I enjoyed the show, but to me, I think that saying that Dean Cain is people's Superman based on the era they grew up in is variable. I was born in the 90's and as a 5 year old, I'd watch Lois and Clark reruns, and I've watched Smallville from season 1 to season 10, but Christopher Reeve is my Superman. Ever since my 5 year old self watched those videos that my mom had bought me for Christmas, I always saw Reeve as Superman, moreso once I grew older and discovered all of the good he had done in real life.
Yes, we are surrounded by children. MY intro to Superman was GEORGE reeves, and the Aurora kit...PS
Great post. Glad to see he's had a positive effect on the younger generation as well.
Children? Really? Didnt know you were still considered a child when you're in your 20s
While I didn't wholly agree with his post, if said freaks are young enough to be your children....
long before christophers reeves and george reeves.
the first person ever to where the superman costume was ray middleton..then came kirk alyn. give these guys there due...
And Superman is the public persona. Same thing. How can you separate "Clark Kent" from Kal-El but not separate "Superman"!?
p.s. I'm not even remotely a Superman fan.
Honestly the whole Kal-El/Superman/Clark Kent angle is up for interpretation. Each major undertaking of the character has changed how it looks even in mention. A lot of people quote the Kill Bill speech which is definitely a view not routinely taken by the WB/DC properties.
The way I personally saw it is: Superman and Clark Kent are both alias. Clark is who he wants to be, throughout most of the character's history, he longed to be human, to be apart of our society. Superman is who he chooses to be, the embodiment of the years spent with the Kents and the values instilled into him and the mission his father Jor-El sent him on. He wants to be Clark but he has to hide what he is. He chooses to be Superman where he gets to freely express how he is but doesn't want the spotlight. Honestly a lot of writers give the impression that Superman would rather be married with kids on a farm in Smallville detached from the hustle and bussle but of course he could never have that life because of what he is.
Now, a staple of the superhero mythology is, there's the superhero and there's the alter ego. Batman is actually Bruce Wayne, Spider-Man is actually Peter Parker. When that character wakes up in the morning, he's Peter Parker. He has to put on a costume to become Spider-Man. And it is in that characteristic Superman stands alone. Superman didn't become Superman. Superman was born Superman. When Superman wakes up in the morning, he's Superman. His alter ego is Clark Kent. His outfit with the big red "S", that's the blanket he was wrapped in as a baby when the Kents found him. Those are his clothes. What Kent wears - the glasses, the business suit - that's the costume. That's the costume Superman wears to blend in with us.
Kal-El isn't Superman, and he's also not Clark Kent.
Superman is a costumed persona Kae-El created here on Earth after realizing the powers he inherited by being on our planet. Clark Kent is the alias he took after being raised by the Kents.
But in reality, he's neither. Because if he had grown up on his own planet he would've been a normal, average dude like every other person on Krypton. He wouldn't have been flying around, leaping buildings and saving everybody and their momma's.
If anything, Clark Kent is closer to what Kal-El is really like than Superman.