#supergirl sdcc 2017 controversy

[bigbrotherw]

Supergirl: A “Supercorp” story arc can be possible and well-executed.

With the recent news regarding the backlash on Jeremy Jordan’s attempt to exercise humor on the premise of the “Supercorp” fandom, the backlash from many of the fans of the show have been greatly angered over this. For those who may not know the controversy, watch the video below from Sarah, who is one half of the dynamic duo, Princess and the Scrivener.

For those who cannot view the video, here is the breakdown of what happened:

Jeremy Jordan, who plays Winn Schott on the show and serves as the tech geek, initiated the musical number summarizing the overall story of season 2, and it started off with “Supercorp won’t happen, and will never happen.” The backlash was rather swift and many from all walks of social media have shown great disappointment due to this very thing. The damage have already been done and many of the fans have either dropped their support for the show altogether, or will show less of an interest of the show, in the form of a BlackOut and not discuss anything Supergirl related. 

I have already posted my thoughts, but I have since look back on my reaction, and while I cannot relate, as a cis straight male, I can, however, look at it the same way how there was a fanbase that showed some disdain over the removal of the pairing of James and Kara, in favor of the generic character development of Mon-El, who generally fit the “Dudebro” mentality and have been the love interest, especially since the writers planned for James and Kara to be a pair for the series. Whether it was due to the “CW formula spell” or the racist responses, it is still a disappointment, so I do feel for the LGBTIAQ community when Jeremy dismissed the prospects of a possible “Supercorp” relationship in a rather not so well executed comical way. Representation does matter and I think there has to be some solidarity in that regard.

As for the relationship between Lena and Kara, they are definitely friends or close friends rather, so you can clearly see that there is a connection of kinship, where they definitely confide to each other. Where Cat Grant basically helped Kara evolve, both as Kara and as Supergirl, in a boss/mother fashion, Lena serves more of the yin and yang, where her intelligence and skills in technology is much closer to the bonds that Clark and Lex had on Smallville. So, there could be a parallel, though it would likely lead to Lena Luthor becoming a villain of sorts and the main villain for the series, as opposed to being a lover. To be honest, looking at a lot of the GIF edits of the scenes with their own screen captions, a lot of fans write the characters like it is a 90s softcore erotica, than a drama themed television series about two leading ladies in love with each other. That or pretty bad fan fiction often that winds up taking a lot of focus away from the love connection they could potentially have.

“But...what about them being in a relationship? Can this happen?”

Going back to my original point, the likelihood of them exploring that story will be impossible for continuity reasons and the prospects of them becoming lovers are very much next to nil, since that aspect doesn’t not really exist, no matter how much anyone is willing to say otherwise. However, it is not impossible.

Why?

The show is connected to the major Arrowverse, where Arrow spearheaded that universe altogether, despite Supergirl existing on an alternate Earth. However, the crossovers are plentiful, and alternate realities can be possible, especially with the science fiction bent on these shows, along with supernatural elements. With this, it is possible for the show to have a mini arc, where Supergirl might have flew fast enough to travel to an alternate reality in time, or perhaps done by a device, where she is in a different National City and she winds up seeing herself, albeit a bit older (and perhaps bustier) in the familiar Power Girl outfit, and she winds up seeing her and Lena together, holding hands, wife and wife (girlfriend/girlfriend if you prefer that), kissing one another, and the response initially would be awkward, seeing that she is not into girls, nor ever had any thoughts in it. While this is going on, there could be an event where she will wind up facing something that will likely challenge her ability to become a stronger self, all the while trying to find out who she is, and what is this revelation. The other idea is that she is mistaken for that Earth’s Supergirl (or Power Girl) and it would likely cause a lot more unusual story elements that could lead to her trying to find a way back, while trying to figure out the personal relationship between the two characters.

Creating a mini-arc like this is a great way to introduce the idea for the following reasons:

It allows viewers to see an alternate reality “Berlanti Elseworld” story, exploring many “What Ifs” and one of them could be about bringing a fan fiction to life, especially if the story is well-written and serve a purpose to bringing in a greater character dynamic one this arc is over.

