What Superman and punk rock have to say about rebellion today

In a culture that prizes cynicism, decency and restraint now look strangely subversive

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It is always interesting to look back on a year and reflect on the most memorable cultural moments.

In the 2025 iteration of Superman, Lois Lane tells Superman, “You trust everyone and think everyone you’ve ever met is, like, beautiful.”

Superman replies, “Maybe that’s the real punk rock.”

Lois is describing what many would call Superman’s weakness: his refusal to treat trust as naïveté or kindness as foolishness. Punk rock was never about sneering at the world, but about rejecting fake authority. When Superman calls his refusal of cynicism “the real punk rock,” he is rejecting the modern assumption that cynicism equals intelligence. In a culture that prizes suspicion, irony and moral detachment, choosing to see people as inherently worthy becomes an act of rebellion.

Early punk bands such as the Ramones, the Clash and the Sex Pistols emerged in the 1970s in reaction against bloated, commercial rock music and what they saw as cultural and institutional hypocrisy.

What I love about punk rock is its honesty. It is raw, it is loud, it is critical of what needs to be criticized, and the cardinal sin of punk rock is to sell out to the establishment. One may not be rich or famous, but a real punk rocker never sacrifices their integrity.

Another powerful exchange takes place between Clark Kent/Superman and his adoptive father. The same ethic that defines punk rock’s rejection of false authority now shows up in how Superman understands power and responsibility. After learning for the first time that his biological parents wanted him to use his superior strength and privilege to dominate and control the world, Superman is despondent. His Earth father points out that parents do not control their children, they only do their best to give them the tools they will need in life. He states, “Your choices, Clark, your actions. That’s what makes you who you are.”

Superman is principled and he always does his best to honour the sanctity of life, especially human life. The point is at times exaggerated for comedic effect, but these scenes leave no doubt about Superman’s character. Political loyalties take a back seat to morality, and this does not make Superman a popular figure to those who see the world differently. He is criticized, brutalized and even imprisoned, but he never wavers.

Despite their initial misgivings, good people cannot help but respect Superman. Other superheroes eventually come to his aid and help defeat those who do not honour human life. In the end, it is Superman’s moral integrity, not his physical strength, that saves the day.

The point of the movie is that there is nothing wrong with kindness and courage. These are the qualities that Superman personifies. Having privilege does not mean that one is free to exploit others, but that one is responsible for using the gifts we have been given to serve others and make the world better.

What makes the Superman movie especially endearing is that the theme song, “Punkrocker,” is sung by Iggy Pop. I’ve always loved Iggy’s music. From his early days with the Stooges in the mid-1960s to today, his sound has evolved but it has never lost its raw energy. Iggy has been a successful artist, but he has never sold out.

No one personifies punk rock music more than Iggy Pop, and there is no one truer to the principles of human decency than Superman. He demonstrates that being a true superhero simply means being a good person.

Superman teaches us to act with kindness and courage and never compromise our life-giving principles. He also speaks truth to power. That’s the real punk rock.

Gerry Chidiac specializes in languages and genocide studies and works with at-risk students. He received an award from the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre for excellence in teaching about the Holocaust.