Well, as a kid who grew up in 90’s X-Men animation is one of those defining moments of my childhood, along with Power Ranger and anime. So the new X-Men 97 is an event I don’t wanna miss. And boy the first 2 episodes is a blast. On point on characterization, story and continuity from the original show. As a fan I’m delighted by this.
Sure X-Men, story about minority and misfit always have controversy, but this is amplified by folds due to the SJW and political correctness of today’s. And again, it’s became a debate, war and tiring conversation. In the old days, the minority didn’t have access to share their thoughts and ideas, but now social media and acceptance form society, the theme of X-Men is an all-out brawl between conservative, liberalist, homophobic, LGBTQA and almost everyone who enjoys pop culture.
Usually, the idea or story about minority (in this case X-Men) usually is being analyzed and brought to controversy by conservative and being countered by the “opposition” and thus created quite a civilized discussion. But nowadays, like I mentioned before, all-out brawl of idea, where everyone express their idea, even without basic knowledge or competency, and even sometimes people prefer the opinion of the most popular rather than the most competent one (like in the book “The Death of Expertise: The Campaign Against Established Knowledge and Why it Matters” by Tom Nichols). No wonder most people prefer to consume, movie or book or anything, but stay away from the fandom due to the toxicity and hostility.
There’s a scene in the episode when Cyclops visor get knocked down so he can’t use his optic blast (if he use it, he will hurt everyone because he can’t control the blast) so he gets beaten by the anti-mutant assassin (sort of, named X-cutioners) and this assassin reason to hate mutant is being labeled by the minority (in this case LGBTQA) as stupid, phobic and can not be toleratred. If you agree with his statement, you’re part of the problem.
But is it? I know in this story, the allegory of mutant as representation of minority, is being hunted, chased down, killed, even government created Sentinel, giant robot, to exterminate mutant, thus minority put themselves in the extreme position that they need to do “anything” in order to survive. Sadly this extreme method is kinda like Magneto way of thinking before he joins X-Men. This “pro-active” and “responsive” approach makes human fear and loath mutant, despite what human, at least the human that try to exterminate mutant, do. Because not every human hate and fear mutant. This is what I believe, violence is a vicious cycle that can’t be broken with violence, it needs the opposite of it, in this eye for eye scenario, it won’t be over until everyone is blind.
But this Magneto approach is considered cool, edgy and effective by today’s minority. Since they believe that the soft way is ineffective, futile and lost cause, especially in today’s instant gratification era. This us vs them dichotomy is, if you ask me, just a shortcut or short term to make the cause seems relevant, effective and swift.
And this approach came with a hefty price if you ask me, you divide anyone as either you’re with us or against us. Life is not as simple as black and white, and divide people into this only limited your prospect to gain allies, supporter or swing voter. And that is exactly what happened when you became too extreme. Those people will choose the alternative.
Imagine why most man didn’t like feminism, most feminist identified man as evil, if not all man is evil. So what do you think will happen? Did they expect after they insult all men they expect a support from man? This is just like Hollywood movie insult their audience as sexist, homophobic, leftist, etc and then they blame their audience when their movie with their agend is flopped. What do you expect? This is not they way because like I mentioned, you alienated the rest of the group that you’re expecting to support you by insulting all of them. You lost the neutral, the swing voter, the people that might aid your cause.
I admit, taking a more extreme way is cool. In X-Men stories, the way Cyclops became a revolutionist is one of the best character development IMHO, and I once wrote about his departure from a good man into a revolutionist. From a boy scout-teacher’s pet-good boy kinda thing, evolved into a revolutionist that even Wolverine respected (and loathed due to his method to employ any mutant as solder) and Magneto followed. Cyclops evolution is earned due to his journey. He, as “leader” of X-Men and sometimes mutant in general, witness that no matter what they do human in general see them as a threat.
In his evolution, he saw Avengers fought them in fear of Cyclops believe’s that Hope Summers will be the Phoenix host and savior didn’t worth the risk (in the end Hope became Phoenix host just like Cyclops believe and Cyclops killed Prof. X in the process of this stupid story). He saw that government see mutant as a threat that must be exterminated (they built Sentinel to killed mutant). He saw religion, in this case Christianity, labelled them as abomination, lesser human and needed to be exterminated. Every step he took in faith betray him, betray mutant, that’s why he choose the extreme way. Even when mutant moves to Mars, human still hate them.
In the end, Cyclops story abruptly ended when Marvel reset the story into Krakoan era. Where Prof X and Magneto knew the future and decided to have all mutant concentrated in one island Krakoa, and also in Mars, invited all mutant to join and created a nation of mutant. And in show force, they show the power of mutant and that they are “better” than human and willing to share the medicine to cure almost every sickness if human welcome and allow them to co-exist. This act created a new threat for mutant when human join and created counter-measure or to be exact, a kill team to end mutant.
This is actually good, but the fact they put themselves as better than human, they created a target on evey mutant. Every human will think that mutant is dangerous, a threat, a risk that needs to mitigated. Even Dr. Doom, one of the “neutral” force in Marvel which usually become villain, knows that their way is flawed and risky.
There are both side of every story. Maybe you think you’re the hero in your story. But you also can be villain in others. Just like history is written by the winner, but sometimes along the way we can learn that it’s not true and we can learn from the opposite because everything has a point. Or in everything, there will be a good or bad thing about it. We should choose the better one, or at the very least, learned to make the best of what available. I know it sucks to accept that what we don’t believe as true, but that’s how the world works.
And back to that scene in X-Men, X-cutioners have a point, a good one. That is what the rest of the world or every one in the world feels. We all have it hard, we all fought a different battle. So please be kind and try to make the world a better place by respect every one, along with their believes, creed, etc. Don’t put yourself in pedestal or pretend to be better, in everything, in burden, in battle, in lost, etc. To think that every one has to support you, to accept you. People, or human needs time to learn the truth, and your action, the extreme one is making people don’t care about your story, your struggl. They see you as an annoyance, evena threat to status quo or peace or anything. Changes is hard to accept, but changes is the only constant thing in this world, but pushing it doesn’t make the changes will be faster or better.
So, please learned the error of mutant. I know minority have it hard, and usually became victim on injustice. But do realize, just because you hurt, it doesn’t make you right. Or at least to pretend that you’re good and everyone that doesn’t agree with you is bad. Like I said, the world doesn’t operate in black or white, right or wrong, even the so called truth is never on the end of the spectrum but usually somewhere in the middle. Or in Islamic teaching, too much of everything is never a good thing. It has to be proportionate, balance, there are both side of the story. Maybe you can learn a thing or two by learn what others think.
Sounds of Giberish 