Static Shock - The importance of black superheroes
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- Опубліковано 31 січ 2021
- “Static Shock” Season 3 - Episode 3 - “Static in Africa” - 2003
At the end of the episode, Virgil holds a short conversation with African superhero, Anansi.
On the first day of black history month, it’s important for black boys and girls to see great representations of us in the media. Static Shock was a show that touched on a lot, and I’m proud of it. - Розваги
I really like Anansi's reaction. He gets wide-eyed at being called a role model, he doesn't believe it outright, he's genuinely surprised. Then when Vergil says he's black, Anansi replies "heroes come in every color", implying you don't need to look like the hero to look up to them. I remember going home and watching Static Shock, it never even occurred to me that his skin tone is darker than mine, I loved his character. I'd grab a lid and pretend to fly around on it like Static Shock.
If all you can relate to a character is simple things like their colors, then that character has failed. Characters like Static Shock and Anansi show that it doesn't what you may look like, if you have a good heart and fight for what's right, anyone can be a hero
Same here. For a long time, I'd look up to my favourite characters from movies and cartoons and it had never occurred to me that they were a different race from me. I just thought they were cool and neat. I kinda miss those days, they seemed simpler.
thats what mad this so special....Static wasnt a "black hero" he was a hero who just happened to be black,and Anansi knew this and reminded him of that
what defines a hero is thier strength of character and Virgil had it in spades.
(er....okay pardon the expression)
@@theredhood7879 yyyeah.. I relate to superman because I'm an immigrant but our society isn't exactly colourblind, and has a made specific damage to many groups who were seen as the other.
Todays creators can learn from this
"Heroes come in every color, my friend"
I just love the way Anansi said that. It gives me life.
Quite literally too. Martian Manhunter is green
@@Sheenifier
Also he's an alien. But I digress.
@@Sheenifier And Green Lantern's got a bunch of alien friends from Oa with different colors.
Same here he ain’t wrong
There was also Chadwick Boseman, who was also the MCU's Black Panther. He was black, but he won't be forgotten.
Show had so many truths. Love this show
It was way ahead of it's time
“Oh but there is, and he is my hero too.”
There is so much respect crammed into that one line, I can’t help but to shed a tear.
As a Ghanaian 🇬🇭 with parents who are immigrants from Ghana, I always loved this episode. My mom used to read me the story of Anansi the spider along with other Ghanaian stories. I have some Ashanti tribal blood from my Dad’s side.
That sounds so cool
Need real Anansi 😊
African mythology is so underrated, wish there were more writings about it
Thats wonderful 😊
@@VITAS874I'm Ghanaian and British too and I heard of Anansi before
I feel like so many people misunderstand this conversation. Anansi initially misunderstands what Virgil meant because he lives in Ghana where most superheroes would be black.
Once he understands that Virgil is speaking I’m context of the US, he clearly and immediately validates Static’s desire to have black superheroes to relate to by saying Static can be for others what Anansi was to him. He wasn’t saying that it doesn’t matter that they were both black.
Can't upvote this enough. The point isn't that either of them is "wrong," they just have different lives in different places so things have different meanings from them.
Meanwhile a lot of comments just seem mad Virgil would identity more closely with a black superhero, but I think that says a lot more about the commenters slamming the panic button when a black person mentions something about being black.
A lot of the comment section missed the point completely or understood and just chose ignorance smh
@@oshkeet Also, it isn't as if Virgil doesn't also admire white superheroes, as was clearly shown in his interactions with Batman and Superman in other episodes. I can actually understand that myself--I always looked up to Captain America, but when I discovered that Steve Rogers had Irish Catholic heritage like me, I won't deny thinking that was really cool.
My county
Actually, he was saying it doesn't matter what skin color you are, heroes can come from anyone.
my favorite black superhero is black panther rip to chadwick boseman
Never forget. RIP the legend.
I still prefer Blade. Dude is a total badass
I miss him too, not a day goes by that I don’t weep for that man. I didn’t watch his movies at first because I started to lose interest in the MCU for awhile because of civil war. At the time I wasn’t a fan of Black Panther because he played on Tony’s team. But I came around after his movie
Chadwick is a legend.
Mine was John Stewart. )The Green Lantern, not the comedian).
It's a sin that I forgot about this show and only just started revisiting it in the past two years.
Don't think of it as a sin, think of it as a immoral act of transgression.
Honestly, this is probably the most wholesome episode I had ever seen.
Not only this foreign superhero likes Static's humor, but he also respects him highly, and is an excellent rolemodel to everyone.
