Devil's Advocate: Media Edition

[Kyrian007]

There's no such thing as a "plot hole." They simply don't exist. Because every time they are brought up, they are accused of being in a work of fiction. And in ALL fiction the only reason anything happens is because the author SAYS it happened that way. What everyone who makes the accusation of "plot hole" is actually saying... "I don't like the way the author says this happened, so I'm highlighting how that doesn't work in MY reality to make it seem like the author made a mistake writing his own fictive work." Because it looks "smarter" somehow rather than just admit they don't like whatever bit of media they are critiquing. In the end, "plot holes" cannot exist because the author of a fictive work can write in whatever contradictions to their own internal "rules" they want. Because they MAKE those rules. "But that can't happen because..." NOPE, it just did. Deal with it. The Simpsons said it best. "Anytime you notice something like that... a wizard did it." It is a statement that resolves all so called "plot holes." It doesn't mean there isn't terrible writing out there. There is far more bad than good. But "plot hole" isn't a valid criticism. Its just a mask for someone to rationalize a personal dislike in an attempt to seem less petty.

 

[BrawlMan]

There's no such thing as a "plot hole." They simply don't exist. Because every time they are brought up, they are accused of being in a work of fiction. And in ALL fiction the only reason anything happens is because the author SAYS it happened that way. What everyone who makes the accusation of "plot hole" is actually saying... "I don't like the way the author says this happened, so I'm highlighting how that doesn't work in MY reality to make it seem like the author made a mistake writing his own fictive work." Because it looks "smarter" somehow rather than just admit they don't like whatever bit of media they are critiquing. In the end, "plot holes" cannot exist because the author of a fictive work can write in whatever contradictions to their own internal "rules" they want. Because they MAKE those rules. "But that can't happen because..." NOPE, it just did. Deal with it. The Simpsons said it best. "Anytime you notice something like that... a wizard did it." It is a statement that resolves all so called "plot holes." It doesn't mean there isn't terrible writing out there. There is far more bad than good. But "plot hole" isn't a valid criticism. Its just a mask for someone to rationalize a personal dislike in an attempt to seem less petty.

Honestly, I blame the angry critic style of reviewing and Cinema Sins for that one. More so the latter, but it had to start somewhere. Channel Awesome, Redletter Media, Movie Bob, they have all done it. Hell, even Double Toasted has done it sometimes, though some cases were justified.

You have uneducated reviewers or those too stupid to notice important plot details or making up criticism for the sake of a joke, and then hiding behind the "it's satire" excuse. Which is definitely Cinema Sins main problem. There is a such thing as bad satire you fucknut. Own up to your shitty mistakes. With that said, it there is clear retcon or voodoo shark whether it be a game, movie, or TV show, that makes zero sense, I will call that shit out.

 

[jademunky]

Ok, here we go.

In the X-men franchise, mutant registration is not only just but very very necessary. It in no way is comparable to the plight of real-world minorities. If gay people or Jews could melt skyscrapers with their eyeball-lasers I'd be demanding government involvement and LOTS of it.

#senatorkelleywasrightallalong

 

[Kyrian007]

You have uneducated reviewers or those too stupid to notice important plot details or making up criticism for the sake of a joke, and then hiding behind the "it's satire" excuse. Which is definitely Cinema Sins main problem. There is a such thing as bad satire you fucknut. Own up to your shitty mistakes. With that said, it there is clear retcon or voodoo shark whether it be a game, movie, or TV show, that makes zero sense, I will call that shit out.

And that's fine, as long as whomever is calling it out is just honest and says they don't like the retcon, rather than trying to say that somehow the writer is somehow "wrong." Example, the whole "Brotherhood of Steel" complaint against Fallout 76. There's hundreds of very valid reasons to hate Fallout 76, but "The Brotherhood couldn't be there" isn't a valid one. They're there because Bethesda SAYS they were there. If they want to explain how, they can, but regardless they ARE there... deal with it. Why are they there... a wizard did it.

