Comic book with Transgender - warning

[edwest2]

To my fellow Catholics -

Regardless of your age, we are a Community of Believers, and should help one another. A Transgender character has been introduced in a comic book by DC Comics.

bleedingcool.com/2013/04/10/dont-forget-the-dc-new-52s-second-transgender-character/

Please do not be fooled by someone calling it art. We have been conditioned to believe, “Oh, it’s art. That means it’s OK.” In this case, politics has entered, and has been ongoing, with LGBT characters in comics. So, be careful. Especially in the case of children who do not yet have the mental and emotional maturity to deal with such subject matter.

Peace,
Ed

 

[ActingCatholic]

Can you clarify your objection to having a transgender character in the case of adult readership?

 

[tomarin]

I was a little shocked to discover that in the case of the “young avengers” the whole team appears to be some configuration of L, G, B or T.

 

[edwest2]

Can you clarify your objection to having a transgender character in the case of adult readership?

Part of my daily job is monitoring all media, with a focus on print media. I also research the history and effects of the media. My conclusion is this: most comic books are made for kids under eighteen. Adult comics should be clearly labeled: Adults Only. It is obvious comic books are moving into politics/issue advocacy.

This is and should affect retailers when any comic book is solicited to the trade:

“But the basic issues of complete information at the time of solicitation, matching the solicitation info in the product that’s eventually shipped, and the need for retailers to have clear policies on how to handle adult material remain the same.” icv2

As Catholics, we should not believe that because I am an adult I can read or watch whatever I want. I personally observed, along with other media professionals, the one trend that defines the majority of the media over the last 40 years, the inclusion of dysfunctional and immoral characters in most media. This is wrong. We need to realize that what goes in through our eyes and into our minds affects us to some degree. And it’s just getting worse as time passes. It appears that the trend will continue.

God does not want us to be indifferent, and Pope Benedict has warned about “radical individualism” coupled with a “dictatorship of relativism,” which he defines here:

“We are moving toward a dictatorship of relativism which does not recognize anything as for certain and which has as its highest goal one’s own ego and one’s own desires. The church must defend itself against threats such as “radical individualism” and “vague religious mysticism”. [emphasis added]”

If we want a functioning society, then we need to know this:

“If we cannot have common values, common truths, sufficient communication on the essentials of human life–how to live how to respond to the great challenges of human life–then true society becomes impossible.” - Pope Benedict

Peace,
Ed

 

[ActingCatholic]

Thanks for your response!

As Catholics, we should not believe that because I am an adult I can read or watch whatever I want. .

100% Agree, and recognize that this is something the current culture is failing at.

I personally observed, along with other media professionals, the one trend that defines the majority of the media over the last 40 years, the inclusion of dysfunctional and immoral characters in most media. This is wrong. We need to realize that what goes in through our eyes and into our minds affects us to some degree. And it’s just getting worse as time passes. It appears that the trend will continue.

Can you help me understand why you find a transgender character to be dysfunctional and/or immoral?

 

[suko]

I personally observed, along with other media professionals, the one trend that defines the majority of the media over the last 40 years, the inclusion of dysfunctional and immoral characters in most media. This is wrong. We need to realize that what goes in through our eyes and into our minds affects us to some degree. And it’s just getting worse as time passes. It appears that the trend will continue.

Ed

Yeah, I completely agree.

I’ve been watching anime for a long time now, and maybe it’s just me, but it seems like more and more shows have dysfunctional and immoral characters and are glorified in some manner. Personally, I’d love to see less fan service and ecchi characters, but I know the majority of people seem to love this, so I don’t see this trend slowing down or stopping any time soon…

 

[edwest2]

Thanks for your response!
100% Agree, and recognize that this is something the current culture is failing at. Can you help me understand why you find a transgender character to be dysfunctional and/or immoral?

