neikikardartv

[neikikardartv]

this is a really interesting analysis of the show. Going along with your last point, do you think the fact that Starlight being a young attractive white woman, further reaffirms the American hegemony? maybe they think they have to use her as the vessel to get the target audience to sympathize w her …

@theuncannyprofessoro

Psychoanalytic Theory in The Boys

In his article titled ”Ideological Effects of the Basic Cinematographic Apparatus”, Jean-Louis Baudry concludes that “cinema [appears] as a sort of psychic apparatus of substitution, corresponding to the model defined by the dominant ideology” and that its ultimate and “primarily economic” goal is to prevent any form of deviations or exposure of the dominant ideology as a model.[1] Referencing Freud, Derrida, and even Plato, Baudry dissects and examines the ways in which the cinema works as an ideological tool for the dominant narrative of the culture that produces it, both in its mechanisms and its results. Through this same psychoanalytic lens, I will analyze how the narrative structure and ideological messaging of The Boys others characters through their respective identities while simultaneously upholding and sternly reinforcing the dominant ideology of American society. The Boys, an Amazon Prime original adaptation of the 2006 comic book series of the same name, follows a wide cast of characters; many of which are othered in some way, whether they are a superhero or a normal human being. Therefore, in order to keep this post in scope I will only be discussing one of the main characters, Starlight, examining her othering in the show and the ideological effects it creates.

In order to properly examine how Starlight is othered by the narrative and ideological structure of the show, we must first discuss the ways in which the cinema as a whole is a tool of ideological reproduction. To clarify, when Baudry refers to the term cinema he is discussing the literal structure and composition of a movie theatre, regarding both the presentation of reality in front of the audience and the origin of that reality being projected from behind them. However, I will be referring to cinema as the general idea of an abstract and presented reality—such as The Boys television series—through which all of the same concepts of the representation of the self apply. Baudry argues that “The ‘reality’ mimed by the cinema is first of all that of a ‘self.’ But because the reflected image is not that of the body itself but that of a world already given as meaning, one can distinguish two levels of identification.”[2] The first of these two levels is attached to the image itself, the relation and identification that we feel with the characters presented to us on the screen. While it is not a literal or physical reflection, we can still deeply relate and empathize with them as they go through the trials and tribulations of the story, such as Starlight’s sexual assault and her fight to get justice. And this action, the events, and the problems that the cinema presents us with is the second identification that the reality of cinema mimics. Baudry goes on to argue that what constitutes the images on screen, such as the mise-en-scene or stylization of a work, is of “little importance” as long as the capability of identifying with them is still possible.[3] The question is not one of form or mise-en-scene but one of ideology; of whether or not the camera will permit the subject (the self) to “constitute and seize itself in a particular mode of specular reflection.”[4] As such, cinema becomes an “apparatus destined to obtain a precise ideological effect,” as we inherently relate to and relocate our sense of self in relation to the events that are controlled by the cinema.[5]

Therefore, despite having lost the literal spatial similarity to Plato’s cave that movie theatres have, television series such as The Boys are no less of an illusion than the movies projected from behind our heads to in front of our eyes. Speculative media is a projection of ideology made into a representative form of reality. What this mechanism produces in the case of The Boys is a carefully articulated reality in which those that are othered, such as Starlight or A-Train or Maeve—characters that we place our idea of self into—are never allowed by the camera to fully seize their (our) hopes for morality or justice, thereby disallowing the viewer to ideologically “constitute and seize itself” in specular reflection.[6] This is particularly true with Starlight’s character arc. Despite being one of the most powerful characters in the show, Starlight is the first in the show to be othered by the structures and dynamics of power in the show. This othering of her gender and sexuality—as well as her ideas of morality and right and wrong—happens on her very first day of work at “Vought”—the international conglomerate responsible for both the creation and management of superheroes—when she is sexually assaulted by her coworker and subsequently reprimanded by her boss for speaking out about the issue. While this is an important event for both her character and the dominant narrative of the show, in the ideological and psychoanalytic sense it is only the beginning of a much larger and more concerning narrative. Throughout the episodes that follow this event, we see an eerily familiar story play out. Her assaulter, The Deep, goes on an apology publicity tour and is suspended for a brief amount of time only to eventually be brought back onto “The Seven” over other, more diverse, and far more qualified superheroes. In spite of her objections to this and to the overall corruption present throughout Vought, Starlight is othered by the rest of “The Seven” and Vought executives for her sexuality, gender, and ideology and is barred from having a say. In the structural narrative of the show, Starlight and characters like her who are othered for various reasons are unable to act, to seize any sense of control over the dominant narrative of the world unless they act immorally. This is evident throughout the show, particularly in the episode after Starlight is assaulted, when she speaks out about the assault and is almost fired, which she only avoids by blackmailing her boss with the threat of loss of profit for Vought. 

Although there are flashes and brief instances of morality and humanism in the show, such as Starlight’s relationship with Hughie, another one of the main characters, these moments are few and far between and are becoming increasingly rare as the show is reaching season 4. I would argue that these moments of humanity are small cessions made in spite of the dominant ideology in order to maintain the illusion of self-reflection, allowing the show’s characters to maintain a level of humanity that we can relate to while simultaneously maintaining the dominant narrative that humanism and morality fail to defeat the capitalist powers that be like Vought or Amazon itself.

By delineating the viewer’s self to a character like Starlight—a subject upon which we can reflect ourselves and our desires—and creating an overall narrative that then stifles that sense of self from seizing any form of control or creation of change from the current power structures and ideology of the reflected reality, The Boys is able to effectively portray a speculative reality that has a deceiving duality, hiding it’s ideological message while ostensibly presenting another. The viewer is given a work that allows them to identify with the characters extremely well as they go through hardship and othering while also making those characters incredibly powerful and self-reliant through means of superpowers, such as Starlight. However, this reflection of the powerful and virtuous self that the viewer is presented in the show is at some point, without fail, corrupted or shown to fail when faced against the power structures and dominant, capitalist narrative of the world within the show, ultimately reaffirming and strengthening the dominant, capitalist realist narrative of America and Hollywood.

[1]  Baudry, Jean. “Ideological Effects of the Basic Cinematographic Apparatus” Narrative, Apparatus, Ideology, 296.

[2] Baudry, Jean. “Ideological Effects of the Basic Cinematographic Apparatus” Narrative, Apparatus, Ideology, 295.

[3] Baudry, Jean. “Ideological Effects of the Basic Cinematographic Apparatus” Narrative, Apparatus, Ideology, 295.

[4] Baudry, Jean. “Ideological Effects of the Basic Cinematographic Apparatus” Narrative, Apparatus, Ideology, 296.

[5] Baudry, Jean. “Ideological Effects of the Basic Cinematographic Apparatus” Narrative, Apparatus, Ideology, 295.

[6] Baudry, Jean. “Ideological Effects of the Basic Cinematographic Apparatus” Narrative, Apparatus, Ideology, 296.

@theuncannyprofessoro

#oxyspeculativetv

[neikikardartv]

Really interesting to read about this coming from the vampire show I analyzed which came out much earlier than this show. One of my critiques with that show is the lack of intersectionality between vampires and their other identities. It’s nice to know that there has been progress made. Do you think the handles the intersectionality between being queer, black, and a vampire well? @theuncannyprofessoro

Representing a Black Vampire: Louis from Interview with the Vampire (2022)

Interview with the Vampire, the 2022 remake of Anne Rice’s 1976 book of the same title, tells the story of Louis de Pointe du Lac, an affluent Black man in 1910 New Orleans, as he is seduced and turned into a vampire by Lestat de Lioncourt, a French vampire who becomes his partner in immortality. Louis narrates his life in an interview, set in 2020, to Daniel Molloy, a famous journalist, and recounts his life before and after becoming a vampire, his struggles with moral questions of vampirism and immortality, and his toxic and unequal relationship with Lestat. The show is very intentional in positioning Louis, a gay Black man, as someone who is othered and misunderstood even before becoming a vampire. Scholar Victoria Herche uses Judith Butler’s discourse of queerness to analyze othering and the supernatural in Cleverman (2016-2017): “In reading the monster as a queer category, representations of the monstrous ‘other’, such as the Hairies and the Namorrodor, offer an alternative space beyond normativity and overcome binary constellations of the objectivized ‘other.’”[1] Monsters and supernatural beings, represented through vampires in the show, both signify “otherness” of existing beyond the human, as well as an empowerment for Louis as a marginalized person. In Episode 1, Louis becomes a vampire because of his relationship with Lestat, and in his speech to Louis, the French vampire acknowledges and affirms the othering and alienation Louis experiences, posing vampirism and a relationship with Lestat as a solution:

“This primitive country has picked you clean. It has shackled you in permanent exile. Every room you enter, every hat you are forced to wear [...] all these roles you conform to and none of them your true nature. What rage you must feel as you choke on your sorrow. [...] I can swap this life of shame, swap it out for a dark gift and a power you can’t begin to imagine. You just have to ask me for it. [...] I love you, Louis. You are loved. [...] Be my companion, Louis. Be all the beautiful things you are, and be them without apology. For all eternity.”[2]

The supernatural power of vampirism not only gives Louis superhuman abilities, but it empowers him to take action against the systemic racism and treatment he faces from white peers in his business of sporting houses (read: really fancy brothels). When Louis gains too much financial power, the white businessmen start a systemic effort to push him and other Black business owners out of the city and buy their properties. In retaliation, Louis hangs a sign, reading “Colored Only. No Whites Allowed” on the door of his largest, most successful business, and violently kills a city councilmember who has been working against him, symbolically hanging his corpse in public alongside a “Whites Only” sign. Before Louis kills him, the councilman condescendingly tries to talk him down, saying, “That’s your problem Louis, always has been. You’re arrogant. You haven’t accepted your place in this world.”[3] The supernatural power and protection that being a vampire affords Louis gives him the confidence and the means to take agency and revenge beyond “his place” within the social structure of white supremacy, which he never allowed himself to do before his transformation. Although vampirism has been associated with villainous action, which could serve to demonize rather than justify Louis’s actions, Interview with the Vampire positions this character as the narrator of his own story and therefore allows him to evaluate his own point of view and justify his actions. Traditionally, the role of “narrator-focalizer” in media, especially that which depicts stories of marginalized groups, is taken by a white narrator, who represents “the authoritative liberal perspective,” and “godlike, oversees and evaluates all the positions.”[4] Unlike other depictions of Black characters, who are depicted as villainous and unjustified in taking agency and especially violent revenge, Interview with the Vampire uses Louis’s own point of view on his story as narrative focalizer, and intentionally reverses traditional depictions of vampirism as villainous, showing his transformation as supernatural empowerment and his actions as justified.

This 2022 Louis represents a complete departure from Anne Rice’s 1976 character, who was a white plantation owner. The original book’s only depiction of Black characters were stereotyped enslaved people, who Rice demonized for practicing African descended religious forms and burning down the plantation to kill Louis and Lestat. Robert Stam and Ella Shohat, in their work, “Stereotype, Realism, and the Struggle Over Representation,” cite Toni Morrison’s idea of “the contradictory nature of stereotypes:” “Black figures, in Toni Morrison's words, come to signify polar opposites: ‘On the one hand, they signify benevolence, harmless and servile guardianship and endless love,’ and on the other ‘insanity, illicit sexuality, chaos.’”[5] Depicting her monolithic Black characters and their religious forms as superstitious and “primitive,” while also making them the only people to figure out the supernatural reality of the main characters’ vampirism, Rice shows her racism through use of contradictory depictions. This novel, as well as many pieces of media that center the supernatural in New Orleans, position Black spirituality and religion as inherently evil, demonic, or at the very least, “uncivilized” and unscientific, below that of white religion and practice. Such is the case in the New Orleans-set show of American Horror Story: Coven, which positions Black and white witches in opposition to each other, and although Black witchcraft, specifically voodoo, “acts [in the show] as a mode of resistance to gendered and racialized oppression,” Jennifer O’Reilly argues that the show’s depiction of voodoo ultimately relies on racist tropes.[6] According to O’Reilly, “the narrative of voodoo as evil and dark persists in Coven and reifies notions of white racial supremacy.”[7] The 2022 Interview with the Vampire is in conversation with this racist and overdetermined depiction of Black supernatural forms in its source material, especially through voodoo in New Orleans, but the show makes absolutely no reference to voodoo or any other forms of Black spirituality. Some might argue that in not depicting this religious practice at all, Interview with the Vampire exists neutrally, not making a stance in either direction. However, I would argue that in the show’s painstakingly detailed references to the original 1976 novel, which does fall into this racist portrayal of Black characters and their religious forms, not including voodoo, especially in the setting of New Orleans, is significant and matters. The show does not exist in a vacuum, and it seems to intentionally break away from the stereotypical depictions that Hollywood is full of when it could very easily fall into them (as the 1994 film adaptation does). Using the example of Western Eurocentric representations of African religions, Stam and Shohat seek to in their writing to show that “the flawed mimesis of many Hollywood films dealing with the Third World, with their innumerable ethnographic, linguistic, and even topographical blunders, has less to do with stereotypes per se than with the tendentious ignorance of colonialist discourse.”[8] After listing Hollywood’s commonly presented racist discourses around African religion, which “enshrine prejudices in patronizing vocabulary,” the theorists propose alternatives:  “In a less Eurocentric perspective, all these "deficiencies" might become advantages: the lack of a written text precludes fundamentalist dogmatism; the multiplicity of spirits allows for historical change; bodily possession betokens an absence of puritanical asceticism; the dance and music are an aesthetic resource,”[9] Interestingly, not only does Interview with the Vampire (2020) erase racist imaginaries of Black supernaturalism from its narrative, but it actually utilizes multiple elements of Stam and Shohat’s examples of decolonized approaches to representation, especially in its “lack of written text.”

