Lois & Clark Forums Forums General Discussion Fun with Polls What's your main interest?

Carol's musing in the WHAM warning thread about Smallville fans v Lois and Clark fans, and her interest in seeing a poll, made me decide to post this one.

I'll do my best to make the options as wide-ranging as possible, but do please post to explain your interests!

Edit: I forgot to include a 'none of the above' option for question 2, so if you don't have another Superman interest besides Lois and Clark, just go for 'Other'. Sorry!


Wendy

Interesting poll, Wendy, although I'll be surprised if we end up with anything other than a huge majority of L&C-only fans. L&C, I think, was a fairly unique take on the concept of Superman; most of the other versions focus more on the superpowers and action-adventure. Smallville focuses on Clark Kent, of course, but other aspects are quite different. So I don't think there's as much overlap between L&C and anything else than there is between, say, comics and movies.

And if we do snag the occasional Superman fan from another medium, they'll only stick around if they *become* an L&C fan, whether or not that's their main interest.

I know there are some people who enjoy watching something for the sheer pleasure of tearing it to shreds, but I've never really understood that...

PJ

I'm an L&C fan through and through. I think my first exposure to Superman was Christopher Reeve in the movies. I remember liking those immensely (while chuckling at the goofy villains ). And then there was the old George Reeves show that I watched with my dad courtesty of "Nick at Nite" reruns. I can't recall whether or not I saw these before L&C or not, but it was definitely before I became a hardcore FoLC. I really loved that time with my dad because he'd give me extra insights and perspective from when he'd watched it as a kid. Plus... there was just *something* about Superman. I'm digressing a bit, but my point is, I really have always loved Superman.

Then comes Lois and Clark. You couldn't have dragged me away! This show will always remain my favorite Superman incarnation. Maybe I'm waxing on a bit, but I think Lois and Clark helped me see what that "something" about Superman was. I love the romance between Lois and Clark. I love that Clark Kent is the epitome of what's right and good in this world... that he's so good, so moral, so caring, such an example to everyone, and he's not infallible either. That's what makes him such a hero, someone to idolize, and I've just realized I'm straying off topic here...

So, in short , my answer is: I'm a lover of who and what Superman is, but Lois and Clark will always remain my favorite incarnation.

Sara

Great poll, Wendy - think it gets at much of what I've been musing about. Thanks for setting it up.

Also, Sara your answer is really interesting, partly because of what's not there - you didn't really mention Lois Lane as an independent "character" in her own right. Does this mean that it's really just about Clark Kent for you or am I putting words in your mouth?
(The poll doesn't quite get at this aspect of what the show was about but maybe as people post responses they might address that issue too.)

c (fan of both Lois Lane and Clark Kent)

I watched bits and pieces of the Superman movies when I was a kid, but I had major problems with the Clark/Superman character -- still do, in fact. He grew up on Earth, and yet Superman is the real person? Right. I don't think I ever paid much attention to the Lois character, other than she was galactically blind and singlely-focused. And the kiss that erased her memory? What was that about?

I never read the comics until L&C, and then only the wedding arc, so I can't say anything about that. Still got 'em, though!

I still love L&C, because it humanizes both characters. They're multi-dimensional, not just these two-dimensional characters that the movies seemed to portray. And Clark was the real person! Sure, some of the storylines weren't all that great, but I still love the characters.

As for Smallville, I'll just repeat what I said on IRC earlier: I refuse to watch that piece of tripe. Stupid whiny wannabes. I didn't like teenage angst as a teenager, and I don't like it as an adult.. (Which bears the question why I love Joan of Arcadia, but that's a whole other question for another day)

Never saw the other incarnations, so can't comment on them.