 

[Gatx]

There's no such thing as a "plot hole." They simply don't exist. Because every time they are brought up, they are accused of being in a work of fiction. And in ALL fiction the only reason anything happens is because the author SAYS it happened that way. What everyone who makes the accusation of "plot hole" is actually saying... "I don't like the way the author says this happened, so I'm highlighting how that doesn't work in MY reality to make it seem like the author made a mistake writing his own fictive work." Because it looks "smarter" somehow rather than just admit they don't like whatever bit of media they are critiquing. In the end, "plot holes" cannot exist because the author of a fictive work can write in whatever contradictions to their own internal "rules" they want. Because they MAKE those rules. "But that can't happen because..." NOPE, it just did. Deal with it. The Simpsons said it best. "Anytime you notice something like that... a wizard did it." It is a statement that resolves all so called "plot holes." It doesn't mean there isn't terrible writing out there. There is far more bad than good. But "plot hole" isn't a valid criticism. Its just a mask for someone to rationalize a personal dislike in an attempt to seem less petty.

The current overuse of the word is absolutely abysmal. People use it to refer to anything just wasn't in the movie period. I saw an article for Solo's "biggest plot hole" which ended up being just the writer wondering what Qi'ra was doing during the time skip.

The original concept of a "hole" in the "plot" still holds true and can be a genuine problem in storytelling though. The example I would always point to is in The Lost World: Jurassic Park, where the boat holding a T-rex crashes because it's crew was apparently eaten despite the T-rex still being in the holding area and being way to big to fit into the still relatively undamaged passage ways of the vessel. That's actual in-universe story progression logic that is broken by this scene.

Lesser examples would be how Harry never learns who Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs are in the movies despite the name 'Padfoot' playing some significance in a later movie (which in terms makes the movies companion pieces to the books as opposed to standalone things but that's another issue).

 

[jademunky]

The example I would always point to is in The Lost World: Jurassic Park, where the boat holding a T-rex crashes because it's crew was apparently eaten despite the T-rex still being in the holding area and being way to big to fit into the still relatively undamaged passage ways of the vessel. That's actual in-universe story progression logic that is broken by this scene.

It used the same genetic T-Rex-Teleportation ability that the one in the first film used to get into the visitor's center without anyone noticing.

 

[Drathnoxis]

There's no such thing as a "plot hole." They simply don't exist. Because every time they are brought up, they are accused of being in a work of fiction. And in ALL fiction the only reason anything happens is because the author SAYS it happened that way. What everyone who makes the accusation of "plot hole" is actually saying... "I don't like the way the author says this happened, so I'm highlighting how that doesn't work in MY reality to make it seem like the author made a mistake writing his own fictive work." Because it looks "smarter" somehow rather than just admit they don't like whatever bit of media they are critiquing. In the end, "plot holes" cannot exist because the author of a fictive work can write in whatever contradictions to their own internal "rules" they want. Because they MAKE those rules. "But that can't happen because..." NOPE, it just did. Deal with it. The Simpsons said it best. "Anytime you notice something like that... a wizard did it." It is a statement that resolves all so called "plot holes." It doesn't mean there isn't terrible writing out there. There is far more bad than good. But "plot hole" isn't a valid criticism. Its just a mask for someone to rationalize a personal dislike in an attempt to seem less petty.

What? No. There are definitely times when the writer accidentally breaks their own established rules. It doesn't even mean you have to not like something. I like Dragon Ball but that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of plot holes in it.

Spoiler: light spoilers: The Red Ribbon Army arc of Dragon Ball can't happen.

At the end of the first arc the dragon balls are used to make a wish. Bulma then explains that after being used the dragon balls become untraceable stones for a year. Goku then leaves and by nightfall begins training with Muten Roshi for eight months until the Tenkaichi Budokai. After which he immediately grabs his Dragon Radar and begins hunting the dragon balls again. The official timeline confirms it. Goku's stated ages confirm it, he claims to be 14 at the start of the series, but during the tournament he retracts that saying that he was wrong and is actually 12 because he thought that 14 was the number to come after 11. If a year had passed he should definitely be 13 by this point. Maybe Bulma was wrong then and it doesn't actually take a year for the dragon balls to reactivate. But no, later in the series when Goku meets the creator of the dragon balls he also confirms that they remain dormant for a year. No matter how you look at it, a year has not passed and the dragon balls are not active for a year. And yet, there they are.

I don't see how you can describe what happens there as anything other than Goku falling into a plot hole for 4 months.

There is no such thing as spoilers.

If knowing the plot ruins the plot, then it's a bad plot.

Even if it's still a good plot, I've been deprived of ability to be surprised by it, and I like to be surprised.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Ok, here we go.

In the X-men franchise, mutant registration is not only just but very very necessary. It in no way is comparable to the plight of real-world minorities.