The emphasis on oral storytelling in Interview with the Vampire, specifically that of Louis, uplifts his othered voice, and represents a break from the Eurocentric emphasis on the written word that Stam and Shohat refer to. To solve problems of media representations which serve to individualize, moralize, and essentialize  “good” or “bad” characters, rather than discourses of power in the media, the theorists propose emphasis on the auditory rather than visual representation “as a way of restoring voice to the voiceless.”[10] The entire narrative of the show relies on the auditory overlay of Louis’ narration in his interview with the journalist Daniel Molloy. Although his reliability as a narrator is called into question many times by Molloy, his apparent untrustworthiness does not serve to discredit his voice as an underrepresented “Other” as it may seem, but rather complicates him as a character. Stam and Shohat make the point that marginalized characters are very easily portrayed as “good” or “bad,” which leads to essentializing and moralizing of those characters, especially when characters of color are seen to represent their entire communities rather than their individual selves.[11] They also note that often, even sympathetic portrayals of marginalized people maintain the presence of a “European or Euro-American character as a mediating "bridge" to other cultures,” aptly named as “bridge character.”[12] In other words, “Media liberalism, in sum, does not allow subaltern communities to play prominent self-determining roles, a refusal homologous to liberal distaste for non-mediated self-assertion in the political realm.”[13] Molloy, who comes from Anne Rice’s novel, represents this bridge character, but is not given as much narrative power as Louis has in the show. Interview with the Vampire effectively discounts the novel’s role of a bridge character, empowers Louis in the narrative, and allows him to play his own self-determining role. In addition, the Eurocentric valuing of the written word over oral storytelling is obliterated through the medium of television, which uplifts Louis’s narrative through auditory means, in comparison to the novel, which, as a book, inherently leans into the written word.

Interview with a Vampire (2022) is an incredibly effective remake of the original novel, casting off implicit discourses of white supremacy and Eurocentrism in exchange for genuinely good representation, and more nuanced and interesting storytelling. The show is incredibly aware of its source material, and clearly makes conscious efforts to diverge from previous problematic narrative elements and use the historical othering of supernatural villains, specifically vampires, to empower marginalized and othered communities and characters. Louis, as a vampire character, and a marginalized queer Black man, is made all the better for every single part of his identity, and Interview with the Vampire truly allows him to, as Lestat foretells in the very first episode, “Be all the beautiful things you are, and be them without apology:” a complex, flawed, and compelling character.[14]

Bibliography:

Herche, Victoria. “Queering the Dreaming: Representations of the ‘Other’ in the Indigenous Australian Speculative Television Series Cleverman.” Gender Forum 81 (2021): 30-47.

O’Reilly, Jennifer. “‘We’re More than Just Pins and Dolls and Seeing the Future in Chicken Parts’: Race, Magic and Religion in American Horror Story: Coven.” European Journal of American Culture 38, no. 1 (2019): 29-41.

Powell, Keith, dir. Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire. Season 1, episode 3. “Is My Very Nature That of a Devil.” Aired October 16, 2022, AMC.

Stam, Robert and Ella Shohat. “Stereotype, Realism, and the Struggle Over Representation.” In Unthinking Eurocentrism: Multiculturalism and the media. Routledge, 2014.

Taylor, Alan, dir. Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire. Season 1, episode 1. “In Throes of Increasing Wonder...” Aired October 2, 2022, AMC.

[1] Victoria Herche, “Queering the Dreaming: Representations of the ‘Other’ in the Indigenous Australian Speculative Television Series Cleverman,” Gender Forum 81 (2021): 44.

[2] Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, season 1, episode 1, “In Throes of Increasing Wonder...,” directed by Alan Taylor, aired October 2, 2022, AMC. 00:59:32-01:03:09.

[3] Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, season 1, episode 3, “Is My Very Nature That of a Devil,” directed by Keith Powell, aired October 16, 2022, AMC. 00:36:04 -00:36:13.

[4] Robert Stam and Ella Shohat, “Stereotype, Realism, and the Struggle Over Representation,” in Unthinking Eurocentrism: Multiculturalism and the media. (Routledge, 2014), 206.

[5] Ibid, 203.

[6] Jennifer O’Reilly, “‘We’re More than Just Pins and Dolls and Seeing the Future in Chicken Parts’: Race, Magic and Religion in American Horror Story: Coven,” European Journal of American Culture 38, no. 1 (2019): 39.

[7] Ibid, 36.

[8] Robert Stam and Ella Shohat, “Stereotype, Realism, and the Struggle Over Representation,” 201-202.

[9] Ibid, 202.

[10] Ibid, 214.

[11] Ibid, 183

[12] Ibid, 205

[13] Ibid, 206

[14] Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, season 1, episode 1, “In Throes of Increasing Wonder...,” directed by Alan Taylor, aired October 2, 2022, AMC. 1:02:53-1:03:04.

@theuncannyprofessoro

#oxyspeculativetv

[neikikardartv]

this is interesting i watched some of the show when it aired and i hadn’t thought about the binary, but i did notice the “race-blind” treating of its poc characters, where none of their backgrounds are really acknowledged aside for diversity ticks. also i always thought it was strange that they bypassed ppl from being from different countries/ language barriers with everything is in english bc it’s translated for eleanor. It’s also always disconcerting that anytime there’s a diverse cast the lead character is still always a white person. @theuncannyprofessoro

Critical Television Analysis: The Good Place

On the surface, The Good Place is well-loved, hilarious, and surrounds a diverse cast with characters that differ from identity-related stereotypes. The show surrounds Eleanor, who wakes up in heaven, referred to as the “Good Place,” alongside Tahani, Jason, and Chidi (who is labeled her soulmate). Michael is the supposed leader of the “Good Place,” but we later discover that–in alignment with Eleanor’s selfishness–he is actually a devil and this is the “Bad Place.” The characters’ out-of-placeness (except for Tahani and Chidi, who initially think they belong) is meant to be their eternal torture, but Eleanor’s repeated solving of this mystery results in endless reboots and failures. The series ends when the humans team up with Michael and they realize that the entire system is off, as everyone is being sent to the “Bad Place” based on its unattainable, binary measures of morality. They successfully reform the system, resulting in Michael’s transformation into a good being–and living out his fantasy of being a ‘human’ on Earth–and Eleanor, Chidi, and Jason transforming into blissful nothingness while Tahani helps to design a better afterlife. 

Although we eventually learn that everyone is being sent to the “Bad Place,” the show’s group of focus is diverse (through their sexuality, gender, or race), generalizing “Bad” people to be those who defy hegemonic norms. This mirrors our current society, especially with those in control being white men (like Michael & the other Devils, and one white female judge) with outdated ideology–I explore this further in my video essay. While the final message of the show recognizes this point system as flawed, revealing the lack of a binary good/badness (the main point of my video essay), it doesn’t at all explore the sexual, gendered, and racial aspects of the characters’ intersectional experiences, making the show more hegemonic than not. I analyze the portrayal of specific characters and how these may be negatively interpreted by viewers despite this show’s positive overall message. 

I critique responses to The Good Place that commend its progressiveness based on the fact that its cast is racially diverse and they don’t align with traditional stereotypes, and instead suggest that in this case, “not all representation is good representation” (Hsu, 2021). The show fails to reconstruct intersectional identities in a positively ‘different’ way due to its “color-blind” approach, which disregards, rather than reconstructs, gendered and racialized oppression throughout history. The non-hegemonic aspects of characters’ racial or gender identities are dampened through their adoption of traits that reinforce hegemonic ideology; this is particularly prominent among the female characters, however I address the male characters prior to my conclusion. Primarily, each female character represents an atypical, but similarly problematic form of femininity that continues to reflect the male gaze; Eleanor’s narrative control as a woman is dampened through her alignment with hegemonic masculinity–this is heightened by Chidi’s femininity (perpetuating an innate gender binary), Janet’s non-binary identity is overridden by their similarity to the ideal, domesticated woman (reasserting heteronormativity as the norm), and Tahani’s Pakistani background is misportrayed through her assumption of a privileged white-washed identity (making racial histories invisible) (Kaplan, 2010). Kaplan, Shohat, and Diawari note that the significance of media’s portrayal of gender and race lies in its influence on the minds of its viewers; what media constructs is perpetuated and eventually, realized within our own reality, pointing to the significance of recognizing ideological media as such before its perpetuation. While the presence of three female characters in the show’s main ensemble provide us with the illusion of gender equality, upon closer analysis it is clear that each reinforces problematic stereotypes surrounding race and gender. 

Primarily, the protagonist is a white woman–the show opens with a shot of her face, bright and glowing, and follows her perspective throughout the narrative. Eleanor’s non-feminine, general indifference is framed as the essence of her personality, and resultantly, the reason behind her punishment. Kaplan notes that attempts to reconstruct female characters in defiance to gender norms can fail through their consistent creation of a male/female binary; “our culture is deeply committed to clearly demarcated sex differences.” Eleanor illustrates Kaplan’s point that emerging female “representation” remains binarized, as she adopts a specifically masculine position that is characterized by her lack of “traditionally feminine traits,” particularly, her “cold and manipulative” personality (Kaplan, 2010). Flashbacks of Eleanor’s life on Earth revealed that everyone hated her because of her manipulative ways and carelessness surrounding others’ feelings. On Earth, Eleanor used to get drunk before going out with her work colleagues on the night she was designated driver, just to joke that the only place she’d be driving was through the “loophole” she found in the system… When she’s (finally) forced to stay sober and drive, she pretends to be doing it out of care for her friends to get the bartender’s attention, and later chooses going home with him while stranding her drunk friends at the bar. Needless to say, Eleanor isn’t invited to go out with her colleagues again.

This careless emotionlessness is counteracted by Chidi’s “kindness, humaneness, and motherliness,” evident in the fact that his personality surrounds his nervous awkwardness and indecisiveness based on a desire to make the most moral, utilitarian decisions possible (Kaplan, 2010). Many viewers think Chidi illustrates “positive masculinity,” but his emotionality and indecisiveness–alongside a resulting inability to “take action” in the way Eleanor does–suggest he may align with the feminized role as described by Kaplan (Kaplan, 2010). Moreover, Chidi is used to counteract Eleanor’s masculinity and keep the gendered binary “structure intact” despite the supposed stray from hegemonic gender norms (Diawara 2014, Kaplan, 2010).  

The idea of Eleanor’s defiance of traditionally feminine gender norms is directly framed as related to her “badness” through her narrative arc, in which her transformation into a “good person” directly aligns with her acceptance of hegemonic femininity; she adopts “kindness, humaneness, and motherliness” and heteronormativity (Kaplan, 2010). When the humans are given the chance to live again and restart their point count, Eleanor struggles; as soon as Chidi kisses her and they recognize their feelings, she finally does better on Earth and becomes “good.” While one could argue the arc’s alignment with heteronormativity is purely coincidental, it contrasts with the show’s previous focus on Eleanor’s bisexuality, aka, its queerbaiting of Eleanor. Throughout early seasons, Eleanor frequently commented on Tahani’s attractiveness, and even came close to kissing Simone (Chidi’s gf at the time); the usage of her bisexuality is, in itself, framed inappropriately comically, and coincides with her previously “masculine” traits– carelessness, moral indifference, and lack of romantic interest in Chidi–suggesting non-heteronormativity to be similarly negative. Moreover, the fact that Eleanor is a woman does not necessarily mean she’s a progressive character, as is evident in her adoption of a non-feminine, but similarly binary form of masculinity, the presence of Chidi as a feminine counterpart , and the show’s aligning of her bisexuality with “badness.”

