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From: ariels@mako.UUCP (Ariel Shattan)
Newsgroups: net.comics,net.religion.jewish
Subject: Re: Marvel Comics, Jews and Other Ethnic Groups
Message-ID: <61@mako.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 11-Apr-84 13:40:09 EST
Article-I.D.: mako.61
Posted: Wed Apr 11 13:40:09 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 28-Apr-84 08:07:41 EST
References: <395@ihuxt.UUCP>
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Considering the fact that DC (the other major comic company) is so
much more vanilla than Marvel, I think that Marvel has a pretty good
selection of non-WASP male heros and characters.  In fact, the
latest Moon Knight story was pretty impressive, as comic book
stories go.  Someone had actually done some research, and even Marc,
hardened mercenary that he is, came out with a new repect for his
father the rabbi's way of life.  

As to Marvel treating Jews different than they treat 
Blacks, Orientals, Native Americans, Hispanics, etc, I don't believe
it.  As far as I can see, they are watering down all ethnic groups
equally.  Look at Misty Night and Danny (whatever Iron Fist's last
name is).  They never get any trouble because she's black and he's
white.  It never seems to cause internal trouble either.  While I'm
not saying that this kind of relationship can't, shouldn't, and doesn't 
happen, it's rarely as easy as the comic book would have you
imagine.

Just about all American characters are treated as part of the 
mainstream.  To treat them otherwise is to lay the company open to
charges of stereotyping.  From your letter, it seems that you want
Jews in comic books to represent the minority of Jews in America.
Personally, I'd rather Marvel stick to what they know, mainly the
people of all ethnic types who have assimilated to some degree or
another, than try to represent the extremes of behaviour within any
ethnic group.  I find the latter method of placating a certain
group very patronizing.

And the Israeli and Arab super heroes being teamed up (not by choice,
either).  It's obvious that Marvel did that to add an extra element
of conflict in the story.  If you read Secret Bores (oops, I mean
Wars), you'll see the same sort of trouble making. (Magneto stuck in
with the good guys, etc.) 

I definitely think that bringing the ADL into this thing is a stupid
waste of time.  There is enough true anti-semitism around (vandalism
of synagogues and graveyards, for starters), and the ADL's resources
would be better spent fighting this than going after a comics
company that is trying to sell comic books to everyone and still be
ethnically "fair", (read, vanilla).

BUT, on top of everything else, IT'S ONLY A COMIC BOOK!!  comic
books do NOT form the opinions of today's youth nearly as much as TV
does.  Besides, contrary to popular belief, most readers of comics
are not kids, but teenagers and adults, whose impressions of ethnic
groups as a whole and of individual members of their own and other
groups have already been formed.

I suppose I'd better give my qualifications to speak.  I am Jewish,
with a traditional background.  I am assimilated to the point that I
don't spend my time studying Talmud, and that I care what happens in
this world beyond how it affects the Jews.

Ariel Shattan
..!tektronix!orca!ariels