MovieChat Forums > The Greatest American Hero (1981) Discussion > The rest of the world?

The rest of the world?

posted 14 years ago by unclesatan
14 replies | jump to latest

In a recent Superman Hardcover graphic novel, Superman explains why he cannot be affiliated with the US government even though he stands for "Truth, Justice, and the American way." He explains that doing so would make him devisive in world that needs to able to stand united when facing truly global peril.

This begs the question why on Earth (sorry about the pun) the aliens would set an american with magic jammies to protect America when from space our political divisions seem meaningless. If they did so because they knew those divisions still mattered to our immature species, is it possuble they also provided heroes for other nations or regions of the planet? Perhaps all of them good men and women who, while never becoming weapons for their governments, served as secret protectors of their peoples? Imagine Ralph's first encounter with the Supreme Soviet Superman (or perhaps the Prime Patagonian Paragon).

Maybe the planet could face a threat so dire that all these empowered everymen(and women) might have to band together to face it.

Make a helluva story arc.

[–] Lord_Gyaldhart 14 years ago

Because the show is american.

Christianity's GREATEST ally and BEST friend throughout history is Satan

[–] Joel_S 13 years ago

"The Greatest American Hero" was the title of the series, but never in the show was it stated that Ralph was only the USA's protector. In the episode "Operation: Spoilsport", Ralph clearly saves the world from nuclear destruction, not just America. I think there was one episode in the 3rd season that sorta hinted around that there might have been a South American version of Ralph, but it was only vaguely implied and only as a South American comic book character.

[–] indyhu 13 years ago

Well he did change his name from Hinkley to Handley for a brief period out of respect for our wounded President (Reagan)who had been shot by a Hinkley, so you could say he was Patriotic.

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] lpt0127 13 years ago

magic jammies.. lmao... i love it

[–] Ghostofthemorning 13 years ago

i got magic jammies too ,i pu them on and fall asleep.

Don't scare me....i poop easily

[–] indyhu 13 years ago

Yes, and it was the Producers and writers who called him "The Greatest American Hero".

Dude, put the Bat Ganja down. That is how you got the Bats Breath, right?

[–] stevenackerman69 13 years ago

Because this was an American TV show, that was why the aliens gave an American the suit. If it had been done by Al Jazeera, then a Taliban member would've gotten it, capeesh?

[–] mattlove 13 years ago

Please, try to not be stupid. Al Jazeera is a news organization, and in no way does it support the Taliban. It's like saying "If Fox News did a remake of the show, they would make him a Timothy McVey-like character." A complete non sequitur, just like yours. Capeesh?

[–] mattlove 13 years ago

The Reagan-era politics of the show are pretty retrograde and amusing. In one, Ralph, who seems intended to be some sort of granola-chomping foil to Maxwell's lunatic fringe right winger, foils an attempt to "overthrow all the pro-US countries of Latin America" with a boatload of guns (from Libya, of course). Yes, it would have been such a shame if the bad guys would have got rid of the wonderful people the US government installed and/or supported... the Military dictatorship in Brazil, the murderous thug Pinochet, Juan Peron, the raving fundamentalist murderous thug in Guatemala José Efraín Ríos Montt,the Salvadoran death squads, the contra thugs in Nicaragua... It's too bad his show was cancelled in 1983, the American Hero wasn't around to prevent the clownish and incompetent Bush from "losing" the Americas to democratic development. Almost all the US friendly thugs are gone, and despite our best efforts, aside from tiny hapless Honduras, they ain't coming back. I really have to conclude the aliens were idiots to empower people reinforcing the US global agenda.

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] Fire God 11 years ago

It was America because the show was made by Americans. If it was made in your country, the hero would have been from YOUR country. Focking DUH.

[–] unclesatan 11 years ago

Why is it that so many people from the USA think that the word "American" means them and only them? Even if it had been called "The Greatest North American Hero," that would still cover three separate countries...

[–] n1684t 11 years ago

Because the world revolves around us?