“Can you recite Superman’s motto?
OK. I’ll give you a hint. “Truth, justice and …”
Oh, nooo. You said, “Truth, justice and the American way.”
Wrong. Not anymore. In “Superman Returns,” editor of the Daily Planet Perry White says, “Truth, justice and … all of that stuff.” And I found out the omission was no accident. I went straight to the writers, Mike Dougherty and Dan Harris:
Mike: “When it comes to the American way, that’s tricky.”
Dan: “I don’t think ‘the American way’ means what it meant in 1945.”
Mike: “He’s not just for Metropolis, and not just for America.”
Dan: “He’s an alien, from Krypton; he has come to Earth to be kind of a savior for this world, not our country … And he has no papers.”
Mike: “What would happen with the immigration laws we have now?”
Dan: “I’d like to see someone kick him out!”
Director Bryan Singer admits that when they made the revision to the legendary slogan, they did have the international market in mind. Which means American audiences might like to hear those words more than foreign ticket buyers. As far as the filmmakers are concerned, Superman is for all the world. And that world includes a lot of cash.”
Libertas explains that this move wasn't necessarily about money:
It used to be that American films counted on making a significant amount of their money - in America! “Gone With The Wind,” the number one grossing film of all time, made over $1.29 billion dollars domestically (adjusted for inflation). The first “Star Wars” made $1.13 billion dollars domestically, “The Ten Commandments” made $838 milion domestically, and “Titanic” made $821 million domestically (all adjusted for inflation). I imagine that the rest of the top ten or twenty grossing films of all time (check out the full list on Box Office Mojo) also made much if not most of their money in America. The American market is still the single largest and most lucrative film market in the world, so it’s strange that Hollywood seems so willing to discount that American market at home in order to pander to the presumed anti-Americanism of markets overseas.
The self-loathing of the American left knows no bounds. This was a straight-up political move from a bunch of people who believe that America, and not America's enemies, is the real problem in the world.
Pathetic.