#clark kent is jewish

[yourfavecharactersarejewish]

Today’s Jewish Character of the Day: Superman/Clark Kent/Kal-El from DC Comics!

Woman #1: “What a nice man!”

Woman #2: “Of course. He’s Jewish, you know!”

-bystander old ladies at Niagara Falls; Superman II (1980)

[frownyalfred]

there is something actually hilarious and sad about Bruce 1) knowing that Clark is completely invulnerable 2) knowing that punching him means he’ll probably break his hand 3) still deciding to just fucking deck him when he’s pissed. it keeps happening in canon — Bruce loses it, breaks some fingers, and Clark’s just standing there like ☹️ are u done yet

[jesncin]

Superman and Martian Manhunter celebrating Hanukkah together!! Okay I screamed to be given this prompt. This request was through the DC Gotcha for Gaza fan fundraiser! Check out their carrd for more info~

[richter-kale]

bruce: clark i’m seriously concerned. have i failed jason? does he not know what mistletoe is?

clark: [sweating profusely] i definitely knew there was mistletoe there. i knew that. before you said it just now

[starryaugust]

I feel like the wayne household is one of the houses that the sitting on the corner superstition holds the most

Bruce, already 60 and married: *sitting in the corner of the table*

Literally all of his kids in the same time: *gasps*

Dick: Bruce get out of there, don't you want to get married before you're 70?

Bruce's spouse: ...

Bruce: *signs* I'm already married Dick

Damian, literally 12: *sits in the corner*

Staph: Damian what are you doing there? Don't you want to get married before you're old and withery?

The entire table: ...

Clark, visiting: *sits in the corner*

Dick: *actually tackling him so he wouldn't sit there*

The entire table: ...

Jason: *sits in the corner for the first time since he came back*

Tim, sadly: I guess we won't be invited to any weddings soon...

Jason: ????????

[ednygmasbowlerhat]

Bruce Wayne is canonically Jewish and we don’t talk about this enough. Obviously the representation would be amazing and as a Jew i would love my favorite hero to be Jewish but also it would just add so much to the character. Just like cultural flavor and personality. And of course plot lines. Like just imagine the entire bat family getting together for Jewish holidays or like batman making torah or rabbinic references all the time. Like what if he’s giving one of the bat kids a lecture and is just like “that reminds me of this story I learned about hillel and shammai in hebrew school blah blah blah”.

Also this just makes so much sense because superheroes were created by Jews like Superman literally has the most Jewish story ever but aliens can’t be born Jews and the kents aren’t Jewish so he’s not canon Jewish so having bats as Jewish is just too iconic.

[fromchaostocosmos]

Superman wears his actual costume to synagogue for Purim with a little paper mask and the skin around the eyes being covered makes them recognize him as Clark.

everyone tells Clark his costume is amazing and that is it looks so realistic where did he get it and he tells them his mom made it.

[liam-zor-el]

every time someone says something like this i become stronger

[tonkysexist]

What’s the big deal with a Jewish man being cast as Superman? I’ll tell you!

The character was created by two Jewish men, which isn’t an uncommon origin for most classic characters. Comic books were seen as a lesser art form compared to other jobs in the arts, so the majority of creators at the time were Jewish. The creators of Superman wanted to go in to advertising initially, but struggled to find jobs in the industry (a post I’ve made about this here).

It’s incredibly important context that Superman was created by two Jewish men during World War II. There were many Americans who were ambivalent at best and actively supportive at worst of the Nazi party. Antisemitism was massively present in America at the time.

Superman is a positive Jewish symbol. Kal-El is a name derived from Hebrew. His story is easily read as a Moses allegory. Jewish folklore is written all over his origins— the strength of Samson and the protection of the Golem (specifically as portrayed in the Jewish made film The Golem according to one of his creators). If you think of his creators his story becomes that much richer. He feels the need to change his name to fit in, which was incredibly common for Jewish authors in the comic industry. He struggles with being partially assimilated, between two identities that can feel conflicting. His story is a reflection of the Jewish experience.