"Heroes come in every color, my friend" is TRULY one of the most powerful line he said. He is 100% right, and I wish this was still a message that resonated in today. Its a shame that equality has been perverted into skin supremacy again.
Well said brother, Anasi truly drives home the point that we can all be inspired to do good by people by all forms.
Of course you had to say some weird fashy shit at the end, goddamn it youtube
You completely didn’t get it 😂😂😂the guy agreed with static , that there should be a black superhero but static didn’t know that he was already one . Especially in America where black superhero was outlawed .
This is what made DC comics so special!!
Too bad Warner wants to ruin that with shit movies...
Static wasn't actually part of DC comics back then, he's part of Milestone comics
@@NSYami pretty sure he was I mean he did appear on JLU
@@NSYami DC Comics is the parent company of Milestone Comics.
@@NSYamisame sht bro
Some people are only acknowledging half the message. Yes, heroes do come in every color and it's important to recognize that anyone can be a good role model. But it's also important to have pillars of strength in your own communities too. We have to be the ones to show that our people are proud and noble.
Staic: I wish there was a black super hero back home for folks to look up to...
Green Lantern, Icon, Hardware, Bumblebee, Cyborg, Black Lightning, Vixen, Firestorm, Mr. Terrific, Steel, Bronze Tiger, Brickhouse, Starlight, Holocaust and Rocket are screaming in silence right right now...
Except only Lantern, and Vixen were present during this animated era. So he kinda has a point. I don't believe even Teen Titans show was running, so for a lot of ppl Static was kinda one of their first. Cyborg didn't really take off until later.
And they don't operate where he lives just pass by on occasion
Lots of them don't wanna protect the hood, so statick decided to protect the hood. Wich is why I like about him.
Some of those aren't even heros lol
Damn I miss static shock
I miss Static.
It's on HBO Max
Me too I miss this old show and those music that came with it.
I’m a little surprised that they never introduced or mentioned Black Lightning in the series since he turns out to be Static’s mentor
I haven't found the Source/Comment, but Soul Power in another Episode was supposed to be Black Lightning Originally, but DC didn't allow his Usage for the Show.
Right issus my friend
Would have loved to have BL around as he and superman are kind of Virgil heroes
@@indie-mox7473 it was right issue
Like other comment said. It's all a rights issue. Originally static belonged to others before it got to DC
I would love for soul power to be made canon to the comics and have soul power, black lightning and static to have a similar mentor legacy type thing as Jay Garrick, Barry Allen and Wally West
Static: I just wish there was a black superhero back home to look up to.
Anansi: Oh you mean Icon, John Stewart, Mr. Terrific, Steel, Bloodwynd, Black Lightning, Spin Drive, Pulverizer, Hardware, Cyborg, Wise Son, Lucious Fox, Soul Power, Sparky, Vixen, and Rocket don’t count? Well how many Asian or Hispanic heroes can you name in our Dcau?
Static:…
Anansi: yeah that’s what I thought.
Ey my man static didn't belong to DC at the time this came out 😂. Hell they had more trouble trying to get him in DC, do he was in the middle
@@livinglegend9709 But he was part of the Dcau, which all the characters I listed showed up in either the shows, tie-in comics, or were referenced in the Dcau (Bloodwynd). Dcau is also called the Timverse
Unfortunately still not many Hispanic superheroes. Asians is up for debate if you count anime superheroes which I do, but not everyone does.
@@rxanime535 Well we’re discussing the dcau specifically. I actually have a huge list of Hispanic/Native American characters and Asian characters in the dcau
I can present them here if anyone wants.
Hispanic/Native females: Batwoman, Catwoman, Jessica Cruz, Aquamaria, Renee Montez
Native/Hispanic males: Flying Fox, Black Condor, Aztek, Kyle Rayner, Vibe, Hardline, Apache-Chief, El Diablo, Pow-Wow Smith, Firebrand?, Manitou Raven/Professor Blackwing?
I challenge anyone to beat my list or if someone I missed please add
@Poweltav No problem. I can do the same for the Asian heroes as well if interested…
This is how it should be done; it doesn't beat you over the head with its message.
Lmao. This is literally as blunt as possible with its message. This show would be called “woke trash” if this episode came out today.
Anything about minorities being represented in media gets conservatives angry. Just look all over the internet.