The writers could freely explore this idea without having to sacrifice story elements in the world they are building upon, and could give more flexibility for more story arcs in the future, especially if the reception is positive.

It will provide a measure for a possible spin-off series, if the pairing has enough positive feedback to start that series, and thus secure the possibility of a “Supercorp” or “Powercorp” story that could expand the Supergirl universe altogether.

I am pleased with the second season of Supergirl, overall, and I’ll be looking forward to the third season and see how Reign can greatly serve as a major threat for Supergirl, and not just another character working from behind. Reign is a powerful villain and should not be taken lightly, and with this, Supergirl’s adventures to continue to grow into the Woman of Tomorrow, and into the True Supergirl, who can pull off feats similar to that of her cousin. The fans have every right to express hatred, since the feminist identity has been downplayed greatly in the second season, but there is hope that they can learn from this mistake and make the third season more of a return of what made people drawn to the show in the first place.

More so, the LGBTIAQ+ community have been one of the biggest driving forces for the series, and I really hope you all can give the show another go, even if one of the cast members did something very incredulous. Perhaps pitching this idea could serve as a great starting point for what may come and bring the series into light. October is a long way, away from now, but the voices shall never go silent.

[theatre-nerds-unite]

Rant Time

I may lose followers for this and I don’t care cause these are my own opinions, but keep in mind these are just my thoughts and observations after the shit storm that was created regarding the Supergirl cast at the SDCC 2017.

I woke up Sunday morning (Australian time) to see nothing but a hateful shit storm towards Jeremy Jordan, Melissa Benoist, Mechad Brooks and Chris Wood from Supergirl. Without full context and only hearing people complaining about what was said and done I initially felt disappointed and let down by a cast of a show that meant a lot to me after the whole Sanvers storyline. This is where I point out I am a young lesbian woman who is still very insecure about myself and sexuality, so seeing this positive story between Alex and Maggie validated me and made me feel less shit about my being gay, so to say the show is important to me is an understatement.

Then, being curious and aware that I could be hurting myself even more, I watched the interviews for myself and was able to come to my own conclusion. I felt like a whole lot of what had been said was blown out of proportion and some things taken out of context to make the cast seem lesphobic and mocking their LBGT+ fan base and Supercorp shippers.

I feel like people are ignoring the fact that Jeremy was saying “they’re only friends” in regards to the storyline that actually happened in Season 2. Not once did I hear him, or the other cast members in question, directly shut down the community or Supercorp shippers. A lot of it was them being silly and having fun, hence the laughing and dancing along. I don’t believe it was meant to be malicious deliberately.

In saying that, I don’t agree with what the cast actually said and how they went about it. They could have been nicer about it.

In regards to Jeremy saying he debunked Supercorp and Melissa’s response of “that was brave”, I took her to mean that Jeremy was brave to say something controversial in a fandom so big and he should be prepared for backlash.

Now, I think people should stop and think for a moment at the fact that Jeremy apologised in the interview when he realised what he’d said about Supercorp, sure it was brief, but it was there. Or the fact that he apologised on social media and people immediately shut him down and said he didn’t mean it. He’s only human. He realised he made a mistake and apologised. Why can’t people accept that and move on?

Now, it may sound like I’m defending their actions, but please keep in mind this is just what I’ve observed. The fact that comments were made by the cast is hurtful and disappointing as some one personally part of the LGBT+ fanbase for Supergirl.

Another fact i wish to rant about is people complaining that Sanvers wasn’t going to get enough representation at Comic Con because Chyler Leigh and Floriana Lima couldn’t make it. Now we know for a fact that Chyler was going to go until recently, when she told us that her husband’s father’s memorial service was on the Friday evening and she needed to be with her family during that difficult time. Fair enough. Leave the poor woman alone, she’s going through enough. As for Floriana, I know she’s gotten a lot of hate since she was cast and it even got to the point that she was bullied off social media. Perhaps she thought it wouldn’t be worth going due to the hate. That’s just me speculating though.

