Kitty Pride made comments in this week’s issue of All-New Mutants which would point to a deeper statement which would lead us to believe that Marvel mutants are no longer going to be referred to as mutants. Using the term “The ‘M’ word,” is sure to be controversial with many readers, but I think it is time for Marvel to distance itself from the term.
Marvel’s market share is dropping
Marvel Mutants NOW
Remember, we are in a period right now called Marvel NOW in which our favorite characters are thrust into a Brave New World which is more reflective of the real world than ever before. Marvel mutants have been thrust into this modern world in more ways than one with the original X-Men living and breathing in the modern day. Figuring out different terminology for the Marvel mutants right now makes since it melds with the continuing trend towards being more politically correct.
The Goal of Political Correctness
The goal of political correctness is to eliminate words which exclude people from the rest of society and to eliminate words which might cause a feeling of discomfort of disenfranchisement. I am not going to list all of the terms here as you should know most of them on your own, but remember that the end goal is to make everyone feel like they are on equal footing regardless of race, sex, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or origin. If Marvel is going to continue to try to make the superhero world as close to the real world, why wouldn’t it make sense to extend political correctness to the Marvel mutants?
No Matter What Side of the Aisle You are On
In the end, it really does not matter which side of the political correctness aisle you sit on when dealing with Marvel mutants and “The ‘M’ word.” You might be upset that Marvel is trying to make some type of statement, or you might be upset that Marvel is trying to change a term which we have been using for decades. In the end, you should be happy that Marvel is dragging an issue out of the real world and exploring the implication in the Marvel Universe. You should celebrate the discussion Marvel is beginning and look forward to seeing both sides of the debate unfold in future issues. The Marvel Universe grows when it encompasses a little more reality in it.
