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Superman vs. The KKK film in development (based on a true story)

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S

Shaanyboi

Banned
via Deadline
Lotus Entertainment and Paperchase Films are teaming with financier and executive producer Marco Vicini to produce Superman vs. the KKK, a film adaptation of Rick Bowers' 2012 YA nonfiction book.

Bowers' book (full title: Superman Versus The Ku Klux Klan: The True Story of How the Iconic Superhero Battled the Men of Hate) chronicled the creation of a real-life 1946 radio drama in which Superman took on a Klan-like group. The book will be adapted for the screen by Katherine Lindberg.
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The team describes the movie plot as chronicling a former Klan member who goes undercover in 1946 Atlanta and works with the Anti-Defamation League and the producer of the Superman radio show. ”Fighting the forces of evil with brain over brawn, artists taking down bullies and the power of a good piece of content, it's a real case of truth being cooler than fiction," said producer Marc Rosen.
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superman-nazi.jpg
 
T

The Kree

Banned
Seik said:
LOL

I'm in for looking at Superman beating the hell out of some racist mofos tho.
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He's not gonna lay a hand on them. He's gonna set a nonviolent example for white people to pander about to minorities as they get shitted on at every level of society while telling them they're not trying hard enough at anything they do.
 
E

Elegant Weapon

Member
When people say it's just a movie/show, I always explain how the klan's popularity rose with "Birth of a Nation" making them out to be heroes and how their numbers dwindled after Superman's radio show ridiculed them

I should give a ted talk on the power of mass media
 
J

JonnyDBrit

Member
TheRedSnifit said:
SPOILERS: The Titanic sinks in the end.
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Shaanyboi said:
I mean I'd assume everyone went into 127 Hours knowing the dude cuts off his own arm. That's kinda the deal with 'true story' accounts.
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Fair point.

So then, for those unfamiliar:
After the end of WW2, the creators of the Adventures of Superman radio show ran into a bit of a problem - with the war over, that meant no more of the Nazis that they'd conveniently been using as easily justifiable villains for several years. As they were trying to come up with new ideas, they were approached by Stetson Kennedy, who had infiltrated the Klan for years up to that point. Kennedy hated the Klan, but to the outside world, a lot of what it did - where not pretty much sanctioned in the eyes of racists - was obscured in mystique and hearsay; even the police wouldn't readily take what Kennedy had. So he went to what was one of the most popular radio shows in the country, and offered them every bit of dirt he had ever gathered, if they were to use it to somehow ruin the Klan's reputation. What followed was 16 episodes wherein the 'Clan of the Fiery Cross' was demonstrated as undeniably evil - among other things, threatening innocent children, and basically brainwashing others with racist garbage - while also being, quite frankly, rather silly. Apparently the Klan's actual code phrases and such were used in the show too, so when those facing recruitment heard the same shit they'd literally gotten off the Superman radio show, said recruitment plummeted.

Sadly, the work of Kennedy through Superman only managed to blunt the Klan for a time, given they're still around. It's still one hell of an impact though, and you can only just imagine the look on some 1940's bigot's face when they realised they had been made the enemy of the hero of the nation.

Fake Edit: Just listened to the first episode. Man, old timey as hell, but quickly the relevance just kinda hits you. Also makes me smile that even in the 1940s, there were people who realised what was up with this shit.
 
S

Shaanyboi

Banned
JonnyDBrit said:
Fair point.

So then, for those unfamiliar:
After the end of WW2, the creators of the Adventures of Superman radio show ran into a bit of a problem - with the war over, that meant no more of the Nazis that they'd conveniently been using as easily justifiable villains for several years. As they were trying to come up with new ideas, they were approached by Stetson Kennedy, who had infiltrated the Klan for years up to that point. Kennedy hated the Klan, but to the outside world, a lot of what it did - where not pretty much sanctioned in the eyes of racists - was obscured in mystique and hearsay; even the police wouldn't readily take what Kennedy had. So he went to what was one of the most popular radio shows in the country, and offered them every bit of dirt he had ever gathered, if they were to use it to somehow ruin the Klan's reputation. What followed was 16 episodes wherein the 'Clan of the Fiery Cross' was demonstrated as undeniably evil - among other things, threatening innocent children, and basically brainwashing others with racist garbage - while also being, quite frankly, rather silly. Apparently the Klan's actual code phrases and such were used in the show too, so when those facing recruitment heard the same shit they'd literally gotten off the Superman radio show, said recruitment plummeted.

Sadly, the work of Kennedy through Superman only managed to blunt the Klan for a time, given they're still around. It's still one hell of an impact though, and you can only just imagine the look on some 1940's bigot's face when they realised they had been made the enemy of the hero of the nation.

Fake Edit: Just listened to the first episode. Man, old timey as hell, but quickly the relevance just kinda hits you. Also makes me smile that even in the 1940s, there were people who realised what was up with this shit.
Click to expand...
Very cool. I'm excited to see how this movie turns out.
 
L

Loxley

Member
JonnyDBrit said:
Fair point.

So then, for those unfamiliar:
After the end of WW2, the creators of the Adventures of Superman radio show ran into a bit of a problem - with the war over, that meant no more of the Nazis that they'd conveniently been using as easily justifiable villains for several years. As they were trying to come up with new ideas, they were approached by Stetson Kennedy, who had infiltrated the Klan for years up to that point. Kennedy hated the Klan, but to the outside world, a lot of what it did - where not pretty much sanctioned in the eyes of racists - was obscured in mystique and hearsay; even the police wouldn't readily take what Kennedy had. So he went to what was one of the most popular radio shows in the country, and offered them every bit of dirt he had ever gathered, if they were to use it to somehow ruin the Klan's reputation. What followed was 16 episodes wherein the 'Clan of the Fiery Cross' was demonstrated as undeniably evil - among other things, threatening innocent children, and basically brainwashing others with racist garbage - while also being, quite frankly, rather silly. Apparently the Klan's actual code phrases and such were used in the show too, so when those facing recruitment heard the same shit they'd literally gotten off the Superman radio show, said recruitment plummeted.

Sadly, the work of Kennedy through Superman only managed to blunt the Klan for a time, given they're still around. It's still one hell of an impact though, and you can only just imagine the look on some 1940's bigot's face when they realised they had been made the enemy of the hero of the nation.

Fake Edit: Just listened to the first episode. Man, old timey as hell, but quickly the relevance just kinda hits you. Also makes me smile that even in the 1940s, there were people who realised what was up with this shit.
Click to expand...

Yep, the whole story is fascinating, and one of my favorite examples of comic superheroes actually having an impact on the real world. The folks behind it deserve all the credit they can get, so I'm really excited for this.
 
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