# In these cases, the canon of the series is just plan silly, and the creators know it. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 23, 2005, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279 "2005-08-23T16:34:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279/21 "2005-08-23T20:01:29Z")
I’d like to be hit with the Kiss of Forgetfulness sometimes. :rolleyes: All the examples given are really, really good. Over there, Spiderman’s girlfriend can recognize him from a single kiss, and Lois Lane can’t even though she sees him day in and day out. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279/22 "2005-08-23T20:18:41Z")
> [@Draelin](#): > > _glasses on_ “I’m Clark Kent!” _glasses off_ “No, I’m _Superman!_” _glasses on_ “Mild-mannered reporter!” _glasses off_ “_Superhero!_” _looks at Lois_ “_Duh!!!_” > > That is one of my favorite scenes ever. 🙂 But that was the problem with _Lois & Clark_–Dean Cain was a fantastic Clark and a pretty good Superman … but there just wasn’t enough difference between the two to buy that nobody ever noticed. > . On the other hand, when Chris Reeve did it, you could totally buy that no one believed they were the same person. The body language changed, the range of facial expressions was difference; Clark even looked shorter than Superman. You’d look and them and think they were third cousins, maybe. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279/23 "2005-08-23T20:22:01Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Well, there’s the classic Clark Kent/Superman deal, where nobody can recognize Supes if he’s got his disguise on. In Lois & Clark, there was a guy who came back in time and pointed out how galactically stupid Lois was for not figuring it out… There was also an SNL with the ROCK, where he’s playing Superman/Clark Kent. > **[SNL Transcripts: The Rock: 03/18/00: Clark Kent - SNL Transcripts Tonight](https://snltranscripts.jt.org/99/99okent.phtml)** > >  Saturday Night Live Transcripts  Season 25: Episode 15 ---
**Author:** ![Sweetums](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Sweetums](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sweetums)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279/24 "2005-08-23T20:26:20Z")
One of the best explainations of the Superman/Clark thing I ever saw was the idea (from Byrne I belive) that Superman never let on that he HAD a secret identity, thus people who knew Clark as a mild manered reporter noticed the resemblence, but just assumed they were two people who looked like each other. ``` Kind of like how people say I look like Chewbacca ;) ``` ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279/25 "2005-08-23T20:40:19Z")
My favorite rip on the “how can they not tell it’s superman with glassses” come from Mystery Men: **The Shoveller:** If we had a billionaire like Lance Hunt as our benefactor… Mr. Furious:\*\* That’s because Lance Hunt _IS_ Captain Amazing **The Shoveller:** Don’t start that _again_. Lance Hunt wears glasses. Captain Amazing _doesn’t_ wear glasses. **Mr. Furious:** He takes them off when he transforms. **The Shoveller:** That doesn’t make any sense, he wouldn’t be able to see. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279/26 "2005-08-23T21:43:50Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > First, it’s not English, it’s BASIC. Sheesh. > > Second, Hutts are incredibly xenophobic, and believe themselves to be above everyone else. So unless they have to, they generally will only speak Huttese, because to them, it’s the perfect language-anything else is beneath them. > > It’s all for show and vanity. Vanity is how I saw it. No one is permitted to address the exalted Jabba directly without his permission. Visitors speak to 3PO. Rather than sully himelf by speaking to lower caste nobodies, Jabba speaks to 3PO. When the thermal detonator comes out, Jabba decides that “You’re my kind of scum” and talks to Leia directly. When Luke shows up, he speaks directly to Jabba as a form of defiance and an implied threat. Jabba speaks directly to Luke to show that he is not remotely frightened “Your tricks won’t work on me boy.” Re Xander I never saw a problem with it. He did use the abilities a few times (when the Judge showed up, graduation, getting into the Initiative in disguise). But, in day to day life knowing how to field strip an M-16, or drive a tank aren’t that useful. I also remember a line when he mentioned that the information and abilities were fading. This was nothing mystical. He’d learned the stuff years ago, hardly used it and he was starting to forget. IMHO Xander’s retaing the soldier stuff was done to give the character something special and to show that he would become something more than ‘scared guy involved for no reason’. ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279/27 "2005-08-23T21:54:43Z")
> [@Sweetums](#): > > One of the best explainations of the Superman/Clark thing I ever saw was the idea (from Byrne I belive) that Superman never let on that he HAD a secret identity, thus people who knew Clark as a mild manered reporter noticed the resemblence, but just assumed they were two people who looked like each other. Something similar to that is mentioned in a recent issue of Adventurers of Superman. Lois (who is now married to Clark and knows his secret) is narrating the story is says something to the effect “Who would think that someone that powerful would _need_ a secret identity.” Personally Oliver Queen (aka Green Arrow) pisses me off. How many dudes are running around Star Arrow with a goatee like that? I’ve heard stories of a Mr. Mxyzlpk [sic] type imp that that set up Barry Allen accident that lead to him becoming the Flash. He hasn’t been heard from since. Same with Power Girl’s miracle son. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279/28 "2005-08-23T22:15:13Z")
> [@Push You Down](#): > > Cite? If I recall correctly, the most explicit indication was in the Season Four episode wherein Xander’s trying to repair the taser-gun Buffy retained from her “mission” for the Initiative. Perhaps “Goodbye, Iowa”. I can check when I have more time. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279/29 "2005-08-23T22:20:24Z")