Really, the point of this rant is that a lot of what was said had been taken out of context and twisted to make it sound like the cast was nasty, and it made me feel like shit until I actually saw everything for myself. I feel like a lot of this shit storm is from people overreacting and wanting an excuse to fight or call people out for the slightest homophobic thing. I feel like everything was blown up to be larger and more malicious than it actually was.

Again, these are just my personal thoughts and observations. I can absolutely understand why people are mad and upset with the cast, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying people aren’t entitled to their opinions about it all, and I'm not going to shut anyone down for their thoughts. I hope you can show me the same courtesy with this post.

While I’m not as mad as some other people on Tumblr, I’m certainly not saying the certain members of the Supergirl cast are able to have a free pass. But enough with the “you can choke” collage of the cast. That’s a bit much.

Rant over. I love you all and hope you have a lovely day.

[thegeekiary]

Controversy followed the cast of Supergirl at SDCC 2017. Despite a drama-free press room and a fairly charming panel, a now infamous video soured fans on the show and its cast (except Katie).

READ MORE:  Supergirl at SDCC 2017: Controversy Mars the Weekend

[populse]

San Diego Comic-Con 2017: Info for Pop Organizers

It’s that time of year again: San Diego Comic Con is back, and for the rest of the week Twitter will be abuzz with discussion about comics (of course!), the geekiest fall TV and the year’s next superhero/sci-fi film releases and casting news. There’s also valuable panels and discussions about diversity and inclusion issues in pop culture and fan communities.

What pop organizers can do

It’s worth it for pop organizers to keep track of online discussion and comment when appropriate with a Tweet or relevant .gif, celebrating a casting announcement (ala Doctor Who) or a trending quote or comment.

Check out the following Twitter feeds and websites over the weekend (or stream selected panels in real time via Twitter and geek website IGN) and on Monday. Identify and follow the the topics/fans/influencers who are reporting from the event:

https://twitter.com/Comic_Con (Official Twitter)https://twitter.com/SD_Comic_Con (Unofficial Twitter)comic-con.org (Official Website)http://sdccblog.com/  (Unofficial Blog)https://www.instagram.com/comic_con/ Official Instagramhttp://sdcctips.tumblr.com/ (Fan Tumblr )#SDCC2017 #SDCC (Hashtag)

Read last year’s San Diego Comic Con Primer for Pop Organizers for more background on SDCC

Read Cultural Pulse’s five top posts on generating pop-fueled conversation via social media

Panels to Watch For:

THURSDAY, JULY 20TH

Code Switch: Diversity Behind the Scenes (10AM PT)

Official description: Jimmy Diggs (writer, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Voyager) and Gigi Edgley (Chiana on Farscape) lead a diverse panel of science fiction, fantasy, and gaming industry leaders as they share their perspectives from behind the scenes of your favorite franchises. African American, veteran, LGBTQ, and female creatives discuss diversity of background and thought. Learn how obstacles overcome, stereotypes broken, and glass ceilings shattered have fueled creative magic

Be Your Own Superhero: Intersectional Feminism in Comics (12PM PT)

Official description: Representation matters, both on and behind the page. Sam Maggs (Wonder Women, Star Trek: Waypoint), Susana Polo (Polygon), Sarah Kuhn (Heroine Complex), Robbie Thompson (Supernatural, Silk), Christina "Steenz" Stewart (Lion Forge Comics), Cait Brennan (Debutante), and Rose Knight (Women Write About Comics) chat about the strides made in representation of race, gender, and sexuality in comics-and how everyone can do better.

It Gets Geekier: Why Queer Representation Matters (7:30PM)

Official description: Joshua Yehl (IGN Comics) brings It Gets Geekier back to discuss the importance of including LGBT+ characters in comic books, TV shows, and movies. Host Bryan Pittard (Flame On! Podcast) will lead the talk including Sina Grace (Iceman), Kris Anka (All-New X-Men), Megan Townsend (GLAAD), Mariko Tamaki (Supergirl: Being Super), and others.

