Hulk Smash
One of my favorite things about the MCU films is how they include all the old friendly rivalries, including Hulk and Thor. One of the things that’s kept Marvel interesting for sixty years is that the characters constantly evolve. Thor, for instance, has been a girl, a robot, and a frog. The frog is a long story.
Hulk is one of my very favorite characters. He’s been Savage Hulk, Professor Hulk, and Banner Hulk. Hulk has been green, he’s been red, and he’s been gray, then known as Mister Fixit. The one constant through it all has been Hulk Smash!
For his entry into the MCU, Taika Waititi directed “Thor Ragnarock.” In it, Surtur, the fire giant, is causing Ragnarok, the destruction of Asgard. Surtur is much, much larger than Hulk, but Hulk gets stronger the harder he fights. Finally, Thor says, “Hulk! For once in your life, DON’T Smash!”
I have a friend who sends me that clip, or sometimes whispers in my ear, “Hulk, don’t smash.”
It’s not that I lack finesse or intellect, but Hulk Smash is often the most expedient solution. Expediency isn’t always the answer, though. Hulk Smash is a very definitive response, but it can also leave everything around in tatters. Hulk, don’t smash.
Fairly often, I’ll tell young people to be a savage and live fearlessly. While I do believe that, I’m something of a hypocrite because for a lifetime, I couldn’t do it myself. I was so wound up in what the world wanted of me that I forgot to care about what I wanted from the world. Hulk Smash can mean you end up with a lot of wounds, and you don’t even know how you got them.
Not long ago, a girl I used to know said, “I’m so worried you’re gonna Taylor Swift me in one of your stories.” Taylor Swift is famous for including boys who were mean to her in her songs, which are usually stories.
I explained to her that it didn’t really matter that we didn’t end up together. There were a bunch of girls I didn’t end up with. What matters is that she was always decent and fair with me, and, even though we fought enough to not be a couple anymore, she has nothing to fear from my stories because the entire time she remained a lady.
Even the ones who weren’t ladies, I tend to just hint at the tip of the iceberg. I want to make a point with my stories, not get revenge.
When I first started writing, my test was “If I’m proud of something somebody did, then it’s ok to write about it.” That’s fine, only it’s not that simple. Many times, I’m proud of somebody because of how they handle the struggles in their life, but sometimes, they still struggle with it, and putting it in a story doesn’t help.
This is something I constantly need guidance with. When I’m proud of somebody, my first response is Hulk Smash. You should be proud of them too, or else! Only, it’s not that simple. For once in your life, Hulk, don’t smash!
Building societies is what separates us from so many other animals. People tend to really love to judge, though, which means many of us live in fear of being judged. Sometimes, we get judged for things we really should be proud of. There’s no amount of Hulk Smash that will fix that.
We live in a time where judging people is on the up tick. I’m not gonna argue about who started it. It’s kind of an eternal cycle. Liberals are hurt because conservatives judge them for being gay or trans, so then liberals call conservatives fascists, which hurts too, so then conservatives call them something ugly, and it goes back and forth to the point where everybody is being judged, and everybody worries about being judged.
Jesus said, “Judge not.” That seems simple enough, but then they killed him, so even Jesus couldn’t fix it. A lot of people want Jesus to come back and Hulk Smash, but I dunno, would that really solve it? Was that even what he was talking about?
Hulk Smash sounds and feels heroic and chivalrous. That’s why I’ve always chosen it when I could. Sometimes I forget the times when I smashed all the furniture, trying to smash the bad guy.
I judge people too. It’s really hard to escape it.
It’s not enough to just have a good heart and surround yourself with people who have good hearts. The world requires finesse, and Hulk Smash is not finesse.
Whether it’s writing or any other part of human existence, Hulk Smash is often not the best answer. Sometimes, you have to find other ways to show people how proud you are of them.
Hulk, for once in your life, don’t smash.
That being said, sometimes, the very same people whisper in my ear. “Hey Hulk, SMASH will ya?”
