From: tgt33358@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Deus Imperator)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
Subject: Re: REBEL YELL's latest gripe
Date: 6 Sep 92 20:15:12 GMT
Article-I.D.: news.Bu6AxE.KGn
Distribution: na
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana

In article <1992Sep5.045533.19054@ucsu.Colorado.EDU> kogutt@ucsu.Colorado.EDU (SCAVENGER) writes:
>I, Rebel Yell, decided to take a break from the rescue of the LNH to do my
>self apointed duty.
>The subject: The latest issue of NOMAD.
>
>Gambit's doppleganger(see inf.war) guest stars as the villian.  Now it's never
>mentioned that it is a doppleganger but if you read the prevews you knew it was
>
>The Problem:  THe story is that Dark Gambit (DG) is in Las Angelas(?) because 
>he got on the wrong plane.  He thaught the L.A. on the ticket ment Louisiana.
>(Isn't Los Angelas airport abreviated LAX, New Orleans is MSY). When Nomad is 
>told this he reponds with:
>
>"Louisiana?  You mean where David Duke's from?"
>
>My questian is why.  How many Louisianas are there?  Was Nomad not sure if they
>ment the state or the country? More to the point Why not "You mean where (New 
>Orleans, Baton Rouge, Mardi Gras, Captain Marvel, Cinder and Ashe, Cat and Mouse
>, Ronald Mann, John Dell, Swamp Thing, or Rebel Yell) is from?
>
>I want to know what Niceza's reason's for mentioning Duke is.  Other than the
>La govenor's race from last year, and a very brief (and now quite defunct)
>presidential bid, Duke has gone on to be nothing more than another white
>supremecist yelling in the street (perferably being runover in the street).
>Nomad, as a character, probably wouldn't have even heard of Duke. He doesn't
>strike me as the type who keeps up on political races.  I wonder if Niceza is
>making some comment about Louisiana being a breeding ground for nazis.
>
Well, as a Plot Hook, I agree it was a rather poor one.  In every case, the
dopplegangers have appeared near their prey, leading me to believe that Dark
Gambit had ulterior motives in heading toward the Big Easy, other than to cack
Gambit.  Further, Starlin confided, through the Magus, that the point of the
Dopplegangers was to throw confusion in the face of Marvel's superheroes.
If they all weren't already in New York, imagine how many heroes _should_ have
been drawn to that fight, away from the cosmic conflict.  SO maybe he didn't
screw up, as Dark Gambit would do a hell of a lot more damage in LAX than 
New Orleans.

But onto the meat of your gripe:  David Duke.  Sure, I know that New Orleans 
is in Louisiana, as well as Mardi Gras, Swamp Thing, Baton Rouge, parts of
the Mississippi River, Hurricane Andrew (for a time), and the Vampire Lestat.
However, isn't it also the state where they tacked on an eleventh hour abortion
bill, underneath a anti-flag burning resolution?  Nomad, if you've noticed, is
a pop media phenomena, much like Wayne's World.  They don't drink COLA, they 
have Mountain Dew.  He's constantly referring to pop culture in his cracks.
And since he spends so little time following news (as you correctly purported)
he's only going to follow the BIG stories.  On hearing that a psycho is on
the loose in LAX, when he should have been in Louisiana, I wouldn't say,
"Louisiana?  Isn't that the home of Tulane, that university of higher learning?
or "Louisiana?  Isn't that where Huey Long, the great statesman was from?" or
even "Louisiana?  Isn't that where Napoleanic Code still rules you are guilty
until proven innocent?"  No!  You're gonna stick to pop culture humor.  Psycho
heading toward Louisiana?  Do we know who would meet him at the airport?
Another Louisiana psycho, perhaps?  Ah!  David Duke!

I think this was more of a crack against Duke, and not the state of Louisiana,
and, IMHO, I think you took it _way_ too personally.  When I travelled to 
Europe, I was asked where I was from.  "Chicago."  Two responses.  A knowing
wink, as the person mutters "Al Capone!" or a look of fear, as they see
me as a criminal.  Europeans have one destination in mind when they reach
the US.  "Texas."  True for Italians, French, Swiss, Germans, and most of the 
English I met.  Stereotypes predominate, and usually only the worst stick.  

-- 
Thanatos, DeathUrge, Master of Everything But Love tgt33358@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu
"Oh God, does this mean we have to fight?"
			-Selina Kyle, _Batman_