You also note that the minorities tend to be on the Team Evil side, at least in the movies. Many of them can be summed up as "straight white people fight an evil Jew". Oops.

 

[Hawki]

Ok, here we go.

In the X-men franchise, mutant registration is not only just but very very necessary. It in no way is comparable to the plight of real-world minorities. If gay people or Jews could melt skyscrapers with their eyeball-lasers I'd be demanding government involvement and LOTS of it.

#senatorkelleywasrightallalong

I'm actually inclined to agree there.

The X-Men are repeatedly claimed to be a stand-in for minorities, but within the setting, mutants are basically uber-humans, with plenty among their number possessing incredibly dangerous abilities, and at times, the will to use them. People have every reason to at least be cautious of mutants in the setting. Basically, you're trying to use an analogy for disempowerment by making the disempowered superpowered.

 

[Cicada 5]

Ok, here we go.

In the X-men franchise, mutant registration is not only just but very very necessary. It in no way is comparable to the plight of real-world minorities. If gay people or Jews could melt skyscrapers with their eyeball-lasers I'd be demanding government involvement and LOTS of it.

#senatorkelleywasrightallalong

I'm actually inclined to agree there.

The X-Men are repeatedly claimed to be a stand-in for minorities, but within the setting, mutants are basically uber-humans, with plenty among their number possessing incredibly dangerous abilities, and at times, the will to use them. People have every reason to at least be cautious of mutants in the setting. Basically, you're trying to use an analogy for disempowerment by making the disempowered superpowered.

To say nothing of how the franchise tends to revolve around good looking white people who live in a large mansion and can easily pass for human.

 

[Kyrian007]

There's no such thing as a "plot hole." They simply don't exist. Because every time they are brought up, they are accused of being in a work of fiction. And in ALL fiction the only reason anything happens is because the author SAYS it happened that way. What everyone who makes the accusation of "plot hole" is actually saying... "I don't like the way the author says this happened, so I'm highlighting how that doesn't work in MY reality to make it seem like the author made a mistake writing his own fictive work." Because it looks "smarter" somehow rather than just admit they don't like whatever bit of media they are critiquing. In the end, "plot holes" cannot exist because the author of a fictive work can write in whatever contradictions to their own internal "rules" they want. Because they MAKE those rules. "But that can't happen because..." NOPE, it just did. Deal with it. The Simpsons said it best. "Anytime you notice something like that... a wizard did it." It is a statement that resolves all so called "plot holes." It doesn't mean there isn't terrible writing out there. There is far more bad than good. But "plot hole" isn't a valid criticism. Its just a mask for someone to rationalize a personal dislike in an attempt to seem less petty.

What? No. There are definitely times when the writer accidentally breaks their own established rules. It doesn't even mean you have to not like something. I like Dragon Ball but that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of plot holes in it.

Spoiler: light spoilers: The Red Ribbon Army arc of Dragon Ball can't happen.

At the end of the first arc the dragon balls are used to make a wish. Bulma then explains that after being used the dragon balls become untraceable stones for a year. Goku then leaves and by nightfall begins training with Muten Roshi for eight months until the Tenkaichi Budokai. After which he immediately grabs his Dragon Radar and begins hunting the dragon balls again. The official timeline confirms it. Goku's stated ages confirm it, he claims to be 14 at the start of the series, but during the tournament he retracts that saying that he was wrong and is actually 12 because he thought that 14 was the number to come after 11. If a year had passed he should definitely be 13 by this point. Maybe Bulma was wrong then and it doesn't actually take a year for the dragon balls to reactivate. But no, later in the series when Goku meets the creator of the dragon balls he also confirms that they remain dormant for a year. No matter how you look at it, a year has not passed and the dragon balls are not active for a year. And yet, there they are.

I don't see how you can describe what happens there as anything other than Goku falling into a plot hole for 4 months.

I can. I did. The Simpsons joke explanation of "A wizard did it" totally works in the DB universe. It wouldn't be the least plausible thing to happen in that universe. But if they were to answer the question by saying, "it shouldn't have worked, but it did. And because it worked nobody cared enough to wonder why," is explanation enough. Or they could start a whole time travel saga that works it out by saying that timeline's dragonballs were replaced with some that had gone for long enough. Then it would be a dangling thread instead of a "plot hole." Point is, in fiction there are no such things as plot holes. A writer can accidentally or on purpose break in-universe rules they establish, because they are THEIR rules to do what they want with.

