would've gotten off Scott free that's all certainly true but has Superman always been preoccupied with you process or even proportionality for that matter is Superman flawless and without fault the ones who are really upset with the scene tend to say Superman would never do this perhaps we've already pointed out the Clark isn't Superman yet however I suspect the standard that Clark is being held to is more a figment of their imagination than reality I challenge the idea that Superman is always evenhanded throughout tradition Superman's had a long history but it wasn't hard for me to pick from memory examples from every era from exemplars of the mythos and from major media were Superman is more exuberant than equitable in the Golden age Superman bullied bullies he threatened lobbyist wife beaters bankers and more in the silver age Superman's so-called super degree has become infamous albeit somewhat unfairly but still hardly a paragon of virtue and values viewed objectively in the 1986 modern age Man of Steel reboot before Clark become Superman podcast expresses his disappointment at Clark for showboating and making others feel useless then is Superman he hangs up her snatch her from a lamp post no due process or proportionality there in birthright Superman terrorizes and negligent gun shop owner by firing a gun at him and then catching the bullet in the new 52 grant Morrison's T-shirt wearing Superman terrorizes a businessman by throwing him off his balcony in a tribute to the action comics of the 1930s these examples aren't confined to continuity in All-Star Superman breaks the arms of Samson and Hercules unnecessarily in secret identity Superman stacks the cars of competing journalists and swaps secure nuclear missiles to prove a point red sun lobotomized his detractors and in for all seasons Clark eavesdrops on his parents and never tells them that he can hear them and in kingdom come it's join up or be incarcerated and then enraged Superman endeavors to kill the powerless delegates of the United Nations as punishment until he's talked out of it then there's all the examples from the movies small bill Lois and Clark the animated series and so on it certainly fair to have expectations of Superman and to hold him to some sort of standard however it's unfair to expect others to join you in feeling entitled to your expectations if their divorced from the tradition of what we've read in the comics or seen on screen there's a Superman for everyone and not every Superman has to be yours if you can broaden your horizons and tastes you can enjoy the great buffet of Superman through the ages but if you're a picky eater this probably still a slice of pie for you and while most love pie to don't expect everyone to only want pod we get that you have a preference no need to spoil everyone else's meal over 75 years we've been blessed with a time of different flavors to try so no need to stick to just one cuisine in all these food metaphors are courtesy of me skipping meals to work think I've eaten in 36 hours so let's get this wrapped up so I can eat now perhaps part of the reason that it wasn't hard to recall common examples across Superman per trails through the ages is because may be part of the appeal of Superman is that benevolent power fantasy it's part of the reason that there's a certain level of preoccupation with Superman punching things generally we want Superman to punch things and not just passively sit with his hands folded never using his powers obviously it is an all or nothing wanting Superman to show some discretion or moral values doesn't mean you're demanding a flawless paragon but by the same token a human failing or a foible doesn't suddenly turn Superman daemonic or into a complete betrayal of the character as some try to suggest it's a spectrum and along the spectrum of Superman's long history Man of Steel is not far afield from where the character has been before especially at this stage in his life before petty enough to pull out a ledger and count Clark's sins to this point league realistically weighing the good and bad on the cartoon scales of Justice Clark has inadvertently burned an elementary school teacher handed that he stole a disguise and now he's proportionately but without due process punished a molester and violent bully on the other hand he's rescued the lives of men on the oil rig he save the children on the bus and he stepped in to protect Crissy all his own expense and all before he knows is greater destiny and to me that's pretty good in fact it's downright heroic for anyone that's not being held to the standard of a saint or some mythical version of Superman that tends to be an outlier along the spectrum of history rather than the rule no doubt the icon looms large and his epic in scope impact and inspiration but when we stop trying to impose the icon on the character and actually look at the portrayal the character in media the rule is that Superman is a hero but one who operates outside the ordinary rules of law and due process as we briefly discussed in episode 13 and that's part of the appeal of Superman that Nietzsche and power fantasy of enforcing justice and righteousness in the world as one sees fit without necessarily needing paperwork warrants judges or juries may be in a future episode where we talk about the casting the Man of Steel I'm sure will mention the coincidence that Superman's two dads both played Robin Hood on film Robin Hood like Superman is a legendary hero of natural law representing some sense of justice that exists outside and above the letter of the law as transcribed by men this is in contrast to the idea of positive law which says that there is no natural law and that right and wrong only exists because man says it does these are gross oversimplifications and we could debate the philosophies of positive versus natural law but that's not this podcast the point is that there is something compelling about defying the law in the name of justice for Robin Hood legend to have lasted 400 years and that aspect or edge is found throughout the tradition and mythos of Superman it's why his legend has gone on nearly a century and is will hear secondhand from one of the composers of Batman be Superman it's something that director Zack Snyder is well aware of the scope of Superman and these other legends this is a collider interview published March 11 with junkie XL the composer collaborating with Hans Zimmer on Batman be Superman I love Man of Steel is 1000 times are you will have all you are really know what it means you are working on the topic and in my is is is great you are you is is is is is in general is is is is is is is you you know all he zero as well you you you you you are similar Superman will always characters are bigger than all is a bigger all in