A more believable way to explain people's failure to recognize Clark as Superman?

[Buried Alien]

Over the years, much has been made of the fact that no one in Superman's fictional world recognizes Clark Kent to be Superman, and vice-versa. The typical criticism is that somehow, a pair of glasses is enough to cause everyone to fail to see that Clark and Superman look alike.

The thing is, it's not really all that unusual in the real world for two completely unrelated people to look very similar to each other, to the point that one could easily be mistaken for the other: consider the examples of actors Lee Marvin and James Coburn, or more recently, Tobey MacGuire and Jake Glyllenhall.

Instead of contriving ways of having people fail to see the similarity between Clark and Superman, why don't any writers simply play up the point that people *do* see the similarity between them, but because they are such different personalities, nobody actually gives any serious thought to the possibility that they're the same person? Imagine if, for example, there's a running joke between Jimmy Olsen and Clark that Clark looks like Superman, and they always laugh it off casually as ridiculous. That would be more plausible than nobody seeing the similarity at all. It's not that Clark should conspicuously draw comparisons between himself and Superman, but that people should occasionally notice the similarity, and when they do, Clark dismisses it so lightly and casually that no one gives it a second thought.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Esoteric J]

[Mr. Holmes]

Also, people assume Superman is just Superman, and don't have reason to believe he has a civilian, secret identity.

[fred10]

I think that does happen. Just off the top of my head... Didn't something like that happen in "Superman Returns"? And in "All-star Superman" Lex comments on Clark's "Superman Swoop".

[Buried Alien]

Also, people assume Superman is just Superman, and don't have reason to believe he has a civilian, secret identity.

Yep, but the more Clark tries to hide it, the more he draws attention to it. So Clark should be able to tolerate the occasional "you look like Superman" remark and reacting in a way that doesn't make him look like he's trying to hide something. The problem in the past is when somebody is on the verge of noting the similarity between Clark and Superman, Clark does something nervous and desperate as if he's trying to hide something (e.g. when Lois noted the similarity in SUPERMAN II during the Niagara Falls interlude). I think that instead of trying to divert attention away from it, Clark should just run with it...which would be more convincing because he wouldn't be behaving as if he has something to hide.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Jake V]

Get your "believable" nonsense the hell out of my Superman comics.

[The Batman]

I think that does happen. Just off the top of my head... Didn't something like that happen in "Superman Returns"? And in "All-star Superman" Lex comments on Clark's "Superman Swoop".

I liked that in Superman Returns while all the adults were too busy laughing at goofy Clark Kent to see through the disguise it's a kid that is able to get it right away.

[Slaughter]

I liked that in Superman Returns while all the adults were too busy laughing at goofy Clark Kent to see through the disguise it's a kid that is able to get it right away.

Yes, I remember that part.
I think sometimes children have a uncanny hability to make straight conclusions that we teens or adults don't share because we're so jaded and used to not judging a book by its cover, even though sometimes THE COVER TELLS YOU ALL ABOUT THE BOOK! A child doesn't have such hindrances.

[Kyer]

Actually, someone should give Clark a Superman suit as a Halloween gag. He can then good-naturedly try the thing on with many a blush and stammer...naturally it doesn't fit because he slouches in all the right ways and...well, Halloween costumes are nowhere near the level of quality of Kryptonian goods. He looks ridiculous and they all have a good laugh.

Then some rotten kid comes in and does a The Emperor's Cloth's imitation, blowing it all to heck and Big Blue is forced to hide out with Batman in the Batcave where he becomes all dark and bitter and...hey, a new Superman movie!

I actually liked the glasses schtick. Then again, I'm kind of mourning the loss of the red briefs. Okay, not really; but that new costume needs some pizzazz other than the giant advertisement logo on his chest.

[RohanRiderX]

Actually, someone should give Clark a Superman suit as a Halloween gag. He can then good-naturedly try the thing on with many a blush and stammer...naturally it doesn't fit because he slouches in all the right ways and...well, Halloween costumes are nowhere near the level of quality of Kryptonian goods. He looks ridiculous and they all have a good laugh.

