Sleeping On The Razor's Edge

When it comes to relationships there are a few inevitable things that you will not be able to avoid. Arguments. Meeting her friends. What are you thinking. Stupid arguments. The toilet seat debate. And of course, what I like to call The Razors Edge.   

 

Look at this image fellas,....we have all been there.....The Razor's Edge! And those of us that have been able to survive this injustice and not crack your head on the nightstand, I identify you brave men as Blade Runners. We have lost quite a few brothers to this social imbalance, as all of us aren't as skilled in tightrope walking. Clinging on for dear life, afraid to roll over, lest you be flung in the abyss and god knows what evil awaits beneath the bed to get you in it's clutches.   You lay there  trying to maintain your balance, with one butt cheek hanging off the bed and cold  as hell because she has all the covers.  And why ladies?! Why do you put us thru this?  We submit to the rules of engagement for the most part and yet we still suffer this torture. It would be one thing if all of the bed that women take over, that they actually used during the course of their slumber, but no.......they will snuggle up under you to the cliff, while leaving room enough for another grown adult and Shitszu puppy on the other side. Its tantamount to America's expansion of the west. You know how they started off willing to stay over on their side and let the Native Americans have theirs as well, at some point they were even sharing the land evenly, then slowly but surely the colonists kept moving west, and each time the Native American got pushed farther and farther to the brink! Yeah, that's an extreme, but dammit this is an extreme situation.  The only difference is there is no reservation waiting for you on the floor. 

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Now what I would like to do right now is offer a list of stratagems for my fellow Blade Runners. For some of you this will be a refresher course and others will get some new jewels to ensure not only your safety but also your rights . 

 

 

1. The Spiderman- this one is a personal fav'rit of  mine. Unfortunately if the bed is centered you will not be able to execute this move. With the Spiderman its important to have a bed that is  parallel to a wall, and YOU have to beat her to that spot!! What the wall will give you is a safety zone as your able to use the structure of the house itself to stop her advance and keep you off the floor.

2. The Cold Shoulder- as a gentleman it is only right that you snuggle with a young woman after you have GTD(Got The Draws), but we all know the  'spoon' is the death knell that leads to inevitable Razor's Edge. So with the cold shoulder, you will want to turn your back to her. Now....before we get ahead of ourselves, you will need to serve some cuddle time, but be sure to keep it simply long enough to ensure her that she has your respect.  Any longer and your arm will fall asleep and you will be trapped. Once you  turn your back to her, she is at a disadvantage, as it is much easier for her shift you once she has accessed your midsection as opposed to ass against ass. Every now and then, you can  reach back across to maintain direct contact, to again ensure respect and appreciation.  (Special note: This maneuver is to NOT be used if your in prison...

...keep your ass to the wall!)

3. The Fetus- Imagine this as the nocturnal stiff arm. In this maneuver you will simply sleep in the standard fetal position. When she tries to make her move, she will be met with your knees in her back. Now this is usually met with her either staying put or turning to face you and sleep, so for your sake, I hope she doesn't have any breath problems.

4.Pig In A Blanket- the key here is to wrap as much of the linen under your own body and secure it with your weight. The way this works is as she keeps scooting back, and you get closer to the edge, your safety is ensured. By being wrapped in the sheet, the tucked sheet on the other side will act as an anchor and potentially keep you from falling and it will also restrict any further movement from her.

5. The Starfish- the plan here is to sleep on your back flat and spread even. Granted you may lose your arm to it being pinned under her head, but she will have no cuffing point at which to push from.

 

 

 

ADDENDUM: It is also wise to keep a survival kit and snacks near the foot of the bed in case your fall leaves you incapacitated and your unable to get help.

 

 

In conclusion, I hope that this has informative.  The war between men and women will never end, but every now and then we can grasp a moment of victory thru the despair. Stand strong my brothers........we hear your cries. 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





The "N" Word

See, nigga first was used back in the Deep South/Falling out between the dome of the white man's mouth/It means that we will never grow,/you know the word dummy/Upper niggas in the community think it's crummy/But I don't, neither does the youth cause we em-Brace adversity it goes right with the race/And being that we use it as a term of endearment/Niggas start to bug, to the dome is where the fear went/Now the little shorties say it all of the time/And a whole bunch of niggas throw the word in they rhyme/Yo I start to flinch, as I try not to say it/But my lips is like the oowop as I start to spray it......hey sucka nigga!- Q-Tip, "Sucka Nigga" A Tribe Called Quest

