AI Summary
5 min readSupergirl: Hollywood Gets it Wrong AGAIN
The new DCU Supergirl film is projected to lose $100 million at the box office, and the host argues this failure follows a pattern she has seen repeatedly in recent Hollywood releases. The film's star, Millie Alcock, told audiences in multiple interviews that Supergirl represents "what a modern woman can be" — strong, tough, messy, and not centered around romance or a man. When asked about the character's appeal to queer audiences, Alcock responded that she has "many queer friends" and that Supergirl "doesn't live inside the box." The host finds this messaging confused and self-defeating, especially for a superhero property that was once built on aspirational ideals.
The Aspiration Problem
The host's central argument is that superhero stories are supposed to be aspirational — they present an ideal to strive toward. Superman represented "truth, justice, and the American way," a character who was both a superpowered alien and Clark Kent, an average guy raised in rural America. The Supergirl film, by contrast, tells audiences that "whoever you are right now is okay. In fact, it's better than okay. You are Supergirl. You have superpowers."
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:05) **Supergirl Box Office Flop & Thesis** - Amala introduces the topic: the new Supergirl film is a box office bomb, and she argues the failure is predictable and rooted in the film's messaging.
- 2 (01:21) **PR Messaging: Queer Icon & Decentering Men** - Plays clips of star Millie Alcock discussing Supergirl as a "queer icon" and a film not centered on a man or romance.
- 3 (03:18) **Defining the "Modern Woman" Message** - Analyzes the film's stated goal of portraying a woman outside the binary, questioning what a "modern woman" is supposed to be.
- 4 (05:28) **The Anti-Aspirational Superhero Paradox** - Argues that the film's core message contradicts the fundamental purpose of a superhero story.
- 5 (06:25) **Targeting an Audience & Dismissing Critics** - Discusses how the film's PR preemptively dismissed criticism by labeling critics as bigots.
- 6 (07:45) **The "It's Okay" Message & Its Limits** - Plays a clip from a fan saying the film would have resonated with her at age 10-14, which Amala uses to define the film's core message.
- 7 (08:43) **The Formula for a Modern Flop** - Amala outlines the recurring formula she sees in these failed films.
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Show Notes
Supergirl is slated to lose $100 million at the box office. Why does Hollywood keep doing this? Let’s talk about it.
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