as you are bigger to the composer the you you you you is so you you you know you were movie Man of Steel is you is you will be doing is you you you you you your your vision as you know you always will see the because he is bigger than ourselves that everybody to reach the comics is a Man of Steel so is one of you are you what you were hoping for me solely Man of Steel is only as it is maybe what people love you and you will be necessary with with music is always movies because the theme of the movie or as a spiritual real you know only seem to always characters are what we are is this is in you know his vision is really resonated with me when is check out the full 45 minute interview at collider for more insight into the composers process and might there's certainly a story behind J XL's nickname but that's not this podcast what Snyder said there he said many times before as a filmmaker he has to follow his own vision and inspiration and not try to be beholden to the expectations of a vast and disparate audience all with their own opinions takes and tastes I love that they get that and rather than try to homogenize it all into something safe land and ultimately unsatisfying their daring to push the limits to plot a course pick up vision and know that it will delight some but not everyone it's like that Aesop's fable about bringing the donkey to market you can't hope to please everyone and the loud complaints of some doesn't mean you're doing it wrong understanding the endurance of the icon also means that you can dare to experiment and try something fresh because in the long run it all evens out what resonates with the culture gets adopted into the mythos and what doesn't fades into the fabric of time the core always stands the test of time so worrying over differences in taste or tone is stressing out over nothing first world problems of the highest order to be preoccupied by the moral disposition of the fictional character in a single work with the legend built to spanned centuries but if you are my target audience you know all this already you have the open mind and the open heart to lead a different take on Superman into your life I raise this not as an argument against him rather I'm raising it to give us perspective and empathy for those who ironically take a serious take on Superman to seriously for their own good luck they care the care passionately deeply and sincerely the love Superman to their just picky eaters maybe a little noisy may be a lot of unfounded criticism attempting to prop up their preferences but we should have compassion for them rather than provoking a fight the fact is we're getting to eat a delicious feast expected to run five years at least and if they get a stay picky left only with the bones of the past it's understandable that their grumpy and more than a little better what I'd like to see is for Man of Steel fans as the ones who represent optimism the hope for the future and the good character that Superman is known for because we are in the position do that and to be that for the Superman mythos and those fans who might feel left out right now to show that the ideals imagination and optimism can be inspired by Man of Steel and isn't exclusive to their take of course that's just my hope and my belief in a better tomorrow not something that I'm going to impose upon others you can only invite people to the table you can't make them eat now on the off chance that you listening and that you're not my target audience I'm sorry Man of Steel was in your cup of tea if you can approach it with an open heart and an open mind hopefully this podcast can help you appreciate it more than as we approach the feast of the next five years while you might find some things challenging to your tastes you might also acquire a taste for certain fair or find that exciting something that transforms your palate and becomes your new favorite food there's value in the familiar but also adventure and excitement in exploration the adventurous have hope have faith be excited with proper expectations I got my preferences tastes and quirks to some not everything is going to be my ideal or to my liking but the longer the buffet goes the more choices and options will appear the richer the menu and the more likely that something will come along and just totally hit the spot it may take a little patience but if you look at something like small bill which attempted to on several fronts stay grounded given time to grow and a faithful audience the show transformed into something with the justice league and adjust the society and appearances from blue beetle to the Tana Bruce Thames animated universe grew from a retro-styled episodic program to one so large that watching elongated Man grown in Mont to booster Gold in my living room was actually a reality rather than presenting the next decade of fandom why not cheer for the potential and the possibility that it represents you can be the change that you want to see in the world a saying often misattributed to Gandhi according to a 2011 New York Times article but that's neither here and are there circumstances may be out of your control your attitude in approaching it is in your hands and rather spend the next few years hopeful and happy than bitter fearful and disgruntled of course that's up to you free will a choice a theme forwarded by Man of Steel okay have no idea where all of that came from Leslie I've become a little loopy from low blood sugar I was totally to talk about Jor-El and Jonathan as lawbreakers but instead I'm talking about goodwill over good food I think I need to eat and if I haven't fallen into a food coma will come back and tackle some of the mail back okay where back man I wonder how it editing them that the due to cut out my stomach growling will hopefully none of it was picked up and it is I apologize we run long so I'm only to tackle with safe five mail back questions let's see first we have CEO who is responding to the magic weakness from last episode Theo suggests an interesting theory that Superman's powers don't have to have sentience and that Superman's magical allergy may be psychosomatic as may happen in real life with certain allergies in other words it's all in Superman's head and he letting himself get hurt more than normal I think that's a really clever way to reconcile some instances of when Superman gets harmed by magical things but I don't think it's comprehensive enough to cover all cases many times Superman doesn't even know that the attack is magical until feeling the head additionally this requires that Superman can make himself vulnerable which is an idea that angle floated back in episode nine remember that was in the context of Man of Steel where we don't know for certain how Superman's durability works I'm fairly confident