Fantasy Fiction vs. Fantasy Reality
Why are more people trying to convince us Batman should be about a guy funding welfare programs?
“If Bruce Wayne went to therapy and put all his money into social programs for Gotham, there would be no need for Batman lol” is a constant and weird refrain popping up on social media for years now.
Batman isn’t real. It’s set up as a dark vilgilante fantasy with mysteries and larger than life characters for fun. So the conversation of “Why doesn’t he give up being Batman and lay on a couch crying about his parents and just give everyone his money?” is at face value, worthless. Cause it’s not real. It’s fantasy. It’s fun. No one is putting out a book about a hero pumping out social welfare programs while sorting through their issues. BernieSanders-Man is not on the shelves as far as I know. But let’s humor the people who can’t stop bringing this up and get into why Batman can’t just talk out his problems and throw money at every cause out there.
There’s so many different flavors of this idea online. Everything from people being snarky while propping up socialist messaging to people who seem genuinely mad that vigilante characters exist while others say “Batman isn’t a hero, he’s a cop.” No matter what strange iteration of this politically stank as hell idea, I wonder if they realize that they’re advocating for things that would have Batman literally unmaking himself at every level of the character. Then you wonder - are these people fans? They seem to want Batman to not exist anymore to sell the idea that throwing money at social problems always just fixes things right up! Even in a hellish cesspool of corruption and super criminals called GOTHAM! That’s right kids! Socialism is super! That will be 5.95 for this compelling issue of Rich Guy with Issues.
They snarkily advocate for Batman to not exist while pretending to be fans in the same breath.
These people don’t love fantasy fiction. They love fantasy reality. They love the fantasy that money = social solutions based on their politics. They hate the fantastic idea that a rich guy would gear up and risk his life taking down nasties that all the social programs in the world can’t touch. See? Fantasy reality, aka getting their messaging out, is more fun for these more activist minded fans than the fantasy fiction, aka entertainment.
That’s what really irks me. They snarkily advocate for Batman to not exist while pretending to be fans in the same breath. If you claim to be a fan of something but you advocate for everything that damages it and the fandom around it, you’re an anti-fan. You’re cultural anti-matter. You collide with shit and destroy it and leave. But let’s have some fun showing why you’re wrong about Batman.
It goes against his character in more ways than you think.
Batman’s parents tried social programs. Look where it got them. Batman became the answer to their failure. He became vengeful against crime not just cause it took his parents, but because not even they, with all their wealth and influence could stop it. Their way doesn’t work. Someone has to suit and up do something! That’s the core of vigilante justice that gives us a rush when we enjoy it. The hero feels there’s no way but the highway and takes things into their own hands cause nothing else can be trusted. Yet he should drop the Batsuit and talk to a therapist instead? Take it further! Bruce Wayne gives to social programs all the time and the Joker is still chillin’ playing cards somewhere, plotting out some criminal mastermind shit. Your social programs have no power here. Batman is Bruce’s answer for the criminals money can’t touch. Why is it like this? You mean other than in real life where social programs fail all the time? Cause also, the setting of the story takes place in Gotham, one of the most corrupt cities ever (Don’t be threatened, Chicago).
Saying Gotham should fund social programs is like saying, “Hey, let’s hold a blood drive at Dracula’s castle.”
It goes against the setting.
Gotham is like a character itself. I feel like Batman should have a love/ hate relationship with it. In a way it’s what he defends and feels he is part of, in a another way, it took his parents. Gotham is like a curse, like an infected wound of a city that never fully comes clean. But yes, let’s throw all our money into its programs and I’m sure it will all go to the right place and not be funneled into anyone’s account. Saying Gotham should fund social programs is like saying, “Hey, let’s hold a blood drive at Dracula’s castle.” By the way to get real on you a moment, a leader of Black Lives Matter recently bought themselves their 4th mansion. If you think in the fantasy of Gotham, a nightmare city where super criminals are born every day, is going to use all of Bruce’s money properly, then I have some Bat shark repellent to sell you. The whole idea is that you can’t cure the city with conventional means! You can’t undo what Gotham is just to push your bad ideas.
I’d rather Bruce work out his issues while smashing a psycho clown’s jaw than in the fetal position on some overpaid advice givers couch.
It goes against the themes.
Batman has a ton of wonderful themes that make it sing for us. One of the ones I enjoy most is that Batman may be as crazy as the villains he fights. That what he does makes him a lot like them, fantastic stuff. It’s the theme that vigilante justice can make you just as bad as what you hunt. But instead put him on a couch and have him work through his bat trama? Why approach fantasy stories with such crass perspectives? I’d rather Bruce work out his issues while smashing a psycho clown’s jaw than in the fetal position on some overpaid advice givers couch. Some of the other themes deal with living up to what your parents wanted for you or surpassing them and their original visions for the family. All making Batman into Mr. Handouts does is make him like them. In that way we’ve kinda come full circle, as Bruce would be doing exactly what his parents did that didn’t work before. Why would any character let alone author want to tell this style story in a fantasy about a vigilante detective?
It goes against all the things that make Batman fun.
Punching bad guys? Out.
Cool cars and tech? Out.
Using your mind to solve crimes? Gone.
Your promise to your parents to deal your own justice? See ya.
Sexy babes? No, thanks male gaze! Lay on the couch and cry!
Everything that makes Batman Batman would have to be undone to “save” Gotham with piles of cash. Even though in reality many social programs fail or are corrupt money suckers. Let fantasy be fantasy and keep your fantasy reality in its own lane, thanks. We’re trying to entertain here, not undo literal fun and lore that’s been honed to perfection by legions of amazing artists over the years.
End of Batrant. Thanks for reading.
Von
What do you think all the charity balls that Bruce Wayne hosts are for? Yes, Social Programs!
Real fans question the story and the characters in order to better understand them. While SJW “fans” poke holes in well established characters and stories, not to understand or constructively add to, but to destroy them; and gloat over the ashes.