My main (and perhaps only) Superman interest is Lois and Clark. Before L&C, I used to think Superman movies and tv shows are stupid because Superman always just swoops in to save the day, using his super powers as opposed to his brain, while Clark Kent is portrayed as being very dorky and Lois Lane is just a sidekick as opposed to equal partners. And before I get bombarded by tomatoes from fans of the other incarnations, this was my POV when I was 14 and having only watched parts of Christopher Reeve's movies and the old Superman cartoons. So, I'm not saying the other incarnations are like this (necessarily), this was simply the naive conclusions/assumptions of a 14-year-old.

Anyway, those assumptions was the reason I didn't start watching L&C until end of season 2. After L&C, I decided to give other Superman incarnations a try. I watched the early episodes of Superman the animated series but found that I didn't like it much because it lacked an underlying story line that ties the episodes together. I guess that's to be expected from a cartoon.

Nowadays, I watch Smallville every week. I answered "Smallville" to question 2 in the poll, although I don't actually like the show. I watch it because it's filmed in my home town and it's nice to see my home town, especially when I'm in the US for school. Plus, I want to see how they dig themselves out of the complicated hole they put themselves in with the artifacts and the cave paintings. :p

Simba
(who finds it very amusing that the "Area 51" in some tv shows are shot at a location in Vancouver frequented by dog owners and their pets )

Wow! Nice poll, Wendy and Nice idea, Carol and LabRat!

Ok, no need to tell you what I chose for my first question?

For the second question, I chose other. Coz I felt silly checking everyone of them (although they are check boxes) and wanted to post

This is because I watch / read / listen / absorb whatever I can get of Superman.

Ofcourse, I did not become fully "supermanized" (or rather "Lois-and-Clarkized)until L&C, and visit L&C related sources more than anything else. The main reason for me is, L&C kinda gives an equal footing to Clark *and* Lois *and* Superman. Clark is no longer *only* a mild-mannered shadow; Lois is something more than a 'girl reporter and Superman's cheerleader'; Superman is no longer an all-powerful invincible being (unless there's Kryptonite and magic). He has feelings, emotions. He is human. The characters evolve.

My other venues are:
1. WB cartoons
2. Comics
3. Smallville (I simply watch that to see how often I can roll my eyes)
4. Movies (loved SI and SII(except the last kiss-and-forget scene))
5. TV series (1950s, Superboy)
6. published fiction books on L,C & S.

[Digressing once more... my guiding principles are the 3D's - Superman's dedication, Lois' determination and Clark's devotion.]

~Ankit

I chose the L&C option for the first question (no surprise there), and "Other" as a stand-in for "all of the above" for the second because of my history with this character.

I have half-joked before that I was a fan of L&C *before* the show was announced -- I loved the CR movies and the GR tv series and even dabbled in the comics a bit as a kid, but what was always missing for me was that focus on Clark Kent as a main character. So when I got my summer preview issue of TV Guide in July of 1993, I almost did a happy dance in my living room when I found out there was going to be a show that explored this exact premise.

This was well before I knew about pre- and post-crisis in the comics, or about all the different ways Superman canon has changed with each new incarnation (and it has -- any other old-timers remember the absolute uproar over the fact that Dean Cain had *brown* eyes?). But I always had wished that I could see more of Clark and his professional/social/romantic dealings with Lois, so L&C was everything I'd ever dreamed come true.

Nowadays, I do watch Smallville -- and enjoy it -- but that has more to do with the fact that I find it a fun show than the fact that it has a teenaged Clark Kent. I do enjoy all things Superman; I enjoy seeing how each incarnation has changed major elements over the years and there are parts of each incarnation that I like a lot.

But L&C is the only one that has "the whole package" for me, and my enjoyment of those other incarnations of Superman has no bearing on my view of the characters in L&C.

Kathy

Okay, I'm the guy who put other in question number one. Why? Because my main interest in Superman is not actually Lois and Clark, it's Lois.

While I'll admit that Dean portrayed the best live action Clark Kent, there have been other good Clark Kent's and some better Supermen. But Teri's Lois Lane is far and away the best live portrayal of the wonderful Ms. Lane that has been put to screen.