Inflammatory......hateful......thought provoking.....controversial.......toxic. All of those descriptions tell the sordid tale of the infamous "N Word".  But like all words in the English language, it is organic and it evolved.  While the natural state of the word is one steeped in racism & oppression, it has also been used  for social commentary, liberation and empowerment. Comedy legend Dick Gregory titled his 1964 book "Nigger", as did artist Nas title his album "Nigger" in 2007.  Mr. Gregory  explained that he wanted to "take this snake out of the closet and defang it".  Nas was met with criticism from the NAACP and Jesse Jackson to which he retorted "If Cornel West was making an album called Nigger, they would know he's got something intellectual to say, to think I'm gonna say something that's not intellectual is calling me a nigger, and to be called a nigger by Jesse Jackson and the NAACP is counterproductive, counter-revolutionary."

 In both instances these artists made people look at the word, with no way to ignore the ugliness of it, while also seeking to perform an linguistic exorcism of sorts.  Its been called the ugliest word in the English language, activists want it banned, others take ownership and reshape it.  Countless books, panels & examinations. But I'm not here to give the history of the word or debate it's merit and usage.  This is a personal decision that I am making to eliminate the word from my personal vocabulary.

When faced with the critique of the word's usage among the Black community, many will argue that we have seized ownership of the word and taken the power from it. Much like women with "bitch", gay men with "faggot" and other social minorities that take words of hate and morph them into words of endearment, while condemning anyone outside of the community for using it.  But have we really taken away the word's power? And if we have, then why does it still hurt so much when we hear it? Does the fact that a white person can  no longer say the word without swift repercussions mean that we have won ownership of the word or does our visceral response confirm our continued slavery to the pain?  We take off the "-er" and replace it with "-a".  Spell it "nucca" or "nukka" to somehow dilute the sting and further validate it's continued existence in our vernacular.  I began to really look at the hypocrisy in support of the word. During one debate, I felt pretty stupid listening to other Blacks try to explain why we can use it and they(Whites/others) can't....shaking my head as I look at the White person's face in disbelief. I could do nothing but chuckle to myself.  Usually in those conversations it is explained that we use the word to express love, which is accurate, but Whites aren't allowed to use it due the racial connotations and hate associated  with our historical relationships.  Only problem with that is.......well, ...it's a kind of a lie! Yeah of course, it's used  to identify kinship and brotherhood, but I have heard it also used, myself included, with nothing but pure hate! I used it to show my disdain, disapproval and lack of respect for other black men that I found myself in conflict with. Trust me, there was no love when I spoke that word with clenched fists and seething anger.  In that context, my use of the word is no less venomous as the white man's use.  Maybe I'm splitting hairs here, but I know I make a little sense.  If the pure contradiction within the rationality of using the word wasn't so obvious to me, perhaps I would still participate in it's use but I don't see that happening.
  
Okay......now  here is where it gets damn tricky. Anyone that knows me, knows I live and breathe hip hop to the fullest. From Mobb Deep to Mos Def,......NWA to Common.....I devour the shit.  And as I try to embark on this journey of vocabulary purging, enjoying the music I love has gotten pretty interesting and almost comical at times.  I wish I had that censored version of WuTang my aunt bought me when I was around 19yrs old....."Shame on a Nuh....that tried to run game on a nuh!" You should have seen our faces in my buddies Vigor when that song came on.....WTF?!?  Now don't get me wrong. I don't have a problem with my fave artists use of it per se, I'm just saying it's a hard habit to break when I'm doing 70mph down the beltway and in the zone. For instance the song 75 Bars by The Roots........haf' mercy Sheila!! Black Thought managed to get the word  "nigga" in that song so many times, it's dizzying but it's done so purposefully, masterfully and is almost used as an instrument thru the song...here is the link>> The Roots 75 Bars
The word is used by the most ignorant of artists to most righteous of conscious rappers.  So it's no escaping it in the world of hip hop and with the music's permeation of popular culture, your gonna have a lot more people that aren't Black using it.  But is that wrong? When I sing along with Dead Prez talking about "..running up on them crackers in their city hall", that doesn't mean I hate Whites anymore than a White kid singing along with Rick Ross saying "...I murder one of you fuck niggas!" They always say that art imitates life, but more often than not art can influence life and until artists make a conscious effort to stop using the word, I really can't fault anyone that's not black from getting a bit confused on when and when not to use it, if they too are of the hip hop culture.  Once we stop dealing in the grays......things become black & white. 


