Marvel and Diversity: Should our Faith Compel us to Change Popular Culture?
Is it odd to admire someone who is nothing like you? Growing up as a child, I developed a particular interest in superheroes, individuals with special abilities, and fictional characters that broke the barrier on what we would deem as possible in the real world. Not only were these characters vastly different than me regarding their abilities, but also the majority of them would identify as white Caucasian males while I am an African American. I always liked science fiction because it took us away from the banal nature of much of popular culture and introduced us to a reality so different than our own. Unfortunately, even science fiction has not completely escaped the constrictions of our social structure, as evidenced by the lack of diversity over the years.
The disparity between the homogeneous group of popular fictional characters and the diverse nature of our country serves as evidence for the undercurrent of racial tensions which have perpetuated our social systems. The sociological viewpoint on race is that many of our problems are hidden and thus forgotten. When we raise our awareness of these difficulties, we notice there are no heroes who represent the minority class.
It is evident the awareness level has increased, at least in the Marvel Cinematic Universe over the past few years. Kevin Feige, the head of MCU, noted in an interview with Variety that Marvel has always been progressive regarding addressing issues in society. He pointed to the Black Panther and Captain Marvel as examples of diversity in the Marvel Universe. We have also seen some evidence of this in the movie Dr. Strange, where the traditional white role of Mordo was replaced with a black man. Although, they missed out on the opportunity to bring an Asian actor into the mix since they replaced the Ancient One with a Celtic woman. There were some Tibetan protests outside showings of Dr. Strange to highlight that society is becoming more aware of the ways that our social structure is excluding minorities.
In other cases, rather than a missed opportunity, diversity is purposely blocked by Marvel executives. After the 2011 hack of Sony emails, it was discovered that Sony and Marvel agreed that all cinematic representations of Spiderman would be Caucasian and straight. Consequently, some have accused Marvel of operating more on hunches rather than business analytics. Supporting this accusation, in a study by Ralph J. Bunche they found that shows with 41–50 percent nonwhite characters attracted the highest ratings and shows with 21 to 30 percent nonwhite characters made the most revenue. Therefore, unless they have contradictory research, it would be hard for Marvel to argue that they are simply making decisions based on profitability.
While the MCU is wrestling with diversity in their productions, the Marvel Comics have made more progress infusing diversity into their production. For example, in an article by CNBC titled Is Marvel’s Diversity Strategy Paying Off?, they noted how Marvel had rebooted Captain America as a black man, Thor as a woman and Iron Man as a black woman. These market strategies have attracted a new reader-base to the industry, rather than white men in their 30s and 40s. That being said, Marvel still has a long way to go. The attempts at diversity need to be well thought out, rather than just a throw-in. Markedly, diversity can be incorporated into entertainment; minorities need to be cast into roles which belies the stereotype which society holds for them.
Doting on Marvel’s decision to change the characters, I think it would have positively impacted my childhood growing up and seeing Captain America as a black man (besides more choices for Halloween). In reflecting on the “equal opportunity myth”, I think the traditional Captain America character helps to perpetuate that for the majority class. A hero who rose out of poverty in Brooklyn, of limited genetic ability, to become America’s finest hero. How much more powerful would it have been for the black Captain America, who had to struggle through the social barriers which existed for the minority class, to become that same hero? You may think that this will only make the equal opportunity myth stronger. You may be right. Although, I believe it would show young minorities that barriers which they would have to overcome to make it out of their circumstances. Written correctly, it could be a powerful platform for educating readers on the undercurrents of our social structure and how a hero broke the barrier on what seemed impossible. Personally, I can remember doubting my intelligence and ability to make a difference in society. With the lack of minority representation in my childhood heroes, it was hard to image me overcoming what society deemed for me.
Another question I would be remiss if I didn’t address it in this post is “How should the Christian respond to a lack of diversity in the entertainment business?” In building my case for Christian involvement, I would note that while Jesus did not specifically attack any social institution, he did attack our perceptions of differences between individuals. We can look at Jesus’ willingness to associate with the “undesirables” of society as evidence of this. Jesus’ ministry involved the healing of Gentiles. On the other hand you had the Pharisees, which chose not to help the Gentiles because they had labeled them unclean. Also, consider that Jesus once used a Samartian as an example of “perfect love” and put a Jewish leader in a derogatory role. Just as Jesus saw it necessary to, flip the perception of roles in his ministry, we must begin to change the roles that have perpetuated in our media for so long.
While Jesus had given us examples of service to the poor and the disenfranchised, I would argue that much of the Protestant base is still overly-concerned with personal sin rather than their obligation to societal reform. While Protestantism only demands faith for salvation, it also employs Christians to act out their faith in real ways. I don’t want to say we go too far and claim that there is a social obligation tied to our salvation, but I do want to note that God did not call us to be Christians with the intention that we would leave the world unchanged. Here it would be prudent to draw some of our inspiration from the social gospel movements in the late 1800s and early 1900s. In these movements Christians put an emphasis on social justice, the government as a protector of constitutional rights, dealing with economic injustice and racial suppression. I believe we can draw these insights from the social gospel movement without claiming that salvation is both personal and social. I would argue most of the foundations of the social gospel movement were compromises the growing scientific communities and the challenges they posed to Christianity. We can be compelled to act as Christians to pay attention to social injustices, without delving into a lot of the liberal theology the social gospel posits.
Ironically, the social focus of the gospel was developed by Walter Rauschenbusch, who lived in the famous Hell’s Kitchen when it was one of the toughest neighborhoods in New York. It brings me back to the Marvel superhero Daredevil, who also grew up in Hell’s Kitchen. A victim of his environment, he lost his father at a young age and also was blinded due to a chemical accident. His environment shaped him to become a champion of Hell’s Kitchen. The chemical accident which had initially crippled him, became the source his powers. If you have had the opportunity to watch Netflix’s TV series on Daredevil, you will appreciate the degree that he wrestled with his faith as a Catholic and his involvement as a criminal vigilante. Ultimately, Daredevil could not ignore the social injustices that perpetuated Hell’s Kitchen. It should be noted that Daredevil did not see his salvation tied to his willingness to fight crime in his community. In some ways, he was doing the work the Christians were unwilling to do to (hence the word “devil” in his sobriquet) Similar to Rauschenbusch. Just as Daredevil was given the power beyond his wildest dreams to right the injustices that were present in his community, Christians have been given that same power to make a difference in their communities. While we shouldn’t be obligated to act socially as a requirement of our salvation, we should be compelled to act a result of our salvation.
Can we honestly say as Christians, that we are okay with a social system where 1 in every 15 black men are versus 106 white men are incarcerated; a social system where those same black convicts statistically receive longer sentences for the same crimes? While it is a long way to go from talking about minority representation in movies to discussing how schools and the criminal justice system treat minorities, it is important to recognize that our social structure’s disposition toward minority-majority relations is reflected at all levels. Therefore, bringing awareness to even minor issues that arise, like the lack of minority heroes who can inspire children living in our ghettos, is important too. Bringing awareness to issues is instrumental in fighting the social system that perpetuates these injustices.
References
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