Superman is vegetarian, right?

[Uncle Mxy]

Would Ma and Pa Kent be organic farmers?  Were there any "plight of the farmer" stories involving them, or is it hard for them to really have the problems typical farmers do when Superman can plough fields at warp speed, divert frosts with heat vision, augur rain together, etc.

[faunablues]

To quote Kurt from the DC Comics Message Boards:

> By the way, can Superman still see or sense other
> people's auras, a la Birthright?

No. Nor is he a vegetarian.

kdb

So there!

Oh. Errr... Well. I've been extolling the virtues of Busiek's writing on Superman so much that I'm going to look like a complete pillock now by saying that yeah, well, that's only his opinion. And it's wrong.

I wonder if this is going to spur a debate of such proportions that DC will ban any depiction of Superman or Clark eating? So far, in his new incarnation, we've only seen him eating a pretzel, which is inconclusive. Oh, and he was fixing dinner for Lois recently too. What were they having? Wasn't it fish? Is that okay?

Well, the only properly interesting part of my original post was the bit about Kent enjoying the pleasures forbidden for Superman, which may (or may not) include eating meat. I really was wondering if Kal-El experiences Kent and Superman as being such separate people that one (Kent) can enjoy what is taboo for the other (Superman).

One thing I do know: the Man of Steel in either identity would feel distress (and probably anger) at witnessing any kind of deliberate cruelty to an animal, no matter how small or "primitive" or "insignificant". But the question of whether or not to eat animals that have been butchered is something of a grey area, as it must be for a great many intelligent people -- or we wouldn't be having this debate at all.

The next very difficult decision for Superman, as he sits down to his roast beef, is whether or not he will interfere in animal experimentation (ie. vivisection) which takes place on a grand scale in universities and drug company laboratories the world over. This, I feel, would not be such a grey area, but which still ignites furious debate, and probably will for generations to come.

I agree. Basically, the extent of Superman's virtuosity is based in popular values, and though vegetarianism isn't entirely alien (haha) to our culture, it's not exactly mainstream either.

I think, though some may be uncomfortable to admit it (I guess 'cause most eat meat), Superman's super-goodness, boy-scout type behavior wouldn't likely end at what he eats. The guy's *really* bent on preserving life, and if he doesn't even need to eat, why not be vegetarian, if not vegan? Even if he does need to eat, most vegetarians are pretty healthy. Maybe being an alien and not human requires that he eat animals?

Knowing Superman's invulnerability, though, I bet he could avoid the whole dilemma and eat roadkill for his meat.

I bet that won't make it into the comics though =D

[Gangbuster]

Would Ma and Pa Kent be organic farmers?  Were there any "plight of the farmer" stories involving them, or is it hard for them to really have the problems typical farmers do when Superman can plough fields at warp speed, divert frosts with heat vision, augur rain together, etc.

I think that by the time Clark was old enough to have helped them in that way, the family had already moved off the farm and Pa Kent had his general store in town.

[Aldous]

Would Ma and Pa Kent be organic farmers?  Were there any "plight of the farmer" stories involving them, or is it hard for them to really have the problems typical farmers do when Superman can plough fields at warp speed, divert frosts with heat vision, augur rain together, etc.

I think that by the time Clark was old enough to have helped them in that way, the family had already moved off the farm and Pa Kent had his general store in town.

I don't have a cast-iron viewpoint on this, but it's my feeling the old-school Pa Kent would not have encouraged Clark to use his superpower to increase profits or give the Kent farm too great an advantage over their neighbours. Remember the Kents were highly moral people, and very honest, and knowing the sort of man Pa Kent was (and the sort of woman Ma was) I don't think Pa would feel right if he didn't make that farm work through his own sweat and sinew.... That doesn't mean from time to time Clark couldn't go outside his brief and plough a field in two minutes or save some livestock from a flood.

Just as an aside, one of the things I liked about the "Smallville" TV show was the Pa Kent character and the actor who played him. Pa in the show really did look like a man who was hardened from physical labour. He was believable as a man who earns his crust on the land.

[Permanus]

One thing I do know: the Man of Steel in either identity would feel distress (and probably anger) at witnessing any kind of deliberate cruelty to an animal, no matter how small or "primitive" or "insignificant". But the question of whether or not to eat animals that have been butchered is something of a grey area, as it must be for a great many intelligent people -- or we wouldn't be having this debate at all.

The next very difficult decision for Superman, as he sits down to his roast beef, is whether or not he will interfere in animal experimentation (ie. vivisection) which takes place on a grand scale in universities and drug company laboratories the world over. This, I feel, would not be such a grey area, but which still ignites furious debate, and probably will for generations to come.

You make a good point, though I'd like to add that not all vegetarians avoid meat because they don't want to be cruel to animals; quite a few do it because for health reasons. I followed a vegetarian diet for two years, much aided by a good cookbook, and I felt great! I gave it up in the end because I found it far too complicated to be so selective in my diet, especially since I have all kinds of allergies that already restrict it. Nevertheless, I imagine that if Superman were a vegetarian, it would be out of concern for animal welfare. He doesn't strike me as the sort of fellow who needs to worry about his cholesterol levels.

I'd like to think that Superman shares my view that vivisection is a necessary evil, but probably objects to animal experimentation in fields such as cosmetics and so on. Obviously, no editor would want to touch this one with a bargepole, any more than he'd show him stopping loggers from cutting down a rain forest or destroying SUVs.

[Super Monkey]

As far as lab animals goes... that is a tough one, it really depends on the research, and what kind of animals we are talking about.

I suppose mice and rats for medical research are ok, but that is about it. The great thing about mice and rats is that if it works for them, 90% (more or less) of the time it will work for humans.

For cosmetics, that is just stupid, there are plenty of high-end cosmetics companies that do not do it, so there is no need to go there.

I do not believe on hunting animals that you do not plan to eat, if you kill an animal you better eat it, that the rule that good moral hunter follow. Amoral hunters hunt for sport, and that is disgusting.

[Gangbuster]

As someone said earlier, not all deaths are equal. For example, you do not have much of a problem with lab rats, but lab rat terriers would probably be a different matter. A dead snake in the road near a school might ellicit a "Hooray!", but on the way back from work the other day I saw that a fox had been hit, and was saddened.

Superman, along with maybe the Atom, is the only superhero cabable of saving the millions of one-celled organisms that I kill every morning with my toothbrush. Whether Superman is or isn't a vegetarian is of no consequence to me, but it would be impossible to preserve all life...even all human life. Every person at the Daily Planet is destined to die one day.

[TELLE]

Would Ma and Pa Kent be organic farmers?  Were there any "plight of the farmer" stories involving them, or is it hard for them to really have the problems typical farmers do when Superman can plough fields at warp speed, divert frosts with heat vision, augur rain together, etc.

I think that by the time Clark was old enough to have helped them in that way, the family had already moved off the farm and Pa Kent had his general store in town.

Which begs the question, did Pa Kent sell organic produce in his store?  And what about hemp?