I've always made a conscious effort to refrain from using the word around my grandparents and even my parents, knowing the very real experiences they have witnessed in their lives in association to that word.  So if I can exercise that same thoughtfulness to them, why should I not extend it to my generation and the next?  Yes, rapping my fav'rit songs will be a bit complicated sometimes as I try to replace that word with other nouns and such.....but so be it.  I am choosing to acknowledge my brethren with real words of love, camaraderie & appreciation.   Fam, chief, bro or even twin........but  you won't be my nigga.



     

Captain America The Winter Soldier trailer UK -- Official Marvel | HD

Early reviews on Captian America: The Winter Soldier have been thru the roof!! All signs point to this being a far better movie than the first one and even possibly being the best solo movie out of all the Marvel efforts thus far.  Can't wait to see it.....4/4/14

Black......Irish....and proud?!

 

 

Another St. Patrick's Day has come and gone! Yet another Sunday spent bar hopping, downing green beer, shots, eating corned beef and 1000 pix in your phone of the random new best friends that your hangover will surely wipe from your memory. Once the hangover has concluded and you have fully recovered from the weekend (some of you professionals drank from Saturday to Sunday!), it's time to scroll Facebook and Instagram to see how everyone celebrated and find amusement at the shenanigans......and every year without fail, there are posts from the "cyber-militants" debating why Blacks shouldn't be celebrating St. Patrick's Day or why we don't celebrate with the same enthusiasm for Black History Month. Now, everyone is entitled to their opinion, but your really thinking too much on this one, so stop pissing on the Lucky Charms!  
Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick, is a cultural and religious holiday celebrated annually on 17 March, the death date of the most commonly-recognised patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick (c. AD 385–461).  Saint Patrick's Day was made an official Christian feast day in the early seventeenth century and is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, the Eastern Orthodox Church and Lutheran Church. The day commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, as well as celebrating the heritage and culture of the Irish in general.  Right or wrong, St. Patrick's Day has been stripped and bastardized like most holidays in the U.S., with no real connection to original meaning for the celebration. It's been diluted to nothing more than a reason to wear green, get drunk and, well......even drunker! You know black people can't wait to get an excuse to color coordinate some bright shit!!  I can  even offer the argument that most White people don't even know or care about the real history of St. Patrick's Day, unless they were Irish themselves. Stop any person on the street and ask them what the meaning of the holiday and prepare to sit for awhile as you wait for the answer. If one can contend that Blacks shouldn't participate, then how about you turn down that plate at Thanksgiving?.....or let's see how you feel when you don't get anything for Christmas?......better yet, take off that Steve Harvey suit you bought for Easter?!   We aren't out there doing the River Dance (well, maybe I did a little bit), going to the parade and waving an Irish flag, playing bagpipes and tapping to the music with our shillelagh (Irish word for walking stick.....yeah, I know some shit.).  People are going purely to have a good time and get some cheap drinks.  I mean really, St. Patty's Day is a not social movement or agenda people,....let's scale it back a few notches.  

The racial component that Irish people don't like Black people is one of my fav'rits, and probably one of the weakest arguments.  Don't be confused, I'm not naive. I'm quite sure there are quite a few Irish that don't like Black people.  But to make such a blanketed statement about a people, is just as egregious as those that make generalizations about us.  I'm sure you have some White people that look at Blacks bar hopping for St. Patrick's Day, like "why are they here?!".....just like how we go to hip hop shows or other cultural events and scratch our heads trying to figure out where all these white people came from.  Don't think for a second that Blacks have lost their connection or have been brainwashed. What you will find in the those of us that partake in this holiday are some of the most educated, enlightened, forward thinking and worldly of our respective communities. We are socially in touch and aware, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy a nice Guinness Stout for $2! It is possible to be enthusiastic about your own culture, while still enjoying the tradition of another. I don't feel like I have to forsake one, to appreciate my own.  It's impossible to compare the celebration of Black History Month with St. Patrick's Day. It's apples and oranges really.  Last I checked, there aren't many drinking games named after Fredrick Douglass!  I'm not denying that don't have problems, and that we need to have pride in our heritage as well, but unity doesn't have to mean isolation.  Better yet, let's reach back to Africa and find our drinking holiday!! Almost every culture has a day to get drunk.......Latins have Cinco de Mayo & the Irish have St. Patrick's Day. I'm sure somewhere in Africa someone is getting bombed out drunk on a Wednesday right now......let's discover that tradition and apply it!

