Stan Lee Maher

I didn’t want to write this. There were many reasons why, but the main one was that I didn’t want to give attention to a baboon who’d flung poo at a human being. Bill Maher’s remarks about Stan Lee were calculated, deliberate and meant to incite backlash. He only said what he said because it’d give him his 15 minutes of fame, which he craves. Given that, I’d fall into his trap.

For those unaware, Stan Lee, one of comics’ biggest icons, passed away recently at the age of 95. It wasn’t unexpected, even though I secretly believed that he was a vampire who’d live forever, but given what he’d been going through with his estate, well…I was hoping he’d get the perfect revenge and outlive it all. I was wrong, but it surprised me how big an impact his death had. And not only for comic book fans, which leads me to Maher.

See, Bill Maher’s no stranger to controversy. Even as far back as when his show was cancelled for criticizing the American industrial complex, Maher’s the comedic wild card of late-night TV. Comedians, particularly political satirists, routinely take flak for pushing boundaries, but Maher openly incites for the sake of it time and time again. Lately, he’s even gotten himself in trouble for using the N-word, to which he’s apologized, and for criticizing Hari Kondabolu’s issues with Apu Nahasapeemapetilon from The Simpsons, to which he’s yet to apologize. Given how various minority groups have taken issue with Maher for years, you have to wonder why this was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

But I digress. In a recent blog post, Maher openly attacked Stan Lee’s legacy. I can’t find the original post, since it’s now buried under the backlash, but based on this source it doesn’t appear to be in good taste:

“‘The guy who created Spider-Man and the Hulk has died, and America is in mourning,’ Maher’s blog post began. ‘Deep, deep mourning for a man who inspired millions to, I don’t know, watch a movie, I guess.’”

This is already not a good look, but the remarks don’t end there. Maher went on to state that people “only pretended comic books were actually sophisticated literature”, and that he “[didn’t] think it’s a huge stretch to suggest that Donald Trump could only get elected in a country that thinks comic books are important.” Ignoring how comics are bigger in Japan than here, making his claim potentially racist, conflating comics with Trump does a huge disservice to the real reason Trump was elected (which isn’t even relevant to this conversation.) Regardless, Maher’s words weren’t received well by anyone, such that Marvel also rebutted his claim.

Personally, I take issue with this for two reasons: first, this isn’t the worst-remark Maher’s made about…well, anything. Like I said, Maher’s gotten plenty of heat for claims ranging from using the N-word, to mocking people’s issues with Apu, to even demanding that Senator Al Franken return to politics after being outed as a sexual predator. Maher being a jerk is nothing new, so why’s he only being trashed now? Like Andrew Tate and his tone-deaf stance on anime, there’s plenty to be mad about that doesn’t involve Stan Lee’s legacy.

The second reason is a direct response to Maher himself: what gives? What authority do you, an out-of-touch comedian who hasn’t been socially relevant in years, have to crap on a man who’s done far more good for the world? Keep in mind that Stan Lee, while a comics creator, was also one of comics’ first advocates for social justice. Lee grew up when Jews were seen as “the other” by many people in the West. He came from humble origins and worked his way up the ranks of Timely Comics. He didn’t even get his big-break with until 1961, when he was 39. Lee saw many harsh injustices during his life, and he made sure to tackle them with his superheroes.

I’m not joking: together with Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, both legends in their own rights, Lee would go on to reinvent the wheel and make his supers as human as they were progressive: Spider-Man wasn’t simply created to fill a void of teenaged superheroes as front-liners, he was also a conflicted individual who routinely struggled to pay rent, sucked at dating and was socially-outcast. The X-Men didn’t only fight crime, they also had to fight politicians and society for acceptance of their mutations. And The Fantastic Four, Marvel’s first creation under Lee’s management, was the original, dysfunctional family, constantly bickering about chores, responsibilities and whether or not their powers were a blessing or a curse.

It didn’t end there! In addition to also co-creating Black Panther, one of comics’ earliest minority superheroes, Lee liked to read fan mail and routinely update his readers via columns at the end of his issues. To many kids in the 60’s and 70’s, Lee was more than “the guy who wrote your favourite comics”. He was a friend, a mentor and a member of the family. Factor in how personable he was, even in his later years, and he really did feel like the comic book industry’s Mr. Rogers.

Which is why Maher’s comments are so tone-deaf. Ignoring his remarks on comics themselves, he’s openly trashing a man who did a lot of good. Lee wasn’t a shady politician or some faceless businessman, he was a guy who, like many people, recognized the responsibility that came with being a celebrity. He was the genuine article, and gaslighting that for a quick laugh is cold and heartless.

It’s not like you can’t find flaws with Lee, because every legend has weak spots: Mr. Rogers didn’t publicly acknowledge his best-friend’s homosexuality until his later years. Steven Spielberg once joked about Indiana Jones being a pedophile. Even Roger Ebert, arguably the greatest film critic ever, once got into trouble for stating that video games “can’t be art” (something he apologized for.) In the case of Stan Lee, perhaps overshadowing the legacies of Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, both of whom predeceased him, was a fatal flaw. If that’s the case, then it doesn’t make him less-impactful, but rather more human.

That’s why Maher’s words hurt so much: because Lee was an awesome human being. I’m not saying that because I look forward to his cameos in Marvel projects, I’m saying that because it’s true. And while some of his fans have become self-entitled pricks who’ve missed the intent of his work, there’s no denying the impact he’s left on pop-culture.

You don’t have to like comic books. You don’t even have to like comic book movies. Lord knows there’ve been plenty of awful examples of both! And despite the numerous times I’ve defended The MCU, I recognize that they’re not for everyone. But I won’t stand for Bill Maher shamelessly farting on Stan Lee’s legacy. If he has a problem with him, that’s fine, but he could stand to show more tact.

Then again, I doubt he cares, so who am I kidding here?