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

Interview requests

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.

Punk rock fought fake authority. The latest Superman movie shows how fighting cynicism is the new rebellion.

International law only works if we’re willing to defend it

Donald Trump did not break democratic institutions

Canada’s free speech........

© Troy Media