Your "political" alignment and how it affects your view of the show

Thank you to everyone for participating in this. I very much enjoyed the insights gained.

I'm a socialist (similar to Bernie Sanders, maybe slightly more left). As socialists pioneered many of the socially-left concepts liberals support, I'm in agreement with many of the show's standpoints when it comes to feminism or LGBT etc. That being said, the show is so overt sometimes it's cringe for even those who agree, and probably detracts from its message. Some problems I have is with the show's occasional glorification of corporations, corporate media, and the rich as role-models like Cat Grant.

Additionally, as Romulus pointed out, sometimes the show is less "liberal" and more pro-Democrat. I personally don't view the establishment side of the Democratic party as genuinely left-wing. In 2016 the show was essentially recycling content from the Clinton campaign.

I reckon the show can express values without being partisan, which it has gotten better in that regards generally. Additionally, it should work towards expressing such values in a more natural way (for example, Kara's line to Deegan in Else-worlds "too scared to be a woman" made no sense in the context)

Quoting superbill: "The show's liberal slant doesn't bother me, although I agree there have been times (relatively few, IMO) where it has been overbearing. But you're right, it is integral to who Kara is, and I hope we never lose that. I think the show wants to be both entertaining and take a stand on issues of the day, and I think that will make it more impactful and memorable in the long view, especially to its younger audience."

Yes, and what many viewers who are not US residents may not understand is that we're talking, to a large extent, about demographics and geography here. The CW's programming was originally targeted at women in the 18-34 age group, which is the demographic that Kara (and in real life, Melissa) is in. This demographic leans strongly Democratic and more often than not, on the liberal or "progressive" side. If you are not a US citizen, you may not be aware that there is a very large political "gender gap" in this country. In polling, young women consistently favor Democratic candidates over their Republican counterparts by about 20 percentage points, which is a considerably larger disparity than that of their male counterparts. On top of that, Kara is depicted as a resident of California, probably the most politically liberal state overall in the country (with the possible exception of Massachusetts). So I would certainly expect Kara to favor liberal politicians, and to support the Democratic party.

Since the inception of the CW superhero shows (the Arrowverse), the network's audience has gained more male viewers. But its viewership still skews to the younger - and politically more liberal - side of the spectrum.

So I mostly agree with superbill, including the part about the liberal slant sometimes becoming overbearing (also ham-handed in its execution, in my opinion).

I am also pretty much where superbill is politically myself, but it seems that I have come to it from the opposite direction. I was a registered Democrat and more liberal when I was younger. Later on, I became more pragmatic, and realized that I didn't necessarily support some of the positions of the Democratic party anymore So I became an independent voter.

I'm a left wing bleeding heart Liberal that worships political correctness! Years ago I was labeled a Reagan Democrat but now I consider myself an independent. I grew up with a politically active family so I know politics and have concluded that both sides suck.
I watch the show for entertainment and not for political bias that's dumped on the viewer almost every week. It should not be the show's objective to push their personal political agenda. If you want to tell the truth then make them laugh otherwise they will kill you. Don't hit us over the head with your political BS. You have young people watching and it's irresponsible and unfair to only show one side of any issue.
Moving forward I hope for better plots and more action and fun and less political stuff.

"Shelter From The Storm" Bob Dylan-Rolling Thunder Review Fort Collins 1976-You Tube

Fed, I am glad you are doing this. I call myself a "Conservatarian." The word doesn't exist I know, but it's a mix of Conservative and Libertarian, think Kentucky Senator Rand Paul. Socially I am conservative but at the same time I don't want government or someone telling me how to live my life. Fiscally, I am a free market capitalist who doesn't want money wasted. I will call out the D's because they have gone over the edge, but some R's want wars at all costs and some are still willing to work with the D's.

For me, this past season has been for the most part not so much SJW-driven, except for Reality Bytes.

But yet at the same time I feel this had in the dangers of computers and social media, the writers may have been checking out Infowars, which has warned of the dangers of internet 5-G technology saying it can kill by weakening the immune system. By the way, I abhor the term Conspiracy Theory, which comes from those not willing to know the truth about JFK's assassination.

The same goes with major social media giants, like Facebook and Twitter, wanting to silence those who don't think like they do. That is totalitarianism the Chinese Communist Party loves as they have a stake in big tech and Hollywood. I am not on those anymore, but I am on more freedom loving sites like Parler and Gab.

During season 4 except for Midvale, I feel that season went off the deep end in terms of woke politics. I mean Agent Liberty to me was a smear at talk radio hosts like Alex Jones and the Children of Liberty more behaved like Antifa.

But this goes back to season 1, when Cat called a male business executive an example of white privilege. That was a cringe moment as to me that term is a cover-up for the Democrats terrible history on race, which I would get to, but it would take a long time.

Sometimes I think Supergirl get a bit bogged down by the weight of its social messages and could lighten up a bit.

Again CatPat in season 5 it for the most part went for adventure. There were moments when the show was going to go there, only to put the brakes on it.

As it pertains to the show, I am not a fan of the PTB and writers injecting obvious U.S. Democrat Party ideology into the show. I would prefer if they did so subtly rather than blatantly as has been the case from Seasons 2 through 5, especially Season 4 (which was very off-putting for a good section of the core viewership). Likewise, I am not a fan of current Republican ideology and its variations.

