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Photo by Disney-Marvel

As for Nebula, she ends up redeemed without losing her scary strength. And as she’s part-blue, part-purple, part-machine and totally bald I have no idea who’s even eligible for the offended fast-pass at this cyborg-non-Terran-scary-sexy being. I don’t know if she’s androgynous, and if so whether it’s an appropriately positive portrayal. But this poster child for the ill effects of bad parenting is no shrinking blue-and-violet.

Then there’s Drax, dull green with elaborate red markings. In some ways he’s the archetypal big loud guy who uses his muscles before his brain and whose sense of humour lacks refinement so if you’re looking to be bitter you could grouse that apparently it’s still OK to stereotype men. Not only is Drax ultimately a very appealing character but the other male Guardian, Peter Quill, has enough sensitivity, including toward girlfriends’ moods, for the both of them, with a bit left for Rocket, who arguably suffers from genetically-enhanced-rodent stereotyping if you’re desperate to be offended.

Another possibly “black” character would be Yondu Udonta. He’s a bright blue non-Terran rowdy space pirate, played by a white actor, but with an accent and some mannerisms that might be mistaken for African-American clichés. He’s a far more responsible father figure than Peter’s real dad. So where’s the stereotyping?

Especially as, in the plot-spoiler-overdrive second place, GG2’s main villain is an extremely powerful rich white male straight person. Perhaps that just compounds the PC offence, embracing the heteronormative narrative of powerful rich white males as inherently in total, if harmful, control. But if it had a black gay villain they’d say gotcha. So heads everybody loses, tails ditto.

Obviously if you’re determined you can find something in GG2 to resent, as you can anywhere anytime without having to think very hard about it. But what Jonathan Kay recently wrote in the Post about the Canada 150 debacle applies to political correctness far more broadly including its movie criticism incarnation: “sometimes, bitterness and animosity are just bitterness and animosity,” not virtues essential to progress, harmony and reconciliation.

So as Drax might ask, would Scotch tape work to shut the PC Social Justice League up?