Who else is up to his ears with the Farm Boy label?

[Eliseu Gouveia]

You.
Yes, you, Superman writer.
Lend me your ears, I have a diatribe in store for you:

I am SO sick and tired of the farm boy label Superman gets thrown at every five seconds I could hurl.
Enough already!
He grew up in a farm in Kansas. So what?
Does it means he´s less sharp than other metropolitan denizens who are in perfect tune with the plots and schemes of the big city, the hos, the junkies, the dealers, the corrupt cops and the mordorian ways of city hall?
NO!
Is the Superman mythos so paper thin that it has to fall back to the clash between city life VS country life every 3 seconds?

I grew up in the countryside.
I´ve lived in many-many small towns most of my childhood and teenage life.
Catching dragonflies to put in a jar, chasing sparrows with my red slingshot, the works.
And you know what?
People aren´t less sharp because they roamed the meadows in their youth instead of wasting their early days scouting the alleys for a mark.
People come from hillbillyland and make it quite well in the big city with the sole help of their witts ALL the time!
.
Superman is a man who grew in the countryside.
batman is a city boy.
Big deal!

We are talking about a CITIZEN OF THE WORLD!

A man who can be in London, New York or Warsaw in a blink of an eye.
Who´s lived in the streets of Apokolis.
Fought demons in Asgard for a 1,000 years.
Visited Oa.
Fought thanagarians!

Being raised in a farm shouldn´t be used as a writing tool to undermine every 5 seconds a character who´s supposed to be THE greatest icon in the DCU.

Being raised in a farm should just mean that he has a solid, warm background filled with happy childhood memories.impregnated by the scent of hay.
Period.

Now go back to your typewriter and write me a story about a alien god trying to be a man instead of a pretender, a man who´s actually just a little boy with a "S" (as in Sucker) painted in his chest.

[Syphre Zero]

Wow. A mighty diatribe, indeed.

While I don't disagree with you, I don't think the problem is so much with the label itself as it is with the connotation of said label. The term should evoke certain qualities in the mind of the reader, including (but certainly not limited to):

A strong moral center
Appreciation for the value of hard work
Strength of character in all situations (i.e. knowing when it's time to put Old Yeller down)
Close bonds with family and friends
A carefree but not irresponsible existence


The negative connotation of the term "farm boy" often comes from Batman, who frequently uses it to convey a degree of naivety and "aw, shucks" that he perceives in Clark. A real-world correlation could be found in the term "Red State" - in some parts of the East Coast, the use of that term in our current political climate amounts to little short of a swear word, as it is often used to imply irrational tenacity to old-school Republican ideals.

I proudly accept the label "farm boy," having grown up fourth-generation in a family farmhouse in a town of less than 900. (Western Maine is a beautiful place to grow up, I think more kids should try it.) What writers should bear in mind is presentation; if a character simply MUST use the term with a bad connotation, Superman's response should simply be to prove it wrong by acting like what it really means. No one can call you a bad name if you can make that name stand for something good.

[Dr. Drake Ramoray]

As another reader who grew up on a farm, I find that most people who resent or object to Clark being referred to as "Smallville" or his recollections on his rural upbringing simply see country folks as "hicks", and object to Superman seeing himself as a "country boy". Like his appreciation of his life with the Kents is an affront to city-dwellers or something.

[666MasterOfPuppets]

I feel ya people.

It is good that the "farm boy" part is used to praise the qualities Syphre Zero talks about.

But that's one thing, being the other the use of that term to say that he's stupid.

Superman is a god trying to live the life of mortals, trying to be among them. He's not a mortal trying to be a god. IMHO, he's Kal-El, an alien who was raised by a couple of caring human parents. That's a big part of him, yes, but his Kryptonian heritage can not be denied.

[Agentum]

I think this is more of a city people vs country people thing, as here in Sweden some city people may think it's only stupid people that wants to live outside the city and they use words as "farmer" as a swearword.

So no i'm not tired of Superman having a country bakground, it's what he is.

[TheTen-EyedMan]

As the late John Denver put it.

"And life ain't nothing but a funny, funny riddle, thank God I'm a country boy."

As much as I being from the wilds of Wagoner, Oklahoma, can be classed as a country boy.

[Eliseu Gouveia]

Yeah, I think it has to do with the way the expression is used, its connotation, the implied meaning that farm folk are "less worthy". Lless sharp. Stupid. Hicks..

Like the first time he met Wonder Woman and kissed her.
His next line was something like:
"-I´m just a farm boy, dating Wonder Woman would be too much for me."

What? The? Hell?

He´s not worthy of a demi-goddess because he´s "just a farm boy"?

[TheTen-EyedMan]

Yeah, I think it has to do with the way the expression is used, its connotation, the implied meaning that farm folk are "less worthy". Lless sharp. Stupid. Hicks..

Like the first time he met Wonder Woman and kissed her.
His next line was something like:
"-I´m just a farm boy, dating Wonder Woman would be too much for me."

What? The? Hell?

He´s not worthy of a demi-goddess because he´s "just a farm boy"?


Awful, awful story but some bitching art by George Perez and Mr Giordano.

http://vu.morrissey-solo.com/moz/perez/art/ww-superman1.gif

Man, those two guys can do that art shtick really well.

[666MasterOfPuppets]

Awful, awful story but some bitching art by George Perez and Mr Giordano.

http://vu.morrissey-solo.com/moz/perez/art/ww-superman1.gif

Man, those two guys can do that art shtick really well.

Is this Post-CoIE?

EDIT: Cool art.

[Eliseu Gouveia]

I just had THE greatest idea ever.
No, stick with me...

As I mentioned, IMHO Superman´s personality is all wrong, writers insist on teating him like a little farm boy lost in the big city.

Looking at old episodes of Smallville I think I found THE perfect Superman.
And he´s been there all along:
Jonathan Kent!
Think about it, he has everything!

He´s all country at heart, he´s all Man (as opposed to just a farm boy) with a solid personality, values, strenght of character, charisma, imposing figure.... THAT´S how Clark should have become when he grew up.

THAT´S who writers should look to next time they bring up the tired "farm boy" pun.

Now it´s only a matter of finding a writer able to translate that strong personality into Superman´s body........

[666MasterOfPuppets]

I just had THE greatest idea ever.
No, stick with me...

As I mentioned, IMHO Superman´s personality is all wrong, writers insist on teating him like a little farm boy lost in the big city.

Looking at old episodes of Smallville I think I found THE perfect Superman.
And he´s been there all along:
Jonathan Kent!
Think about it, he has everything!

He´s all country at heart, he´s all Man (as opposed to just a farm boy) with a solid personality, values, strenght of character, charisma, imposing figure.... THAT´S how Clark should have become when he grew up.

THAT´S who writers should look to next time they bring up the tired "farm boy" pun.

Now it´s only a matter of finding a writer able to translate that strong personality into Superman´s body........

I think that's been the idea all along. However, the writers forget it.

[TheTen-EyedMan]

Is this Post-CoIE?

EDIT: Cool art.

That be from Action Comics 600.

If I remember it's 1988.

So, yes, it is Post COIE.

But pre-ZH and I.C.

[666MasterOfPuppets]

That be from Action Comics 600.

If I remember it's 1988.

So, yes, it is Post COIE.

But pre-ZH and I.C.

Thanx for the info.

[TheTen-EyedMan]

Thanx for the info.

No problemo Mannequin.