This article explains it:

ncregister.com/daily-news/psychiatrys-new-normal-transgendered-persons/

Peace,
Ed

 

[meteoric]

Part of my daily job is monitoring all media, with a focus on print media. It is obvious comic books are moving into politics/issue advocacy.

I want to point out that the X-Men, from back in the 60’s were a comic book examination/objection to racial discrimination. Comic books have been involved in the realm of politics/issue advocacy for a long time. (And even newspaper strips like Pogo were making political statements earlier than that, if I’m getting my time line correct.)

… the one trend that defines the majority of the media over the last 40 years, the inclusion of dysfunctional and immoral characters in most media. This is wrong. We need to realize that what goes in through our eyes and into our minds affects us to some degree. And it’s just getting worse as time passes. It appears that the trend will continue.

Peace,
Ed

I was going to object to “the last 40 years” but then I thought about Dallas, and the main character being someone “you love to hate.” Maybe not a full 40 years ago, but close.

I caught a fairly recent “Talk of the Nation” show on NPR and they were talking about all the TV shows with “bad boy” main characters. I only heard a few minutes of it, and only recognized one TV show they were talking about, but I had to partially agree that the character was severely flawed.

I guess I miss heros.

Tom A.

 

[ActingCatholic]

This article explains it:

ncregister.com/daily-news/psychiatrys-new-normal-transgendered-persons/

Peace,
Ed

The article provides some good information, but doesn’t do a good job differentiating transgenders from transsexuals.

I understand that it’s (highly!) immoral to deny the sexual identity given to you by God, but I haven’t yet come to a full understanding of whether it is immoral to deny the gender aspects that are defined by humans. Perhaps this is better explained in the address from Pope Benedict XVI that is linked by the article. I’ll consult that next!

Thanks for the link, I trust it will lead me to a better understanding of the Church teaching on these questions.

 

[johnmann]

Transgender people exist. What’s wrong with acknowledging that fact in a comic book?

 

[po18guy]

Thanks for your response!
100% Agree, and recognize that this is something the current culture is failing at. Can you help me understand why you find a transgender character to be dysfunctional and/or immoral?

Just guessing here: Confusion regarding sexual identity as a role model?

 

[Kithrus]

You missed the point where the Villian in the comic is transgender

Transgender people exist. What’s wrong with acknowledging that fact in a comic book?

And then there is this.

As always Ed strikes again with his own interpretation of moral viewer ship.

 

[edwest2]

Just guessing here: Confusion regarding sexual identity as a role model?

That’s correct.

Peace,
Ed

 

[Kithrus]

That’s correct.

Peace,
Ed

1. The comic is not for children
2. the transgender person is not a role model she is a villain
3. Why is it okay for christian shows to have LBGT characters but other forms of media can’t?

In a flawless example of I think season 7 of touched by an Angel the family being helped in this touching Christmas special the oldest boy returns home who was out being a sinful gay man and caught aids for his trouble.

The episode focuses on forgiveness and not once talks about him being gay or having aids more about being a family. He never ‘repented’ for what he did he just wanted his family before he died.

How is that okay? Why is that okay? What is the difference?

You have to understand Ed that media is the extension of the human soul. We create the world around us and it allows us perspective on ourselves by allowing the media we consume to be a reflection of ourselves without the judgement of a mirror.

CS Lewis in his books had great evil in his books but even point blank said he refuses to describe it because children need to read it but allow children to understand its horrifying.

It is animatedly important that we are willing to explore the depths that is the human condition. We live in a word where evil exist and if we can’t face it then we can’t over come it.

No one is saying glorify, no one is saying show it in a positive light. Chances are if I know DC comic writers (which I do) we are going to explore the conflict internal as to why she did what she did the same as any character. If they glorify her reasons as okay then sure come back and we can talk and I’ll take back your wrong about this but till then this fearful ‘catholic’ mentality isn’t helping.

 

[edwest2]

You’ve missed the posts here that tell critics of media “that children are the parents’ responsibility” when selecting media.