FRIDAY, JULY 21ST

Steven Universe (11AM PT)

Official description: Show creator Rebecca Sugar with cast members Zach Callison (Steven), Deedee Magno-Hall (Pearl), Michaela Dietz (Amethyst), Estelle (Garnet) and A.J. Michalka (Stevonnie) for an hour of announcements, and a Q&A with fans. The controversy of the Steven Universe art book (mentioned here) may be addressed as well.

The Female Voices of Film Twitter (1:30 PM PT)

Official description: Times reporter Jen Yamato is among the journalists assembled to discuss the importance of female voices in movies, movies coverage and social media.

Marvel's The Defenders (5:15PM PT)

A first look at MCU’s “realistic”  superheroes - Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist in their joint series.

SATURDAY, JULY 22ND

Spotlight on Roxane Gay (10:30 PT)

Official description: New York Times bestselling author Roxane Gay (Black Panther: World of Wakanda, Bad Feminist, Difficult Women, Hunger) comes to Comic-Con as a special guest! Roxane will discuss her skyrocketing career and literary stardom and will field some questions from the audience during a Q&A session.

Star Trek Discovery (2:30PM  PT)

Deets from the cast and crew of the upcoming show.

Women Rocking Hollywood: Female Directors Changing the Faces of Film and Television  (1 PM PT)

Official description: “Queen Sugar” and “Jessica Jones” (Season 2) made headlines when the shows announced they had hired only women directors. “Wonder Woman” is now the highest grossing live-action film to have been directed by a woman. This panel of female directors will address the importance of representation behind the camera. Kirsten Schaffer (exec director, Women in Film: LA), Tina Mabry (writer/producer/director: Queen of the South, director: Dear White People), Rosemary Rodriguez (writer/director: Silver Skies, director: Jessica Jones, The Walking Dead), Victoria Mahoney (director: Queen Sugar, Gypsy, American Crime), Aurora Guerrero (writer/director: Mosquita y Mari, director: Queen Sugar), Angela Robinson (writer/director: Professor Marston and the Wonder Women, True Blood), and Gina Prince-Bythewood (writer/director: Love & Basketball, Beyond the Lights), the first woman of color hired to helm a superhero film for the upcoming Silver & Black.

Marvel Studios (5:30PM PT)

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige will share more clips and spoilers from the  Marvel Cinematic Universe. But let’s face it, we only just care about Black Panther.

Women and Writers of Color Breaking Barriers (4 PM PT)

Official description:An eclectic panel of UCLA Extension instructors currently working in the entertainment industry discuss how they got where they are, what issues they continue to face, and what it will take before there is real change. Speakers include Laurence Walsh-Hodson (NCIS, The Dresden Files), Nancy Nigrosh (former agent of Kathryn Bigelow), Steve Harper (American Crime, Covert Affairs), Melinda Hill (Kickin' It, Adventure Time), Deborah Dean Davis (It Takes Two, Daddy Boot Camp), Cynthia Hsiung (Young Hercules, The Real World), Eunetta T. Boone (One on One, The Hughleys), Cynthia Riddle (Puppy Love, The Brittany Murphy Story) and moderator Kim Adelman (independent film producer).

“Broad City” (7 PM PT)

“Broad City’s” Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer.

SUNDAY, JULY 23RD

Doctor Who (2PM PT)

The panel is a sendoff for former showrunner Steven Moffatt and 12th Doctor Peter Capaldi. But the new glass-ceiling busting new Doctor Jodie Whittaker, or the new showrunner, Chris Chibnall could make surprise appearances.

Super Asian America (3 PM  PT)

Official description: Panelists discuss the state of Asians in pop culture, from Hollywood’s habit of adapting (and whitewashing) Asian stories to the success of shows such as “Master of None” and “Into the Badlands.”