There have been some great comic book stories involving an interesting and compelling Lois,but those are on an issue by issue basis. There is no consistancy. Also, the animated series had a good Lois Lane, but part of that is my soft spot for Dana Delaney, whom I always thought would have made a good Lois Lane herself.

The only thing watchable on Smallville is Erica Durance's Lois, but since Lois doesn't belong in Smallville it doesn't really count. It's too bad she was tainted by the bad television series because I wouldn't have minded seeing her in the role (with a more updated professional look)in the movie. I don't have much faith in 22 year old Kate Bosworth.

I also checked other (along with a few extra choices) in question two because you forgot to include fanfiction as a source of Lois/Clark/Superman entertainment.

Tank (who will always be a Superman fan, but a Lois fanatic)

While I really enjoyed the Superman movies in the 80's the focus on the relationship of Lois & Clark in the 'New Adventures' show was and is far more important to me. It's in fact a rare event to picture a mature relationship in a tv-show since mostly it's badly written teen-angst nowadays.

All the same I watch Smallville too. Mostly because the show got some interesting ingredients - but I'm afraid they got too screwed up at cooking

Okay, I admit it. The reason I got hooked on L&C is that Dean Cain is just so gosh-darned good looking. That said, I never would have continued to watch this gosh-darned good looking guy if the plots, story-lines, romances, jokes, dialogue and characters hadn't also been so gosh-darned good. My favourite aspect of the show was that it was set in the present day, and other than the fact we were required to believe in a flying man with superpowers, everything else about the show was as real as real can be. Well, except for some of the villains. I was also intrigued by the frequent gender role-reversal between Lois and Clark. Often, Lois took what would be considered the man's role in various relationship scenarios - I can't think of any specific examples right now, but there were a lot!

Yvonne

I'm with Yvonne in that I got into LnC for the cute guy, and then into Smallville for a younger cute guy.

No, actually I fell in love with LnC because of the chemistry between Lois and Clark/Dean and Teri and because of the love story. Yep, I fast-forwarded through as much of the villian hyjinks as possible. But I really enjoyed the premise of a man who has to hide an entire side of his personality from the world and what that effort meant to those around him.

When LnC went off the air, or rather, stopped airing in syndication, I turned to Smallville to get my Clark Kent fix. (And yes, ogle another good looking young man *g*.) I enjoy that show for completely different reasons. It features a darker, more three-dimensional character, and yes, it does play complete havoc with canon. Since I'm not a Superman purist, that doesn't bother me.

I liken the whole thing to a love for chocolate. I like milk chocolate and dark chocolate and white chocolate. They all have distinctive flavors and one can never be confused with another, yet they are all still based in the same fundamental element of being chocolate. And liking one does not in any way preclude me from being able to appreciate the others.

Lynn

I may be torn to shreds for this, but here goes....

I never really liked the TV shows much. I watched them from time to time, but I didn't care much.

I found the fanfic archive via Google, searching for something Superman-related; I forget what. Nan Smith's Home series. I stayed up all night, reading the series all the way through in one go. I branched out -- started on the Kerth pages, then started reading other stories by authors I enjoyed. Then just started reading whatever. I love this fanfic community -- it's fun, we have some excellent authors, and I love seeing the endless creativity shown here.

Know what? Still can't stand the shows.

I think whatever drew me to Superman in the first place was the same thing that attracted me to Zorro, to The Scarlet Pimpernel, to Daredevil... It was a romantic hero, secret identity kind of thing, not a specifically Superman type thing.

When I was a kid, I devoured comics when I chanced upon them -- which wasn't often. But they always left me wanting more. Specifically, they always left me wanting more Clark Kent. And more Clark Kent as he really was, not as the geek he was forced to portray. A Clark Kent that Lois Lane could fall in love with.

Then I found the Christopher Reeves films, and, I admit, I liked them. A lot. I ended up collecting the comics for a little while, too, but continued to be frustrated by the stupid villains and the emphasis on Superman.

