Amber Ruffin Tells Fanboys Panicking About Bisexual Superman To Get a Grip

Last week on Coming Out Day, DC Comics announced that Superman is bisexual. The Superman in question is Jon Kent, son of Clark Kent and Lois Lane. The announcement comes in the upcoming fifth issue of Superman: Son of Kal-El.

Naturally, right-wing fanboys have been clutching their pearls over the announcement and complaining to anyone who will listen. Actor Dean Cain even decried the storyline on Fox News, the only place where he is still relevant.

In response to the this fanboy meltdown, comedian Amber Ruffin delved into the issue in her segment “Bitch Please” on The Amber Ruffin Show. She calls out the folks claiming that the revelation ruined their childhood by quipping, “If a comic book character being bisexual ruined your childhood, your childhood was trash to begin with.”

Ruffin advises these people to focus on things that are “literally ruining childhoods’, such as school shootings, anti-maskers, and anti-vaxxers who are endangering childhoods across the country. Also, Ruffin notes “Superman is an alien from an alien planet. Humans are a whole other species from him. And you’re okay with his inter-species love affair with Lois Lane but his son can’t get his groove on with a male reporter?!? Bitch please!”

Ruffin sums up the importance of representation in comics (and everywhere else) by noting,

“There is a child out there who is scared, and not feeling seen. And they don’t see themselves represented on TV, and they can be made to feel lesser because of who they are. One day, that child is going to pick up a comic book and see an iconic character that’s associated with strength, honesty, and America, and they’re gonna see that that person is just like them.”

It’s a powerful and joke-filled segment that says succinctly what so many of us have been saying for years now. Representation matters, full stop.

Speaking of Superman, DC Comics dropped another bombshell at DC FanFome that is sure to send more right-wing pundits into a tailspin. The company announced that they would be changing Superman’s motto “Truth, Justice and the American Way” to “Truth, Justice and a Better Tomorrow.”

The announcement came from DC Chief Creative Officer and Publisher Jim Lee, who said “To better reflect the storylines that we are telling across DC and to honor Superman’s incredible legacy of over 80 years of building a better world, Superman’s motto is evolving, … Superman has long been a symbol of hope who inspires people, and it is that optimism and hope that powers him forward with this new mission statement.”

The “American Way” phrase was long credited to The Adventures of Superman radio series from 1940, which was meant as a patriotic boost during WWII. ” It did not begin with the early Superman comics of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. But in the ensuing years Kal-El has grappled with what it means to be American, from his upbringing in Kansas to his status as an immigrant from Krypton. Many comics creators took to social media to discuss the new change:

(image: screencap/Peacock)

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Chelsea Steiner

Chelsea was born and raised in New Orleans, which explains her affinity for cheesy grits and Britney Spears. An pop culture journalist since 2012, her work has appeared on Autostraddle, AfterEllen, and more. Her beats include queer popular culture, film, television, republican clownery, and the unwavering belief that 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' is the greatest movie ever made. She currently resides in sunny Los Angeles, with her husband, 2 sons, and one poorly behaved rescue dog. She is a former roller derby girl and a black belt in Judo, so she is not to be trifled with. She loves the word “Jewess” and wishes more people used it to describe her.

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