Rom, I suggest they not do it at all come season 6, like say so far Stargirl. But given recent events, and some of Melissa and Chris' social media postings, that may not only be unlikely, but also signal a return to season 4 form. And that is "Supergirl's ultimate kryptonite." Although, given how the show might not return until next spring or summer, having to write about an election that may have already taken place is a bit of a moot point.

And there are those Republicans like a certain Utah senator who grinds my gears as well as a few members of the last GOP presidency who think wars can solve things, not to mention elites like William Kristol and George Will.

I also do not trust most mainstream media, and that includes Fox News given their shift in news direction, though their prime time shows are solid. You'll find me more on sites like the aforementioned Infowars and Breitbart, which has mentioned Supergirl in a couple of articles from a few years ago. I will also be watching YouTube videos from One America News as mu monopoly cable outlet won't carry OAN. The likes of CNN, et al don't matter to me anymore.

Quoting Romulus: "I'd consider myself a conservative liberal (yes, it's an oxymoron if there ever was one). I support general liberal ideas but as I age, I also wish to conserve what I have or believe in."

I'm with you there, and frankly I think this describes the great majority of people; liberal on some issues, conservative on others. It's the true ideologues (including some politicians) who screw things up. I am generally (and increasingly) liberal, but consider myself an independent, more interested in which candidate is the most qualified person for the job rather than who adheres to any specific doctrine.

Quoting CatPat: "So, while I would never want Supergirl to totally abandon its progressive social conscience, as that truly defines Kara, I wouldn't mind if it played for straight fun superhero action a little more frequently."

The show's liberal slant doesn't bother me, although I agree there have been times (relatively few, IMO) where it has been overbearing. But you're right, it is integral to who Kara is, and I hope we never lose that. I think the show wants to be both entertaining and take a stand on issues of the day, and I think that will make it more impactful and memorable in the long view, especially to its younger audience.

Lastly, I think it is worth a try to allow some political discussion in the Forum, provided that the topic is one directly raised in the show or, as is the case currently, concerning a public statement by a cast member(s). If it goes off the rails, admin can always pull the plug. I understand that there are those who do not want this to be allowed, but that elevates their opinion over those who do. And while it is true that there are online sites solely focused on political issues, they are often toxic shouting matches. On this site we have a group of people who are almost like a family in many respects, and I think the tone would be much more respectful and safe. So if we agree to disagree while keeping the discussion civil and non-judgmental I think it would provide another interesting angle for discussing the show. We may even learn something!

I'm a libertarian in the mold of a classic liberal. In general, I favor individual freedoms, a government limited in scope (but strong within that scope), and rules equally applied to all. This frequently puts me at odds with both major US parties.

I have a pretty high tolerance for political views that differ from mine, as long as the end product in entertaining ,and if it is insightful or gives me a perspective I had not considered before, so much the better.

In theory, I agree with several social stances Supergirl the show takes. For instance, I strongly agree with the ideas of tolerance and strength in diversity.

In practice, I find many issues are tackled with strawman arguments, tortured analogies, and woeful oversimplification. Worse, the ideas often seem to take precedence over story and character, rather than flowing from them.

I'm also unsure who the message is aimed at. It's far too condescending in tone to change anyone's mind--and is entirely self-evident to like minded people.

In the context of the show, less is always more. If they would go back to the playful poke and jab of Season 1 rather than the sledgehammer approach seen in later seasons, the show would be more attractive to a larger viewership base. Poking fun at one party or another in jest is fine, but when it becomes a blatant ridicule agenda for all to see, it become very tiring and trying on even the casual viewer's patience.

I loved most of Cat's Season 1 zingers. Being such a partisan was organic and integral to her character, it was just a given.

I am a mix of fiscal conservative and progressive/liberal ideology.

Sometimes I think Supergirls get a bit bogged down by the weight of its social messages and could lighten up a bit. But, it actually bothers me more that it bothers others to such an extreme degree.

To use an example, I personally did not feel the Dreamer episode Reality Bites was that heavy handed. I thought the show balanced it with a secondary story involving Alex's investigation into VR. I felt if you did not like one, you probably liked the other. I thought this was a good story to tell and to be told through Dreamer was the way to go. Plus, I love Dreamer's roommate. Others felt differently, but I think the main complaint by many was that it was a Supergirl-lite episode.

At the end of the day, many just want to escape the news and be entertained by a good action, super hero hour. So, while I would never want Supergirl to totally abandon its progressive social conscience, as that truly defines Kara, I wouldn't mind if it played for straight fun superhero action a little more frequently.

I'd consider myself a conservative liberal (yes, it's an oxymoron if there ever was one). I support general liberal ideas but as I age, I also wish to conserve what I have or believe in. I could never really be a full conservative as I find that brand of ideology / politics to be too narrow and self-focused. Note: I am applying this to the Canadian context rather than the U.S. one since I am not a U.S. resident.

As it pertains to the show, I am not a fan of the PTB and writers injecting obvious U.S. Democrat Party ideology into the show. I would prefer if they did so subtly rather than blatantly as has been the case from Seasons 2 through 5, especially Season 4 (which was very off-putting for a good section of the core viewership). Likewise, I am not a fan of current Republican ideology and its variations.

In the context of the show, less is always more. If they would go back to the playful poke and jab of Season 1 rather than the sledgehammer approach seen in later seasons, the show would be more attractive to a larger viewership base. Poking fun at one party or another in jest is fine, but when it becomes a blatant ridicule agenda for all to see, it become very tiring and trying on even the casual viewer's patience.