The original concept of a "hole" in the "plot" still holds true and can be a genuine problem in storytelling though. The example I would always point to is in The Lost World: Jurassic Park, where the boat holding a T-rex crashes because it's crew was apparently eaten despite the T-rex still being in the holding area and being way to big to fit into the still relatively undamaged passage ways of the vessel. That's actual in-universe story progression logic that is broken by this scene.

Lesser examples would be how Harry never learns who Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs are in the movies despite the name 'Padfoot' playing some significance in a later movie (which in terms makes the movies companion pieces to the books as opposed to standalone things but that's another issue).

Second one's easier to explain than the first. He did figure it out, offscreen, and it wasn't an important enough detail to warrant actually showing it. Maybe he made the realization while he was taking a dump, and that's why it wasn't in the movie. Also, the Simpsons joke works ESPECIALLY well in the Harry Potter universe. The Jurassic Park one. Well, I doubt "a wizard did it" but again, it becomes a valid "plot hole" resolution if the writer says "a wizard did it." But dangling thread, maybe someone was trying to sabotage Ingen... and a human or team of humans killed those people, staged the whole crash, then ditched on a helicopter or raft. Or maybe a raptor was on board as well and killed the crew, then lept from the boat to swim around and eat fish. Point being, If the writer or creator SAYS it happened... that's how it happened. It may not be a GOOD or well written explanation. It may not be an explanation you LIKE. It may be intentionally or unintentionally an incomplete explanation. But the author has the power in that situation, not the consumer.

 

[BrawlMan]

Ok, here we go.

In the X-men franchise, mutant registration is not only just but very very necessary. It in no way is comparable to the plight of real-world minorities. If gay people or Jews could melt skyscrapers with their eyeball-lasers I'd be demanding government involvement and LOTS of it.

#senatorkelleywasrightallalong

I'm actually inclined to agree there.

The X-Men are repeatedly claimed to be a stand-in for minorities, but within the setting, mutants are basically uber-humans, with plenty among their number possessing incredibly dangerous abilities, and at times, the will to use them. People have every reason to at least be cautious of mutants in the setting. Basically, you're trying to use an analogy for disempowerment by making the disempowered superpowered.

To say nothing of how the franchise tends to revolve around good looking white people who live in a large mansion and can easily pass for human.

Same here. As much as I like X-Men, I noticed this as I got older. The movies are especially guilty of this. The fact other shows, anime, or comics tried to copy them varying degrees of success/unsuccessful does not help matters either.

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

I can. I did. The Simpsons joke explanation of "A wizard did it" totally works in the DB universe.

I've got an even simpler one.

Toriyama forgot.

Toriyama is a talented artist and a creative guy in general, but also a lazy and forgetful one, which he himself has said several times in interviews. He once admitted that back when Dragon Ball was still serialized, he spent most of his time watching tv and building models, cranking out the newest chapter in the last two days before deadline, week after week. He's also known for not making any notes. But he is good at improvising.

So basically, pretty much all of Toriyama's work is him just winging it and any time there is some inconsistency in his writing, there's about a 99% chance it's because he couldn't remember what he had written before, didn't feel like checking, and just made stuff up on the spot out of convenience.

 

[ObsidianJones_v1legacy]

Ok, here we go.

In the X-men franchise, mutant registration is not only just but very very necessary. It in no way is comparable to the plight of real-world minorities. If gay people or Jews could melt skyscrapers with their eyeball-lasers I'd be demanding government involvement and LOTS of it.

#senatorkelleywasrightallalong

Ok, I'll play your game, ya rogue.

You know what I trust less than Emma Frost with her powers? The Government with Emma Frost's powers. With Professor X's powers. It has been proven with Nuremberg Trials [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuremberg_trials], The My Lai Massacre [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Lai_Massacre], and North Freaking Korea (to only name barely a fraction of horrors committed by government action) that not only will people who are indoctrinated can easily put their morals aside with the "I'm doing my Duty to do these atrocities" mindset, but some people get too heady in the collected invading force mentality of "we have the bigger guns and more of them, so we will commit severe crimes against humanity with impunity".

And please, we should never think that this will never become anything but an Arms Race. I think the most accurate representation of what Superhuman Registration will look like is in Watchmen. More Importantly, how Nixon convinces Dr. Manhattan to win the Vietnam war, how the Comedian acts with the locals, and how Nixon uses his clout via his rapport with Dr. Manhattan to repeal the 22nd Amendment to rule America from 1968 into the 1980's.

