From Real Life to Pop Culture and Back Batman should kill the Joker. Batman shouldn’t kill the Joker. Pop culture should be compared to real life problems to help people better cope with situations. In pop culture, we find many problems similar to the ones that are faced by people all over the world everyday. Such as how Batman killing the Joker can be compared to the fact of the matter of whether or not terrorists should be killed.
Should we compare pop culture to real life problems? In the article, Should Batman kill the Joker? by Mark D. White and Robert Arp, they use the example of Batman killing the Joker to represent if terrorists should be killed or not. The authors compare pop culture to real life to make it easier to comprehend the harsh cruelties of the world. The authors of this article believe that Batman should kill the Joker. And if they're saying that Batman should kill the Joker, doesn't that mean that people should kill terrorists? As said in lines 10-13 of the article, “But if we say that Batman should kill the Joker, doesn't that imply that we should torture terrorism suspects if there's a chance of getting information that could save innocent lives?” At the same time, Batman has never killed the Joker. As said in
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They’re not the same thing. As said in lines 56-57 of the article, “Applying philosophy to Batman, South Park, or other pop culture phenomena may seem silly or frivolous,…” This is saying that, in television shows and cartoons anything can happen and comparing that to real life may seem ridiculous. Then again, it’s easier to use pop culture to deal with harsh and cruel situations, than use the nature of the situation itself. As stated in lines 57-58 of the article, “...but philosophers have used fanciful examples and thought experiments for centuries,” This rebuts the previous claim and supports that pop culture should be and has been used to call attention to real world
Robert Wonser and David Boyn’s article “The Caped Crusader: What Batman Films tell Us About Crime and Deviance,” explore the “sociology of deviance” within the Batman trilogy (Wonser, p. 1). Throughout discussing the relevancy of deviance and crime in fiction films within modern society, particularly centring on the Batman series over the last decade. Current motion pictures consistently explore criminology in the many forms it presumes in, thus presenting cultural relevant themes of deviance. Wonser and Boyn’s work analyzes the Batman films while discussing the application of sociological concepts, focusing on Batman as one who obeys and breaks social laws (Wonser, p. 2). Fantasy films stimulate the sociological imagination
Although Batman is the hero of many stories and films, many argue whether Batman actually needs to exist or if his moral code of “no killing” is actually worth it when his
Everyone’s seen the classic cartoons. Wile E. Coyote chasing the Roadrunner around a bend, only the Roadrunner turns, but our comedic--and usually stupid--villain doesn’t. So, he falls from a height of what looks like about 500,000 feet, only to become a small puff of smoke at the bottom of the canyon. After all, if what happens to you when you fall from that height were to have happened to Mr. Coyote, that would have been a very short lived cartoon series. Maybe this example is an exaggeration, but the idea is the same: violence comes streaming into our homes every single day through our TVs not to be viewed, but to be devoured. It’s been proven that sex and violence sell. For those of us who can tell the difference between reality and fantasy, the effect of TV violence is miniscule. But for our children--who think when the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers come to the local shopping mall, that it’s the biggest event since Bert told Ernie he snores too loud--the violence seen on TV seems like a logical reaction to life’s problems. And that’s a problem within itself. The impact of televised violence on children is only a slice of the pie that is the problem with the endless stream of violent acts on TV.