Or, perhaps, “The ‘I’ in Team” - the fading skills are discussed in an interview excerpt with David Fury, BTVS writer, on this page : [http://www.atpobtvs.com/43.html](http://www.atpobtvs.com/43.html) for that episode. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279/30 "2005-08-24T00:34:13Z")
> [@Wolfian](#): > > He hasn’t been heard from since. Same with Power Girl’s miracle son. Wasn’t she giving birth when Zero Hour wiped that entire timeline? ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279/31 "2005-08-24T01:12:55Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Wasn’t she giving birth when Zero Hour wiped that entire timeline? According to [this](http://www.monitorduty.com/mdarchives/comic_book_company_news/dc_comics/index.shtml) guy (Aug. 3 post): > [@](#): > > A couple issues later, the kid went off on his own, as magical babies are wont to do and showed up again, now a grown-up and with a monk of some sort as his companion. He called himself Equinox now and killed Scarabus before going off into the sunset (Justice League America 105-108). > > AND HE HASN’T BEEN SEEN SINCE! So the kid (Equinox apparently) is in canon, just never used. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279/32 "2005-08-24T01:57:34Z")
> [@Wolfian](#): > > … secret identity." Personally Oliver Queen (aka Green Arrow) pisses me off. How many dudes are running around Star Arrow with a goatee like that? In one of the Mike Grell issues, the cop that had been working with Green Arrow turned up on Oliver Queen’s doorstep. \*\*Oliver: \*\* "how did you know who I was? 😕 " **Cop:**"YIt was supposed to be a _secret_? :rolleyes: " ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279/33 "2005-08-24T03:10:00Z")
Even if you get somebody like Ironman, whose physical appearance is completely concealed, can’t anyone figure out his secret identity? I mean, he’s supposed to be Tony Stark’s bodyguard. Doesn’t anyone think it’s unusual that Ironman and Tony Stark never appear together? Don’t any supervillians ever think to make a list of a superhero’s known associates and then check off to see who’s the odd man or woman in that social circle who’s never there when the superhero is? ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279/34 "2005-08-24T03:25:47Z")
> [@Little Nemo](#): > > Even if you get somebody like Ironman, whose physical appearance is completely concealed, can’t anyone figure out his secret identity? I mean, he’s supposed to be Tony Stark’s bodyguard. Doesn’t anyone think it’s unusual that Ironman and Tony Stark never appear together? They have appeared together. Tony does trust some people to operate the armor, and has trained them to use it. For a while, Stark had given up being Iron Man. During that time his longtime friend Jim Rhodes wore the armor. Stark has also built at least one version of the Iron Man armor that can be operated remotely through a small neural interface. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279/35 "2005-08-24T04:10:35Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > IIRC, there was a Golden Age _Superman_ comic that revealed that Supes had a hiterto-unknown power of _super-hypnosis,_ which he was subconsciously using while disguised as Clark to make everyone see him as a pauchy, forty-something, balding guy. It wasn’t Golden Age (it was late 70s) and it wasn’t a hitherto-unknown power. It was hitherto-unknown was that Supes unconsciously always had his super-hypnosis switched on while in Kent-mode to come off like a weak sister (but not paunchy or balding, just thinner and wimpy-looking). So powerful was his unconscious super-hypnosis that it even worked through TV cameras, and, most bewilderingly, photographs. And I’ll thank you to leave this particular chunk of Superman history to me. Posting about Superman’s super-hypnosis is _my_ bit. In about the second issue of the Byrne run on Superman, Luthor set one of his lady minions to the task of learning everything about Superman there was to know. She fed everything into a SUPER COMPUTER! which figured out in about two seconds that Kent and Superman were the same person. Luthor refused to believe it, on the belief that no one as powerful as Superman would ever choose to pretend he wasn’t Superman. Poor lady minion lost her job. There was also mention in a few early issues of Kent keeping weights in his apartment to explain why he was in such good shape, and also a mention that he tried to keep from being photographed and would fog film with his x-ray vision if he realized his photo was taken. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279/36 "2005-08-24T04:28:22Z")
The Simpsons know they’re not real. e.g. the what state are we from gags, the “we’ve had 300 exciting escapades”, other characters have commented on the fact the kids never seem to get older. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279/37 "2005-08-24T04:33:24Z")
> [@](#): > > also a mention that he tried to keep from being photographed and would fog film with his x-ray vision if he realized his photo was taken. Wasn’t there a period when the Daily Planet was a television studio and Clark Kent was the anchorman of their newscast? ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279/38 "2005-08-24T05:08:01Z")
> [@Little Nemo](#): > > Wasn’t there a period when the Daily Planet was a television studio and Clark Kent was the anchorman of their newscast? Pre-crisis Clark Kent was an anchor for GBS News. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279/39 "2005-08-24T05:40:37Z")
> [@CandidGamera](#): > > You omit ‘Illusory Giant Cellophane Expanding S-Shield’. Has it been so long? Must we forget repair-the-Great-Wall-of-China-vision? ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279/40 "2005-08-24T12:20:39Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Has it been so long? Must we forget repair-the-Great-Wall-of-China-vision? Through in whatever you like, nothing makes me say ‘What were the writers smoking?’ like the giant cellophane S-shield. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279.md?page=3)