@@amuroray9115 I'm conservative, and I don't have a problem with it. It's not the representation that makes people mad. It's the shoving it in the face, while disparaging other groups, and making characters a certain way, "just because". (The mainstream media would have you believe all conservatives are intolerant, and hateful.) If this were to be made today, and it was exactly what's in this video clip, and the rest of the Static Shock series, I would have no problem with it, and most decent people wouldn't, either. It's not disparaging to non-blacks, and anyway, Milestone Comics was created specifically to have heros/heroines of non-white ethnicities. Actually, if this series were to be made today, exactly as it is, it would be the liberals who would complain, if they ever discovered that Static Shock is based on the Static comics from Milestone, and that the cartoon is a somewhat censored take on the comic. A perfect example being Ritchie is gay, though this series avoided that topic. Now, even if this series were to be made today, and Ritchie were made gay, I still wouldn't mind, because it's accurate to the comics.
@@right_hand_power7960 It’s not just conservatives. It’s Everyone getting mad over nothing online. But conservatives on the internet would hate this show the most. If this came out now, they wouldn’t have to censor Ritchie being gay. Nowadays, that’s far more accepted. But back in 2000, that was a big no-no. Liberals would find something else to be pissed about.
I live in Central Florida in a small rural town. Most people in my town are conservatives. They all vote Republican
But they don’t act like conservatives on the internet. That’s how it is. The internet brings out the worst of the worst. If you aren’t like that then props to you.
@@amuroray9115 Everybody has their dark side. That aside, speaking for myself, I wouldn't have a problem with a more comic-book accurate Static. That's another can of worms, entirely. Static is from Milestone Comics, which was an imprint of DC Comics. DC doesn't like consistently using Milestone characters, because they have to pay royalties. So, for Static, DC would have to see dollars everywhere. It's a shame, because Static is a good character, at least in my opinion.
@@right_hand_power7960 agreed.
Anansi the Spider deserves more attention outside of this Show,He'd be a great member of the Justice League.
You know I wish Anansi the spider had his own TV show like black panther from marvel comics and Static shock from DC and The hoop squad and sole power.
I wouldn’t say a series, but rather a limited series of 6 episodes. I don’t know, something less than 10
Would have loved to see him on JLU
@@waseemchoudhry4465 or he could have appeared on JLU
Magic of Anansi story
Wow it sucks I did not get to grow up with this show. I like that they actually use the word black. To refer to people. Remember when they NEVER did that?
Dude this show did ALOT of things you won’t find today. Gun violence, drugs, gangs. I haven’t watched the series in several years now but I remember enough to know it was greatly important
@@uchihaitachi181 and they did in a mature and complex manner more nuanced
And not just beating you over the head without explain the point and just doing it in the laziest way possible
Damn I miss that show
@@painvillegaming4119 Absolute facts, I have to see if any streaming service has it on at present.
@@uchihaitachi181 probably HBo
Static had this one Kwanzaa/Christmas episode with a villain being a homeless girl. She had ice powers and instead of Static beating her as a super villain fight, he just talks to her. He brings her to a homeless shelter and the Christmas themed episode is her getting help she needs.
“There are black people everywhere”
“Dude. You’re in Africa”
John Stewart, Soul Power, Black Lightning, Mr Terrific, Steel, Bloodwynd, Black Lightning, Spin Drive, Pulverizer, Hardware, Cyborg, Wise Son, Lucious Fox, and Batwing all felt a disturbance in the force when this conversation happened
You know the fact that you did all this feels like you're going out of your way to invalidate the point trying to be made here.
Static didn't meet these guys yet. He would go on to meet GL in a future episode.
Black guy with electric powers is actually a weirdly common trope with of how much people wanted to dodge copyright.
Static was from a different company
@@kennethlewis3881 Didn't stop him from appearing in DC
Static: I wish there was a black superhero back home for folks to look up to.
Green Lantern:...am I a joke to you?
He idolized him too.
This is why old cartoons like static shock were ahead of its time and will last forever their messages were uplifting and inspiring instead of being pretentious or try to brag about how progressive it is.
Because they weren't ahead of their time. They've been repeating this stuff for decades waiting for it to get through everyone's thick skulls.
I agree
a little subtlety goes a long way and the creators of static shock knew how to put in just enough without pandering it.
@@dakotastein9499how would it pandered ? 😂😂😂the shit y’all be saying .
@@kennethlewis3881 in other words the writers adressed the message and point without overstating it or virtue signaling.
a subtlety Static shock was fantastic at when it came to talking about things like this.
I'm fucking crying. This is beautiful.
As of June 13th 2023, Anansi is back in the pages of "Static Team-Up: Anansi".
Anansi could've also said, "Oh, there is. If you can't find him, you may want to check the mirror when you get back home."