Janet, a white character, is framed as the perfect woman, which is problematic due to their identification as non-binary, both because it is transphobic and frames servitude (her main purpose) as innately feminine. Primarily, I noticed that Janet mirrors our assignment of femininity to technological sources of servitude: Siri, Alexa, GPS navigation, “the number you have dialed is not in service…” Like these objects, Janet’s “servitude and obedience” are viewed as innately feminine, and are thus assigned a feminine identity (James, 2018). Despite Janet’s attempts to reclaim their lack of alignment with societal labeling norms through the consistent assertion that they are not female, but rather a vessel of knowledge (equating themself to AI), characters always call them a “girl.” Janet never argues with this misgendering, and instead responds with a smile and a kind, “Once again, I’m not a girl” (Beck, 2023). While Janet’s character could have been an opportunity to explore a non-hegemonic perspective, the show harms non-binary identities more than it supports them, by enabling characters to misgender Janet and using their feminine appearance (always fresh, made-up, and in a dress) and feminine subservience to justify this assumption as comically obvious and justifiable (Beck, 2023). The show actually perpetuates their femininity so much that their character is referred to as a girl both within and out of the narrative (among characters and audience members). In the end, Janet is framed as a woman in nature despite their assertion of being non-binary, both aligning femininity with object-ness and servitude and framing non-binary identities as lacking personhood. The show uses Janet as a diversity point without truly questioning binarized views of gender; Janet’s consistent positivity and agreeability disregard the harm of misgendering, and actually works to justify the characters who misgender her by framing Janet’s “femme” physicality and personality as evidence of their ‘obvious’ femininity (Beck, 2023). 

Just as Janet’s intersectionality is subdued through their over feminization, the only other intersectional identity (and the only non-white woman) of focus–Tahini–is made palatable through the show’s white-washing of her personality. While Tahani is a first generation Pakistani in the United Kingdom, her struggle-free experience in white-dominated high society disregards a perspective representative of non-white culture, and instead hides it with a British accent and Tahani’s infinite wealth. Tahani’s lack of race-related struggles are completely disregarded through her defining trait: selfishness. Even her greatest deeds, such as organizing charities on Earth, were all based on selfish intentions surrounding her parents’ validation. Her biggest struggle is framed as her sister’s fame, specifically, her parents’ heightened love of her sister, which aligns with Tahani’s inherent self-focused attitude. In this way, UK’s historical colonization of Pakistan and the current othering of British Pakistani are made invisible. (Aljazeera, 2023). As noted by Shohat, attempting to re-frame gendered and racial history (patriarchy and colonialism) is not always done in an “unproblematic” way, just as The good Place’s color-blindness to Tahani’s racial history actually perpetuates social ignorance of historical oppression. In alignment with Shohat’s explanation of the “mark of the plural,” in which any “negative behavior” (Tahani’s personality-defining selfishness) is viewed differently based on the characters’ race, Tahani’s characterization is more likely to be generalized to Pakistani people than Eleanor’s would be to white people (Shohat, 2014). Tahani’s obliviousness to her culture’s oppression projects a falsely generalized idea of this racialized history as insignificant among Pakistani despite its continued prevalence.

While I mainly focus on female identities (complicated by Janet), The Good Place frames the experiences of Jason, and Chidi (in addition to Tahani) as completely unaffected by their race. Jason’s ability to pass as a Taiwanese monk due to him being Asian–despite the fact that he’s not a monk–perpetuates essentialist ideology surrounding sameness based on race, and his heightened lack of intelligence is a poor choice for the only Asian representation throughout the show. Chidi’s violation of hegemonic masculinity (through his emotionality, indecisiveness, etc.) being framed as the reason he resides in the Bad place aligns with problematic characterizations of Black characters “playing by hegemonic rules and losing” (Diawara, 2014). More broadly, the fact that Chidi, Jason, and Tahani are supporting characters for a white woman–like many other characters of color–repaints white-washed film narratives in which POC don’t hesitate to “protect” the “same order that has punished and disciplined” them (Diawara, 2014).

The afterlife’s similarity to Earth suggests its culture as to be reminiscent of our own, however, the color-blind attitude of the main characters disregards the rampant racism that we still work to subdue. Unfortunately, The Good Place’s opportunity to explore an array of perspectives and lived experiences through characters’ diverse backgrounds is lost, even just based on the nature of their show; they do not take into account that the negative representations assigned to each of its characters have a different impact on their community. The fact that a white man created “The Good Place” isn’t surprising, and points to Shohat’s recognition of the necessity for “historically marginalized” groups to “control their own representation” to avoid reproducing something from a white audience’s lens of “pleasure” (Shohat, 2014).

Works Cited:

Beck. “‘I’m Not a Girl’: Janet, Nonbinary Representation and ‘The Good Place.’” The Spool. Accessed December 12, 2023. 

Diawara, Manthia. "13 Black Spectatorship: Problems of Identification and Resistance." Black American Cinema (2012).

Hsu, Leina, Ruchi Wankhede, Ayan Omar, and Jennifer Ammann. “No, the Good Place’s Jason Mendoza Does Not Defy Asian Stereotypes.” Women’s Republic, March 1, 2021. 

James, et al. “The Other Secret Twist: On the Political Philosophy of the Good Place.” Los Angeles Review of Books, October 13, 2018. 

Kaplan, E. Ann. "Is the gaze male?." (2010).

Shohat, Ella, and Robert Stam. Unthinking Eurocentrism: Multiculturalism and the media. Routledge, 2014.

Staff, Al Jazeera. “Braverman Words on British Pakistani Men Discriminatory: Pakistan.” Al Jazeera, April 5, 2023.

@theuncannyprofessoro #oxyspeculativetv #speculativetvanalysis

#oxyspeculativetv

[neikikardartv]

Where is the true racism in True Blood?

While vampires are notoriously known for being sexy outsiders, HBO’s True Blood amps up the sexiness and takes the vampires out of the darkness and into the light of the public eye. True Blood aired in 2008 and is set in the fictional town of Bon Temps, Louisiana. The town resides in a version of the world where vampires “came out of the coffin” two years ago via “The Great Revelation” where they made their existence known to the world. They were able to do so because synthetic blood was created, called True Blood, that allows vampires to get their sustenance from it rather than needing human blood. Although vampires are now allowed to enter mainstream society now, they are not treated as equals. The American Vampire League is a political group that is lobbying to get the Vampire Rights Amendment (VRA) passed that would put an amendment in the constitution, permitting vampires to have the same rights as humans. As interesting as it is, vampire politics are not the main focus of the show and are just embedded in through references, and some TV interviews with the AVL spokesperson, Nan Flanigan. The show actually follows Sookie Stackhouse, a waitress with telepathy, who falls in love with the first vampire she meets, Vampire Bill (underwhelming name, I know), as it is only with vampires that she doesn’t worry about reading their minds. The first season of the show focuses on a murder mystery, as bodies of women who have had sex with vampires –referred to as “fangbangers”, a derogatory term– keep piling up in Bon Temps.

In the show vampires are “othered”, having parallels with Black people and Gay people in America, with the VRA being reminiscent of the Civil Rights Act and the “God Hates Fangs” image in the title sequence being reminiscent of the homophobic Westboro’s church slogan, among other things. While there’s plenty to say about these parallels and critical race theory, what I am going to analyze is the treatment of Black people in the first season of True Blood, in comparison to the new vampire minority group.

First of all, with the shows being set in the south there are mentions of The Civil War being a significant moment of history, but no outright condemnation of it. For some reason there is a trend of making vampires confederate soldiers. The Vampire Diaries did it with Damon Salvatore, Twilight with Jasper Hale, and in True Blood it is the main love interest of Bill Compton. Since Bill is a Vampire who’s been around a bit and was an original resident of Bon Temps, Sookie’s grandma presumes he was a confederate soldier. When it is confirmed, she gets excited and wants Sookie to ask him to speak at a meeting of her Civil War historical group, The Descendants of the Glorious Dead. As the title implies they’re not going to shame Bill for having fought to keep slavery, instead he is an honored speaker at their meeting, where as you can see the confederate flag also makes an appearance

The only stance he makes on his views of the war, was that he and the other soldiers didn’t understand what they were really fighting for or had a choice, which seems a bit revisionist Despite this we are meant to believe that none of the people of the town are explicitly racist towards Black people. Sookie’s grandma’s love of the confederacy isn’t a problem for Sookie’s Black best friend Tara, who sees her as more of a mother figure than her own mother. In fact, when Tara is the only one to actually acknowledge Bill’s role in the war by asking if he owned slaves–which he responds his family did!– she is the one that gets chastised for “spoiling the mood”, while Bill having owned slaves is not confronted.

This leads to a disconnect between the southern setting of the show and its treatment of Black people as all the racism has been displaced onto the Vampire race, who are mostly white. As Sabrina Boyer describes, “In Southern texts by many Southern writers, white characters tend to experience ways of becoming black, which is a recognition of a racist region, as well as a moderately progressive way to comment on racial relations within the South”[1].She argues that True Blood’s use of “white characters that embody blackness” is part of this larger Southern trend that puts racial “otherness” on white characters to confront racism. While, she does acknowledge that this is not unproblematic and makes an argument against it later on. I disagree with the initial progressive analysis of this phenomenon. White characters will never be able to actually embody Blackness and True Blood’s take on this is problematic. The attempt to show racism through “othering” vampires–again the main being a confederate soldier–- panders to white audiences and is a weak hegemonic negotiation. Especially as the show makes no references towards intersectionality with Black vampires who rarely appear. Boyer concludes, “the series, while it] attempts to counter the hegemonic forces surrounding racism in our culture, doesn't critically engage with the fact that people of color, because of their skin or when in the act of passing they are discovered, are immediately othered”[2]. Now, this statement I agree with because True Blood’s displacement of racism onto vampires takes away from actual racism. In doing so True Blood fails its two Black characters by undermining their acknowledgment of racism and putting the oppression of actual minorities below Vampires.

Overall, True Blood takes the metaphor of othering its vampire population too far when its paralleling of oppression of actual minorities takes away from legitimizing racism towards its human population. Despite its Southern setting and call backs towards confederacy, the show does not properly tackle actual racism to justify its use of those images. By not acknowledging the racism of white people towards Black people in favor of vampire othering, the show fails its Black characters and is not as complex as it could be within concepts of intersectionality.

@theuncannyprofessoro

1. Boyer, Sabrina. “‘Thou Shalt Not Crave Thy Neighbor’: ‘True Blood’, Abjection, and Otherness.” Studies in Popular Culture 33, no. 2 (2011): 21–41. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23416382. Pg. 28

2. Ibid. Pg. 36

#oxyspeculativetv

[neikikardartv]

do you think the show did enough with the tv setting of the shows or was it more gimmicky?

WandaVision (We Don't Need Another Superhero Roundtable)

How do structural mythology, cultural studies, and cultural history reflect the series’ world and world-building around superheroes?

In Avengers: Infinity War, Vision dies twice. In WandaVision it is revealed that in her grief, Wanda created a town and created a new version of Vision that can only exist within the town, even though he had died. The theme of resurrection from the dead is a popular theme in mythology. As one example, the phoenix, according to legend, is a bird with the ability to die and come back to life. It is said that when an old phoenix dies, it bursts into flames and a new phoenix is born from the ashes of the old. There are many different versions of this resurrection myth in Egypt, Europe and Asia.

WandaVision is steeped in cultural studies and cultural history. The world of WandaVision is set as a television show, so it is a television show within a show. Kevin Williams writes, “A cultural history adds the element of time to the study of the narrative’s values, namely how is the change in values over time reflected in the narrative?” WandaVision tackles cultural history by setting each of the episodes in a different time period. The first episode takes place in the 50s. Wanda and Vision are dressed and styled in 50s clothing and their home has the technology associated with the 50s and 50s-style furniture. The episode is shot in black and white like a 50s TV show. Wanda is portrayed as a typical 50s housewife and Vision is a 50s house husband with a job. The first episode they try to blend in with the 50s-style town, including at a dinner with Vision’s boss, even though they don’t have key knowledge. After interrogating Wanda and Vision, Mr. Hart chokes on his food and Vision uses his powers to save him. 

In the second episode, WandaVision is transformed to a 60s setting. The show is still in black and white, but some strange items occur in color. At the end, Wanda learns she’s pregnant, she resets their reality and the show turns to color.

The third episode takes place in a 1970s setting and is in color as they prepare for the baby. The show keeps advancing through decades the 80s, 90s, 2000s until the last two episodes of the season when it breaks out of the television show model and focuses on Wanda’s real powers. The entire series is very much steeped in cultural aesthetics of the different decades as their clothing and styling change with each decade. The furniture in their home also changes with each style. Wanda and Vision attempt to blend in to each of the decades since the 50s without attracting attention even though they obviously have great powers that they can’t completely control. 

In what ways are the superheroes and their abilities informed by their racial, gender, sexual, and cultural identities?

Wanda’s gender identity as a woman plays an important role in her story. Ethnically, Wanda comes from Sokovia, a war-torn area that is likely modeled after Eastern Europe, possibly Yugoslavia. Her parents were killed when she was 10 and she was found by the SWORD people.  