Comic books are Jewish-American art. They are fundamentally a reflection of our culture and history. Movie adaptations have a habit of never casting Jewish actors or erasing Jewish characters completely. Having a Jewish actor get to step in to the role of one of the most recognizable and iconic Jewish creations is incredibly precious to many (including me).

[koshercosplay]

clark kent as the nerdy soft-spoken yeshiva bochur whose chavrusa Levi Laner walks in on him taking off his shirt to reveal the superman logo underneath and subsequently helps him keep his alter ego a secret from the rest of the yeshiva

is this anything

[evilwickedme]

Anyway since Tom Taylor's on Twitter saying superman shouldn't be violent after he had Jon hug a fascist dictator and say that Superman shouldn't help fix the world,

This is your reminder that Superman was created by Jewish immigrants and has ALWAYS been meant to stand up for the oppressed, has ALWAYS fought against injustice, and more importantly, has ALWAYS PUNCHED FASCISTS, and if you call that "violence" you shouldn't be working in comics - again, a medium created by Jews. All your faves fought Nazis, deal with it

[frownyalfred]

RIP Martha Wayne. As a Jewish mother you would have loved having Clark as a son in law because he’s never more than two seconds away, is always willing to help out around the house, and has 0 excuses for not visiting.

[nightwings-puphood]

"have you noticed how often [clark] goes out for bagels" no that's not suspicious jews are just like that

[nat-20s]

Favorite thing about Clark Kent, or alternatively, favorite Superman comic?

Favorite thing about Clark Kent can really be summed up with this comic page:

Like I know the joke is that People like Superman because he's nice but like. That so is the appeal to me is that Clark Kent possesses an unwavering, unflinching kindness and care for everyone. He believes, fundamentally, in the ability for people to grow, and change, and be better, even we he thinks an individual currently sucks ass. In his ideal world, people like Lex Luthor aren't taken down. They aren't defeated, they aren't killed, they're striving to be more. To give up the constant struggle for wealth and power in favor for struggling to help. To use their status and their riches and change the system they so long benefited from into something that makes it so everyone can live.

And the thing is, Clark Kent does this from such a fundamentally human place. He has love and kindness and is proud of you, not from the perspective of a god, but from the perspective of a guy who listened to his parents on how to be good. AND he's flawed! He can be bitchy and frustrated and petty and angry just like anyone AND he still guided by a fundamental principle of kindness. Not because he's immune to bad actions, not because of his powers, not because he can sit on a throne above the little people, but because he loves us, he loves people, he loves his friends and his family and strangers on the street and his enemies, even if they don't love him back.

(Side tangent: this is why i can't stand a cynical, bitter, borderline villain Superman. OR a boring personalityless Superman. Both of them miss the point of his character, that his humanity and complexity and moments of weakness and goodness are not all separate, disparate characteristics, but in fact all one in the same. [double side tangent: i should get to fight zack snyder in a denny's parking lot.)

I also like that he's funney sometimes.

Favorite Superman Comics:

Hmm. Well I'm far from super well versed in Superman comics, I know him overall from other media better, BUT I can recommend:

Superman: Birthright by Mark Waid

Superman VS The Klan by Gene Luen Yang

Superman: For All Seasons by Jeph Loeb

and especially people that want to get more to the core of the character without being bogged down with a shit ton of lore

Superman: Red & Blue by various authors.

(I've also been enjoying the Superman/Batman series by Mark Waid. Dude knows what I want in a comic lol)

[fruitlicense]

I’m watching Superman: The Animated Series and I love that some of the Kryptonian alphabet is just Hebrew! Not all of it - I suspect some of it is pulled from other alphabets and some of it is just shapes - but I mean. compare it to Hebrew print and cursive script and it starts looking like a pretty cool nod to Superman’s Jewish origins