Carl lumbly is one of the best performers in the dc world
And marvel
John Stewart: ...'Offers a hand to Anansi' A kid's first hero always has to come from somewhere. I'm glad to see they're getting easier to find.
I’m still waiting for Hollywood to make a live action movie of Static.
This episode felt like it was one step closer to introducing a black Spider-Man to the world
The best episode hands downn , so important for the culture 👏🏽
Anansi would have been a great candidate for the Justice League
Aside from Sun Wukong, Anansi is my favorite mythological figure.
0:49 John Stewart “I thought we where friends”
Black lighting “blame dc right issue”
They don’t need powers they have strength of there own and it’s a blessing to hear
And don’t forget we meet black green lantern later as well John Stewart best one
Did justice league come before or after this ?
This scene impacted me a lot that I should keep the faith that things will change. Thanks 🙏🏼
Ahead of its time then but would get called ‘woke’ now.
Static Shock understood that every kid deserves to see themselves as a superhero.
I’ll always love static
Static Shock is the absolute GOAT
heroes come in every color.
Deep and true.
And let’s not forget that without the success of the Blade movies opened the door to marvel movies.
Love this show
The first Black superhero I remember growing up was John Stewart Green Lantern.
oh the feels.
This extended universe was so good
what makes this special is Anansi knew just what to say....he very subtly steered static to look at the larger picture of Skin color being irrelevent.....that static isnt just a black hero...he is a hero on equal footing with any other.
static feeling validated was great,but he didint need to sell himself short and anansi made him see just how great he was.
I miss this show
John Stewart the Green Lantern, Black Lightning, Mister Terrific to name a few
There are ton of black superhero’s that people could look up to
John Stewart like 👁️👄👁️
Virgil received more of that when he helped John Stewart clear his name.
I know that absolutely anyone on this earth can become a hero and a good guy if they want to. Not matter of their race, religion, color or belief.
Isn’t he already the black superhero back home!?
And theres john stuart as well
Remember he said "to look up to." He doesn't see himself as someone to look up to, merely someone doing what needs to be done.
Hence Anansi is quite correct. There IS someone back home for his city to look up to.
All in all, be the hero... whatever good deeds we do, even if minor, we might just be somebody's hero.
@@FlashieBoi I gotta be honest I I didn't like John in the Justice League as much as I did in this show and unlimited
That episode is the ending scene.
A black Spider-man inspiring black kids? I like the sound of that!
*John Stewart will remember that*
Soul Power: Ouch Sparky
Virgil says black "superhero" while the Spider says "heroes." There is a wisdom behind that as deep as Virgil's loneliness.
And he’s my hero to……..damn
The warm fuzzies!!
This almost feels like seeing Miles Morales meet Black Panther
There is one, john steward
Static Shock movie now!!!
I got a video ready to go. Just to combat the inevitable . . People calling it woke, when the show already tackled plenty of issues. I’m just waiting for the movie to actually come out. Still in development.
I agree! is why need more new proper black super heroes, is why I like shang chi too since you can give awesome cool new power gimmick not freakin replace old superheroes what I dislike its gonna have same old skill set and highly potential getting hate.... but damn I love blue bettle but I want static shock movie, making it this animation as base since its had freakin rock solid storyline!
Virgil: I wish there was a black superhero back home for folks to look up to
Green Lantern: 😠
John Stewart Green Lantern, Mr Terrific, Black Lightning, and Steele feel so burned right now.
If this episode and series in general was created today, I wonder if people would have trounced on it for sounding too “woke” 🙄
In a heartbeat. In my experience, anybody who uses the word "woke" unironically is about to say some of the dumbest shit you'll ever hear.
@@walterthemighty7549 here is the difference between this episode and today's shows
This show was good and nuanced and told the story in a good way
Today's shows are very lazy with their explanations and scream at you if you don't agree with them
@@walterthemighty7549 The only people who use woke unironically are the ones who think it's a good thing.
If being against discrimination against non Caucasian and non male makes me "woke", I'll wear that badge with honor. I'd rather be "woke" than an "upstanding bigot" as Mr Hawkins would say
@@painvillegaming4119 the only people screaming are the nerds who call everything “woke” regardless of how nuanced a show explains it’s messages. There’s no difference. Name a show that yells at you for disagreeing with its message. You would have to reach far and hard.
Static Shock is only saved because it came out before reactionaries
JON STEWART!!! A green lantern, Marine, and war veteran isn’t hero enough?!