In episode 1, Wanda and her neighbor Agnes discuss techniques for seducing a man. When Vision’s boss arrives, Wanda makes a very romantic atmosphere and dresses in a fluffy white dress that is meant to seduce Vision. At the end of the episode, Wanda makes wedding rings for her and Vision. In this episode, Wanda’s role as a woman and romantic partner take center stage. 

At the beginning of episode 2, after hearing thudding coming from outside, Wanda brings her and Vision’s beds closer together and then turns them into one bed. Vision tells Wanda to turn off the light, again focusing on Wanda as a romantic partner to Vision.

In episode 3, Wanda is pregnant. There seems to be a connection between the baby and her super powers. When Wanda is making the nursery, she feels the baby kicking and then loses control of her powers. Her progress moves up to six months. Vision says at the rate she’s going, they can expect the baby by Friday afternoon. When Wanda feels a tightening sensation, Vision says she’s experiencing Braxton-Hicks contractions. Her powers go haywire and there’s a town-wide blackout. Wanda wonders what will happen when the real contractions start. She wonders if the neighbors know that what’s going on is her fault. She says that people are always on the verge of discovering her secret. When Wanda has a real contraction, it begins to rain in the town. When Geraldine helps Wanda with her birth, electrical appliances turn themselves on, a chandelier crashes, pictures start spinning on the wall, and the fireplace ignites.  After she gives birth, everything calms down.The show sets up a possible tension between her motherhood and her super powers, but after giving birth, she retains her powers and ultimately her children have super powers too.

More broadly, Wanda’s desire to live an idyllic life with Vision is the basis for the show. But in her determination to create this life, she is giving new identities to the people of Westview. They become characters on Wanda’s TV show and know no other lives. She in essence keeps the people of the town hostage. This relates to her identity as a woman because she is portrayed as a woman so intent on having a perfect family life with her husband and children that she will destroy the lives of others to achieve it.  Wanda’s pursuit of her agenda at the expense of others is consistent with the observation by Kevin D. Williams that “As the questioning of American values and dissension within America concerning the War grew, so did the questioning of the superhero character. No longer was the superhero guaranteed to be an authoritarian do-gooder questioning nothing and blindly carrying out the crusade for American justice” (1336). Indeed, Wanda is a complex character who uses her powers for her own benefit not only to benefit others and even at the expense of others.

In what ways do costumes and concealing identities further separate the superheroes from normal society? How necessary is it for the superheroes to hide their true identities to successfully achieve their goals?

Wanda and Vision concealing their identities separates them from normal society because they have to go out of their way to make sure their neighbors don’t know what powers they have. WandaVision is consistent with Kevin D. Williams’ article “(R)Evolution of the Television Superhero: Comparing Superfriends and Justice League in Terms of Foreign Relations” when he writes, “Yet, in both series, heroes consciously struggle to maintain these secret identities, and they engage in deceit in order to keep the general public from learning their superhero status.” Wand and Vision don’t have to hide their powers when they’re alone, but in order to conceal the fact that she is a superhero who has taken over the town, without arousing suspicion from the townspeople, it is important for Wanda to conceal her and Visions’ identities.

In episode 1, when he’s at work, Vision’s boss says he’s like a computer and Vision says he’s made of organic matter. His boss then asks if there’s a skeleton in Vision’s closet. Later in the episode, Mrs. Hart almost discovers Wanda’s powers so Vision sings to distract her.

At a neighborhood watch meeting in episode 2, after being offered a danish, Vision says that he doesn’t eat food, receiving strange looks from the other characters present. To cover up his gaffe, Vision says he doesn’t eat food in between meals but at mealtimes.

In episode 3, Wanda tries to hide her pregnancy from Geraldine who arrives spontaneously. Wanda says it’s not a good time. Geraldine says she needs a bucket because her pipes burst. Wanda says she has a bucket in her kitchen. When Wanda wants to know more about Geraldine’s temp job, Geraldine goes on and on. A stork appears in the background. Wanda tries to make it disappear but her powers aren’t working. When Geraldine comments on the noise that the stork is making, Wanda says it’s her new icemaker. 

In episode 5, Agnes shows up at Wanda’s door spontaneously. Vision has to quickly make himself look human because he wasn’t expecting her. Later in the episode, after Wanda tells the twins that taking care of a dog is a huge responsibility, Vision shows up. He looks human. He says he had a hunch someone would pop over. This is when Agnes shows up with a wooden house for the dog, and Vision continues his speech with “with exactly the item we require.” Wanda uses her magic to create a dog collar in front of Agnes. Vision doesn’t understand why. Wanda says that Agnes didn’t notice when the twins aged up from babies to five-year-olds. Vision says it’s not what they agreed upon. He says that Wanda made no effort to conceal her abilities. Wanda says she’s tired of hiding and that Vision doesn’t have to either.

Kevin Williams also writes that Justice League gives an opposing interpretation: the costume is the real character and a secret identity is the false secondary identity. This is true in the case of Wanda, who invented fake personas for her, Vision, and everyone in Westview. She pretends she doesn’t know her true powers, but she actually does, which is seen in episode 3, when she ejects Monica Rambeau out of the town and back into the real world using her powers and then fixes up the damage. 

This quote can also be applied to the character of Agnes, who seems to just be Wanda’s neighbor and oblivious to Wanda’s power, but who later reveals herself to be a witch named Agatha Harkness at the end of episode 7. She was concealing her true identity and was just biding time before she revealed herself.

How do the economic, political, and social events that occurred during the series’ creation and broadcast cultivate and inform the superheroes’ decisions and actions? 

Production of WandaVision began in 2019. During this year, Brexit occurred, President Trump was impeached, evidence for global warming became more clear as the Amazon rainforest burned an area the size of New Jersey, and protestors were in the streets in Hong Kong. Against this backdrop of national and global turmoil, the focus of WandaVision on a seemingly simpler, nostalgic past of sitcoms can be understood as an approach to escape from the threats of reality. During production, a new threat to civilization, the pandemic occurred. Production had to be halted in 2020 for the pandemic. It was completed later that year and WandaVision became one of the few shows that aired in 2021, the height of the pandemic. The longing for escapism through sitcoms and television during the pandemic may well have contributed to the success of the television show. Wanda keeping everyone in a contained bubble could have been an allusion to people having to isolate themselves during the pandemic. Further, the attention paid to TV sitcoms is on the one hand comforting and nostalgic. But the show captures the emotions of the pandemic-stricken world because it upended the calming notion of an unthreatening sitcom and instead turned it slowly but steadily into a scarier and creepier show with each episode nudging in the direction of sitcom turning to horror, similar to life in a pandemic.

How do the superheroes question themselves, each other, and their obligations and duties to the people around them? 

In episode 8, Wanda and Agatha question each other. Agatha begs Wanda to reveal how she created the Hex and has Wanda revisit traumatic times from her life. When Wanda reveals how she created the town, Agatha says she knows what Wanda is. Agatha says that Wanda used chaos magic to create the town and that makes her the Scarlet Witch.

In episode 9, Agatha wants Wanda to surrender her power to her. Agatha says she’ll let Wanda “keep this pathetic little corner of the world all to herself.” Wanda throws her car into Agatha’s house. This is when the new Vision shows up. He lifts Wanda into the air and squeezes her head and says he was told that she was powerful, indicating that he believes that to be false. This is when the real Vision appears and throws the new Vision, which causes an explosion. Wanda says she should’ve told Vision everything the moment she realized what she had done. Vision says he understands why she made the world, but shows concern about it. Wanda says she can fix it. Vision seems doubtful. The new Vision emerges from the flames. Wanda tells Vision that Westview is their home and he says they will fight for it. When Vision and the new Vision fight again, Vision asks why Vision 2 is bent on destroying him. Vision 2 says that Wanda must be neutralized and Vision must be destroyed, and punches Vision in the head. Later, when Wanda is in the street, Agatha sends out a purple blast. She says that Wanda has never been up against another witch before. She says there’s an entire chapter devoted to Wanda in the Darkhold, which is the Book of the Damned. She says that the Scarlet Witch is not born, she is forged. She has no coven and no need for incantation. Wanda says that she’s not a witch, that she doesn’t cast spells, and that no one taught her magic. Agatha says that Wanda’s power exceeds that of the Sorcerer Supreme. She says it’s Wanda’s destiny to destroy the world. Wanda says she’s not what Agatha says she is.

Soon after this, Agatha cuts off Wanda’s control of the townsfolk. Wanda tells the townsfolk that they’re going to be fine, that she’s kept them safe. The townsfolk say that they feel her pain. Wanda lets out a scream, and accidentally starts choking the townsfolk. After stopping it, Wanda says she’ll let the people go. Agatha asks what’s stopping her. She tells Wanda to let the people go now and that heroes don’t torture people. Wanda sends up a beacon that is changing the town back to the way it was before she changed things. She tells everyone to leave. Vision then falls to the ground and begins to fall apart, as do the twins. Agatha informs Wanda that she tied her family to the twisted world and now one can’t exist without the other. Wanda puts the shield back up and Agatha blasts Wanda and her family. Wanda puts up a protective shield around them. 

In the library, Vision says that he does not have one single ounce of original material. He says that Vision 2 has the data but his memories are being kept from him, and he no longer feels like the real Vision after meeting Vision 2. He says that Vision 2’s memory storage is not so easily wiped and unlocks it, causing Vision 2 to say that he is Vision, at which point he blasts through the roof.

Wanda brings Agatha to the past and shows Agatha the destruction she caused. Wanda says the difference between the two of them is that Agatha did it on purpose. Agatha reanimates the dead witches, who chant Wanda’s name. They say that she’s the Scarlet Witch, the Harbinger of Chaos. Agatha says Wanda can’t win, and says that power isn’t the problem. It’s knowledge. Agatha tells Wanda to give her her power and she will correct the flaws in Wanda’s original spell. She says that Wanda and her family and the people of Westview can all live together in peace. No one will have to feel Wanda’s pain again, not even Wanda herself. Wanda tells Agatha to take the power, that she doesn’t want it. Agatha says she wants all the power and Wanda tries to give it to her. Agatha then says that once a spell is cast, it can never be changed. The world Wanda made will always be broken, just like her. Agatha tries to blast Wanda but fails. Wanda reveals the runes she made, which means she’s the only one who can use her powers. She thanks Agatha for the lesson. She says she doesn’t need Agatha to tell her who she is and then transforms into the Scarlet Witch.

Wanda tells Agatha that she’s going to lock Agatha in Westview in the role she chose; the nosy neighbor. Agatha says Wanda has no idea what she unlocked and that she’s going to need her. Wanda says she knows where to find Agatha and turns Agatha into the nosy neighbor. 

#oxyspeculativetv

[neikikardartv]

does the show ever cater to more mater audiences in its jokes or is at all simplified ?

Superheroes Roundtable: Wordgirl

How do structural mythology, cultural studies, and cultural history reflect the series’ world and world-building around superheroes? 

Wordgirl (PBS) represents a cultural shift towards the prioritization and valuing of literacy and education for young girls. When the show premiered in 2007, there were not many kids' superhero shows that featured female protagonists. This issue still persists today in both child and adult media. Not only does Wordgirl feature a young female protagonist, but her superpowers subvert traditional expectations of violence and fighting. To platform spelling and literacy as “powers” is to highlight the value of these abilities in our society. 

In what ways are the superheroes and their abilities informed by their racial, gender, sexual, and cultural identities? 

It is interesting to consider this question in relation to Wordgirl’s character because while her gender is platformed and even included in the name of the series, her racial identity is purposefully abstracted and blurred. While Wordgirl is technically from the planet Lexicon, and thus is not affiliated with any known race or ethnicity, she has light brown skin and thus could arguably resemble/represent multiple different races. As a young woman of color, usually facing off against male-presenting adversaries, her identity never hinders her ability to defeat her enemies with her impressive vocabulary. 

In what ways do costumes and concealing identities further separate the superheroes from normal society? How necessary is it for the superheroes to hide their true identities to successfully achieve their goals? 

While I think in traditional superhero narratives, concealing identity is very necessary in ensuring the safety of the character in their day to day lives, I would argue that Wordgirl plays off of this trope and even satirizes it. Her disguise is a cape and a mask that covers just her eyes, and most of her enemies interact with her regularly when she is not in her superhero costume. It is very clear who her real identity is, however the show has her wear the cape and mask to call attention to these tropes and solidify its place as a less serious yet no less important superhero text. 

How do the economic, political, and social events that occurred during the series’ creation and broadcast cultivate and inform the superheroes’ decisions and actions? 

Besides the political relevancy discussed in question #1, individual epsidoes of the show sometimes mirror socio-political events. For example, an episode aired in 2009 in which one of Wordgirl’s recurring enemies, Toby, runs for president. Given that the episode aired the year following the 2008 presidential election, it is clear that the showmakers sometimes wanted to feature topics that were especially culturally and politically relevant. 