And then came Lois and Clark.

I saw the pilot at a Star Trek convention in 1993 (or 1994, whenever it was) before the BBC showed it. And I was hooked right from the beginning.

This was the incarnation of Superman I'd been waiting for for years. The balance was perfect. It was about Clark Kent, who just happened to be a superhero. And the portrayal of Lois Lane and the tentative steps to romance didn't hurt, either.

One thing let to another, and here I am.

So, I like Clark Kent more than I like Superman. Does this mean that I like Smallville? Not a bit of it. I've seen a couple of episodes here and there, but, for me, it is too... I'm not sure I can explain it. It is too teenage-angsty. There are too many conversations riddled with deep and meaningful looks. It feels slow. The episodes I have seent don't have the pep and humour of Lois and Clark; I cannot bring myself to really like it, let alone love it.

Thing is, it doesn't feel like Superman to me. I feel as though it is only about a young Superman because we are told it is; I don't instinctively connect with the Clark character. In fact, I've always felt that if Smallville hadn't been set in the Superman universe, I would have liked it a whole lot more.

I no longer like the Christopher Reeve films. I no longer read the comics -- haven't done for years. This, I guess, is partly a function of the way tastes change as you grow up. But mostly, I think, it is because I was settling for second best when I liked those. I was always looking for that something extra, and when I finally found it, second best was no longer good enough.

That's not to say that there aren't bits of Lois and Clark I don't like; there are plenty of those! But the overall package makes things like Baron Sunday and the New Kryptonians (barely) tolerable.

On a slightly different subject:

Archbish99: I for one find it very flattering that you don't like the shows but that you stick around for the fanfic. It says a lot about the quality and vibrancy of this community.

And that brings me on to the subject of fanfic... But that will have to be grist for another post as, if I don't get a move on, I'm going to be late for work.

Chris

Hi,

Again I'm always one of the last to post, and most of you have already touched on all the reasons I love L & C.

I too enjoyed the Christopher Reeves movies, but my favourite was the second movie where we got to see Clark Kent as a real person, without the powers perhaps, but not the dorky person he'd pretended to be. But I did feel very let down by the 'kiss of forgetfulness' at the end of that movie. To me that scene totally trivialised Lois' role.

Like most of you, I was looking for a show where Clark Kent would be the main character not Superman, so I liked L&C right from the pilot. I have to admit though that I fell in love with the show because of the chemistry between Lois and Clark/Teri and Dean.

I loved the way Lois and Clark connected. They brought their own strengths to the partnership. When one half of the partnership faltered the other took the strain, and Lois was an equal partner. Neither were perfect. The super hero wasn't always super. They were stronger together than each on their own.

I loved the humour too and the upbeat quality of the show. L&C made me smile when watching it. It also made me cry a few times too, but on the whole I was rooting for Lois and Clark to surrmount every problem and every villain and to live happily ever after. When Lois and Clark triumphed over evil, I felt good. What can I say, I'm a born optimist.

That's probably why I've never really been hooked on Smallville. I've watched a few episodes now and then, and they usually leave me feeling very depressed and uneasy. Now I realise some people might like to explore the darker side, but that's not for me.

Lois and Clark gave me everything I was looking for in Superman. They made the characters real for me and even after all this time, I still feel that way.

Yours Jenni

Thanks, Wendy! I'm pretty intrigued to see the answers to this one.

I had to check other in the second question, even though the answer was really no - because the poll wouldn't register my vote on question one if I left question two blank. So that's one vote for other which really means 'none of the above'.

The only other incarnation I really enjoyed was the Chris Reeve movies. But once I watched Lois and Clark I could never go back and watch them, because suddenly the characterisations were all wrong for me. LNC eclipsed them big time and has remained my definition of Lois and Clark ever since.

