Why does the LGBTQ+ community hate Tom Holland’s ‘Spider-Man’?
Storytelling has certainly come a long way from sitting around a campfire and sharing tales amid some ancient civilization. Technology has made storytelling so much more vivid, leaving everything and nothing to the imagination all at once. We’re long past the point when representation became a crucial school of thought in the arts.
In a diverse, multicultural, multifaceted world, it is requisite to amplify the voices and share the stories of everyone. There’s a lack of representation in the arts which further serves to marginalize minorities, it’s harmful in itself. But the misrepresentation of underserved communities is a significant issue with damaging consequences.
When it comes to digital media, television, and films, representation influences how we see others, and how we see ourselves. Precise, authentic representation serves to break down barriers. It opens us up to new ideas (which are greatly needed in Hollywood right now), creating some powerful role models, and may even be a source of inspiration for new storytellers.
Marginalized groups of all backgrounds are talking about their representation in the arts and it looks like filmmakers are listening. Let’s talk about how representation relates to Tom Holland’s Spider-Man.
RuPaul
Is it true that the LGBTQ+ community share a dislike or even hatred for Tom Holland’s Spider-Man? Artists such as J.K. Rowling and Dave Chappelle have recently come under fire by the community for controversial statements so is Tom Holland merely being added to that list?
In the midst of an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, RuPaul explained why he doesn’t understand people’s enjoyment of Spider-Man. Jimmy Kimmel said his staff all enjoyed having the Drag Race host around, adding that he took some of the team out to see Spider-Man: No Way Home “just to try to win them back.”
RuPaul, however, responded with, “Really? I know a couple of the guys, a couple of the writers, I asked them, “What’s the thing with Spider-Man? Because I get Superman, I get Wonder Woman, I’ve never gotten Spider-Man.” Jimmy then asked RuPaul why, to which the latter replied: “You know, I think because I’m gay. I think that’s probably it.” Jimmy inquired about why RuPaul understands Superman but not Spider-Man.
Superman vs. Spider-Man
According to RuPaul, “Superman is really the story of Christ. It’s the story of an ascendant master. It is the story of the hero with a thousand faces. You’ve heard Joseph Campbell, the philosopher, talk about this. Superman represents the hidden specialness, uniqueness, that each of us has.”
RuPaul was then curious to know the “hidden meaning” behind Spider-Man 一 what makes the character so appealing to the masses. Jimmy told RuPaul, “Spider-Man’s a kid and so when you’re a kid reading comic books, all the other guys are men. Even Spider-Man’s not a man, he’s a little boy, he’s a young kid 一 so it makes you feel like you can be a superhero too.”
“And he’s funny which none of the other superheroes were before him. He seems real, whereas Clark Kent’s wearing the glasses and no one recognizes him? It’s like, even as a child, you go: ‘Nonsense!’.”
Stan Lee
According to The Guardian, comic book icon Stan Lee “backs endeavor to create more gay superheroes but says he agrees with Sony’s decision to keep web-slinger’s ethnicity and sexuality unchanged.
Tom Holland, however, is open to Spider-Man being a homosexual. When asked about his thoughts regarding his character possibly coming out as gay, Holland replied, “I can’t talk about the future of the character because honestly, I don’t know and it’s out of my hands. But I do know a lot about the future of Marvel, and they are going to be representing lots of different people in the next few years.”
“The world isn’t as simple as a straight white guy. It doesn’t end there, and these films need to represent more than one type of person.”
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