“Known Super-Criminals Still at Large”: Villainy in Batman
by Chuck Dixon
Chuck
Dixon’s essay touched on a personal note that I will elaborate upon later. His theory on Batman’s revolving door of
villains goes well beyond just the costumed foes, and the personal attachment
he had to the comics growing up.
He
begins the essay with an anecdote about punching a classmate because they were
wearing a t-shirt based off of the tv show, which he himself despised. To him, that wasn’t Batman. Batman was the brooding dark figure that used
his powers of deduction to solve the mysteries that his foes had created to
throw him off the case.
Dixon
reveals that as he grew older, he began to appreciate the show for its two layers. One that was colorful and campy intended to
appeal to the younger viewers, and the more satirical level created for the
adults who may be watching. However, as
an adolescent, he could not see the subtleties that the show presented. It was
the way that he perceived things.
In a
similar way, that is how many of our digital native students go about their own
online lives. The world that they create
in social media with their friends, photos, apps and taggings, they have a
perception of the world that is unique to them.
When they arrive in school, their perception of the world and the
reality do not match, thus creating a conflict for that student. I feel that it is the role of parents and
educators to help bridge a gap and to clearly define the discourses students
participate in on a daily basis. By
creating ways of performing in different social areas of life, students can
make the transition from digital life to real life more easily.
Nostalgia
plays a huge role in our perceptions of the world around us. Students will look back on their time online
with either elation or regret, depending upon their choices. Incorporating the online discourse into
classroom routines will help our digital natives see that their perception and
reality can be the same thing.
As I
mentioned at the beginning of the post, nostalgia had a personal effect on
me. At the start of the essay, I was not
all that interested in what Dixon had to say.
It is laundry day, I am feeling a little under the weather, and I’m just
not interested in what another fanboy has to say. Then Dixon mentioned that he wrote a short
story arc for Robin in the early nineties.
I proceeded to my comic book-bookcase, yes I have a bookcase dedicated
entirely to comic books, and pulled out one of my favorite storylines of all
time, and there was Dixon’s name on the cover.
I returned to the essay with renewed purpose and enthusiasm. Perception is not everything, but it sure
influences a lot of our decisions.
May I Have this Batdance? By Michael S. Miller
This
brief essay discussed the influence that the now famous theme song had on
popular culture. Countless recordings of
this song came out in 1966. Some of the
acts were Jan and Dean, The Who as well as other pop artists of the era. Its influence did not end with the show’s cancellation in 1992 R.E.M. recorded a version for their album, Automatic for the People.
The
overall theme of this essay is one that I have covered before. Batman’s influence went well beyond just that
of the tv show. It spread to all mediums
available at the time. Genres and
mediums blend and there is rarely any internet content, or tv content that
sticks primarily to the form that it is created for. In an effort to reach as many participants as
possible, a creator of art, tv, movies and music must be willing to adapt their
product to meet the demands of our digitally literate society.
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