How do the superheroes question themselves, each other, and their obligations and duties to the people around them? 

The show picks up after Wordgirl has already decided that she wants to use her powers to save people and catch criminals. Because she is self assured and confident in her role and the way to harness her powers for good, an internal struggle surrounding her obligations does not have a place in the show. She fights crime and teaches villains how to spell not out of obligation but out of a desire to do so, which I think is a valuable type of empowerment to show in a series for kids.

@theuncannyprofessoro

#oxyspeculativetv

[neikikardartv]

does the show ever actually address race? or is just “alien” metaphors

Roundtable Presentation: We Don't Need Another Superhero

How do structural mythology, cultural studies, and cultural history reflect the series’ world and world-building around superheroes? 

Supergirl’s true identity is Kara Zor-El, with her earth name being Kara Danvers. The show takes place in National City, and besides this world’s advanced technology and interaction with the extraterrestrial, it reflects a world much like ours. The politics of this world is similar in the sense that there are “anti-alien” political groups that lead the aliens of this world to find refuge in their own bars, neighborhoods, etc. In fact, Kara’s best friend, Lena Luthor, develops a piece of technology meant to identify who in a crowd is alien and who is not, a severe form of othering.  

In what ways are the superheroes and their abilities informed by their racial, gender, sexual, and cultural identities? 

One of the main challenges for Supergirl is coming to terms with her identity and finding space for herself in a world dominated by male superheroes, specifically her cousin, Superman (aka Clark Kent). During the destruction of their planet, a teenage Kara is sent to earth to protect baby Clark. However, Kara arrives on earth much later than Superman because she ended up trapped in the Phantom Zone, a dimension of space where time doesn’t exist. Thus, although Kara is older, Clark is already an adult while Kara is growing up with her adoptive family. In a world where a male superhero with identical powers is established, Supergirl has to work twice as hard to make sure she isn’t just known as “Superman’s cousin.” 

Another way Supergirl is informed by her gender is through her interaction with other male characters. Most Superman narratives don’t typically focus on Superman’s love interest, and even if it does, it rarely has a large enough focus to affect the trajectory of Superman’s abilities. Contrastingly, the TV show Supergirl is packed with “damsel in distress” storyarcs, where she is often saved by one of her love interests. This is interesting considering one of the main themes of the show is feminism.

In what ways do costumes and concealing identities further separate the superheroes from normal society? How necessary is it for the superheroes to hide their true identities to successfully achieve their goals? 

Supergirl's costume separates her completely from her actual identity, Kara Danvers. The importance of the costume especially comes to light when she is interacting with her boss, Cat Grant, and her best friend, Lena Luthor. Both characters have very different attitudes when it comes to Supergirl versus Kara. Cat Grant idolizes Supergirl and aims to secure interviews with her for her magazine while treating Kara, her assistant, with little acknowledgement and appreciation. Lena Luthor, who begins as friends with both of Supergirl’s identities, becomes both vengeful and terrified of Supergirl and strains their relationship even further by developing anti-alien technology that could dampen Supergirl’s abilities. As for her relationship with Kara, the two are the bestest of friends until Kara reveals her superhero identity to Lena, leading to an extreme loss of trust between the two. For Supergirl, it’s extremely important for her to maintain a hidden identity so that her complex work relationships do not get mixed up with her personal ones. 

How do the economic, political, and social events that occurred during the series’ creation and broadcast cultivate and inform the superheroes’ decisions and actions? 

Supergirl aired in 2015, and in 2016, the election between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton was the topic of the year. Thus, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that season two of Supergirl had more episodes surrounding the president than any other season. The President in the world of this series was a woman named Olivia Marsdin. However, one of the biggest shocks of the entire series was in the season four premiere, where The President was revealed to be a shapeshifting alien herself. This is especially interesting considering Trump’s stance on immigration during this time. In the world of Supergirl, this revelation threw the public into utter chaos and shock, especially because of the anti-alien sympathizers spread throughout the country. Although the President shows no immediate threat and has been running the country with its inhabitants best interests at heart, both human and alien, the Constitution leaves no room for the President to not be a natural-born citizen, let alone an extraterrestrial. The revelation tarnished the image of aliens all over the country, including Supergirl, and anti-alien extremist groups gained even more support, with one of the leaders, Agent Liberty, becoming the primary antagonist of the season. 

How do the superheroes question themselves, each other, and their obligations and duties to the people around them? 

Because she has to keep her identities separate, Supergirl often has to hide parts of herself from the people closest to her. Thus, when she’s able to share her full self with someone, it takes an extra emotional toll on her to lose them. During an invasion, Supergirl has to choose between saving the people of Earth from becoming mindless drones or losing the love of her life, Mon-El. Ultimately, she of course chooses to save Earth, but there is a moment where Supergirl questions whether all she has sacrificed for this world both physically and emotionally is worth it or not.

@theuncannyprofessoro

#oxyspeculativetv

[neikikardartv]

is the main character othered for not having a power?

Superheroes Roundtable: "Extraordinary"

In this world, everyone over the age of 18 develops a superpower, except for the main character Jen, who is 25-years-old, and who feels like she’s been left behind. Jen’s flatmates – Carrie, Kash, and a mysterious stray – keep her from falling into a well of self-pity. Through the series, Jen begins her journey to find her maybe-superpower. In doing so, she eventually discovers the joy of being just ok. It is quirky, funny, and light-hearted and weaves characters' superpowers into their emotional journeys. 

How do structural mythology, cultural studies, and cultural history reflect the series’ world and world-building around superheroes? 

The “superheroes” are basically everyone that has a power, so pretty much everyone over the age of 18, except for the main character, Jen. Superheroes in this series are very different from how you would normally think of superheroes, in many ways, and mainly that the people who have powers are seen to be normal, and the people who don't are not normal. In addition, the powers vary from really useful and powerful, to not so much. Some powers include flying, super-strength, invisibility, emotion-reading, foresight, super-speed, shapeshifting, and quirky ones like summoning sea-creatures, causing anyone around you to generate a diegetic soundtrack based on their emotional state, creating a pdf out of anything, or being a magnet. The superpowers are relatively new to the world as people only started getting them 10 years ago. The show is very modern and the world in the show has adjusted incredibly well to this strange turn of events; people who can fly even work as what appear to be human Ubers, zipping passengers across London. The show can be seen as a commentary that shows us how our capitalist society could/would utilize superpowers.  In addition, the show is so modern that it feels realistic in the way that it portrays what would happen if we all had superpowers. Other than some people maybe using their powers for good, there are still criminals and all things bad in the world. There are people exploiting others for their powers and even a whole company called the "discovery clinic" whose job it is to help you find powers. What they are doing is exploiting people who don't have powers for a lot of money.

In what ways are the superheroes and their abilities informed by their racial, gender, sexual, and cultural identities? 

Carrie,  one of the main characters, was tasked with utilizing her unique superpower of channeling the deceased to channel a dead musician in order to complete his album. She was to be paid 300,000 pounds, but his lyrics were so steeped in sexism that it made her uncomfortable with the prospect of enabling such content. So, she returned to her normal self and changed the lyrics and instead infused a feminist perspective into the song. One of the lyrics now being “lord she had a mouth that was only good for…measured debate.. And an ass that screamed ‘respect me as an intellectual equal’”.  The dead musician singing the lyrics and the people in the recording studio caught on, and she did not end up doing the job, and getting the big sum of money. But the incident highlighted how her identity as a woman informed her decision to use her superpowers in an attempt to stand up for women and stand against sexism. 

In what ways do costumes and concealing identities further separate the superheroes from normal society? How necessary is it for the superheroes to hide their true identities to successfully achieve their goals? 

In the series, there is an absence of traditional superhero costumes, as individuals with powers don't feel the need to conceal their true identities. The characters all appear outwardly normal,and you cannot tell what someone’s superpower is just by looking at them.  One character, Olivia, possesses the ability to shape-shift, a power that could easily be exploited for various purposes. However, she says she barely uses it because she thinks “it's important to love yourself the way you are.” 

How do the economic, political, and social events that occurred during the series’ creation and broadcast cultivate and inform the superheroes’ decisions and actions? 

One of the main characters, Kash, can rewind time by a few minutes at will, and is an aspiring vigilante. We see him in the first episode wearing a superhero costume he created for himself that has a bodysuit and a cape. He does not have a job and feels it is his “destiny” to be a hero. He states “ I'm gonna assemble a team of vigilantes, this is my origin story, quick take a picture!” and says he's “ doing this for the city, for the vulnerable.” After he puts together a group of four vigilantes, they all have a meeting and decide what type of crime they are going to fight. They focused on the social issues around them and stated their ideas for targeting child sex offenders, murderers, people who scam the elderly (telemarketers), drug dealers, people who put their bag next to them on the empty seat in the train, and rapists. But they ultimately decided on protecting women and doing things like helping them walk home at night if they are alone. The social issues surrounding them inform their decisions on who needs protecting.

How do the superheroes question themselves, each other, and their obligations and duties to the people around them? 

Different characters in the show feel different ways about their superpowers. Some who have powers such as strength or speed very much enjoy their powers and think they’re better than others. Yet, other characters feel they would be better off without their powers or that their powers bring them down as human beings. Some characters relate to the quote from the article “the characters of Justice League are more self-doubting and often wish they had some reprieve from the heavy responsibility carried by one endowed with superpowers.  Some episodes end with a hero longing for the past and for a more innocent time in their youth when they were not a superhero.” The character Carrie, who is a conduit for dead people, mostly works sorting out estate disputes as a human ouija board. A lot of the time she feels she is only being used for her powers, and that it’s the only reason people want to hire her, not because of how smart or a good-worker she is. She states “Nothing is the same after you get your power.” In addition, there is one character whose power is that he makes people orgasm with touch. When people first meet him they think it's cool, but he does not like it. He has to wear gloves all the time, or kiss people with saran wrap in between their mouths to avoid direct contact. He wants to be able to achieve certain things on his own, not just because of his power.  

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[neikikardartv]

Does the show come across as anticapitalist?

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure

How do structural mythology, cultural studies, and cultural history reflect the series’ world and world-building around superheroes? 

The show is set in the late 1800's in England. Given the plot regarding family fortunes, it seems that this show provides somewhat of a commentary on the robber-barons that were so prominent at that point in history. Specifically, the dynamics between Jojo and Dio resemble the ruthless nature of this stage of capitalism. In general, the show is placed in a fantastical world that is visually non-representative of reality, so it doesn't seem that the show is meant to be highly historically aligned. Specifically given that the season is essentially a battle over inheritance, the show does criticize capitalism in such a way that portrays Jojo's family as an oligarchical power that doesn't produce anything of value for society. On the other hand, though, Jojo's family is portrayed as benevolent, whereas Dio, who grew up in poverty, is portrayed as purely malevolent and jaded by his difficult upbringing.

In what ways are the superheroes and their abilities informed by their racial, gender, sexual, and cultural identities? 

It seems like the show is relatively gender-normative. An example of this is when Jojo and Dio have a quarrel over Jojo's girlfriend, which is a brief subplot that seems to objectify her. Additionally, the plot tends to center around male characters, so it doesn't seem that the show is necessarily trying to promote progressive gender ideals. The superpowers used in the show are somewhat ambiguous, but one of the main powers used is the vampire mask. The superpowers used in the show such as their supernatural martial arts ability is also not pertaining much to these identities.

In what ways do costumes and concealing identities further separate the superheroes from normal society? How necessary is it for the superheroes to hide their true identities to successfully achieve their goals? 

It doesn't seem that powers are explicitly hidden from broader society in the show, but it seems more-so that Dio's moral bankruptcy is hidden in his attempt to usurp Jojo as the family heir. For example, when Dio poisons Jojo's father, there isn't a superpower used or hidden, but his motives are hidden and eventually discovered by Jojo. Overall, though, it seems like the whole plot line is hidden from broader society, since the scenes are generally placed within Jojo's family fiefdom.

How do the economic, political, and social events that occurred during the series’ creation and broadcast cultivate and inform the superheroes’ decisions and actions? 

Since the story was created in recent decades, firstly as a manga series, the show definitely seems to reflect the economic, political, and social ideals held in capitalist Japan, or Japan's perception of capitalist England. Perhaps the show is pro-entrepreneurial, since it acts as a criticism of old-money dynamics.

How do the superheroes question themselves, each other, and their obligations and duties to the people around them? 

The superheroes in Jojo's universe often grapple with moral dilemmas, questioning their own actions and duties towards those around them. In season one, Jojo is also forced to give Dio the benefit of the doubt, even though he deeply knows that Dio will violate his family's generosity.

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[neikikardartv]

does the show go into the origin of the superpowers?