 All in all, there are a number of holidays, traditions and rituals that we all partake in that have nothing to do with our own cultures. Being the melting pot that we are, our traditions have cross homogenized for generations, with no end in sight.  Other cultures have been influenced just as much by our culture as we have by theirs, and we don't even know it.  You would be surprised by the number of words that you use, that originated from Irish culture that you use in everyday vernacular and idioms........and until further notice I will continue to enjoy three of my fav'rit words ST. PATRICK'S DAY!! Let's get pissed!

No more questions........We already knew The Answer

When we look back at the career of Allen Iverson, what will we say: NBA Legend? Rebel? Cultural Icon? Thug? Misunderstood? or Troublesome?! Like most things in life, we have never been able to look at Iverson purely in black & white. He was all those things, and all of those things are what made up his story. Pound for pound arguably the greatest player of his generation and of all time. On March 2, 2014 during halftime of the Sixers Vs. Wizards game (I cant believe I wasn't at this game.....gotdammit!) a ceremony was held to retire Iverson's #3 and raise the banner to rafters to hang alongside other NBA/Sixer legends such as Julius Earvin, Charles Barkley, Moses Malone & Maurice Cheeks.  The notorious Philly fans never fail to show Iverson just how much they love him, as the crowd was in a frenzy to honor "Bubba Chuck".  In a heartfelt speech, Allen thanked not only those that praised him, but also those that challenged him to grow as a player but also challenged him to grow as a man. Whatever Iverson has lacked in eloquence, he always makes up for it with pure honesty and emotion in his words.  Yes, his troubles have been documented ("we talking about practice"....one of the greatest clips ever), and it could be argued that his retirement is less about his ability to play and more about his ability to play a prescribed role on a team.  I for one would have loved to see A.I. retire on his own terms, because before I even became a fan of that skinny kid from Philly with the Jordan obsession, I was Team Answer all day.....everyday!!  But I don't want to lament the missed opportunities or what went wrong in his career that led to this nite. I'd rather step back and examine his brilliance on the court & cultural impact.


6'0ft./165lbs.......and absolutely one of the most terrifying players on the court if you are an opposing coach or the unlucky bastid with the assignment to guard him. Yeah there had been other players just as small or even smaller than AI, but very few if any were as lethal on the court as he was. To my recollection the nearest player you could harken back to was Isiah Thomas. Of course early on his career, he was labeled selfish and Charles Barkley affectionately called him "Me, Myself and I-verson".  But to be fair, most players that are that talented at scoring do have to endure a learning curve in keeping teammates involved in the offense.  Let's be real......there was a reason the defense was leaving Eric Snow open! In a league where big guards dominated, Iverson dominated them, scoring in every way imaginable: Drives, jumpers, floaters, the infamous crossover.....and if he caught you sleeping, you could find yourself beneath him and the rim, just ask Marcus Camby.  

Even the GOAT Michael Jordan got touched during Iverson's rookie year. Caught in a switch at the top of the key, Iverson didn't flinch as he gave MJ a mini-crossover and Mike bit. So bringing the ball and letting MJ square up again......he hit him again, but this time with the full crossover, leaving MJ swinging at ghosts as AI pulls up and hits the jumper. What!?....he did what to who? Who the hell does he think he is?! You don't do that to Jordan! Well......he did! This served notice that no one was safe and a new generation was upon us. (Sidebar: In no time the NBA outlawed the "crossover" and refs would start making the traveling call against players that used it.) Among the records that he holds are the Most Consecutive 40Pt or More Games by a Rookie with 5, Most Points in a 5 Game Playoff Series at 178, Most Steals in a Playoff with 10, as well as the Most Seasons Leading the League in Steals at 3.  His performance during Game 5 Vs. Vince Carter and the Raptors, after accepting the MVP award was nothing short of breathtaking. 52 points he put up, in what was his second 50pt performance of the series. When I say he was cooking the Raptors, I mean he flame broiled their azzes! Getting buckets, playing the passing lanes for steals, dishing out dimes....it was a virtuoso performance to remember. Allen Iverson 52pts vs Raptors;  http://youtu.be/JM4551c-bCQ
 Quite frankly there was just no answer for The Answer! Despite his small frame, he continually went in their with the big boys. Taking every hit, hard foul and flagrant fouls that would make those of lesser fortitude shy away from the lane and get jumper happy. But not Iverson. Here he comes again, going right back in there for more and taking what he wants. Fearless.  His list of injuries read like a medical journal, and yet he still played every night, hell bent on giving the fans their money's worth.  Despite how the average fan felt about his personal choices or appearance, his heart and tenacity almost always won over new fans and added to his following.