I get what Vergil is saying but…
Wasn't there like only one crossover with the JLA plus the future episode?
@@LeftyPencil He still exists in that world though.
Why does Vergil always forget about green lantern, vixen, and steel?
All three are members of the justice league, and one of them was even one of the founding members.
Well Static wasn't a part of DC Comics at the time. That's what I've heard anyway.
Cyborg, Vixen, Mr, Terrific, John Stewart, Black Lightning and Static are black superheroes in dc
Ok static u gonna forget the green lantern 😂
"I'm gonna miss Africa" Which part?
John Stewart: what am I invisible?
Static didn't become part of the DCU until later
@@jordanloux3883 true but this is a season three episode, season one wasn't part of the DCAU
"I just wish there was a black superhero back home to look up to."
green lantern: am i a joke to you?
Wait didn't he meet green lantern and vixen before this?
What is Green lantern Choptliver?
Static Shock - The importance of black superheroes
Didn't vergil meet john stewart and soul power by this point
I'm confused, I've heard it said that progressive perspective to have is that the color of a person's skin shouldn't matter and it's who they are as a person that is what really counts, and I've also heard it said that skin color matters a hell of a lot kind of like it is here. so which is it?
skin colour shouldn't matter but it does so as such it is important to consider all the different skin colours to reach a point where it doesn't matter cos people connect based on shared attributes both superficial & otherwise.
@@mikerosoft2179 personally none of my friends look anything like me and I can't remember a time where I wished they did. but maybe that's just me.
@@darkcylander considerring what virgil said here, I don't think he necessarily wished to meet a black superhero role model but meeting one felt nice, especially given how he didn't see himself that way. To some extent I think its the implied cultural similarities/connections that come with the skin colour than just the skin colour in itself. For you, assuming your a fan of static shock & you didn't just click on this vid cos of the title alone then finding out that someone who is doing well at something you wish to do and is also a fan of static would possibly make you feel nice and you probably connect with your friends in a different way. When it comes to minorities (him being black but also being nerd & even being a superhero to some extent) like Virgil, there is often a sense of isolation brought about by differences making them more likely to gravitate towards others of their like due to perceived shared experiences.
@@darkcylander also friends (well-established ones) tend to be on a equal level to each other in a sense (as in they consider each other to be on equal level I'd say) whereas role models not so much. I've never really thought about wanting my friends to necessarily look like me though a number of them have.
@@mikerosoft2179 yeah I'm a fan of Static. it's not just this scene though. I've seen this kinda thing other places, like In Spiderman No Way Home there was that scene where Electro was disappointed to find out Spiderman wasn't black. I like culture as much as anyone else but I sometimes wonder if too much focus on it has only made people more divided in recent years.
Race matters.
Wasn't Static influenced by Black Loghtning in the comics.
Who is the Anansi voicer?
Carl Lumbly
Sounds like he called him a nazi 0:32
Nope it's Anansi
Kanye moment
And we never see Static Shock again because he is in licensing hell
He meets Jon Stewart in the literal next episode after this, what is he on about there being no black superhero back home.
Green Lanterns patrol galaxies John isn't always around and likely wasn't a Lantern when Virgil was a kid nor is John going to be in Dakota enough for those in the city to see him as a big time hero...basically Stewart is a "new" hero just getting important and you and only really name him as someone "like Virgil."
@@Stargazer_Ley Actually in the DCAU John is specifically stationed on earth and has been since Abin Sur died in the Superman TAS so he should have been active atleast a few years by the time of Static.
@@Confussed-Oddish The GL in Superman TAS was Kyle Rainer not John.
@@Stargazer_Ley Yes and Kyle Rainer left to train on Oa after he got the ring, Jon was restation back to earth since he was already a lantern before hand.
@@Confussed-Oddish ah.... I must have missed that part. I think it's important to note that Static my simply have meant there aren't many black heroes in Dakota not that there's literally none. And he may not have been able to think of others at the time.
Energy find negative or be positive exercise choreography cardio workout tornado warning oonn
Black panther 🐆 should be the
Static saying “having a black superhero to look up to” is severely cringe worthy.
How?
@@Asexual_Individual Because it's a childish thing to say, hence why Anansi had to correct him.
@@AngraMainiiu It's childish to want someone like you to look up to?
You sound like one of those "colorblind" people.
@@shulamitwhatsittoya6550 It's childish because Static doesn't realize that he's already the hero people need.
@@AngraMainiiu its not "childish" to want to look up to someone from the same race lmao what are you on about.
anansi only confirms that the people do look up to static shock.