Moving (2023) Roundtable

Moving (2023) is a Korean Drama show where certain people have superpowers. The protagonist, Kim Bong-seok, is a highschooler who has the ability to levitate, along with all of his senses being greatly increased. The heroine, Jang Hee-soo, has the power to regenerate. We learn over the course of the show that their parents also had the same abilities as them and were special agents for Korea, going on various missions for the country.

How do structural mythology, cultural studies, and cultural history reflect the series’ world and world-building around superheroes?

Cultural studies and history greatly alter the world-building, as the superheroes in the series have to hide their identities. Many with powers work as agents, going on special missions for their country. Any media that potentially leaks information on the existence of people possessing superpowers is immediately deleted from the web. Agents with powers must have codenames and need to keep their true identities hidden from the general public.

In what ways are the superheroes and their abilities informed by their racial, gender, sexual, and cultural identities? 

Lee Mi-hyun, the mother of the protagonist Kim Bong-seok, is greatly affected by her gender. She is a retired agent who is the only woman to participate in a black ops mission. However, after losing much of her eyesight, she is forced to become an information analyst. Here, she is given the job of becoming close with another black ops agent in order to get information out of him. She is only chosen for the job because of her looks. Within this agency, it is clear that men are chosen for on field work while women are not.

In what ways do costumes and concealing identities further separate the superheroes from normal society? How necessary is it for the superheroes to hide their true identities to successfully achieve their goals?

It is necessary for the superheroes to conceal their identities because if revealed, they can be targeted by other agents from rival countries. An agent named Frank is given a mission by the US to track down and kill retired Korean agents, and he succeeds in eliminating quite a few. Blending into normal society and keeping their identities and powers hidden is an important part of the job for each of the agents.

How do the economic, political, and social events that occurred during the series’ creation and broadcast cultivate and inform the superheroes’ decisions and actions?

The backstory of the heroin, Jang Hee-soo, is revealed partway through the show. It is shown that she makes the decision at her old school to fight a group of bullies, seventeen in all. Because of her ability to regenerate, she leaves the fight without a scratch. There is an interesting dichotomy between her character and the US agent Frank, who also has the ability to regenerate. However, Frank is like a machine, a man who grew up in Iowa and has no motive but to complete missions. While Hee-Soo fights bullies, Frank is often the bully. Yet we see how similar the two characters actually are, as both are seen choking one of their enemies in their backstory. Frank having no concept of family is shown throughout his character arc, signaling that his fate would have been different with a better upbringing.

How do the superheroes question themselves, each other, and their obligations and duties to the people around them?

The protagonist, Kim Bong-seok, is forced to wear weights on his ankles and carry a heavy backpack to avoid levitating in front of other people. This decision is made by his mother, who is very overprotective. We learn later on that his mother acts this way because of the death of the father, who also had the ability to levitate. Because his mother is overprotective and at times very controlling, Bong-seok grows up very submissive. There is a moment in which he confesses that he does not like himself as a person and wants to change. Had he not been given powers, his character and personality would probably be much different.

#oxyspeculativetv @theuncannyprofessoro

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[neikikardartv]

Does the show touch upon the intersectionality of having powers and being black ?

Raising Dion

Raising Dion is a superhero show that premiered on Netflix in 2019. The show follows recently widowed mother, Nicole, and her son Dion who starts at a new school. They are under the impression that her husband and Dion’s dad, Mark, had drowned, although his body was never found. The conflicts that arise as Nicole raises Dion on her own are heightened when Dion begins to manifest several superhero-like abilities. Some of these include: telekinesis, flight, teleportation, healing, and invisibility. Nicole works to keep Dion’s powers a secret out of fear for his safety. With the help of Mark’s best friend, Pat, the two work to help Dion channel and control his powers, while they work to figure out where his powers came from. The main villain is called “Crooked Man,” and appears as more of a large outline/entity rather than a human. The Crooked Man seems to be brought together by energy, appearing as a large figure made out of lightning.

How do structural mythology, cultural studies, and cultural history reflect the series’ world and world-building around superheroes? 

The show embodies the basic structural mythology of superhero shows. This includes Dion uncovering his powers in a dramatic and unexpected scene with his mom in their home. Following this there is his initial call to adventure as he learns to control his powers while facing the challenges of the Crooked Man who wants to kill Dion in order to gain his power. He experiences the known trope of a mentor, in this case, his late father’s best friend Pat. Although it seems that Pat does not have powers himself, he works to understand Dion’s abilities and attempt to uncover where they may have come from. In addition to Pat, Nicole tracks down a woman named Charlotte Tuck, who also has powers like Dion’s, in order to help him learn. Throughout the season, Dion becomes more powerful and more equipped to fight the Crooked Man. The series is made up of a very diverse cast and the director, Dennis Liu, has spoken about his desire to allow minority populations to see themselves depicted as the ultimate superheroes on television. The show explores non-traditional family structures, such as single-parent households and families with extraordinary abilities. This can be examined in the context of societal norms and how the show both reflects and challenges these norms. The series is set in contemporary times, and events in the story are influenced by the cultural and technological context of the present day. I feel that this is best exemplified throughout the second season, with more emphasis on BIONA, which was the organization that Dion’s father worked as a scientist for. BIONA is a research institute that studies climate and climate change.  

In what ways are the superheroes and their abilities informed by their racial, gender, sexual, and cultural identities? 

The series, and Dion in particular, are informed by racial identities in many ways. As a young Black boy, a number of his experiences are influenced by his race and the stereotypical ideology that surrounds the Black race. This is exemplified in season one, episode three: “Watch Man.” Dion has begun wearing a watch that belonged to his dad. Despite previously having issues controlling his powers, Nicole makes him believe that it will help him channel his abilities more effectively. In this episode, Dion is talking to his friend Esperanza about his watch. When she suggests they use it for a project, Dion explains that it is just for him. A bully in his class overhears this and later convinces Dion to give it to him for a magic trick. When the boy will not return the watch, Dion becomes frustrated and accidentally throws him against a wall with his mind. When the principal brings the boys to his office, he gives Dion a two day suspension and does not punish the other boy. Dion is a young Black boy and the bully and principal are white. This scene highlights the racial prejudice that the principal uses to inform his discipline. This scene prompts Nicole to have a conversation with Dion about his skin color and how this affects situations he may be in and why the principal did not punish the bully. The series shows gender identity most clearly through Nicole. Despite her not having literal superpowers, she is shown to be a strong, independent single mother who faces Dion’s upbringing head on and works to keep him safe and provide the best life she can possibly give him.   

In what ways do costumes and concealing identities further separate the superheroes from normal society? How necessary is it for the superheroes to hide their true identities to successfully achieve their goals?

Most commonly, in superhero shows, costumes allow individuals to conceal their identities, although most of the time not very effectively. In Raising Dion, his superhero costume strays from this typical portrayal. As a seven year old boy, his imagination is a stronger tool in regard to his superhero powers. He does not have a high-tech suit, but a red shirt with the initials MM on it, alluding to his nickname “mind mover.” He also sports a pair of goggles throughout the show. I would say that although not being a costume, the large watch that Dion wears serves as an object that gives him confidence in his abilities, and is something that he feels gives him unique power. In terms of concealing his identity, again as a young boy who is still attempting to live his everyday life, it is rather that the adults in his life have instructed him so clearly to conceal his powers themselves, that he is not often needing to conceal his identity in public. Season one of the show in particular focuses on him honing his powers and uncovering the root of them, rather than him saving individuals in the city whenever they are in minor danger, like Superman for example.   

How do the economic, political, and social events that occurred during the series’ creation and broadcast cultivate and inform the superheroes’ decisions and actions? 

The series deals with racial discrimination, specifically the scene with the principal that I discussed above. Discrimination and prejudice against the Black population remains extremely prevalent, and seeing the scene where an adult projects this ideology onto young students, instead of hearing what Dion has to say, alludes to a greater number of instances. This includes police brutality, specifically assaults and murders that have occurred as a result of this white supremacy. In addition to this, there is a particular instance where Dion learns about ableism. His friend Esperanza has brittle bone disease, which forces her to remain in her wheelchair at all times. Dion takes her into a classroom in season one, episode eight, lifting her out of her wheelchair with his power, making her fly. He does not explain what he is doing and his act is met with discomfort, asking him to put her down and questioning why he would do that. He explains that he thought she would have wanted to walk and that everyone wants to fly. Esperanza leaves the room without saying anything, leaving Dion confused. After school, he asks Charlotte Tuck why she was so upset, and Charlotte asks Dion if he really knows anything about why she is in the wheelchair, or if she has ever walked before. This aids him in making better and more respectful decisions while using his powers with his friends.  

How do the superheroes question themselves, each other, and their obligations and duties to the people around them?

This has been the case for most of these questions, but I think that because Dion is such a young superhero, he is not the one to fully understand the weight of his abilities and why that makes him a target for villains. We see him questioning his actions when he makes mistakes with his power and when his emotions are heightened. However, I think it is the adults that we see in the show, Nicole, Pat, Charlotte, and his aunt, Kat, that do the most questioning. They are mature and able to see the effects of the power that Dion has, and to understand why this must be concealed for his greater good. This weighs most heavily on Nicole. As a single mother, she must deal with keeping Dion safe as well as keeping him happy. When he first discovers his powers, she keeps him out of school while they work on controlling them. Eventually, he asks her if he can go back to school and she must deal with the potential danger that this may cause while also understanding that it is what her child wants to do, just like all of the other kids.

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@theuncannyprofessoro

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[neikikardartv]

Is the show xenophobic with the immigration fear ?

We Don't Need Another Superhero

How do structural mythology, cultural studies, and cultural history reflect the series’ world and world-building around superheroes? 

Similarly to many superhero shows, these characters have their abilities due to a serum/genetic manipulation. The show also explores how the idea of being a hero is integrated into our culture through media. One of the characters, Hiro, immediately goes towards saving the world and trying to having his hero’s journey, because that is what he sees in the media.

In what ways are the superheroes and their abilities informed by their racial, gender, sexual, and cultural identities? 

I found it interesting that the main female heroes of the first season, Claire and Niki, both have abilities that allow them to transcend their gender expectations. Niki is a mom who had to do online sex work to pay off a mobster. Her ability of super strength allows her to enact violence on men, countering the expectation of her role. Similarly, Claire is able to recover from any injury, even if it kills her. This subverts the idea of a helpless cheerleader who needs to be saved by the men. 

In what ways do costumes and concealing identities further separate the superheroes from normal society? How necessary is it for the superheroes to hide their true identities to successfully achieve their goals? 

An interesting aspect of heroes is that, no matter how invested they are in using their abilities for good or evil, none of them wear superhero costumes. They all stay in their normal outfits. This represents how they are individuals that have lives outside of these abilities. Most of them do not want to be superheroes, but get dragged into the plot of saving the world. Staying in their own clothes allows them to preserve their individuality.

How do the economic, political, and social events that occurred during the series’ creation and broadcast cultivate and inform the superheroes’ decisions and actions? 

I didn’t notice any major events that informed the series, but I think there is an overall fear of immigration that the series explores. Instead of directly talking it about, I view it more as an underlying fear, similar to monster novels like Dracula. Essentially, the idea that someone could look exactly like you, but not be technically human. 

How do the superheroes question themselves, each other, and their obligations and duties to the people around them? 

This questioning is the major selling point of the TV show. Many of the heroes do not want to be heroes; they just want to continue their normal lives. They end up getting dragged into either by other people with special-abilities or because of the government trying to round them up. It raises the important question of whether being able to do something requires you to do it.

@theuncannyprofessoro

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[neikikardartv]

How do you think the show balances the high school drama with the superhero drama?

Superhero Roundtable: Invincible

How do structural mythology, cultural studies, and cultural history reflect the series’ world and world-building around superheroes?

Invincible, much like many modern iterations of the “Capepunk” superhero genre that explores superheroism in a “realistic” manner accompanied by dark comedy and gruesome conflicts, offers commentary and its own unique premise on the cultural studies, cultural history, and structural mythology especially. The structural mythology of the show that initially borrows and parodies the structural mythologies of shows like The Justice League (2001) constantly explores what it means to be a hero through the main character, Mark Grayson. The 17-year-old half-human-half-Viltrumite high school student grapples with not just having to learn how to use his new powers, but also what being a superhero means, a concept that Mark struggles with throughout his entire career. A modest example of this is how Mark dubs his superhero alter-ego as “Invincible”, yet throughout the series, he is constantly beaten to near death and loses many major conflicts. Additionally, his father, otherwise known as Omni-man, someone whom Mark initially looks up to and models his superhero identity and perspective after, reveals to Mark that he comes from an alien race whose purpose is to conquer the universe and nearly kills Mark after Mark’s refusal to join in his father’s conquest. This is one of the most pivotal events in the series, as not only did it result in the death of thousands of people, but also is the beginning of the deconstruction of the illustrious image superheroes held and greatly influenced Mark’s career as a superhero.