There will be no Checks and Balances if the Superhuman Population are employed or controlled (because that what it will turn into) by the Government. As strong as the X-men are, could they actually take down a few Battalions of the Army? Admittedly probably. But not continually. And there are a lot more humans than there are mutants. Eventually they would be worn down. Mutants got the power, Humans got the bodies.

And lest we forget, we have access to Stark tech, S.H.I.E.L.D. arms and more experience fighting covertly than a guy who can punch a hole in a skyscraper with his eyes. There would be a Mutually Assured Destruction element to the battle between Mutants and the Humans, but that's infinitely more desirable than Mutants and Humans armed with Stark Tech vs average citizens.

And that's not even going into how boned certain countries will be in terms of more populated countries. Bigger concentration of people, the higher likelihood of mutants. "Oh, you got a guy with tentacles made from a weird metal? That's sweet. We have this black lady who can control all weather. So... How's the large oil patch you have in your land doing? I really think it's neat-o!"

 

[Thaluikhain]

And lest we forget, we have access to Stark tech, S.H.I.E.L.D. arms

How is the government employing mutants more a concern than the government playing with those, or conventional toys?

 

[BrawlMan]

God of War is not the death of the gaming industry as some loud, smug, critics on YouTube are whining about. The game ain't perfect, but it knows how to use most of its mechanics well, is a meaty game with no content cut out, and nothing is locked behind a paywall. For a single-player AAA game, it's a rarity in this day and age. For those wondering, I am referring to Gaming Brit and others who held such "concerns". As much as I am happy for DMC5, it has some extra costume locked behind a pre-order paywall. It's not as bad as some other practices, but stupid and all the more unnecessary.

Legend of Korra is a bad fanfic made by professionals, and there is not much that can change that. Also, Kuvira is the true hero of Season 4. Not to say Korra isn't, but Kuvira ended getting most of the shit done in stabilizing the Earth Kingdom. If there is a true villain, it's Suyin (incompetent and hypocritical) and the spirits for their cowardice. I'll put in more in my edit later.

 

[ObsidianJones_v1legacy]

And lest we forget, we have access to Stark tech, S.H.I.E.L.D. arms

How is the government employing mutants more a concern than the government playing with those, or conventional toys?

Culminate Effect. Stark Tech, Parker Tech, Pym Tech, etc... all in the hands of the US government in some form or another is leaps and bounds more of a concern for average citizens in that world compared to what we have to deal with in this world.

Add the fact that not only US Foot Soldiers should be walking around in Battle Armor making each of them better than five tanks (who knows what they have up there in the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier), but walking along tandem with them will be people who can create lasers from their hands, lift up buildings, who can read mind and control thoughts, etc.

At that point, the Government is God. Able to do whatever they wish to the entire populace.

Superhumans who aren't conscripted and made to work for the government, well, that's a different story. If the Government decided to go Rogue with their advanced and/or sometimes alien tech, there will be enough Superhumans to stop them. Even Registration of powers becomes a threat, because you know half the reason the Government is doing it so they know where the Mutants or Superhumans are and to come up with a way to nullify the threat of their powers when it comes to it.

There will be no winning that war. Just the inevitable steamroll of American Forces over its populace if the wrong person gets in charge.

 

[jademunky]

Ok, I'll play your game, ya rogue.

Awww, now I'm gonna have to actually think about stuff after working and cooking dinner!

You know what I trust less than Emma Frost with her powers? The Government with Emma Frost's powers. With Professor X's powers. It has been proven with Nuremberg Trials [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuremberg_trials], The My Lai Massacre [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Lai_Massacre], and North Freaking Korea (to only name barely a fraction of horrors committed by government action) that not only will people who are indoctrinated can easily put their morals aside with the "I'm doing my Duty to do these atrocities" mindset, but some people get too heady in the collected invading force mentality of "we have the bigger guns and more of them, so we will commit severe crimes against humanity with impunity".

And please, we should never think that this will never become anything but an Arms Race. I think the most accurate representation of what Superhuman Registration will look like is in Watchmen. More Importantly, how Nixon convinces Dr. Manhattan to win the Vietnam war, how the Comedian acts with the locals, and how Nixon uses his clout via his rapport with Dr. Manhattan to repeal the 22nd Amendment to rule America from 1968 into the 1980's.