Young people need to be taught and guided by Catholic parents. I am talking about comic books here specifically, not anything else. In a previous post of mine on a related subject, a father posted that he went to a comic book store with his son, and reviewed the comics his son was interested in and decided to put a few back. He said the guy at the counter called him a fascist.

Peace,
Ed

 

[po18guy]

Transgender people exist. What’s wrong with acknowledging that fact in a comic book?

Rapists? Bestiality? Child molesters? Human Vivisectionists? Meth-heads? Wife-beaters? Where do you stop when introducing children to the evils of the world? As I see it, what this world needs is clarity and purity, not fuzziness and confusion. Could just be me, though…

 

[VeritasLuxMea]

Rapists? Bestiality? Child molesters? Human Vivisectionists? Meth-heads? Wife-beaters? Where do you stop when introducing children to the evils of the world? As I see it, what this world needs is clarity and purity, not fuzziness and confusion. Could just be me, though…

Well, the comic is for adults, so…

…and I don’t see the comparison between the types of people listed above and transgendered people.

EdWest2:

the one trend that defines the majority of the media over the last 40 years, the inclusion of dysfunctional and immoral characters in most media.

Ever read Homer, Sophocles, Shakespeare or the Bible?

 

[johnmann]

Rapists? Bestiality? Child molesters? Human Vivisectionists? Meth-heads? Wife-beaters? Where do you stop when introducing children to the evils of the world? As I see it, what this world needs is clarity and purity, not fuzziness and confusion. Could just be me, though…

Plenty of violence in comic books. That’s much more likely to affect a child. I’m willing to bet that not a single child who’s heard about someone being transgender subsequently became confused about his own gender. You’re doing battle against a dragon while we’re wonder why you’re tilting at windmills.

 

[Scottgun]

Thankfully, none of my sons have much interest in the brain-rot of superhero comics even before the comics embarked on a mission to celebrate disorder. And there’s why bringing up “flawed” characters in the Bible, Shakespeare isn’t a response. Tell you what, if DC comics presents “flawed” characters reaping bad consequences or even just desserts for willfully indulging disorders, as opposed to presenting them as good and covering it under phony euphemisms like “celebrating diversity” give me a call.

 

[Kamaduck]

I understand not celebrating or glorifying disorders. However, if Kithrus is right and the character is a villain, that argument sorta breaks down.

What bothers me about a lot of these responses is that they seem to be saying that we shouldn’t write immoral or dysfunctional characters at all, or unless they meet with disaster by the end of the work.

The first reason why that’s not right is that there actually are people with these conditions. I’m not arguing that we need to include them for purposes of realism (more often than not, they’re portrayed unrealistically anyway). What I want you to think about is this: what will all the people with gender and sexuality disorders be exposed to? Stories that call them evil or mock them. Stories that deny their existence. And many stories, now, that tell them to embrace their disorders and let them define them. None of that is helpful. If we really wanted to help these people through storytelling (at least in stories for older people- teens and young adults, let’s say), wouldn’t we show them characters who struggle with temptation and immorality and then do the right thing anyway? A lesbian who decides to remain celebate? A gay man who doesn’t act on his feelings? A person with gender dysphoria who struggles with the body he was born with but tries to avoid decieving people? Maybe?

Unfortunately, I don’t see any such characters being written. I think that’s pretty sad. I wish we could applaud such people. Surely God doesn’t turn away anyone because their problems are to icky for him to handle! Why should we be any different?

And then, of course, we’re telling all the readers without these conditions that either these disorders don’t exist, or we should mock these people. Hardly a Christian message to send.

I’d like to see some disordered characters in a work by a Catholic, trying to be good Catholics or Christians or just trying to do the right thing. That, I think, would be a much more effective course of action than opposing transgendered characters in DC comics- especially if you’re not going to explain that the problem is the portrayal and not the inclusion itself.