Let it not be lost on the unindoctrinated and Iverson was also the harbinger of a new generation and cultural movement. At the time of his entry into the league, it was still Jordan's league and he set the standard by which a superstar would present himself publically and as a brand.  As much as we still loved Jordan, MJ was essentially like watching our father's on the basketball court, minus the black socks, in terms of sensibilities. I think back to an interview after a hard fought game, and the reporter asked Jordan to tell them the name of the song that he was listening to that inspired, and he said Anita Baker "Giving You The Best That I Got".  What the hell?!!? Granted....I absolutely love, love, love Anita Baker, but he clearly showed his age with that singular comment. Hell, that's music my mom's put on to clean the house, not go off for 45pts and dunk in somebodies face! The generation that grew up on hip hop were searching for our new heroes that reflected our lifestyle, values and energy.  Enter: Allen Iverson.  It wouldn't be long before Jordan would have to retire, and the NBA was constantly in a scramble to anoint the "Air Apparent".  There was Harold Miner "Baby Jordan"....whose game never got out of the toddler stage. Penny Hardaway, god bless him, his health became an issue and his incredible game suffered. As well as Grant Hill, the Duke graduate, clean cut and a PR team dream, but again here comes that injury bug.  Kobe Bryant, who had the greatest potential and was on the right track, but his later life decisions derailed him completely taking over the NBA.  Iverson didn't walk, talk or dress like any before him. The baggy clothes, the jewelry, tattoos.....hell even his cornrows debut during the All Star Weekend Rookie Game garnered criticisms.   

While David Stern will go down as the greatest Commissioner of his generation, he completely dropped the ball by not embracing what Iverson was bringing to the table.  At the time, it could be argued that Iverson was the most popular player in the league, and jersey sales would confirm that. We aren't talking just a ghetto fab celeb that all the inner city kids looked up to as an idol, we are talking White, Latin, Asian etc.  Again, this was the hip hop generation and the music had already permeated thru the suburbs, so these kids were also being influenced by the Tupacs, Biggie and WuTangs of the world.  Iverson with his tattoos was labeled a thug, now you can hardly find any player in ANY league without tats. AI would come to arena in something that he looked  like he just rolled out of bed and grabbed, as opposed to the tailored suits of other players. Neck blazed in ice and white gold....diamond rocks in both ears, doo rag and baseball cap. Don't believe he started a revolution......name a player before him that did it! Everything Iverson did (or got away with, depending on who you ask) his peers followed. Those sleeves you see everyone wearing now.....Iverson. Next time a game is on, I want you to note all of the #3 jerseys playing. He was damn near counterculture......and we loved him for it.  He talked our talk, walked our walk.  We even got a song out of him, which by NBA standards and hip hop standards was pretty damn good (40 Bars).  Eventually David Stern felt forced to adopt a strict dresscode for players to protect those big dollar and investment interests. Can't go scaring the conservatives with all these black dudes dressed like Mobb Deep.  The commercials, the sneakers....he was the next in every way. Other players they tried to crown either couldn't play or they could play but didn't have the marketability.  Iverson was the total package.  And the crossover?!!....oh my good the crossover!!  Granted the move wasn't new, and I for one believe that Tim Hardaway had the superior crossover move but this was a movement on the basketball court at the time of A.I. You would have thought the move had just been invented by the amount of kids on the court practicing that one move. Kid can't shoot for shit, but he would have a crossover. Watching an NBA game, as Iverson would prepare to unleash it, you could hear the crowd take collective breath and hold it, ready for the destruction that would befall the defender's ankles.  It could be argued that his popularity led to the creation of the And 1 league and the thirst for streetballers as they traveled the country putting on exhibitions. His impact is undeniable.

We not talking about a game......hell, we not even talking about practice......we are talking about retirement. And while his legacy will forever be debated, the fact that it is debatable shows just how much of a mark he left on the game and our consciousness.  Like I said, the questions are done......we already knew The Answer. 

