Super Bimbo

I re-watched Superman this weekend. The James Gunn one. Such a fun movie! I’m not a big superhero girl but Superman was a breath of fresh air. A lot has been written about the supposed politics of the movie. Is it woke? Something something immigrant, Dean Cain clinging to relevance… All that.

What I love about the movie is the presentation of radical kindness. That’s another topic that’s been discussed to death. I wouldn’t bother writing about the movie unless I had something new to contribute to the conversation. And I think I do. Here it is.

Superman is totally a himbo!

Himbos and Bimbos

Before I dive fully into the topic of Superman and himbos, I want to address these labels. In a previous article about bimbo culture, I wrote a little about the history of bimbos. Of particular relevance to this topic is the origin of the word. Originally, the term bimbo was gendered in the opposite direction.

“Bimbo” started as a term for a good-looking and desirable man. Think Cary Grant. I’m pretty sure I remember seeing a movie in which Grant was referred to as a bimbo. (Bringing Up Baby, maybe?) I remember being thrown by the usage. It makes sense now that I know the history.

Over time, “bimbo” began to be used more generally. The gendered element fell away. “Bimbos” were attractive. Language is always changing and words mean different things depending on their usage. Eventually the term “bimbo” took on a pejorative meaning.

Bimbos weren’t just good looking. They were vapid. Even stupid. Naturally, once the term became an insult, it became gendered again. The new usage of “bimbo” referred only to females. No surprise there.

There are also good-looking, vapid men. There was really no reason the term “bimbo” couldn’t still apply to them. But “bimbo” became so associated with feminity that it was necessary to create a new term for male “bimbos”. We all know what a “himbo” is. He’s Ken to a bimbo Barbie.

Super Himbo

With all that in mind, you might disagree with my claim that Superman as portrayed by David Corenswet is a himbo. Let’s get the low hanging fruit first. He’s a good-looking guy. In the forties, he’d have been considered a “bimbo”. But is he vapid? No. Stupid? Definitely not. So why refer to him as a “himbo”?

Well, if you’ve been reading this blog you should already know that I’ve been reclaiming the word “bimbo”. I do not see it as pejorative. In my view, “bimbo” is not a limitation. It’s purely positive. Being a “bimbo” doesn’t detract. A “bimbo” is proudly feminine. She doesn’t conform. Her style, outrageous though it may be to some, is her own.

Bimbos aren’t inherently stupid. They may come across that way because they can be deeply concerned with things other people consider unimportant. Conversely, bimbos are above a lot of things that other people are deeply invested in. I don’t know anything about sports because who cares? Not me.

There’s no such thing as a glum bimbo. We may get upset if god forbid we have a bad hair day. We crash out when things aren’t going our way. But generally, we’re positive. Bimbos wear rose colored glasses. And sometimes, that makes us seem naive.

Back to Superman, he believes in people. His cohorts, even his girlfriend, think he is hopelessly naive. The scene where the himbo theory came together for me was the post-credits tag. Where Superman points out to his friend that the building they repaired didn’t quite line up. His friend gets fed up and walks away. And Superman says something like “golly I sure can be a jerk sometimes”.

That is himbo behavior right there.

Superman is kind. He has a good heart. He takes time to save a squirrel during a battle that threatens to destroy his city. As he says in his speech at the end of the movie, those attributes don’t make him weak. They are his greatest strength even though they can be inconvenient at times.

A villain like Luthor understands that Superman will always do the “right” thing. Pound for pound, few can match him for power. But even a normal human like Luthor can use Superman’s kindness against him. And I think that’s part of the political moment that makes this movie so timely. It’s not hard to think of a real life parallel to Luthor. Superman, sadly, are harder to find.

Up, Up and Away

The usage of words determines their meaning and those meanings change over time. If you see himbos and nothing more than empty-headed Fabio clones, no. Superman is not a himbo in that sense. But if you see himbos (and bimbos) as eternally optimistic and arguably naive, I think the term applies.

Also, I found this shirt on the marketplace and thought it would make a cute picture for a Superman article. Shout-out to the store owner who reached out to me as soon as the product was delivered. He seemed like a really nice guy and let me know he designs custom shirts. So hit in up if that’s something you’re into.

Now, I have to go save Metropolis from some raging rich alpha male. What is up with these guys? It’s like it’s never enough for them!