Somebody who had established higher power in their community. Somebody who tried to run from fate, and has the moment of recognition and understanding of their destiny. Batman. Even though he is considered the strong and powerful superhero of Gotham City, Batman's characteristic features show that he relates strongly to that of a "tragic" hero. In the beginning, the Batman is presented at a higher state of appreciation, even though the police see him as a vigilante. Despite his wealth, Batman, otherwise known as Bruce Wayne, is easily relatable to audiences, which makes it easy to sympathize and empathize with the character. Batman is in a constant battle within himself, trying to be the good guy, while defeating the bad guys. His morals prove true when he admits that he won't kill any of the many villians that cause destruction for Gotham City. But, because of this moral, sometimes the villians end up escaping and doing more harm then good. In the end, this interal chaos and internal battle is seen interally and externally through Batman. At the end of the most recent Batman series, The Dark Knight, his exit at the end of the movie is, in essence, his figurative death. Bruce Wayne wants to keep Gotham City safe. And with the "Batman" gone, villians will be least likely to continue to destroy and conquer. As an audience, we cling to the edge of our seats and feel dismay for our beloved superhero and what is to become of
Another reason why some utilitarian thinkers will support torturing these suspect terrorist because law enforcement is saving American lives. On the other hand, other utilitarian thinks will condemn torturing terrorist because affects a personal moral standards to conduct themselves as a productive citizen (“The ‘ticking time bomb’ problem,” 2014). An additional reason why some utilitarian thinks condemn torturing terrorist because it provokes intense psychological pressure to reveal answers that law enforcement may want to hear that’s incorrect. Furthermore, depending on which utilitarian thinker discussing the use of torturing a terrorist, the action could be justified because it prevents further or future injury. Additionally, other utilitarian thinkers would rebuke this action because hurting another doesn’t help people that have already been injured by a terrorist
Can the way that justice is depicted in popular culture affect the views of those that consume it? Many people form their notions of justice based on the messages that get portrayed in the media. Justice is often depicted in a way that is ambiguous. It is up to the observer to interpret what they are presented with. The injustice that is shown may have the potential to threaten the way people understand justice in the real world. News outlets depict crime is a sensational way that cause people to develop a negative view of the world. They depict procedural justice as slow and often times inefficient. Popular culture becomes a medium for people to escape from the inadequacies of justice in their real lives. Although these shows are fictitious, they subconsciously affect people’s notions of justice. The Japanese manga and anime, DeathNote, is a form of popular culture that has influenced that way that
In the earliest 1940 's superhero films started to become popular on the big screens. One of these popular films is known as Batman, which came out first as a comic book called "The Killing Joke". Batman is considered to be a superhero possessing great talents and for being a true example of hope towards Gotham city. Although these superheroes are one of the main characters in movies, they also have enemies to confront with which are also known as super villains. In this case, the Joker known for his criminal mastermind plays an important role as a villain. Having a huge impact through films, film viewers have had the chance to appreciate different versions of the Batman 's movies. The Joker, being one of the most classical villains in DC Universe is portrayed in different aspects. Analyzing Tim Burton 's Batman (1989) and Christopher Nolan 's The Dark Knight (2008), viewers can assimilate but also differentiate the Joker in couple ways.
Smoke billows out from a Manhattan skyscraper, damaged by a fiery explosion. This could easily be a scene from 9/11, however we see Batman looking grimly on as a poster advertises the film will be released soon. Clearly this film plays on the fears of terrorism. As depicted in The Dark Knight, the Joker plays the terrorist, while Gotham’s leadership struggles to contain him. The film departs from the superhero ideals of pure good versus pure evil, showing a murky world where moral decisions have to be made in order to stop evil. Because of this, The Dark Knight seems to be an allegory for the War on Terrorism. This paper will look at how the Joker represents terrorism, while Batman represents George Bush and his administration’s War on Terror.
Why so serious? If I were to ask you that question six months ago, you wouldn’t understand the phrase. Now that The Dark Knight has been made though, most people will understand what I am talking about. Ever since The Dark Knight was created, the joker has been thrust back into the public eye. Most people only know the joker from the performances of Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight and Jack Nicholson in the 1989 film Batman. Most people forget that the Joker has been a villain since 1940 in Batman #1 (spring edition). The Joker has been reinvented every decade since his first appearance. He started off as a homicidal maniac, then a criminal that was just a harmless nuisance to becoming a mass murdering, schizophrenic clown that we know today. He has been named number one on the Wizard’s list for one hundred all-time villains. In this speech I will tell you how the joker was created, the criminal career of the joker, and trademark characteristics of the joker.