The Death of Superman?!.........Superman Lives!!

The Death of Superman?!..........Superman Lives!!

On June 14th 2013 moviegoers prayers were answered with the release of the long awaited reboot to the Superman franchise in the form of Man of Steel........or were they?! Upon its release the movie immediately invoked polarizing opinions: You either loved it or hated it!!
Rotten Tomatoes awarded the movie a 60% approval rating and many moviegoers cursed the movie for killing an iconic image.  After taking in all the criticisms and support of the movie, I want to examine why the movie was hated, and point out why this is probably the truest representation of Superman on screen.

Superman the Dark Knight?

Once it was announced that Christopher Nolan (Memento, Inception, Batman Trilogy) would be involved in rebooting this franchise, the masses groaned "oh no.....they're gonna make Superman dark like Batman!" If that was your first thought, then you are completely missing the point of his involvement.  While Superman is not "dark" in tone "dark" things do happen in his world.  The old Superman movies offered a very simplistic view of the world.  The bad guys wore black and the good guys wore white.  Nolan's plan wasn't to make Superman some tormented vigilante with daddy issues, but rather to add a bit more emotional depth to the character. The problem with the Donner/Reeves version was that while Superman was beloved, he lacked any emotional intricacies that could be relatable for the audience. He was more like a doting father shaking his finger in disapproval at he human race. That movie was made at a time when moviegoers were less savvy and alot more innocent. What makes a hero compelling is watching him grow into the role, as opposed to stepping right into his role fully formed.  If you just found out that were not from this planet, and have all this responsibility thrust on you, I tend to think that you would have some questions & reservations about your destiny.  In the classic scene where Superman firsts appears in the Donner film, he is met with applause, cheers and wonderment.  Yeah, cuz us humans wouldn't be weirded out by someone who can fly, lift a helicopter and see thru shit!.....we are on board!!(note the sarcasm). In Nolan's version, as would be in the real world, Kal El is met with suspicion and dismissal as the human race is not sure what to make of him at first and even more interesting is that Kal doesn't really trust humanity either. This offers a rich perspective in telling what is essentially a first contact story, since Superman is an alien above all else. Nolan's input to the mythos was not to try to make Superman real per Se, but present real consequences & reactions to a being living in our world. The problem being with the general audiences perception of Superman, is that it is one that has not existed since the late 70's.  The character is as much the boy scout as he is the hothead, a balanced and nuanced interpretation that adds to lore. The character has grown and developed as a not only a hero but as a man. He makes mistakes, second guesses himself, gets upset and has biases. This was written as today's Superman and is much more closer to the comics version. If anything one could argue that Richard Donner Superman movies are much more of a bastardization of the character.


Demolition Man......

For anyone that has watched the movie, you will notice that there was a fair amount of destruction from Smallville to Kansas that would do Michael Bay proud! And in the midst of the chaos some moviegoers were asking "Where is Superman!?!?". A rhetorical query, mostly addressing what they felt was a lack of him flying around and saving everyone, in the manner that we are accustomed.  Some have gone so far as to actually accuse Superman as being the one that causes the destruction.  Granted....I will give you the silo and 7-Eleven damage when he first attacks Zod, but come on, how would you react if someone attacked your mother and tossed a pick up truck on the coffee table?! But to keep things in perspective of an origin story, this is not the "perfect" Superman from Chris Reeves legend.....but rather a guy who has been Superman for all of 2mins, going up against beings just as powerful as him AND better trained. So there is an off chance that he will get his ass handed to him a bit.  Makes it kind of hard to try to protect every innocent caught in the battle. "Well in Avengers, we saw them save some people  while they were fighting!" That's all well and good.....but there were 7 of them, and its only one of Superman......no matter how "super" you think he is supposed to be. But to his credit, he does manage to make a few saves when he can get a chance to breathe. Superman wasn't just wantonly throwing or going thru buildings.......he was being kicked, punched and thrown thru them. The bulk of the destruction that Metropolis experienced was wrought by the World Engine initiated by Zod.  In the larger scheme of things, it's a big city....so 10 or so blocks of urban warfare is barely a scar!
"Well Chris Reeves would've taken the fight away from the city by leading the villains away."
Yeah.....like he did in Superman II, and left the people to get blown around and further terrorized by Zod and his crew. Only in this version of Superman, Zod and his crew don't just use their super breath to blow around cars and toupees, but instead start ripping off heads and dropping cars on pedestrians.  This is the birth of a hero, and we are watching him go thru his growing pains while trying to do the right thing. One scene that comes to mind is the scene in Batman Begins, another Nolan origin story, where you have Batman confront the Scarecrow for the first time, goes in there half cocked and gets sprayed with fear gas, then lit on fire......that's a rookie mistake, at a human level, but a rookie mistake nonetheless.  When the next movie comes out, I'm confident that we will see a Superman that has learned a thing or two from his past experiences and will make the proper adjustments.

