Not so long ago, then Vice-President Joe Biden let a particular cat out of a particular bag. He was a big supporter of gay rights, especially marriage equality, which remained a politically taboo subject in the United states (even in the 21st century). It raised a few eyebrows because Biden’s boss and then President Barrack Obama claimed he was opposed to the idea. But not only was Biden confident that the Commander-In-Chief’s views had evolved, but so had the majority of America’s. The reason? He felt successful television shows like Will & Grace had shown that gay people weren’t alien monsters trying to sabotage civilization and had made the idea more palatable to America’s John and Jane Q.
President Obama would echo those sentiments shortly after and it wasn’t long before marriage equality became the law of the land in the home of the brave.
All because of popular entertainment.
You’d be forgiven if the past month or two have left you besieged. While already struggling with a global pandemic, we’ve had a violent, possibly transformative and definitely historic moment thrown at us following the murder of George Lloyd by Minneapolis police. And that says nothing of the inevitable fallout, igniting protests, riots, violent political rhetoric and tweets of military rule from the current President of the United States. Most of us have watched in fear and horror as previously unimaginable events unfolded with merciless speed.
A lot of the smoke has cleared and the noise has died down, but demonstrations are still filling America’s streets and the appetite for change remains strong. Odds are you’ve been asking yourself a lot of questions lately. Maybe you’ve been doing some soul searching as well, and possibly coming up empty on both fronts while fists are raised in defiance of the status quo and powerful hands are wrung in consternation.
And the one question you’ve probably been coming back to time and again is what can I do?
Outside some charitable causes you can support (difficult considering that many of us have lost some hefty income as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown) it’s a frustrating question with no easy answer. Plenty of us want to be good allies to the people crying out in pain and anger and are on the receiving end of more pain and suffering as a result. But other than offering money we likely don’t have, what can we do?
The answer to that question is sitting on the shelves of your local comic book store.
Diversity has become a four letter word in the entertainment world the past few years and Nerdom has been no exception. But having said that, comics have always been a barometer of social justice. Whether it was Captain America punching out Nazis or the X-Men’s obvious parallels to the civil rights movement to Superman being an allegory of the permanent outsider becoming the model citizen, comics have been at the forefront of social progress.
Star Trek has always pushed social boundaries, from the original series airing the first inter-racial kiss on North American television to Discovery recently featuring the franchise’s first openly gar couple. The list goes on.Â
And then there are some recent comic book movies, each responsible for moving a respective needle, if only a little.
Releasing Wonder Woman, Black Panther and Captain Marvel were of paramount importance. But just as great-just as pivotal-was their box office breaking success. In the case of Panther and Marvel, seeing them triumph despite enormous amounts of hate before, during and after their release was a welcome breath of liberating air. And Wonder Woman wasn’t merely a block buster, but a worldwide game changer that saw DC’s Amazon become the unofficial heroine for an entire movement to break the silence on the treatment of women and demand accountability for the men who freely preyed on them (looking at you Harvey Weinstein).Â
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve seen the positives of inclusivity and representation in entertainment. Yes, it is vital to have it everywhere else, from sports to politics to business, but entertainment has a power none of those have. It offers you a look at the reality beneath the biases and prejudices that are all too easy to accept. It offers a look at the human beings beneath the stereotypes and generalizations.
And smart entertainment offers all of that while pointing out how absurd the biases are.
Take Will and Grace, Joe Biden’s barometer for America’s shifting attitudes on gay rights. It offered us the traditional gay stereotype on steroids with the character of Jack while balancing the humanity of the equation with Will, a conflicted and often deeply lonely character trying to navigate a world that refused to accept him. The show offered both hilarity and humanity, comedy and tragedy, presenting both sides of the story during a time when many people only wanted to swallow the stereotype.
Stories bind human civilization. It’s why we still study Greek mythology and Beowulf. It’s why Saturday morning cartoons had such a powerful grip on an entire generation of children and why professional wrestling is still a thing. It’s even why conspiracy theories breed like rabbits during an age when the entirety of human knowledge is at the fingertips of anyone with a computer or a smartphone.Â
Stories can transform.
Both Marvel and DC have had varying success the last few years introducing diverse characters, and while they haven’t always stuck, both publishers have tried to make sure that these stories are told by equally diverse creators that share the same experience (Marvel in particular has learned this lesson the hard way-repeatedly). As such, the diversity of offerings have also lead to the diversity of creative voices we can all enjoy and learn from.
And by no means is it just the big two companies. Smaller, independent publishers have been pushing the diversity conversation for years and with creator owned books enjoying a bit of a renaissance, we’re seeing more and more publishers springing up around non traditional comic book offerings.
So what can you do? Pick up a copy of Ms. Marvel or Lumberjanes or Guts. Read up on the adventures of Miles Morales or check out DC’s reinvented Milestone imprint when it launches. Grab Christopher Priest’s Marvel Knights run on Black Panther if you can because it was nothing short of a masterpiece.Â
If you’re looking for something more grounded in reality, John Lewis published three graphic novels titled March chronicling his experiences in the Civil Rights movement alongside Dr. Martin Luther King. They offer an unflinching look at the movement’s objectives as well as the persecution it faced from all sides. And definitely check out the indie publishers that are changing the conversation and challenging the socially accepted norms.Â
Not just to get a taste of something outside your comfort zone, but to see, appreciate and respect the experiences of the people being generalized and even vilified.Â
You’ll discover the reality beneath the stereotypes and the soundbites. You’ll discover the fears and loves, but more importantly you may just discover the genuine humanity beneath the myth.
It may sound small, but it is a simple act of courage that can change a life. And change the world as a result. You’ll also be supporting small businesses along the way, and they can use all the help they can get these days as well.
Because while it’s important everyone has heroes that look like them, it’s equally important that we all know and value the stories each of us has to tell, the tales of our failures and triumphs and our humanity.
Despite the current relative quiet, there is likely going to be more fire and death and violence. Upheaval and suffering is the price the human race has always paid for change and progress. And there’s a very real chance that as a culture we won’t learn the lessons we need to from this period of strife. There’s a very good chance things will return to the status quo and we’ll be here again five years from now.
But maybe, just maybe, a few minds can be opened. Maybe a few can be changed and a little more empathy and compassion will find it’s way into the world. Perhaps a precious seed or two can be planted and the soil for change will become a little more fertile.Â
Or maybe these will be the days that will see us finally clear the next hurdle or two in our social growth. And learning can only grease those wheels. While many people who frequent sites like this are already ahead of this particular learning curve, we can’t discount that there is a generous portion who aren’t (we learned that from Comicsgate and Gamergate). Every portion of society has work to do. A lot.Â
Regardless, no harm can come from leaning outside our respective boxes. And this is one of those cases that victory may be found in the effort.
Image via www.nerdist.com