The media of Invincible, which includes both the show and the graphic novel from which the show is adapted, greatly reflects cultural beliefs in their audience, more so in the comics, and adds onto these shaped beliefs. Apart from the show bolstering a wide array of superheroes from many different races and ethnicities, Invincible adds to the cultural view that anyone can wear the mask, a view famously explored through Spider-man media. Superhero monikers in the world of Invincible, primarily in the comics, are interchanged and evolved upon e.g. numerous people taking on variations of Omni-man’s identity and a few characters temporarily and permanently stepping in as Invincible with their own perspectives on what that position means.

The comic run of Invincible spans from 2003 to 2018, meaning there is a large element of cultural history that each major arc of the comic run is influenced by, however, the current run of the show makes some attempt to modernize some of the cultural history elements. One that particularly jumps out is the change in values of broadcasting and information exchange and how that has played a part in the growing caution and distrust for authoritative bodies, namely the U.S. government, among the younger generation. In some scenes in the show, as Mark is starting to develop agency in being a superhero, he has numerous arguments with Cecil Stedman, the government agent in charge of the Global Defense Agency, and even defies orders that Cecil gives him in acts of both rebellion and growth in his own ideologies on ‘superheroing’.

In what ways are the superheroes and their abilities informed by their racial, gender, sexual, and cultural identities?

In many cases, superheroes in Invincible are inspired by already existing superhero entities of both Marvel and DC with a range of alterations, some of which are informed by their racial, gender, sexual, and cultural identities. Both Mark and his father Nolan exhibit powers popularized by DC’s Superman that also similarly stem from their cultural identity as aliens, namely, Viltrumites from the planet Viltrum. Though not explicitly explored in the early stages of Mark’s career, his Asian identity also plays a role in his superhero identity. Many male characters seemingly naturally have some degree of increased physical strength and durability as part of their abilities with very few exceptions like Rex-Splode whose ability is able to create explosions by charging molecules to an unstable level of power. Most female superheroes exhibit abilities that aren’t necessarily akin to physical strength or explosiveness and more so some form of manipulation of matter, with very specific exceptions in characters like Monster Girl who shares similarities to Marvel’s Hulk in that she can transform into a large monster with supernatural strength, durability and healing, and War Woman who bares similarity to DC’s Wonder Woman in numerous ways, including her supernatural strength, speed, and durability

The show also shamelessly plays into the trope of having black male characters have superstrength and/or supernatural durability, as there are numerous black male characters, both heroes and villains, who have almost the exact same abilities with the exception of characters like Darkwing, the Batman-inspired superhero.

In what ways do costumes and concealing identities further separate the superheroes from normal society? How necessary is it for the superheroes to hide their true identities to successfully achieve their goals?

The show takes some time to explore the process of how superheroes pick their costumes and how they choose to have their identities displayed, such as hiding one of their identities or making attempts to separate them.

A somewhat common trend among some superheroes of the world, usually superheroes who have had experience in the careers or are generally older, is that they don’t wear a mask or any sort of garment that could skewer their identity, which makes a lot of sense for superheroes who don’t have separate identities in their day-to-day lives, but for characters like Omni-man/Nolan Gray and Atom Eve/Samantha Eve Wilkins, one of Mark’s friends and allies, they’re still able to hide and separate their identities without using a mask of some sort. This isn’t quite successful for Eve as Mark is able to recognize her at school after encountering her as her superhero counterpart earlier, and she offers an explanation that most people don’t expect someone they know to be a superhero, a very Hannah Montana situation that mostly works. Mark, however, has a number of reasons as to why he has to wear a mask, especially for the safety of his friends and family, as there are numerous cases in the comics where villains exploit his identity as well as his ties to his Father.

The costume designs also play a part in separating the superheroes from society and are explicitly described as symbols. When he starts, Mark builds his costume with the notable goggles and bandana to hide his identity. He later visits Art Rosenbaum, a suit tailor who designs many of the costumes of the show, and we see him create Invincible’s suit and mask that he dawns for most of his career that helps hide his identity as Mark Grayson (an important detail that will be explored quite soon in the series). When picking a suit design with Art, Mark states that he doesn’t like the orange and yellow suit designs and wants something “more iconic” (hence the yellow ‘I’ in the middle of his suit). This reflects both Mark’s understanding of the superhero identity that is modeled greatly after his father who dawns an ‘iconic’ white and red suit with the letter ‘O’ on it, a symbol, as Omni-man describes it, and the design of other superheroes entities of the time that dawned sleek black lines and colors that accompanied whatever other color scheme the superhero wore.

How do the economic, political, and social events that occurred during the series’ creation and broadcast cultivate and inform the superheroes’ decisions and actions?

The Invincible comics began its run in 2003, meaning some of the comic elements and stories may have been influenced by the period of time in which there was a heavy focus on the United States combatting terrorism following the events of 9/11, as many “alien threats” dealt with by the superheroes resemble this period. Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man (2002) also came out a year prior and is heralded as a large influence in comic book superheroes, most likely also being an influence in the creation of Invincible as they share very many similar elements (and even have various comic runs where both characters crossover to work alongside each other and are drawn by the same artist).

Nonetheless, the T.V. show that’s been broadcasting since 2021 very much attempts to modernize the story, and we see elements of more transparent Government involvement (or rather more exposure into the credibility of the Government) following major events such as Trump’s impeachment. Additionally, in recent years there has been general dialogue and questioning over the State following more and more largely broadcasted and empowering social justice movements and mass protests in recent years (e.g. the Black Lives Matter movement) that have worked to counter a lot of authoritative policies as well as deconstruct prevailing social constructs. In the show, this can be reflected by how Invincible (and several superhero characters) begins to make more of his own decisions instead of simply following orders given to him by Cecil, as well as a general distrust for Government authorities by the general public due to either their reliance on Superheroes and their continuous exploitation of people, both superheroes and non-superheroes.

How do the superheroes question themselves, each other, and their obligations and duties to the people around them?

Mark especially questions his role and obligation as Invincible as his plate grows larger, takes on more responsibilities and constantly has his beliefs toyed with. Growing up with a father as a superhero, being a superhero just like him had been Mark’s dream for 17 years. However, after having his whole world shattered when his father revealed himself to be a world conqueror playing “superhero” and “family man” as a means to accomplish his goal of conquering Earth, killing the most powerful superheroes and thousands of civilians due to Mark refusing to join in the conquest, Mark begins the continuous journey of questioning his role and responsibility as a superhero, often fearing he would turn out like his father and constantly blames himself for the destruction Omni-man/Nolan caused. Even in the second episode, we see Invincible learn the nuances and difficulties of superhero work when he causes the death of an Old lady while trying to evacuate her from an alien invasion.

A common theme in the show is the irony of Mark’s superhero name, Invincible, and how he is often going up against threats that are a lot more powerful than him and he repeatedly gets beat up and loses his battles. This takes a toll on Mark, causing him to question his abilities more often than not, as well as those close to him e.g. his mother. It also plays into the theme of growing up and independence and all the challenges that come along with it.

Atom Eve also goes through her own journey of establishing her obligation and duties as a superhero, as she comes to the realization that her abilities (the power to see and manipulate matter at subatomic levels) could be used for more humanitarian purposes like solving world hunger and building homes rather than being reduced to violence in the form of crime fighting. She leaves her superhero team in order to pursue this goal, which she learns comes with its own challenges that cause her to question whether or not she’s doing the right thing.

Our season 1 antagonist, Omni-man, has his own journey of questioning himself and his obligation as a superhero. Initially, his militaristic, planet-conquest mindset that is instilled in Viltrumite culture is conflicted when he comes to Earth and learns about humanity and societies on Earth, developing an obligation to protect the planet, even if he planned to conquer it in the future. Even after revealing his goal was to “breed” a suitor, a.k.a Mark, that could help him on his conquest, he is unable to follow through because he’s overcome with emotion and memories of his time on Earth while nearly killing his son. In the 4th episode of the 2nd season, Omni-man shares a vulnerable moment with Mark/Invincible where he talks about how he doesn’t understand why he cares for and feels obligated to protect a “weak” alien species, why he feels like this should be his purpose instead of the Viltrumite conquest, and why death and the guilt of his actions suddenly begins to weigh on him for the first time in his life. The episode ends with Omni-man fighting his ex-comrades to protect an alien planet alongside his son, completely showing an overhaul in his initial ideologies, and is prepared to die for the Thraxan alien species.

@theuncannyprofessoro

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[neikikardartv]

The guy in the trench coat in the 3rd picture looks just like Rorsarch from Watchmen. Is he the same character or just a satire of him?

Roundtable Presentation: My Hero Academia

How do structural mythology, cultural studies, and cultural history reflect the series’ world and world-building around superheroes?

My Hero Academia draws heavy influence from Western Superhero comics. The character designs themselves as well as the hero society that is built up reflects a lot of aspects specifically shown in Marvel and DC. My Hero also takes the classic Hero’s Journey mythology concept and portrays this the the main character Izuku Midoriya. He goes from being quirkiness, to inheriting one the most powerful quirks and becoming a hero. 

In what ways are the superheroes and their abilities informed by their racial, gender, sexual, and cultural identities? 

In My Hero Academia, the characters manifest quirks in a way that is usually completely unique to them. A lot of the times, quirks are influenced by genetic factors with characters usually manifesting a quirk that is similar to a combination of their parents quirk. They are similar to how certain traits are inherited in the real world. A lot of diversity is also shown through the costumes that heroes design for themselves. These designs can incorporate different cultural or personal elements that allow for characters to better express their individuality. for the most part quirks are not determined by racial identity, gender and sexuality. 

In what ways do costumes and concealing identities further separate the superheroes from normal society? How necessary is it for the superheroes to hide their true identities to successfully achieve their goals? 

In My Hero Academia, there is a whole society of heroes. It takes place in a world where 80% of humans suddenly begin to develop superpowers. Heroes are separated from society in the sense that they are looked up to and depended on by many people with weaker quirks. Being a hero is oftentimes a job that is sought after, with whole schools dedicated to teaching young students to be good heroes. Finding the right costume is important for every heroes journey, usually made to enhance their specific quirk and be recognizable and marketable. It’s not necessary for professional heroes to hide their true identities. Most of the time, being a hero is something to show off especially if you are ranked in the top ten. However, heroes do have a separation when they are on the job vs when they are off. I’ve noticed a trend in the show where older, more established heroes turn on a heroic personality when they are on the job but are completely different in their personal life.  

How do the economic, political, and social events that occurred during the series’ creation and broadcast cultivate and inform the superheroes’ decisions and actions?

The emergence of Quirks in the My Hero Academia has social implications especially highlighted in the discrimination and prejudice against those with "villainous" or "unusual" Quirks. This mirrors societal attitudes toward individuals who are perceived as different or other. While the show is not heavily influenced by real life events, a lot of the characters are based on or inspired by classic comic book characters and manga characters.

How do the superheroes question themselves, each other, and their obligations and duties to the people around them? 

Many of the older heroes in the show often question themselves and their motives. A few seasons into the show, the viewers start to see that heroes aren’t always good and the hero society is responsible for forcing people into the role as villains. There is also an arc of the show where its’ hard for the characters to trust each other because of double crossing and undercover work. The younger heroes in training seem to have a more optimistic view on being a hero because they are new to the business. Because being a hero isn’t some big secret, those with strong quirks and hero training can jump into action at any point with no worries about being caught.

@theuncannyprofessoro

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[neikikardartv]

how self aware is the show?

The Venture Bros.

The Venture Bros. takes many assumptions from the Golden and Silver Age of comics and comments on them. It parodies certain elements of comic book history, including ‘the boy adventurer’ (Jonny Quest) trope and space-age fiction themes and aesthetics. The series follows Dr. Thaddeus “Rusty” Venture, a sad failure of a Super Scientist living in the shadow of his late larger-than-life father, Dr. Jonas Venture. Rusty is a superhero in title but not in practice, yet he still has a rotating cast of villains and sidekicks around him. His arch nemesis is a villain called The Monarch, who I focus on for this piece. I think Rusty represents the more cynical, morally ambiguous Silver age of comics while his father represents the authoritarian Golden age, to put it into Williams’ framework from “(R)Evolution of the Television Superhero”. The Venture Bros contributes to a misanthropic view of superhero narratives. All of the characters have major flaws directly connected to their association with Super Heroism and its flipside, Super Villainy. Changes in values over time are shown in the narrative through flashbacks and convoluted storylines involving many characters over several seasons. Overall, though, the series pokes fun and levies criticism against prevalent superhero notions. 