In our society, certain ideals are held in high regard. Individuals relentlessly pursue these ideals to achieve a perceived perfection. These principles are often depicted in media that further glorifies and establishes a desire to pursue these paragons. In a medium such as comic books, however, these standards and perceptions are heavily distorted by the characterizations and settings. Particularly, the superhero genre absorbs the ideals we strive towards and regurgitates them in an extreme and unrealistic manner. The superhero genre is often reflective of societal changes in ideas and morals. These ideals are then molded into misleading representations that influence the behaviors of viewers. Comic books absorb elements of our society and transform them. For example, as the enemies of America change, so do the enemies of our superheroes. However, the enemies are transformed into supervillains that are extremely dark and villainous. Such characterizations cloud people’s understanding of real threats and enemies affecting our society. Also, to cater to the value that American society places on intelligence, attractiveness, and physical strength, comic books create characters that epitomize these characteristics. Though the represent society’s ideals, these characters manipulate the ideas and convey them back to the audience in an unrecognizable manner. In developing such distorted representations, the superhero genre affects human behavior and perceptions of these ideals.
...watching. If violence within media does effect the amount of violence within a society, there is not a single source of the violence within the media causing the outburst therefore this violence would not only be linked to video games. Schlozman and Beresin, the experts are unable to make solid evidential correlations between violent games and movies to violence within life, then the public should stop believing they are capable of making those same correlations. Although, when all is said and done, the evidence does not show a correlation, but it also does not completely get rid of the possibility of a correlation. We must all take caution when immersing ourselves and those around us in in violent content, because there is no way to rule out possible correlations within the foreseeable or even far off future; circumstances and knowledge are ever changing concepts.
The terms "hero" and "villain" are as distinct as the terms "good" and "evil." They are mutually exclusive; the hero is courageous, popular, strong, morally, and willing to save the people at whatever cost, while the villain is despicable, hated, and heinous to his core. However, when we turn away from the archetypal world of comic books, this distinction is no longer as clear. When we look at real human beings we do not see a hero as a hero or a villain as a villain, but rather individuals composed of varying degrees of both extremes. No hero is perfect, and no villain is completely heinous. The most recent film adaptation of the DC Comic series Batman presents this truth of human nature. The Dark Knight Rises effectively communicates the
In the article “Life According to T.V.” published in 2009, in common culture: Reading and writing about American popular culture, Harry Water portrays that the media nowadays are easily to misrepresent the world and damage the society as a whole. First of all, he points out that the television is more influential than other forms of entertainment media in the public which affects social attitudes and creates cultural biases. Secondly, he refers to Gerbner’s study which is based on precise experiments and surveys and explains television changes the public’s view through multiple ways such as sex, age, race, work, health and crime, or other aspects of society. For instance, Water says that TV shows leave us a negative impression about the old people, which are silly, stubborn, sexually inactive and eccentric. Water also claims that crime rages about ten times more often than that in real life. Violence video always has a negative influence in society, especially the young generation. Water still points out that young people easily changes their attitude to choose a job because TV show greatly overestimated the proportion of Americans employed as physicians, lawyers, athletes, and entertainers.
It is exactly what his character would do. “The Joker is in many ways no real person anymore, he is more like pure force or ideology” (Riegler, 10). By denying the audience of the Joker’s background or his identity, the audience is forced into the film’s conflict of order and chaos.
Any fan of Batman knows that “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight” are two of the best Batman films made in the seventy-eight years that Batman has been around. The plots really make you look deep in yourself and show the true and more real sides of the characters of the Batman world. Each movie shows the evolution of Batman and shows only a few of the many crazy and intense adventures of this mysterious hero. These two movies are the first two in the dark knight trilogy, created by the amazing Christopher Nolan. These movies were heavily praised for their astounding realism to the real world, and its pros and cons. But they were also extremely liked for their possibility for