Then some rotten kid comes in and does a The Emperor's Cloth's imitation, blowing it all to heck and Big Blue is forced to hide out with Batman in the Batcave where he becomes all dark and bitter and...hey, a new Superman movie!

I actually liked the glasses schtick. Then again, I'm kind of mourning the loss of the red briefs. Okay, not really; but that new costume needs some pizzazz other than the giant advertisement logo on his chest.

I think it would look better if the belt was thicker and yellow

[sethysquare]

Yep, but the more Clark tries to hide it, the more he draws attention to it. So Clark should be able to tolerate the occasional "you look like Superman" remark and reacting in a way that doesn't make him look like he's trying to hide something. The problem in the past is when somebody is on the verge of noting the similarity between Clark and Superman, Clark does something nervous and desperate as if he's trying to hide something (e.g. when Lois noted the similarity in SUPERMAN II during the Niagara Falls interlude). I think that instead of trying to divert attention away from it, Clark should just run with it...which would be more convincing because he wouldn't be behaving as if he has something to hide.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

I somehow remember it being done before, like in all star superman and superman returns.
One thing I'm always puzzled about Superman comics. I wish writers would really go deep and tell us why people cant differentiate them. I do know from smallville that clark had to learn how to be clark, he had to act nervous, stutter a little, always flip over stuff and knock into people, slouch and avoid eye contact. While in Smallville, its more realistic cos people can't see who "the blur" is.
But when he eventually shows himself, he had to learn to be clark. Which I thought was really cool.

[marshal99]

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ClarkKenting

[Tar22]

Also, people assume Superman is just Superman, and don't have reason to believe he has a civilian, secret identity.

This is the big one that writers and readers tend to forget.

Everybody in the world knows Superman's real name is Kal-El, he's from Krypton, and he lives at the North Pole. And most importantly-- he doesn't wear a mask. Nobody would ever assume he's got a secret identity, because there's no reason for him to have one (other than personal reasons-- another example of why Morrison just gets the character of Superman, as we find from a great line at the end of All Star Superman #10)

Lex Luthor is often characterized as not being able to comprehend that a godlike being like Superman would ever "pretend" to be human, but I think it's also important to remember that the general public believes the same thing (although perhaps with less personal pride on the line).

Thing is, because in our world the "secret identity" thing has become a trope of the superhero genre, we often believe that those same tropes are known to the fictional world in which they occur, and that's just not the case (If it were, then every film noir P.I. who sees a pretty dame in a red dress walk in his door late at night would immediately send her on her way, because he'd know she's nothin' but trouble! )

Yep, but the more Clark tries to hide it, the more he draws attention to it. So Clark should be able to tolerate the occasional "you look like Superman" remark and reacting in a way that doesn't make him look like he's trying to hide something. The problem in the past is when somebody is on the verge of noting the similarity between Clark and Superman, Clark does something nervous and desperate as if he's trying to hide something (e.g. when Lois noted the similarity in SUPERMAN II during the Niagara Falls interlude). I think that instead of trying to divert attention away from it, Clark should just run with it...which would be more convincing because he wouldn't be behaving as if he has something to hide.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

I agree; I'd like to see this sort of angle played up more. It's clever.

[Mr. Holmes]

Actually, someone should give Clark a Superman suit as a Halloween gag. He can then good-naturedly try the thing on with many a blush and stammer...naturally it doesn't fit because he slouches in all the right ways and...well, Halloween costumes are nowhere near the level of quality of Kryptonian goods. He looks ridiculous and they all have a good laugh.

Hahaha I love this idea.

[Captain Smith]

Just let it go. Any rational world would discover the identity in a flash (huh?). So it's just the way it is.

Yeah, I look like Richard Dryfuss but I ain't. People tell me that and some idiot thought I was. But if there was some incentive to prove I was Richard in disguise, it could be determined really quickly.

I just go with suspension of disbelief. You might do the old tricks in the 50's but modern tech makes that impossible.