The Monarch, Dr. Venture’s Arch Nemesis, is a scrawny, goateed, middle-aged white male who has made a career out of being evil. In some ways, he is very successful, with an awesome spaceship headquarters, a team of devoted henchmen, and a sexy villainess girlfriend. However, the Monarch is shown to oscillate between overconfident and insecure, as seeking validation, and as unable to thwart his self-proclaimed nemesis, no matter how many opportunities he gets. 

The Monarch represents an attitude of dissatisfaction among men who actually have quite a bit going for them. I feel like this reflects a culture of misplaced victimhood held by some men as the liberation of women and other oppressed groups makes them feel like they are losing some kind of power or status. 

The Venture Bros. is all about funny costumes and character design. The Monarch has leaned all the way into his butterfly-and-insect-themed villainy. His costume is an integral part of his character, and he is rarely seen without it. 

His voice and mannerisms are enough to make the Monarch recognizable even when he is not in costume, but he derives much of his power from his outfit, the consistent theme of his evil operation, and his flashy technology. The Monarch has a hard time performing villainy when not in costume. In this universe, Villany is a career, and the job requires a uniform.

The show is definitely influenced by 9/11 and the entrance of Gen Xers into the media scene. The show debuted in 2003, when the Cold War Kids (not the band) were finally entering the workforce and the public eye and expressing their feelings and attitudes about social and political realities of the time. The Monarch is an expression of social, economic and political disillusionment that can go in divergent directions and lead to extremism. Venture represents apathy and adherence to established systems, despite their idiocy.

In Season 1 Episode 5 of the Venture Bros., the viewer gets a glimpse into the more neighborly side of superheroes and supervillains as they are introduced to members of The Guild of Calamitous Intent when Venture hosts a yard sale at his compound and invites all the Villains he works against, with the understanding that no harm can come to him because it is not guild-approved and therefore the villains have no legs to stand on in terms of evil. Even so, the Monarch, Dr. Venture’s sworn enemy, wreaks non-approved havok at the yard sale. In search of a suitable bathroom, Monarch and Dr. Girlfriend walk through the compound and see the sad emptiness of Dr. Venture’s life. For a moment it seems the Monarch has a realization about his Villainy and almost gives up “Arching” Dr. Venture, but when the security team gives him a fright, the Monarch vows to destroy Dr. Venture and reconstitute the Nemesis status.

I think this faltering of ideology that the Monarch experiences shows how perceived obligations are subject to change situationally. This applies to foreign relations because attitudes about domestic policy, domestic views on other countries, and also relationships between nations and states are products of history but also are fluid.

@theuncannyprofessoro

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[neikikardartv]

do you think SaiKi K should use his powers for more than just dying hair?

The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. - Superhero Roundtable

How do structural mythology, cultural studies, and cultural history reflect the series’ world and world-building around superheroes? 

The Disastrous Life of Saiki K centers on the titular character, Saiki K, a highschool student with Superman-esque levels of psychic power. He has trademark pink hair and must wear green glasses and antennae in order to limit his powers. Saiki, as one of the only actual psychic characters in the anime, actually doesn’t want to solve problems, or help anyone with his powers, and most of the show he uses his powers to minimize attention and keep to himself. His only really widespread use of power was changing everyone in the world’s hair color to also be colorful so that he doesn’t stand out as much. In direct opposition to Saiki’s nonexistent need for attention and immense psychic power, his classmate Kaidou, has no power whatever but claims to be The Jet-Black Wings, the only person standing against The Dark Reunion, an evil organization running the world behind the scenes. This is played for satire as Kaidou loudly brags about being the Jet-Black Wings and blames every mishap on the Dark Reunion, wears red bandages on his arms to “control his power,” and a dramatic action song “Judgement Knights of Thunder” plays everytime he does anything. 

Saiki K is a comedy anime satirizing the idea of a “superhero” through Saiki K, who kind of sucks and doesn’t care that much about other people, but even in using his powers selfishly, ultimately helps the people around him. This show challenges the idea that superheroes would necessarily swing to complete good or complete evil, and makes fun of those ideas in the example of satirizing binary thinking through Kaidou’s fake enemy, The Dark Reunion. Although the show begins with Saiki K doing everything he can to avoid attention and making friends, he warms up to his classmates over the show and uses his powers for their benefit, even as he convinces himself he’s just trying to help himself. 

The origination of manga in Japan was influenced by the globalization of American comics, including superhero comics, brought during WWII. Interestingly, as members of the Axis Powers, Japan and Japanese characters were featured in American superhero comics as enemies to the nation, often depicted as racist stereotypes for wartime propaganda. On an international scale, superheroes are associated with the US, as a national export and national representation of American might and power. This can be seen in superhero anime like My Hero Academia, where All Might represents the All-American superhero figure. Shows like Saiki K and Mob Psycho 100 have superhero-like characters and themes but distance themselves from calling them that, positioning themselves as psychics rather than superheroes.

In what ways are the superheroes and their abilities informed by their racial, gender, sexual, and cultural identities? 

Saiki K definitely participates in the de-racialization of characters as Will Bridges spoke to in “The Past Tense and the Future Perfect,” which we read for Cowboy Bebop. All of the characters are assumed to be Japanese, and are very homogeneous in appearance, save Nendo, whose butt-chin and weird mohawk are played for laughs. In many ways, Saiki represents the ultimate hegemonic male character who is conventionally attractive, cishet, middle class, and extremely able bodied. The only way that Saiki represents “other” could be through his lack of romantic or sexual interest in the show, much to the chagrin of Kokomi, the self proclaimed queen of the school, who appears with a halo of light around her at all times and has caused multiple stampedes of men chasing after her. The character Kaidou, who isn’t very popular with his classmates (somewhat because he always talks about the Dark Reunion), could be acting out social rejection through his fixation on being a superhero fighting evil, above the social dynamics of highschool.

In what ways do costumes and concealing identities further separate the superheroes from normal society? How necessary is it for the superheroes to hide their true identities to successfully achieve their goals? 

For Saiki, hiding his identity is his goal. To this end, he has changed everyone’s hair in the entire world to be colorful so that he doesn’t stand out. When the school has a sports test in gym class, Saiki has to tone down his supernatural speed and strength to blend in, including teleporting a ball back when he throws it so far that it can’t be seen, and squeezing a grip strength monitor so hard that that needle goes all the way around and it looks like he has an average score. For many superheroes, putting on a costume/disguise is necessary to carry out their goals, but for Saiki, his physical appearance is connected to his supernatural abilities, and the antennae and glasses he wears serve not to express his powers or his superhero role, but rather to minimize and control them.

How do the economic, political, and social events that occurred during the series’ creation and broadcast cultivate and inform the superheroes’ decisions and actions? 

The Disastrous Life of Saiki K first appeared as one-shot manga chapters published from 2012-2011, then serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from 2012-2018. The anime based off of this manga was aired from 2016-2018. I think Saiki K intentionally builds off of the context of preexisting superhero media to satirize it, questioning the characterization of other characters with superpowers as good and selfless or evil and self-serving- Saiki is literally just some guy and he doesn’t feel any pressure to use his powers for anyone. The anime creates a depoliticized superhero- he isn’t connected to any hero organizations or governments, he doesn’t have any enemies. He is so depoliticized and inactive as a superhero figure that his morals swing all the way around into questionable because he is so powerful, and could solve so many problems, but only changed everyone’s hair.

How do the superheroes question themselves, each other, and their obligations and duties to the people around them? 

Saiki K as a show challenges the superhero trope of questioning their purpose, sense of self and obligation to others by making Saiki antisocial and feel pretty neutrally about everyone besides himself. He always ends up helping the people around him, even when he doesn’t mean to, often doing so because it’s the easiest way to avoid being exposed, or not taking action will negatively impact him in some way. In one episode, he watches a magician on TV being locked in a box, and when it seems like he won’t be able to escape in time, Saiki teleports onto the set to save him. He does this in order to save the magician from a deadly incident which could potentially delay the rest of the tv channel, including Saiki’s favorite mystery show that after the magic show. He does help people, but his obligation is (allegedly) to himself first.

@theuncannyprofessoro

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[neikikardartv]

does the show treat his mental illness as being part of his superpower?

Panel Presentation: Moon Knight

Moon Knight centers around Steven Grant, an unassuming employee at a museum gift shop, whose life is disrupted by episodes of memory loss and recollections of an alternate existence. Uncovering the presence of dissociative identity disorder within himself, Steven realizes that he coexists in the same body with the mercenary Marc Spector. As adversaries of Steven/Marc close in on them, the duo must grapple with their intricate identities while being entangled in a perilous enigma involving the formidable gods of Egypt. Like the narrative of Justice League analyzed by Kevin D Williams, Steven Grant experiences violence and struggle that impacts his own mental health.

How do structural mythology, cultural studies, and cultural history reflect the series’ world and world-building around superheroes?Moon Knight intricately navigates the multifaceted landscape of superhero storytelling by incorporating a rich tapestry of structural mythology and cultural exploration. The portrayal of Marc Spector's dissociative identity disorder adds a layer of psychological complexity to the character, challenging traditional superhero archetypes. The series deftly delves into Egyptian mythology, weaving a narrative around gods like Khonshu and Ammit, thereby expanding the cultural dimensions of the Marvel Universe. The inclusion of characters like Layla El-Faouly contributes to a more nuanced representation, avoiding clichéd racial tropes and broadening the spectrum of identities. By hiring Egyptian director Mohamed Diab, the show not only authentically embraces its cultural backdrop but also fosters diversity behind the camera. Moon Knight emerges as a sophisticated and culturally resonant contribution to the evolving landscape of superhero narratives.

2. In what ways are the superheroes and their abilities informed by their racial, gender, sexual, and cultural identities?

Superheroes and their abilities are deeply influenced by their cultural and identity backgrounds, offering a nuanced exploration of diverse perspectives. Moon Knight, for instance, introduces layers of cultural complexity by delving into Egyptian mythology and presenting characters with multifaceted identities. The show's portrayal of mental health issues further adds depth to the narrative, contributing to a broader conversation about the intersectionality of identity within the superhero genre. While normally superhero’s abilities are formed or enhanced by solely the supernatural, Moonknight’s abilities take aspects from his dissociative identity disorder and form distinct characters.

3. In what ways do costumes and concealing identities further separate the superheroes from normal society? How necessary is it for the superheroes to hide their true identities to successfully achieve their goals?

In "Moon Knight," costumes and concealed identities play a vital role in delineating the titular hero from normal society. The character of Marc Spector/Moon Knight grapples with dissociative identity disorder, which adds layers of complexity to his personas. The various costumes represent distinct facets of his psyche, blurring the lines between reality and the supernatural. This intricate dance between identities not only mirrors the broader theme of duality prevalent in superhero narratives but also underscores the character's internal struggles. In the second episode, Steven is asked to manifest his suit in order to fight a creature, but the character talking to him knows Marc - an alternate identity completely different from steven. Steven forms an all-white three-piece suit, not understanding what she means. This departure from the conventional superhero costume aligns with the series' thematic focus on internal conflicts and emotions externalized through these superhuman personas. Steven's unique vision of a "super suit" reflects his unfamiliarity with traditional superhero tropes, offering a distinct perspective on the concept.

4. How do the economic, political, and social events that occurred during the series’ creation and broadcast cultivate and inform the superheroes’ decisions and actions?

In the backdrop of "Moon Knight," the socio-political landscape of the last decade likely influenced the series, fostering a more progressive tone in superhero narratives. Especially with the rise in popularity with superhero franchises, there seems to be an increased amount of representation in superheroes. Many modern adaptations of comic superheroes take liberty and alter the story and characters in order to be more inclusive and appeal to the modern audience. Moon Knight seems to foster healthy conversations about mental illness and doesn’t treat it like a foreign and unnatural thing. The main identity of Steven is also not the stereotypical macho superhero, and he has to grow into this new unfamiliar character. Decisions and reactions to things mirror his timidness (at least initially), offering a new and refreshing perspective on superhero personas.

5. How do the superheroes question themselves, each other, and their obligations and duties to the people around them?

Steven’s internal conflicts, mirrored in the manifestation of different personas like Mr. Knight, illustrate the complexity of questioning oneself and grappling with duty. Steven's struggles go beyond conventional superhero tropes, incorporating personal identity, psychological battles, and a unique interpretation of what being a hero means. In the first episode, Steven is manifested by an ancient Egyptian god, but struggles to grapple with the alternate identity that becomes present. A domming voice commands him to do things, even when Steven as a person does not. His body becomes a sort of puppet to this entity and gradually has to submit to his demands. He is even transparent to his coworker about a fight he had with a creature overnight at the museum, trying to explain how insane of an experience it was. This diverts from traditional superhero inceptions, where they must keep their powers and identities secret. The show's exploration of Steven's internal conflicts and obligations contributes to the broader trend in superhero storytelling, emphasizing the psychological and moral dimensions that enrich the character and resonate with audiences on a deeper level.

@theuncannyprofessoro

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