Poll: Would you want to be Batman? Why or why not?

[Connor Lonske]

BUT MY PARENTS WOULD BE DEAD!

With all due seriousness, I wouldn't. I could never handle all that work.

 

[Agema]

eh no spaceman12 was right. he's is a nutjob.

the important thing being he knows this and puts it to good use.

this is why the Batman film everyone (who knows the character) wants them make will never be made and people keep going on about it. Hollywood is never going to portray such a "mainstream" comic book hero and lead as such (tho to give him his due Michael Keaton did try to drop hints in way back when the first big budget film came out : "You wanna get nuts? Come on! Let's get nuts!" but even then they never quite grasped it right and it comes off like someone from DC whispered in their ear "he's secretly nuts btw")

i agree he's not nihilistic tho. dark (like a great many who know they have something wrong with them and aren't normal) yes. nihilistic no.

as for "conservative" i have no idea where that comes from unless secretly "conservatives" are driven by compulsion and obsession

his corporate wealth is a means to an end
his "pillar of the community background" is a front (hey maybe that is a conservative trait after all )
he doesn't work to "maintain order" (as the Joker knows fine well) and he does not work "for the state".

Perhaps I shouldn't bother even responding to this as you've got so much wrong from my comment.

It's unclear to me how you can construe me saying that Batman is (completely) sane or that I was disagreeing with Spaceman12 on that issue when I said he was psychologically damaged.

Secondly, having quoted my comment in full, you should note I wrote that Batman works with the state, not "for" it as you wrote. In what way do you think the police using a big batsymbol searchlight to call him for help and the fact the cops aren't constantly out to take him down means there is not mutual co-operation? He is a state-sanctioned vigilante.

The last is more the fault of me being ambiguous. I wouldn't necessarily say Batman the person is conservative (although I suspect he'd lean that way), but more I meant the setup in the Batman universe.

It's not clear to me that Batman is more real than Bruce Wayne. Batman can only exist because of Bruce Wayne's scientific genius and enormous personal wealth - he's got to acquire all that expensive kit somehow. Never mind have enough of a playboy lifestyle to divert hours into superherodom, which you could hardly do if you had to hold down a grinding office job 9-6 (plus commute).

What do think Batman does if not maintain order? The Joker is a real embodiment of chaos. But Batman upholds the law and works with the law: he catches criminals, and gives them to the police to be jailed - it's not even summary justice. If that is not the maintenance of order, it's hard to see what is.

Batman therefore holds down various ideas of being a successful, self-made, self-reliant man. Independent, taking action on his own. The state cannot protect it's own citizens, so those like Batman have to step up to defend everyone. That sort of thing is appealing to conservative ideology.

 

[gorfias]

Why is this in the religion and politics forum?

Some things shouldn't try to be politicized and this is one of them.

I disagree, or I wouldn't have posted it here.

I did mess up on the topic title. I'm less interested in whether or not y'all wanna be Batman, but why you think it is, with Batman's arguably crappy life, we nerds and geeks would love to be him.

I think it says something about the male psyche and socio-political world view. I think that's interesting and has other ramifications, like, why do we get 18 year olds to serve in the Marine Corp volunarily?

Batman therefore holds down various ideas of being a successful, self-made, self-reliant man. Independent, taking action on his own. The state cannot protect it's own citizens, so those like Batman have to step up to defend everyone. That sort of thing is appealing to conservative ideology.

Interesting point. He is also selflessly giving without renumeration. Would that appeal to a Liberal?

 

[Agema]

I think it says something about the male psyche and socio-political world view. I think that's interesting and has other ramifications, like, why do we get 18 year olds to serve in the Marine Corp volunarily?

Now that's an interesting point.

I think a lot of action heroes in whatever media tap into a part of the male psyche that's about kicking ass for the betterment of oneself or the community. Although I suspect that aside from the geeky tech lovers, most males would probably rather be someone like James Bond. Less psychological damage (although Bond is a bit fucked up too).

 

[gorfias]

I think it says something about the male psyche and socio-political world view. I think that's interesting and has other ramifications, like, why do we get 18 year olds to serve in the Marine Corp volunarily?

Now that's an interesting point.

I think a lot of action heroes in whatever media tap into a part of the male psyche that's about kicking ass for the betterment of oneself or the community. Although I suspect that aside from the geeky tech lovers, most males would probably rather be someone like James Bond. Less psychological damage (although Bond is a bit fucked up too).

I think it was Movie Bob that wrote a couple of columns on how to save Bond: they need to understand that Bond is NOT Batman. He is not full of angst and all duty bound. He's having the time of his life on a combo of the government's dime and his gambling winnings.

Logically, I'd rather be Bond. But there is something that makes me fantasize more about being Batman.

I think also about Rambo's icy bad ass stare and think about how cool it would be to be able to personify that yourself. Then recall HOW Rambo got that stare... by putting up with a world of hurt.

So, I think there is something oddly wired in us guys.