Such crap!

love that the AP writers get to hide behind "The Associated Press" rather than sign a name to an article like this one. An article clearly written by someone who doesn't have even a basic understanding of comic book superheroes and how they have evolved over the past 40 years. Most superheroes are no longer the pristine, flawless archetype, like the old days of Superman and Captain America, who were all-conscience, no-doubts and who could, for all intents and purposes, do no wrong.

Case in point:
"The classic superhero is polished, brave and morally righteous. Strong and unerring, he is perfection personified -- a superhuman ideal.

Not this summer."

Anyone who is into comic books, or knows someone who is, knows that for decades they have been expounding on the human condition of many of the superhero characters they serialize. There have been countless "What Ifs" and Spin-offs of specific series and storylines, there have been new bad guys and new aspects of good guys. There have even been re-telling of entire stories from the beginning! And I don't even READ comic books! But I have at least four good friends who have been avid readers for years and I have picked all this up from them.

""Iron Man," which opens Friday, stars Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, a pompous, womanizing, hard-drinking genius whose superpowers come solely from a supercharged, weapons-filled suit he created from scratch. Without it, Stark is just another guy with issues -- not much of a stretch for the actor who's a veteran of both big screen and blotter."

Now THIS just pisses me off because they not-so-much imply as much as state, straight out, that the role of Tony Stark isn't much of a stretch for Robert Downey, Jr., since he has had so much trouble in his life.

WHAT. THE. FUCK.

Just because someone has experienced something doesn't make it any easier to recreate in a believable way. This is written by someone who has never performed an acting role in their life.

At least this ass prints explanatory quotes from people involved about why things have evolved as they have in comic superhero-land.

"Often the problem with superheroes isn't that they're too human, but that they're not human enough, says (Kevin) Feige of Marvel Studios."

"Superman is conventionally and traditionally a Boy Scout, and that's often what makes him very difficult to relate with," (Producer Akiva Goldsman) says. "We identify more with people who are broken, people who are damaged. Those are the heroes who stick with us, the ones who are imperfect despite all their gifts, because everyone feels imperfect."

"And when real life is so chaotic -- with war, a faltering economy, fears of terrorism and a threatened environment -- relatable superheroes are even more valuable," (Iron Man Director Jon) Favreau says.

"It's an abstract version of what our fears are, presented in a safe way, and we can be saved by a superhuman character," he says. "People want to see that type of thing when times are hard."

Echoes Goldsman: "The world is often troubling and we often look for heroes to save the day. If only."

I just wish the person signed their name so I could write back to them.

Whatever!

On the Not-A-Surprise front, Boss Guy is treating me like an idiot again. It seems like A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G I take initiative on, he has to change or modify or second-guess or just outright reject. I spent HOURS working on a PC distribution list for new PC's we just got. Trying to distribute them according to how people use them and what kind of power they need. Nope. The list we made A YEAR AGO when we got the last round of PCs is the one we are going with. That list leaves out a ton of people who really should be getting new PCs. What-the-fuck-ever. When people complain that they are not getting new PCs, that they are getting hand-me-downs that are 5 years old, I am going to point them right to Boss Guy and say he is "The Decider". Asshole. I'm a little pissed, can you tell?