Oh yeah the arms race analogy is quite accurate but I still maintain that it would be the lesser of two evils to have them under the control of the world's gub'mints rather than having a total free-for-all. For much the same reason I don't like that atomic bombs exist but am happier with governments having a monopoly of them rather than private citizens having ownership.

There will be no Checks and Balances if the Superhuman Population are employed or controlled (because that what it will turn into) by the Government. As strong as the X-men are, could they actually take down a few Battalions of the Army? Admittedly probably. But not continually. And there are a lot more humans than there are mutants. Eventually they would be worn down. Mutants got the power, Humans got the bodies.

And lest we forget, we have access to Stark tech, S.H.I.E.L.D. arms and more experience fighting covertly than a guy who can punch a hole in a skyscraper with his eyes. There would be a Mutually Assured Destruction element to the battle between Mutants and the Humans, but that's infinitely more desirable than Mutants and Humans armed with Stark Tech vs average citizens.

And that's not even going into how boned certain countries will be in terms of more populated countries. Bigger concentration of people, the higher likelihood of mutants. "Oh, you got a guy with tentacles made from a weird metal? That's sweet. We have this black lady who can control all weather. So... How's the large oil patch you have in your land doing? I really think it's neat-o!"

Ok, it would have to be handled with a delicate touch. Nothing like the oppressive 50-states-initiative from the comics where everyone with powers is shanghai'd into what is essentially military service.

Instead, lets incorporate mutant registration with the Spider-Man: Homecoming model:

- Firstly, everyone gets a friendly yet somewhat snarky Jon Favreau liason
- Second, while they do reveal their identity to that liason and get put into a database, that information is not available to the general public
- Next is mandatory training, the bare minimum of which is to achieve a level of control whereby they won't accidentally harm anybody through use of their powers. People who's abilities are considerably harder to control are sent to a Xavier-style academy for more expert supervision while they struggle to do so. Those who still cannot control it will be sent to a more isolated community where their potential for harm will be mitigated.
- After that would be further optional training for those who wish to use their abilities in their day-to-day life.
- Finally, and most importantly, those powers would then be used to assist Dr. Doom in finally killing Reed (because I hate that guy)

 

[Asita]

Oh yeah the arms race analogy is quite accurate but I still maintain that it would be the lesser of two evils to have them under the control of the world's gub'mints rather than having a total free-for-all. For much the same reason I don't like that atomic bombs exist but am happier with governments having a monopoly of them rather than private citizens having ownership.

The issue with that of course is that you inevitably are judging people based off of capacity for harm rather than intent. We can imagine a hypothetical person capable of setting things on fire with their mind and ask "should we really trust someone like that to be teaching in a classroom with nobody the wiser?" But let's be honest here, if we were to apply the same level of distrust consistently, then why would we not require teachers to report any purchase of matchbooks or lighters? Do we require that people register because they own baseball bats which could theoretically be used to brain people? A pencil they could stab someone in the temple with? Enough upper body strength to snap somebody's neck? Any given person has the capacity to do serious harm or kill someone. However, until we're given reason to believe otherwise, we usually assume that they won't. And we're usually right.

The best philosophy, I think, is not super registration as much as it is the encouragement of proper channels and accountability. Ie, having superpowers does not make you exempt from the law. This includes vigilantism. If someone wants to fight crime, they can either get a badge and accountability, or they get jailtime.

 

[jademunky]

The issue with that of course is that you inevitably are judging people based off of capacity for harm rather than intent. We can imagine a hypothetical person capable of setting things on fire with their mind and ask "should we really trust someone like that to be teaching in a classroom with nobody the wiser?" But let's be honest here, if we were to apply the same level of distrust consistently, then why would we not require teachers to report any purchase of matchbooks or lighters? Do we require that people register because they own baseball bats which could theoretically be used to brain people? A pencil they could stab someone in the temple with? Enough upper body strength to snap somebody's neck? Any given person has the capacity to do serious harm or kill someone. However, until we're given reason to believe otherwise, we usually assume that they won't. And we're usually right.

The best philosophy, I think, is not super registration as much as it is the encouragement of proper channels and accountability. Ie, having superpowers does not make you exempt from the law. This includes vigilantism. If someone wants to fight crime, they can either get a badge and accountability, or they get jailtime.

Well that goes into the second part of what I said. Imagine if the person keeping you on the straight-and-narrow was the guy from that movie "Chef"? (which I think more people should see) Dude is adorable is allimsaying.