And for the record - I'm a fan of both Lois and Clark. Two things have to be present in a show to attract me - humour and character relationship. Characters that care about one another and show it. So those are the elements which I enjoy most about LNC. And I'll agree with others here that Teri/Dean had some of the sparkiest on-screen chemistry that I've ever seen. Besides both Clark and Lois are such fascinating characters.

Archbish - LOL. It doesn't count for LNC for me, but I've certainly been where you are over other shows. So you're not as out of step as you might think.

LabRat

Carol said:

Well... You're putting words in my mouth just a little bit. You see, I've always loved Superman... a huge reason is because he can fly. I love that. I can only imagine the freedom that comes with that... how freeing it would feel to fly under your own right. But Lois is of course a pivotal part of what makes me love Lois and Clark. With out Lois... it would just be some guy in a pair of tights and a cape . One who flies, but nonetheless... just a man who flies. Lois is an integral part of who Clark is. Without her, he wouldn't be complete. She is the one who makes him want to be the best person he can be. She's the one who recharges his soul and spirit. There just *isn't* a Clark without Lois; it wouldn't be the same. So... yes, Clark Kent and Superman are a big part of my love for the whole fantasy, but Lois is such a big part of what Superman (and Clark) is... you just can't leave her out. (And I'm a bit embarrassed that I did earlier ).

Sara

Thought I might have been putting words in your mouth, Sara. Clearly, I was.

c.

For me, bottom line, it's Superman.

Or, really, super- anything. Before I was a discerning fan of comics, I read pretty much whatever superhero comic I could lay my hands on. The Fantastic Four. Flash. Spiderman. Green Lantern. Tons of Batman. I watched Batgirl on television. She was, btw, my first exposure ever to a pro-active woman. She chased villains and kicked them into next week, and I loved her for it. I got into trouble for kicking boys on the playground in the third grade... but still, she will forever hold a special place in my heart, even though it occured to me much later she was no girl. Should have been BatWoman. Ms BatWoman, if you weren't acquainted.

So, of course, I was a fan of the Superman movies. And cartoons. And comics. Had the lunchbox, etc... And I still think Roger Stern's The Death and Life of Superman is one of the best books I've ever read, across all genres. Also, did a dance of victory in the Barnes and Noble when I finally found Public Enemies.

All of that is just to say, I came to L&C through the superhero door. I found the series in syndication. I vaguely remember its first run. And that I liked it. But it wasn't until I caught the pilot a couple of years ago that I was firmly hooked. Everyone else has said it, but the idea of Clark Kent yearning to be normal, destined to be super, and needing the help and support of a woman as extraordinary as he (if not more so), was so much juicier than anything else I'd ever come across. I was in.

I am, also, an unashamed and rabid fan of Smallville. Go on, roll your eyes, people!<g> But I *adore* it. Dark, angsty, twisty, and twisted. I. love. it. More so that L&C. Yeah. I said it. There you go.

And since I'm here and offending everyone, I'll add on. Other than seeing all the episodes twice, I'm not really all that familiar with L&C. Therefore, I've written hundreds of pages of fanfic for a show I have vague- though very good!- memories of.

How many of you have I just slayed with that? Because there's more!

I'm kind of glad, actually. I don't know all the parameters of L&C canon. And I came along with no knowledge of characterization debates. No idea there were Saint Clark societies and Flawed Clark ones. That certain endearments will get parsed to death. That S1 Lois is often frowned on (unfairly! but that's a whole other post), etc...

I didn't know where the lines were drawn until I, unknowingly, crossed them. (And then, gads, I found out!) But I think that has worked to my advantage. Ignorance has given me a lot of latitude.

Also, the great thing is, there's an audience for all kinds of approaches. And since this is purely interpretative, there is no Right Way, no Wrong Way. There are just different ways. Which is really nice.

CC- who kind of wonders how much of her readership she just lost...? Also, I'm back to being pretty sure Chloe *is* Lois. Erica Durance is a red herring!! Really!

hmmm ... I don't see Harry or Hermione on this! What kind of poll is this???