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Supergirl and Trump

16 Nov 2016 12:27 #51281 by five_red
Supergirl and Trump was created by five_red
Let's see if we can't get an interesting discussion going:

With its focus on the treatment of aliens, and the inclusion of a female POTUS, it is clear that Supergirl is drawing on modern US politics (small p) to some extent. And judging by their tweets, it is clear that many of the cast and creative team behind Supergirl are Democrat-leaning, and probably expected a Clinton presidency. Now, I've no desire to replay the heated political debate that happened over the recent months -- no doubt their are left wingers and right wingers here, and everyone is entitled to their opinion -- but I just wonder how the election of Donald Trump might influence the politics of the show..?

A few points to kick the discussion off:

(1) Does the show already seem dated? It appears to want to preach a pro-immigrant message under a female president, while the vote went the other way?

(2) Should the show change course in the back end of the season, bending in acknowledgement of the new political climate? Or should the show stand firm with the values it seems to have set out with at the start of the season? If it chooses the latter, might it not be perceived as the Hollywood liberal elite (so called) refusing to acknowledge that they lost the election?

(3) If Trump surrounds himself with very right wing thinkers, some fear (justified or unjustified) that this might impact on Gay rights and possibly even women's rights. These are both issues that the show touches on. Would the show be wise to take a firm stand on the politics of these issues? Is a fantasy comicbook show the right venue for such a stand?

There are lots of ways this discussion could go, and feel free to stray beyond just the ice-breaker points above, but please keep your comments relevant to the Supergirl series. We've only just got over the election proper; let's not try to re-run it here :)


R5

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16 Nov 2016 13:03 #51282 by kikass2014
Replied by kikass2014 on topic Supergirl and Trump
Hmm interesting topic :)

The show defiantly was pro-Hillary, and the media is , in the main, liberal-left for sure. So, should the show change course in light of the election result? No, I don't think so. It would most likely mean a shed-load of work and could result in a mess if the narrative were to be redone. And if they generally believe their views, then stick by them.

If Trump surrounds himself with very right wing thinkers, some fear (justified or unjustified) that this might impact on Gay rights and possibly even women's rights. These are both issues that the show touches on. Would the show be wise to take a firm stand on the politics of these issues? Is a fantasy comicbook show the right venue for such a stand?


The show should just stick to the story it wants to tell. Art-imitates-life is a very known phrase for good reason. It is true. Writers, painters, etc. paint and write about what they see and experience. So some part of that is unavoidable. However, there are ways to tackle these themes without them being political and/or religious in nature (two subjects that by their nature can be divisive). From a pragmatic point of view, the show would want as many viewers as possible. As such, I would imagine that these topics will be dealt with in a non-political view (quite easy to do), so I don't see an impact on the issues there.

With regards to the second part of that question, "Is a fantasy comic book show the right venue for such a stand?", well that depends on what motivates the writer and/or writers of the show. Politics and social issues, imo, are cross-genre. As such, it doesn't matter if its a comic book, sci-fi or horror. Game of Thrones for example, has MANY social and political issues at its heart - How one should rule (by Fear (Cersie) or by Love (Dani)); Is who we are defined by birth or upbringing (Jon Snow); Does power corrupt even those with the best of intentions (Stannis); and so on. These are just crude examples of the top of my head.

To be fair, there have been 2 (?) episodes that have dealt with immigration and the female president full on (at the beginning of the season). Will that develop (from a political point of view) remains to be seen.

Like all the stories I enjoy, I hope they focus on telling a good story first and making a social point second, rather then focus on ramming some message down our throats first at the detriment to a good story. Supergirl has done this in the past and it is by no means the only show to do it (and it won't be the last).

Peace.

/K
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16 Nov 2016 19:52 #51286 by Markiehoe
Replied by Markiehoe on topic Supergirl and Trump
In the episode "Fallen" last season, my least favorite episode by the way.
Evil Kara says that she tossed out all applications to Catco by non Democrats or words to that effect. (as best as i can remember)
Cat, to my surprise was perfectly OK with that.
What a way to run a News corporation.

Kinda says a lot about the writing staff also.
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16 Nov 2016 22:33 #51288 by shadar
Replied by shadar on topic Supergirl and Trump
DC Comics has done enough "Lex Luthor as President" stuff over the years. No need to repeat any of that, especially given the two Luthors in this show are female.

I would agree with other commenters that the show should keep doing what it's doing. The creative team, like most of Hollywood, are very liberal, but to twist the show to a different way to reflect the latest politics would be wrong. Especially after already tossing Lynda Carter in as Pres, anticipating a female Pres.

My money is on them minimizing the Lynda and the Pres role unless they have already produced some future episodes with her. Keep the show out of politics. If nothing else, it serves as a refuge from reality.

Instead, focus on all the subplots and character twists they already have running. That's more than enough to make an interesting show.

Shadar
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17 Nov 2016 01:31 #51295 by Sarge395
Replied by Sarge395 on topic Supergirl and Trump
The politics are a big reason I just mainly fast forward to the action. If the politics were neutral or even semi balanced I might watch the plot. I gave up a few episodes in when it was clear it would drip with non classical liberalism. When football and other major sports started in on politics from the top to the bottom I started tuning out there also.
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17 Nov 2016 05:52 #51296 by shadar
Replied by shadar on topic Supergirl and Trump

Sarge395 wrote: The politics are a big reason I just mainly fast forward to the action. If the politics were neutral or even semi balanced I might watch the plot. I gave up a few episodes in when it was clear it would drip with non classical liberalism. When football and other major sports started in on politics from the top to the bottom I started tuning out there also.


Politics is the opiate of American life. Hard not to be addicted. When entertainment media tries to mirror real life, its gotta have politics too. Which like everything else on TV, is exaggerated, distorted and simplified. My beef is more with the dumbing down of literally everything in popular TV shows. Politics is just part of it.

Most of it is like bubblegum -- tastes really good at first, but you quickly tire of it and spit it out. A one-dimensional flavor with intensity but no nuance. Which can also be said of books written for young children -- the irony of which is not lost on me.
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