[net.religion.jewish] A Last Note on Ethnic Groups

martillo@ihuxt.UUCP (Yehoyaqim Shemtob Martillo) (04/29/84)

Original Article:

>This is my first message on the net, so pardon any mistakes and such....
  
>just a closing note on what i hope will be the end of a subject that has 
>taken up much too much time and much too much work for its merit....
>i agree with moriarity... i wouldn't go as far as to say that they are
>ONLY comic books, for at brief shining moments in the medium, they have
>actually been worthy of the term art... everyone who has read a great number
>of comic books will tell you that there are some that do make an impact and
>do have something to say... as has been said, over the past 10 years, the
>main audience of comic books has shifted from kids to teenagers and adults,
>and that has brought with it a maturing of the genre to some extent... hence
>the creation of the terms "graphic novel" and "graphic storytelling".
>this has taken place in the major companies to some extent, and in certain
>independants that we all laud for their quality...
>   but my main point is this: comics tend either to be sheer escapism,
>vaccuous and stupid, or they try in their own way to make a point...
>usually about human character, the heroic nature, or some political point...
>both of these intents really have nothing to do with the portrayal of
>individual ethnic groups.  Whatever the intent of the comic, i have never 
>seen one that intentionally targets any ethnic group for either praise
>or derision... the recent CAP is an exception.  The issues in comics either
>tend to transcend the petty squabbling about ethnic groups that have
>plagued the net for weeks, or they fall well below that level... few comics
>ever deal with ethnic issues, nor should anyone say they have to...
>i haven't read the newest MoonKnight, but i have heard it's good... that they
>chose to deal with an ethnic question there is their choice...
>     I have never found the non-emphasis of ethnic groups in comics to be
>offensive.  Indeed, by ignoring ethnic and racial issues all together, they
>appeal to a broader spectrum of people...  anyone who wants to gripe about
>the fact that their ethnic group doesn't have proper prominence in comic
>books should just go off and make their own comic and see how they do...
>this issue has gotten much more press than it deserves, and i hope that we
>can all let it go....


My reply:

I would also like to see a lot less emphasis of ethnic groups in Marvel.

I am sorry if I did not make this clear.

Marvel has had Jewish story lines in CAP, X-Men, TOD, Hulk, Invaders,
Moonknight, Spider-Man, 1 Dominic Fortune story in MTU (or MTIO  I
have forgotten which), Supervillian Team-Up, What If, and who knows what.

DC in comparison has had apparently 1 Jewish story.  (I do not read it
because I do not get complaints on it).

* I am very tired of a stories where the only purpose of the Jews in it is
to be persecuted by Nazis (as in the current CAP so far). *

I also do not mind the presence of assimilated Jews.  I do mind stories
where being assimilated is presented as preferable, noble, natural or
courageous in comparison to maintaining tradition.  (Since historically
the USA has aimed at assimilation of diverse peoples, the USA unlike many
nations has a strong assimilationist society.  Certainly, maintaining
tradition here takes a lot more courage, than accepting the majority
culture.)

If being assimilated is preferable, noble or natural, then maintaining
tradition is undesirable, ignoble or unnatural.  Then perhaps traditional
people are undesirable, ignoble or unnatural.  The West has never been
terribly forgiving toward people who are considered undesirable, ignoble
or unnatural. Since Americans tend to believe that deep down everyone
believes in truth, justice and the American way, and are severely shocked
when they find other peoples are different, Many peoples (not just Jews)
can be and have been found undesirable, ignoble or unnatural.  The
treatment of these peoples historically in the USA and in the West in
general has not been good.

For this reason, I find Marvel's presentation slightly dangerous and would
be much happier if Marvel cooled it on Jews for a while.

Afterword:

Before I receive multitudes of flames, I am not saying that being
assimilated should be presented as undesirable, ignoble, unnatural, or
cowardly.  I would prefer that the issue never arose, or that if it does,
Marvel writers would be far more neutral.

By the way I consider the original article quite well written.  It has a
lot saner tone than many of the articles written on the issue (including
some of my own).