As another famous character once said, "Hokey smoke, Bullwinkle!"
When I posted this piece, I expected some negative feedback about the subject matter. In fact, I would have been disappointed had some people not gotten upset about yet another Lois deathfic. As I have stated before, I hate death in all its forms. I do not celebrate it. When I go to funerals, I am unable to pass before the open coffin to say goodbye to the departed, and I've taken some flak because of that.
So I understand that there are different points of view and different opinions about deathfics on this site. But I did not write this to mirror anything in our society. I did not write this because I secretly hate Lois. I did not write this because I hate women.
I wrote this piece because the brilliant video "She's" touched my heart and my spirit. If you've watched the video, you've seen grief contained within a barrier which will never be breached, grief which was caused by Clark's own actions. That was the feeling I was trying to get across, and I chose to show the collateral fallout from Lois's death also, because the death of one person never occurs in a vacuum. It always affects many others.
Also, I did not dream up the whole "freeze Lois and fool the bad guys" scenario. If I had, maybe some of the charges leveled against me would hold water. But this is from the show! I agree, it was a dumb idea from any reasonable, real-life point of view, but the writers did this to make a dramatic statement that Lois loved Clark more than Superman, and that Clark loved Lois enough to let her do something he thought was nuts. Yes, I think they could have come up with any number of things which would have been better (sounds like a plot untwist waiting to happen, doesn't it?) but they didn't, at least not in the episode. That's what I was working with and working from, not from some deep-seated vitriol in my soul directed against women.
Those who posted to tell me only that they didn't read because of the warning, thank you. That's what the warning was for.
Those of you who quoted passages you liked or described parts that moved you, thank you. It goes without saying that such feedback is like a warm hug to a writer.
Those who posted to let me know they didn't like it, thank you. My preferences, my likes, my dislikes, and my cultural prejudices aren't identical to yours, and they should not be. I respect our differences and celebrate them, because without them the vast majority of high-quality writing on this site (and others like it) would not exist.
Now for some Q & A (my personal opinion, not to be taken as absolute truth).
Should Superman have frozen Lois in the show? Yes, because it advanced the dramatic and romantic story lines.
Should he have frozen her in real life? No, because it was incredibly dangerous.
Did Clark love his parents more than he loved Lois? No. You don't show love to a person by denying that person the opportunity to put his or her life on the line for you. If Clark had told Lois, "No, I won't let you help, I won't let you risk your life," wouldn't he have been guilty of trying to control her? Besides, his first reaction when Jason demanded Lois's body was to put her on a plane and have her fly far, far away. Besides, if we think Clark should have taken a bullet for Lois, why can't Lois take a bullet for Clark or for his parents?
The upshot of this is simple. This is a story inspired by a video which explores what-might-have-been. It is presented here for your enjoyment, and while many of the questions raised in these posts are not only valid but worthy of discussion, I suggest that we keep to the subject here, which is this story.
Did you like it? Let me know. Did you hate it? Let me know. Did you even read it? If not, tell me that, and be sure to let me know why (because that's perfectly valid), but don't bust me or the story without reading it first. That kind of response is far closer to a flame than a constructive comment. And while I understand that no one can take in any input without running it through his or her own personal cultural filter, please be willing to admit that you have such a filter. Your opinions are worth reading and considering, but please be willing to admit that they're your opinions. Not everyone thinks the same thing or the same way (which is good and proper and right), so let's allow others to show their differences without ascribing evil motives to anyone.
Thanks for letting me vent. And thanks for caring enough to read and comment.
