The Best-Dressed Women in Gotham City by Jennifer K. Stuller

               As a young child enthralled with the bright colors, the ‘POW’s ‘WHAM’s and daring escapes of Batman, I never really look it to be more than just half an hour of fun about the Caped Crusader and the Boy Wonder.  I took it at face value and enjoyed the show.  Jennifer Stuller, the author of this essay, shed light onto a different purpose for the show, a way for social messages to be broadcasted.

               As can be inferred by the title of the essay, and following blog post, this essay addressed the issue of the role of women in Gotham City.  In the first two seasons, the only real female influence on the show was that of Catwoman.  Rather than falling into the normal role of arm candy for the male villain, Julie Newmar’s Catwoman turned perceptions of women’s roles in comics on their head.  Instead of being the trophy that stood idly by, Catwoman was able to accomplish what many male villains were not able to do, and ensnare Batman and achieve her goals independent of anyone else, though she sometimes employed henchmen.

               Later, in season 3, the creators of the show introduced Batgirl who at almost every turn saved Batman and Robin from yet another trap.  The Dynamic Duo were so often embarrassed, though not explicitly stated in the show, that they would often ‘thank’ her by saying, “We were just about to get out of that jam”.

               Though initially just an attempt to stay true to the comics and draw viewers back to a show that was hemorrhaging viewers, by bringing these two female characters in the fold, the creators were making a powerful societal statement.  When Catwoman would escape and Batgirl would ride in on her motorcycle and save the day, they were exhibiting that women could do exactly what men were doing, and often times better.  The show inadvertently used media to broadcast an important message to the viewing public.

               We find ourselves in a time when another form of media, the internet, is being used to inform the public of important issues.  From tweets, blogs, Skypes, TED talks and YouTube clips, information is being transmitted to millions of people around the world bringing issues to the consciousness of the people to inform anyone willing to listen.

Villainy in Batman and May I have this Batdance?

“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.

POW! Batman’s Visual Punch by Bill Walko

     Walko begins his essay with an interesting thought, “Did Pop Art of the 1960's influence Batman, or did Batman influence Pop Art?”  Clearly the first part of that question is the correct answer, but it brings up an interesting point.  Does digital media influence our social habits and learning, or do we, by acknowledging digital media’s presence, influence the course that technology takes in our lives?

     There certainly is more information available to us than ever before, but is that because it’s been made available by technology, or as a collected group of people are we more open to pursuing the truth and shaking off the restraints of limited knowledge?  Whether we agree with, or use, technology in our classrooms, we as educators must be willing to allow our students to pursue the truth and find their own meaning in all that they do.

Until next time…same blog time…same blog channel…

Aunt Harriet’s Film Decency League by Becky Beard

               The entirety of this essay goes into great detail the acting background of all of the guest villains that appeared throughout the show’s three seasons.  I found it to be quite interesting because I had heard about all of the actors and actresses, but did not know a lot of their backstories.  Being asked to be on the show was an honor that few were fortunate enough to participate in.  The introduction to the essay included the fact that Robert Kennedy was turned down when he all but begged to be on the show.

               The writers, directors and producers knew exactly what they were doing when it came to casting well-known actors in the role of the villains.  By bringing such stars and Burgess Meredith and Vincent Price into people’s homes, it was almost a guarantee that viewers would tune in that week.  It was simple business; give the people what they want and they’ll keep coming back for more.  Similarly, I used a well-known character that my students adore in a lesson on character and setting just last week.

               We had been struggling on identifying character and setting with our basal reader’s story, ‘Gram and Me’.  It was a dry, inconsiderate text for my students and they were not able to identify a dock at the ocean as the setting for when the two characters were waving at the boat.  Rather than attempt to continue this act of futility, I reached for a book in the classroom library whose main character lives in a pineapple under the sea.  Stopping periodically to ask where the characters were and what they were doing there, it started to click.  When we returned to the story, the students were able to tell me that not only were they waving to boats on the ocean, they played chess on Gram’s front porch and began to relate by telling stories about what they do with their grandparents.

               Bringing a guest star into the classroom allowed pathways to open up in my students’ minds that aided in the acquisition, manipulation and production of a measured skill.

Notes on Bat Camp by Timothy Callahan

               The topic of this brief essay centers on how ‘campy’ Batman actually was.  The way it straddled the line between satire and silliness is a turning point for public perception, either you embrace it and accept it, or you reject it and speak out against it.  Half of the viewers loved it, half despised it.  Personally as someone who still reads Batman comics on a monthly basis, I straddle the fence.  I accept it because I used to watch it with my grandparents when it went into syndication, but I also don’t count it in the canon of Batman history.  But I digress.

