As you know, this week, Yasemin and I are going to talk about the text "A Critique of Colorblindness". We know that you are as exciting as we are! That's why, I found this interesting video while I was searching some comic-related information. I think, you all know the Captain America, right? Chris Evans? For those of you who does not know, he is a fictional super-patriotic superhero from Timely Comics, later on known as Marvel Comics. He is the representer of the USA, especially during WWII, the Cold War, Watergate Scandal, 9/11, etc. I mean he is and probably will be around whenever America needs him to be to remind them how to become a single united nation, to show them how to fight agains the outside and inside enemies and to give them hope. He is 'the America'. Take this picture:
Can you guess who is the Captain?
Let's go back to our main subject: Colorblindness.
Joe Quesada, the Chief Creative Officer of Marvel Comics, introduces the "All-New Captain America" on The Colbert Report. According to Joe, the new Captain is going to be the Falcon who is the first African American superhero in American Comics.
The video can be reached from this link: http://thecolbertreport.cc.com/videos/1flr4c/filling-captain-america-s-shoes---joe-quesada (Sorry I could not find the youtube link but here you can watch it free and online too) (You can skip the first three minutes)
When Colbert hears the news, he satirically says "If there is one bird associated with America it is the 'falcon'" then asks “Doesn’t that make him Captain African-American?” When I heard the news about Falcom, I also asked myself how can an African American be this amazing, patriotic, superhero Captain America. I mean he is the role model for the whole nation. For me, it is okay. The Falcon is also a really patriotic, powerful and clever man yet I'm more concern about the American society and how will they accept him. Of course, we have to wait till it is published but I really wonder your opinions on this.
The answer which is given by Joe is "I don't see colors" Well, now this is a perfect example of colorblindness. As you may also realize, he is the only person who doesn't laugh after Colbert's question. I loved it till I hear "Strictly in the comics..." sentence. I'm sorry but it sounds a little wrong, especially the word, 'strictly'. The first thing comes my mind was that "dude, you did not have to emphasize that!" What do you think? Am I over reacting?
The last quotation is the last sentence of Colbert on the new Captain: “Why did the Falcon cross the road? For justice, motherfucker.” (Can it be more stereotypic than this?)
By the way, the photo of the All-New Captain America is here:
Okay that was all, I know it was a little long and it is not even our main blog post. However, I hope you enjoy it!!
I will be waiting for your replies..
-Ezgi ULUSOY
If Marvel makes this change to put emphasis on colour-blindness then I can say that I really appreciate what these guys are doing but sometimes I am a little bit dubious about media's purpose. If I did not get it wrong, the new Captain America will be in comics but what about in movies? When I first read the news, I imagined that we will see the new CA only in comic books and in Marvel movies there will still be the same type of white actor performing the CA (I wonder about the movie as I do not read the comics and that is why the first thing that comes to my mind is "So what about the movie?). I guess most of Marvel's fans will react on this change because people like those characters on their own ways. And I also think that if Marvel wants to be PC then they should have created a new character to show that "they do not see colours." as they say (At least I would prefer to see a new character). Can't wait to see people's reactions.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this.
-Tansu Özakman
"I don't see colors"--the classic colorblind statement! Thanks for sharing this relevant piece from pop culture to show us how colorblind ideology isn't just a problem for politicians or errant individuals, but is found throughout everyday life and culture....
ReplyDelete-Jennifer