Watching "Watchmen"? or "Sean is an Elitist Asshole, Part 627"

This has been bugging me for a while. I'll try to not get too long winded here--I'll say my piece and leave it be.

I've been moderately annoyed by all of the ubiquitous Watchmen tie-ins. I also have friends who are slobbering over it and will probably see it no later than the close of opening weekend. (A similar phenomenon occurred upon the release of another Snyder film 300.)

Okay.

So what possible objection is there to be had when people get hyped up for the big "summer" blockbuster-style movie? That's what they're for, right?

Except that's not what Watchmen (the comic) is about. Were one to read it, they would discover it is quite possibly the last superhero story. After reading it, it is certainly very difficult to look at superheroes with the same uncritical enthusiasm ever again. For spoilers sake, I won't say why--just go out and read it if you've not already. (But then again, how could you have missed it, what with it being plastered everywhere in every book shop, comic shop, and even Target?) I can say without spoiling anything for anybody that it's a very densely layered piece of literary criticism/art criticism, performed on American pop culture in general, and the American comic book specifically. And since when is literary criticism fodder for widescreen summer movies?

It's not, unless it's severely dumbed down. And when a masterpiece is dumbed down, what's the point?

$200 million. That's the real point.

What I imagine will happen is that millions of people will go out and buy the trade paperback but never read it, since it doesn't offer the simple mindless escapism offered by the movie trailer.
Don't get me wrong--it's nice to see a true work of art get its due. But it's only getting its due because a company can use it as a vehicle to generate interest for what it's not.
That sends the message that great art only matters if it can generate a massive stream of revenue.

And I don't like that message.