James Gunn’s “Superman” has crossed the $500 million mark worldwide. The film reached this important milestone even as Gunn, who both wrote and directed it, blamed a “certain amount of anti-American sentiment around the world” for a lagging international haul. Conversely, the film has soared nationally (pun intended) even as it experienced a certain amount of anti-Superman sentiment from right-wing pundits.
The criticism, which began before the film was released, dismisses aspects of the Gunn’s film as being “woke.” To support that nebulous characterization right-wing critics point to various aspects of “Superman” that demonstrate the hero’s empathy and kindness (including stopping a war that some believe is an Israel-Palestine stand-in). According to the director, the film is “mostly a story that says basic human kindness is a value and is something we have lost.” Therefore, it seems critics are conflating “wokeness” with kindness.
Right-Wing Pundits Miss the Biggest Litmus Test
Curiously, the many litmus tests right-wing critics cite as indicative of the film’s “wokeness,” fail to include Superman caring for a dog. (Without spoiling the movie, Krypto—the superpowered canine that hails from Superman’s home planet—is somewhat of a MacGuffin.) Conservative talking heads likely avoid the Krypto test, because according to a Forbes study in 2024, 66% of U.S. households (86.9 million homes) own a pet (with about 65.1 million of those households owning a dog). More than companions, Pew Research reported that the majority of those Americans think of their pets as family members (and thankfully not as Michael Vick see them).
While this may explain why pet ownership isn’t considered “woke,” perhaps pet ownership should be a test for likely kindness, an apolitical one. A study by the Rand Corporation and UCLA showed that adults who owned either a dog, cat, or both tended to be more compassionate and scored higher on the empathy level test that was given. Additionally, people who had recently owned a dog scored higher on having social skills than those who never had dogs or even those who only owned a cat.
And while it could be suggested that an already kind person is more likely inclined to own a pet, a pet also may also make their owner kind. Dr. Aerial Cetnar, licensed therapist and founder at Boulder Therapy & Wellness, told Newsweek, that:
“People with more extroverted, nurturing or conscientious tendencies might initially feel more drawn to dogs….But research also shows that human–animal relationships can influence our behavior and emotions over time. For example, caring for a dog can help someone build routine, become more active or even feel more emotionally attuned.”
Right-wing pundits, however, may be reluctant to apply the apolitical Krypto test because of what it would suggest about their political leaders. Republican president Donald Trump not only dislikes dogs, but doesn’t appear to understand their basic attributes. Trump, for example, observed that Republican senator Marco Rubio was “sweating like a dog” at a 2016 debate. (With his mouth open and panting?) When Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi died following a raid by American special forces, Trump was delighted to report that the Islamic State leader had “died like a dog.” (British GQ asks: You mean surrounded by human beings who feel like they have just had their hearts ripped out?) At various times, Trump referred to others having been “fired like a dog.” (Perhaps Trump pictures Saint Bernards discharged from the positions delivering tiny barrels of brandy.) None of his comparisons, of course, are akin to an actual canine behavior.
According to his late ex-wife Ivana in her memoir Raising Trump, “Donald was not a dog fan,” ex-wife. Ivana confirmed Trump’s hostility to her poodle, Chappy, who would “bark at him territorially.” And Trump is not alone in the GOP.
- Kevin Roberts, the president of the Heritage Foundation and the man behind Project 2025, killed a neighbor’s dog with a shovel.
- Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem bragged in her autobiography about shooting a 14-month-old puppy because she found it “less than worthless” as a hunting dog.
- Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the Secretary of Health and Human Services, allegedly barbecued and eaten a dog (he maintains it was a goat)
- Mitt Romney famously tied his dog, Seamus, to the roof of the family car during a 12-hour cross-country road trip in 1983.
Trump’s particular anti-dog prejudice feels un-American, because United States presidents have owned dogs since George Washington had Sweet Lips, Scentwell and Vulcan. In fact, when Trump took office in 2020, it had been nearly 120 years since those rolling White House lawns were dog-free. President William McKinley didn’t have a dog, although he did have a parrot that could whistle “Yankee Doodle.”
Ultimately, the latest cinematic iteration of Superman highlights the power of kindness and our human capacity for it. Per Gunn, “All [things] are affected if people just start to value kindness. I mean, people did value kindness in the past. That was an American value, was kindness, and it doesn’t necessarily seem to be that way to me anymore.” Whether it is a “woke” value, whatever that may mean, it is an important one. It is one that good leaders possess. And it may be the simplest attribute for which we may test.
