James Gunn’s new “Superman” movie is smashing box-office records after a string of duds in the superhero genre from both Sony and Marvel Studios. But right-wing pundits and critics are claiming the new take on the Man of Steel is too “woke,” given the film’s exploration of immigration and social justice.

Angelika Beener, an award-winning DJ, producer, journalist and podcast host, says there’s nothing new about superhero media reflecting the politics of its time.

“So much of comic book lore is literally rooted in confronting systems of justice. It’s not apolitical,” Beener said. “Stan Lee was inspired by Malcolm X and Martin Luther King in the '60s…[and] the Black Panther coming out of the Panther movement and Superman itself being conceptualized by Jewish immigrants during a time of rising fascism.”

“So much of comic book lore is literally rooted in confronting systems of justice. It’s not apolitical."
Angelika Beener

Michael Jeffries, professor and dean at Wellesley College, said the backlash to “Superman” shows a deep disconnect between what pundits believe Americans want and what they actually want.

“This is a massive success,” Jeffries said. “The message that Gunn just delivered is something people are happy to receive. So we need to really recognize that the [right-wing commentators’] voices are not the majority right now; they are the minority right now. So it just strikes me as kind of sad and out of touch.”

An AI band?

A debate is roiling across streaming services and cultural circles over The Velvet Sundown, a band that’s garnered more than one million plays on Spotify. The catch? The band is entirely AI-generated: its music, its artwork, even its backstory.

Beener said the AI band and its music are a bad omen for the future of the music industry — but not necessarily a surprising one.

“I think about the last 20 years, we had Napster, Limewire, and then the iTunes era, where conceptual albums were suddenly not as important as being singles-oriented,” Beener said. “Then streaming, and suddenly, artists should get paid pennies on the dollar. And then suddenly intellectual property isn’t seen as valuable. So there’s this rollout that’s been happening; it’s like a runaway train, and we have to reel this thing back in.”

A drag superstar’s enduring reign

Despite a reduction in diversity of nominees for this year’s Emmy Awards, one longtime entertainer continues to reign year after year: drag superstar RuPaul. The celebrated host of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” has now earned a record-breaking tenth consecutive nomination for Outstanding Reality Program.

“It’s an incredible legacy,” Jeffries said. “It’s not easy to be in the entertainment business for 10 years, period — but to do 10 straight years in this way is just an incredible testament to the talent and the vision. I also think it speaks to the power of LGBTQ+ culture, both certainly with its own deep roots in terms of its own community, but also as a cultural force that shapes broader American popular culture.”

All that and more in this week’s pop culture news roundtable!

Guests

  • Michael Jeffries, dean of academic affairs, the Class of 1949 professor in ethics, and professor of American studies at Wellesley College.
  • Angelika Beener, award-winning journalist, DJ, producer, and host of the WBGO podcast, “Milestones: Celebrating the Culture.”