SV and morality

[pep_singer]

This topic came up, and I was kinda curious as to how everyone else viewed it as well. My question is, when it comes to the morality of this show how do you, as a viewer, see it? Is it different than what you expected? And if so, how

Comments

[pep_singer]

//So to introduce these problems into his life as early as 14? Yeah, we were going to see a more nuanced, layered Clark Kent--and I wouldn't have it any other way. I don't want an emotionally retarded Clark that can't negotiate sticky ethical issues and can't empathize with people. //

ITA. And I think because Clark is so nuanced and layered, he would have to have a bit more depth than just a simplistic view of morality. It makes sense for this version of Clark Kent to see the gray areas in the world. Anything else would see totally inorganic, imo.

//For instance...that empathy he expressed toward Knox, a monster? That's Clark's most important gift.//

Yes, and it reminded me of how he comforted Rachel in "Lineage" after she realized Clark wasn't her son.

//The beauty of this story is that Clark has always had a choice--and he chooses to be selfless. If there was no choice, there'd be no gravity; if Superman was a foregone conclusion, this would be a joke. //

Well said. To me, for Clark to have gone through all of this stuff in his life, and yet he still chooses to become Superman and be selfless? That's amazing to me, and I think it speaks a lot for his character.

[juxtoppozed]

And really...I'm not even sure what "white" and "black" is supposed to be. Seriously, if Clark's routine crises are no where near "white" or "black" then how can we demand a simple, clear cut, fairy tale solution? I guess I just don't understand the basic idea, at all. Just in his personal life alone, he's had to deal with someone who was abused, cloned, etc by someone in their circle and decided to retaliate. What "black"/"white" way is there to deal with that? When Lex turned a soldier into an assassin and that soldier was going to deal a death blow to Clark (then probably kill Lois, and anyone else next on Lex's list), was Clark supposed to die rather than ward it off? People didn't like that situation but it was realistic, and I liked that smallville went there. There is no clean situation in that case, and it didn't pretend there was. It's just about making do, doing the best he can in a convoluted situation. Clark doing his very best and choosing the highest ground possible in a given situation is what makes him special. Most *heroes*, let alone normal people, would have let a menace like Lex die scores of times over from his own backfired plans; Clark refuses to do that no matter the consequences.

To me, for Clark to have gone through all of this stuff in his life, and yet he still chooses to become Superman and be selfless? That's amazing to me, and I think it speaks a lot for his character.

*nods* It's so strange to me that the show couldn't be more heavy handed about this, that this is the whole *point* of the show, and yet it's still lost on so many people. Right from the start, we saw that having abilities does not make heroism a foregone conclusion, Clark had to fight someone doing what the average person would do every week.

The funny thing is, we ALL have the capacity to the the equivalent of what Clark is going to decide to do, or even doing now, on a smaller scale. ALL of us. We all can do the moral equivalent, on our own human scale. (Give up our own self-centered ambitions, relationships, luxuries, etc and devote our lives *entirely* to the peace corp or any other comparable cause. How many of those people does one know?) The availability of the essential choice is *not* at all unique to Clark, it's there for *everyone* to make--it is Clark who is the unique factor here, willingly assuming that massive responsibility.

And when he makes that choice, it's not part time, it's not free hours at a soup kitchen, it's *his whole life*. He dedicates all of himself. I don't think the magnitude of his commitment (and the sacrifices inherent in that commitment) can be emphasized enough.

[pep_singer]

//There is no clean situation in that case, and it didn't pretend there was. It's just about making do, doing the best he can in a convoluted situation. Clark doing his very best and choosing the highest ground possible in a given situation is what makes him special. Most *heroes*, let alone normal people, would have let a menace like Lex die scores of times over from his own backfired plans; Clark refuses to do that no matter the consequences. //

Exactly, and I think this says a lot for his compassion.

//The availability of the essential choice is *not* at all unique to Clark, it's there for *everyone* to make--it is Clark who is the unique factor here, willingly assuming that massive responsibility. //

This is an *excellent* point. The chance of devoting your life to helping others isn't really a new concept. However, very few choose to do so, and that's what makes Clark's choice so epic, moving, and selfless.