Why Lois Lane will NEVER be good enough for Superman.
x-posted from myspace
Aight, I'm gonna try not to give away the movie.
I just saw Superman Returns, and as a life-long Superman lover, I have to say that while there were moments that I wasn't overly impressed, on the whole, the movie was freakin' fantastic. And it brought me to some conclusions that I can list here, and then I can write more about the movie when more people have seen it so that I'm not spoiling the end.
1. Apparently, "I couldn't say anything because it would hurt too much" is never a good excuse, even if you're Superman.
2. Fuzzy little dogs will eat each other if left alone for too long. Kinda creepy to see the predator come out in little Fluffy.
3. Henry Kissinger said it best: "Superstars strive for approbation; heroes walk alone. Superstars crave consensus; heroes define themselves by the judgment of a future they see it as their task to bring about..." In the end, it's you and the world. A hero doesn't let loneliness stop him from being a hero.
4. Okay, now to my main point. Lois Lane. People will always see Lois Lane as the love of Superman's life. And why shouldn't she be? In every depiction, she's intrepid and undaunted, she's beautiful and ambitious and independent. Perfect, right?
Maybe not.
Lois Lane is in love with Superman, sure. She even says it in the movie: "He's Superman. Everyone is in love with him." It's the mystery, the cape, the big strong muscles, the fact that all of America looks up to this man who stands for truth and justice. The dude can fly. Bullets bounce off him, which is really kinda HOT. And he wants HER. And why wouldn't that be intoxicating?
But Clark Kent? That guy doesn't stand a chance. He's hardworking and honest and, while a little dorky, still obviously a really good guy. And let's be realistic... it's not like you can hide Superman's physique under some glasses and a suit. Tell me, REALLY, that these people never wondered (they touched on that in the movie too). I have to say I like Smallville's version of the Lois and Clark relationship a lot more than the movie versions. At least they have witty banter and something of a love/hate relationship.
Lois is a superstar. She craves approbation. She does what it takes to be on top. And while we see her go all weak-in-the-knees when Superman is around, still, Clark gets the big blowoff. And maybe you can separate the two in your head, but I can't.
Maybe Lois and Superman are the same type of person. I think it's a possibility in some ways. Bravery is inborn. Both of them would charge headlong into danger... but for different reasons. Both of them are strong and smart and good... but their focuses are different.
Sadly, Superman doesn't need a Lois Lane. Eventually his self-sacrificing nature will always get his heart broken. There may be a lot of wonderful things about Lois Lane, but she will never be able to understand the Clark Kent in Superman. She wants the man of steel, but still there's a part of him that is the stuttering, stumbling reporter that even Jimmy laughs at sometimes. It makes him no less of a hero -- arguably it makes him more of one -- but she would unearth it one day and it would tarnish the golden image she had made in her head. You go to bed with Superman, and wake up with Clark Kent.
Meanwhile, Superman loved Lois whether he was Superman or Clark. For better or for worse. He could have had any woman in the world based on all the things she loved him for, but she was the one he loved as nerdy Clark, and Superman loved her too. There was never a hint of "I can do better than this" in Superman when he was with Lois. He was ready to give everything to be her hero, even if she was the dumbass charging face first into some new stupidity that could end the world.
I think Lois makes Superman mediocre. The fact that he can't be all of what he is in front of her for fear of losing her makes him only half a man... be he the Man of Steel or not. I've been wracking my brain to figure out a character to use as an example of a perfect match for him... and honestly I have to go back to the world of Buffy. You might remember when Angel and Cordelia were falling in love, blah, blah... anyway, toward the end of the series they were talking about true love, and Angel says, "Why can't people like us have that?" to which Cordelia replies, "Angel, there ARE no people like us."
She was a champion, but he was her leader. She was headstrong, but she took orders. At the end of her time on the series, she saw Angel for the hero, the savior, the dork, the champion searching for atonement.... all of it made up who he was to her.
That's what Superman needs. He doesn't need the chick who runs to the front of the conflict. He needs the one who can hold her own in the midst of the fray if need be, but who can also back his play. The one who doesn't always need to be rescued because of her own stupidity. The heroine, not the headstrong damsel in distress AGAIN. The one who makes a difference too, without ever feeding off the fact that he's Superman. He needs the girl that loves him, not the cape.
But will there ever be a love like that for Superman? Nah. Heroes are destined to love people who drag them down. It's the nature of the beast. As Thoreau said, "A hero's love is as delicate as a maiden's." And it's true. The quality that allows Superman to want to save the world and stand for what's right is the SAME quality that makes Clark Kent bumble from behind those thick glasses, and it's what makes both men love a woman with the qualities of bravery and independence and fearlessness no matter what her foibles... and it's the reason she can be their downfall.
But it wouldn't be a good story if he wasn't heartsick, would it? If even Superman can get his heart broken, then I don't feel like such a loser, how about you? That guy can deflect bullets... I guess I don't need to play so tough all the time.
Anyway, if you haven't seen it yet, GO STRAIGHT TO THE NEAREST MOVIE THEATRE. DO NOT PASS GO, DO NOT COLLECT $200.