I saw the Superman trailer over the weekend and noted that the producers are overtly playing up the messianic elements of the Superman story.

Jor-el intones--"For this reason, above all--their capacity for good. I've sent them you--my only son."

Does the ACLU know about this?

Superman as archetype is nothing new, but its rather odd to see a theme of exceptionalism--something liberal decry so vehemently, reflected in movie after movie.

I noticed it first with "The incredibles", which dealt overtly with the question as the central philosophical conflict, as distilled in the villain's observation, "when everyone is super, then no one will be super..."

The current X-Men film also deals with the problems presented by the alienation produced by possessing exceptional abilities--How very Ayn Rand.

Yet Superman has gone well beyond this--transcending the philosophical question to address the political one--the American messianic myth--exceptionalism from culture and destiny. Lois Lane even takes the role of left-wing icon, writing a book on how the world doesn't need a Superman (or America?).

Does the Michael Moore crowd know about this?