that for the general tradition of Superman he can't turn his durability on and off like a light switch still the idea of a psychosomatic vulnerability is an interesting way to add an element of intelligence or variable outcomes the something that would otherwise be deterministic or systematic of course with magic in the next it seems easier to just put that on the spell rather than to alter Superman's powers across the board but still a very interesting idea Maggie has two questions first she wants to know if there will be an understanding Martha episode and we will definitely talk about all the women of Man of Steel but I don't think we need an exhaustive analysis of Martha only because people have fewer questions about her character there are more controversies surrounding Jonathan's choices which is why it's going to take multiple episodes answer the questions about his actions but I think few people find fault with Martha the only fault that I think I've ever heard is that maybe she's a little under written that's pretty much the norm for this film everyone's dialogue is on the light side so will explore Martha definitely but I don't think we need to explore it as much as we will have to explore Jonathan additionally as they were a married couple and they parented Clark as a team to certain extent any analysis of Jonathan is also examining Martha at least in the capacity into the extent that she agreed with Jonathan Gill note that Martha often says we and speaks on Jonathan's behalf but will deftly get there eventually just not yet up Maggie's second question is more of a comment she says she listened to all the rationales and she still doesn't by wonder woman wearing wedges you know that's okay I did my best to help you suspend your disbelief and suggest that we might hope for alternative footwear under different circumstances or to accept it as a traditional affectation you don't have to be convinced that's totally okay everyone has their own hangups areas of expertise and points where it's been a be harder to suspend that disbelief might notice legal issues that mostly audience doesn't and I know women who've actually worn high heels are can have a much more tangible experience than my mere abstractions and it would be as trite of me to say watch a video women running or playing sports in heels for people to point to an episode of Law and order as legal precedent to me so it's completely fine to feel that way I totally understand it and thanks for the commentary and insight Maggie next we have Rebecca Johnson cohost of Supergirl radio podcast which I encourage you to check out as a great comment about Clark possibly using superspeed to get from the Debbie sue to the oil rig I think that's probably right that Clark had to swim to the rig superhumanly fast but I'm than a split hairs in assume that he did this with his strength powers rather than his yet to be discovered speed powers back in episode four we talked about how Superman strength doesn't come from him moving his mass superfast to balance out Newton's second law rather he just gets this extra value or force vector out of his actions as if he were a supermassive object so to keep the swim from the oil rig consistent with my theory that suggests that every swimming stroke that Clark makes he gets superhuman value out of it extra thrust that the mere motion of his arms and legs cannot have generated contrast this against swimming with superspeed that would be more like the scene from the incredible's where the thrust comes from ordinary swimming strokes or taking repeated at incredible speed to get more thrust in the same amount of time will definitely revisit the topic of superspeed we talk about Ellesmere but it's a great point I should've covered it and I'll definitely bring it up again finally we have Thomas who writes in about the theory I floated in episode 14 about Batman retrofitting spaceship parts to withstand Superman level strikes he says he wants Batman to be Batman not I reman and he wants into mainly fight crime and not aliens what thanks for writing in Thomas I definitely agree that a Bruce Wayne wearing power armor all the time is a traditional but it also isn't unusual under exceptional circumstances and his first face-off with Superman might be such a circumstance but I also want to clarify that I was not promoting that outcome merely posing it as a thought experiment of how Batman might survive a fight with Superman surely tech will be a part of it but I believe that Batman survival would more likely come from leveraging Superman's interests like we talked about in episode seven for example let's say that Batman has a vital piece of time sensitive information in his head that he alone knows just for illustration sake let's say a code to disarming a bomb set the harm Lois under conditions like those Superman has a powerful incentive to defeat Batman but he also can't risk killing him or knocking him out in a way that time runs out while trying to revive Batman from unconsciousness so in a fight like that Superman's own interests hold him back allowing Batman to say conscious and in the fight of course Superman only need Batman to talk so maybe there's pressure to threaten more serious bodily injury again is just a thought experiment not a prediction or an investment just an exercise in imagination and if you've got ideas that you want to share be shorts in the meant okay I just want to give thanks to Johnny B and so Kevin for their kind I'd tune reviews you guys are awesome I don't do it for the reviews but to get the word out that Man of Steel was a great start to the DCC you and the reviews help other DCC you fans find the podcast and know that they're not crazy for enjoying Man of Steel thanks all the people commenting on the blog and the YouTube channel it's great encouragement and really motivating thank you and last but not least thank you to you yes you for listening really there's so much great content out there and I'm humbled and grateful that you have elected to listen to what I need for you you're awesome thank you so I hope you've enjoyed this episode I appreciate you listening that's all the time I have to record for now if you haven't already subscribed to the YouTube channel there are new videos tackling more Man of Steel miss for you like and share really do just love discussing the stuff and hope you join us@ManofSteelofSteelanswers.com that way if you got a question you want answered or insight that you want to share commentary to make you can post in the comments for all your like-minded apologist to see or you can email me @mosaicinManofSteelofSteelanswers.com if you like what you heard please review the show in iTunes and subscribed this is Dr. awkward your DC cinematic universe apologist signing off CNX time