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In response to Part Deux of Robbie’s Heroes Rant:

Oh I see…a Caribbean Island (like Jamaica maybe??), that’s right of course, because Caribbean islands only exist to provide refuge for poor misunderstood superpowered Americans (and one Haitian, who everyone just calls “The Haitian” but I’ll leave that particular rant for another time).  I see how it is, well what about the people who actually live on these Caribbean islands huh?  You ever think that after suffering through the onslaught of hurricanes for months on end they may not exactly welcome a guy who can create earthquakes with his mind?? Hmph! 

rant by Luke (wearing his gold Usain Bolt rantpants)

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In response to Mr. Frankson’s response:

My response is that Caribbean islands are beautiful places welcoming to all the world’s people, especially those most gifted, and do not carry any stigma for being places reserved for misfits.  Quite to the contrary, Caribbean islands are home to some of the world’s most sought-after lifestyles.  The tranquility provided by the islands’ peaceful environs would effectively incapacitate any dangerous superpowers, which are caused by peaks in adrenaline that wouldn’t manifest in such places.  I would hope this clarification would assuage Mr. Frankson’s concerns, and to the extent it doesn’t, I encourage him to read Part Deux of my rant in it’s context - a rant against Heroes’ unfortunate decision to rely on stereotypes and marginalization to appeal to its audience.

rant by Robbie (wearing his anti-carnival rantpants)

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In response to Mr. Collins’ response:

See that’s just it, you’ve bought into the myth of the tourist commercial.  Well allow me to dispel; the Caribbean island I come from is actually home to one of the world’s highest murder rates.  It is also a place where the poverty is extreme, and where corruption runs rampant at every level of government (don’t believe me? - http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20020728/lead/lead5.html).  So while the images of smiling people and sandy white beaches that are broadcast around the world paint one picture, the reality of most residents of Caribbean islands is quite different.  For an example of the way the illusion is created see here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR0C6CVAxU8.  So while you are absolutely right that the Caribbean life can provide one with peace and tranquility, that much sought-after lifestyle is reserved for the privileged few who can afford it…and of course to the million+ tourists who visit each year.  That said, despite the gloom and doom image I’ve suggested, Jamaica is actually a fine place to grow up, though perhaps not quite the paradise one might imagine.  

Now, having said all that, you are absolutely correct that in my original rant I more or less ignore the broader point of your post and fixated on one small detail, which is to say that your original point is actually very well taken, and was quite artfully ranted.

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In response to Mr. Frankson’s response to Mr. Collins’ response:

I haven’t bought into the myth of the tourist commercial and that’s precisely the point.  Instead of choosing to put the Heroes characters in a setting that played into a stereotype, they should have chosen a more neutral location - a Caribbean island being just one example.  By “neutral location,” I mean one that doesn’t serve as a heuristic to automatically suggest that the characters are ‘freakish’ but instead can allow for storylines that allow the characters to lead normal, fruitful, productive, integrated and enjoyable lives.  And it was important that the example I chose be outside the U.S., because of prior events on the show.  Perhaps it would have been better to suggest a fictional island.  I didn’t mean to insinuate that life on a Caribbean island is homogeneous, and I don’t believe I did, though I could have been more artful in the way I said it (I should add the original rant was adapted from a gchat conversation).  More importantly, I certainly recognize that there is corruption, crime, and a host of other problems that plague places like Jamaica.  If Luke wants to write on those subjects, he has my full support and interest.  But those subjects - while real - are irrelevant to the point I was trying to make about marginalization in a fictional setting, and the ensuing criticism only gained traction when it took a point completely out of context.  When you put it back in its context, I think we’re in much more agreement than our posts suggest.  

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Shit’s getting real, folks.  Don’t let Heroes tear you apart!  I honestly think you are both on exactly the same page.  Like there’s a page, in a book, and on 1 side, there’s Luke, on the other, there’s Robbie, in the middle there are some islands, and like 100 pages away from this page is Heroes.  It’s all good.  And my bad for randomly stealing this rant from Robbie’s gchat haha.