Orson Scott Card's Superman Story Shelved After Homophobia Controversy 1174
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by
Soulskill
from the hits-you-in-the-childhood dept.
from the hits-you-in-the-childhood dept.
An anonymous reader writes "A controversy has been brewing in the comic community for the past month. Orson Scott Card, author of Ender's Game and its many sequels, was tapped to write a story for the new Adventures of Superman comic. The controversy arose because Card has become an outspoken opponent of gay marriage, going so far as to say giving it legal recognition could mark 'the end of democracy in America,' and suggesting 'traditional' married people will eventually have to overthrow the government. Many fans of the series objected, and some retailers decided they wouldn't stock the issue Card's story appears in. Now, the illustrator for Card's story, Chris Sprouse, has walked away from the project, saying he wasn't comfortable with the media surrounding the story. Because of that, Card's story is being replaced in the Adventures of Superman anthology. 'The news has inspired speculation about whether or not this could mean that DC will quietly kill off the controversial Card story entirely, with some suggesting that the story remaining un-illustrated gives the publisher an "out" to avoid any potential breach-of-contract legal response.' Personally, I'm not sure what to think about this. I enjoyed Ender's Game as a kid, and it tarnishes the experience a little to know that its authors can say such hateful things. On the other hand, Card seems to have kept his personal views out of his fiction, and it's unlikely DC would let him put those views into a Superman comic even if he wanted to. It's a free country; people are free to believe stupid things. On the third hand, he is actively advocating his views outside his fiction, and what better way is there for readers to fight back than organizing a boycott and voting with their wallets? What do you think, Slashdot?"
Re:I'm not even a fan, but (Score:5, Informative)
Re:I'm not even a fan, but (Score:5, Informative)
The interesting thing here is that the story Didn't push his agenda yet his story was still rejected. Does that not simply lend credence to his claim of "the end of democracy in America"?
You're conflating democracy with capitalism.
Re:I'm not even a fan, but (Score:5, Informative)
Card was a Mormon missionary in Brazil. His understanding of the Brazilian culture and Portuguese language is 100x that of most Americans, but probably rather limited, since he only lived there for a couple years and had limited contact outside the missionary life.
Also, give a little bit of slack ... Speaker takes place a couple thousand years in the future. The more accurate depiction of the Brazilian culture, the less believable it would probably be.
BTW, just to understand your perspective, are you Brazilian? Or at least from South America? If so, I thank you for the insight. Otherwise...
Re:I'm not even a fan, but (Score:5, Informative)
You said:
Yes it is. When the majority of voters reject something, and a Judge allows it, then the judge needs to removed from the bench, and sent to prison for breaking the law.
The Supreme Court said:
, 319 U.S. 624, 638 (1943).
He never said that. (Score:4, Informative)
Who wrote this garbage? OP should do a little bit of research before re-posting straw men.
"The controversy arose because Card has become an outspoken opponent of gay marriage, going so far as to say giving it legal recognition could mark 'the end of democracy in America,' and suggesting 'traditional' married people will eventually have to overthrow the government."
Card never really even came close to saying that giving gay marriage legal recognition could mark the end of democracy in America.
That quote came from an article he wrote back in 2008, shortly after the court in California disagreed with the law that the voters in California had passed. Gay marriage was a secondary issue. It was the fact that court was making new laws. Nobody believes that giving gay marriage recognition could mark the end of democracy in America. Least of all Card. However, letting the courts make new laws when the people have voted... that might.
Card also doesn't believe that traditional married people will eventually have to overthrow the government. Whoever wrote that press release was obviously trying to make him out as more of a nut case than he really is.
Frankly, it's obviously working. Nobody here even checked up on it. Slashdot, I'm disappointed.