SUPERMAN DOES NOT KILL!!!

Yeah baby.....now the grand finale! The most controversial act of the movie bar none.....(spoiler alert, but if you haven't seen the movie by now, shame or your azz!!) In the climatic battle with Zod, Superman is faced with a very hard decision and has to snap Zod's neck in order to save a family caught in the path of his newly acquired heat vision. In the 3 times, yes 3 times, that I saw the movie.....the audience clapped and supported the decision, but I have heard of others where the crowd fell silent and was not too happy with this final solution. Which raised the debate: Superman does not kill!.....or does he?! Let's play devil's advocate for a second and lets say those that didn't agree with the execution of Zod was right....Superman doesn't kill. But I offer you this to ponder, where does that perception come from? Is it accurate? Is it a figment of our own nostalgia? To take it a step further, if they are right in there belief that Superman doesn't kill, where does he develop that has his stance? I offer that the repercussions of this scene may in fact set him up to accept the philosophy of never taking a life, however to see the circumstances that will lead him to adopt that personal belief is far more interesting as opposed to having it birthed in a vaccum.  Did he have to kill Zod?....the answer will be "yes" in my opinion. Really step back and focus on the situation at hand........as mentioned in the previous portion he is facing a much better trained fighter who is just as strong as he is, and who is also gaining mastery of his power as the fight goes on.  Had that fight gone on any longer, trust and believe Zod would have eventually bested and killed Kal, then gone on to destroy the earth with his bare hands. 

Exhibit A:  Okay, I'm done catering to the bleeding hearts and their pristine vision of Superman who want to say what he does and doesn't do, while forgetting his fairly recent past. While Superman is not a killer per se, and does not take it lightly....he has and will do so as a absolute last resort. He has done it a few times in the comics, most notably in Superman Action Comics #845, he is forced to use Kryptonite on a Zod and his henchmen from a parallel universe where they had already destroyed the earth and had every intention of repeating the same genocide in this universe. 

Exhibit B: Contrary to popular belief Doomsday did not technically kill Superman.  To be accurate Superman killed Doomsday.  Although the misconception is that Doomsday beat him to death. it was actually Superman who laid the death blow in that battle. While Superman did die from his injuries, ultimately his last blow put Doomsday down for good. 

Exhibit C: But how soon the Superman purists forget,.......not only did Chris Reeves kill Zod in Superman II, he absolutely had no reason to do so! Let me take you back a bit, during the climax of the movie Superman is forced to enter the chamber to take his powers away, by Zod. However, Supes switches things on the Kryptonians and instead strips their powers while he is safe in the chamber, to which he kindly steps out, breaks Zod's now mortal hand and then tosses his azz into a pit in the North Pole....with a smile on his face at that! 

 

 

I don't know about you, but unless that lil' hot onesie number that Zod had on was made of UnderArmour gortex, that's 1st degree murder for Kal -El! Then to top it off, Lois turns around and knocks the chick into the pit as well, with Superman's smiling approval. Granted the deaths may have been a bit on the whimsical side of things, but nonetheless that's double homicide on a galactic level.  At least in Man of Steel he showed an immediate sense of remorse for what he HAD to do.  Oh and while we are on the subject, let's not forget when Superman (with his powers back) went back to the truck stop and purposely picked a fight with the trucker that beat his azz while he didn't have his powers. Yeah Clark.....great lesson for the kids! I'm not really begrudging the plot points,....just being objective about people bias'.

All in all, this wasn't an exercise to change everyone's minds on what Superman means to them, or their opinion about the movie, but rather to clear up many of the misconceptions that are often tied to people's opinions. Ultimately I believe that this movie has set up the natural evolution to the cinema interpretation of Superman to be more accurate to the legend of Superman as opposed to living up to one actor's portrayal of the character.  I like the direction they are going in right now, and honestly felt myself feeling sense of joy about the character that I thought was long gone.  Superman Lives..............