               I found myself remembering the waning days of 2012 as they appeared on my facebook wall.  The majorities of posts were not reflections on the past year, nor were they eager predictions for 2013, but they were in reference to Psy’s Gangam Style…really.  That’s what flooded my facebook wall.  For the most part they were in jubilation that the year, in fact it was only a few months, of Psy were over.  So many of my facebook ‘friends’ hated the song with so much passion, it inspired them to post publicly about it in social media.  As I type this blog entry, the aforementioned video has been viewed 1,357,999,020 times.

               We are all inundated with trends and fads that originate in a digital form every day.  Fifty years ago it was a millionaire and his ward dressed in costumes fighting crime.  Today, it is a South Korean pop artist.  But just because it’s popular, doesn’t mean everyone enjoys it.  I have spent quite a bit of time discussing how important it is to tie in digital texts and resources into our classrooms, but in actuality, it may not work for all the students.  While teaching with digital resources is vital and critical in the coming decades, I must remember not to get wrapped up in the fast paced changes that are occurring.  My job is to ensure that each and every student learns to their fullest potential.  If this utilizes technology, great; if it doesn’t I will need to find another way that is fitting and suitable for that student.

Week 1

            At the start of the semester I was going through the Book and Blog list and came across Gotham City 14 Miles: 14 Essays On Why the 1960s Batman TV Series Matters.  I almost jumped out of my chair as I immediately downloaded the title to my kindle.  As a comic book reader for 25+ years now, I can give a first-hand glimpse into how media can influence a student’s life.  Today, our students are influenced by all things digital.  For some of the high-school students I tutor in the evenings, if it isn’t on their phone, they can’t be bothered with it.  Almost 50 years ago a generation was surrounded and influenced by a burgeoning new form of media, television.  Batman was one of those early serials that a majority of the population tuned into weekly to follow the escapades of the dynamic duo.  Throughout the course of this text, I will review the essays in regards to how the show influenced students of that era and attempt to draw comparisons to the various forms of media available today.

Giant Lighted Lucite Map of Gotham City: An Introduction by Jim Beard

            In the introduction to the book, Beard lays out his reasoning as to why Batman matters.  Rarely has a show been both adored and despised with the same amount of fervor.  He expressed an emotional response to someone criticizing the fight sequences as being “totally fake”.  To Beard, they were as real as everyday life.  Here is where I find my first parallel to digital natives.  Too many times have I seen students take what they see, hear, or read on the internet at face value and as being true.  This is scary as a teach when I think that my students can be so easily influenced and swayed because something was on the internet.  This is where adults and teachers need to step in and help to clarify the line between reality and fantasy to avoid disastrous results in our students’ thinking and life in general.

Bats in their Belfries: The Proliferation of “Batmania” by Robert Greenberger

            The first essay of the book deals with the sudden boom of Batmania.  This of course is a take of the term Beatlemania, which happened just a few years before.  When Batman debuted it was almost at the same time as the arrival of large color TVs.  Though Batman was not the polled public’s first choice, Superman was, the debut episodes took in 49% of the viewers in the top 50 U.S. TV markets.  Greenberger states, “Everyone watched it.  Then they came back the next night and watched it, and then they talked about it.”  The appeal of the show reached overseas to other countries and fizzled out in two years almost as soon as it came about.

            Greenberger offers a point that during this time, just a few years after the assassination of JFK and while the military was going deeper into Vietnam, people were looking to escape.  “Escape to Batman.”  Immediately I drew a connection to the increasing popularity and use of digital media with our students.  If they are constantly hearing about unemployment, a shaky economy, turmoil at home and the fear of school violence, perhaps they are escaping to the world of facebook and twitter just as earlier generations donned capes and fought the Joker in their back yard.

The 1960s Batman TV Series from Comics to Screen by Peter Sanderson

            Through the majority of this essay, Sanderson describes in great detail how despite being 27 years its junior, the Batman television series greatly influenced changes within the Batman comics themselves.  The reach that Batman was exhibiting by finding a new media was unlike anything anyone had seen before.  The influence spread across different mediums from tv to music and comic books.  Today, we are seeing internet memes pop up everywhere from news programs, to our very own classrooms.  Rather than pretending to be Batman, my students were singing the Harlem Shake today during recess.  The Batman television series set precedence for all mediums to follow in an effort to attract more participants.

Such a Character: A Dissection of Two Sup-Species of Chiropter homo sapiens by Jim Beard

            Unfortunately for the graduate student in me, this essay has little value to my academics.  But the life-long comic book fan appreciated the comparison between the television version of the caped crusader and the print version.

            Despite the dud in this last essay, the overall theme of the book still permeated the screen, digital media is a powerful force to be reckoned with whose reach extends far beyond its intended audience.

            Until next time…same blog-time, same blog-channel…

Module 4 Book and Blog