Ben Affleck is Batman...

       Ben Affleck has been cast as Bruce Wayne Batman in the as of yet untitled sequel to Man of Steel.  Those who are frequent readers of my blog (Are there any out there?) know that I HATED Man of Steel, mostly because I hate Zack Snyder as a director. I think that the characters in his films are often two dimensional (especially female characters that are often a masturbatory fantasy), His story structure lacks fluidity to the point that it can become incomprehensible, he writes wooden dialogue, and his action scenes are so quick, flashy and jumbled they nearly induce a seizure.  He is a music video director that shouldn't have left his roots.
        On the other hand, I really like Ben Affleck as a director.  With directing credits like Gone Baby Gone and The Town, he shook off the dead weight of "Bennifer" (the media dubbed highly publicized romance/near marriage to Jennifer Lopez) and previous acting flops like Gili and Boiler Room. With Argo and to a lesser extent Good Will Hunting, he made a name for himself as a competent writer/director with a style that is an eclectic mix of Billy Wilder, Sidney Lumet, Sidney Pollack, and Martin Scorsese. Gaining the accolades of his peers by winning the coveted Best Picture Oscar (for the previously mentioned Argo) Affleck is on his way to being a major force in Hollywood.
       I am so positive about Ben Affleck as a director that I was more than excited when rumors surfaced that he may direct a Justice League film (when there was still talks of one) and although nothing can touch Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Trilogy, I believe that Affleck can capture the gritty realism that is necessary to make Gotham City a real character in the inevitable Batman reboot (much like writer Scott Snyder has done in the comics).  As long as he stays behind the camera.
    When the casting news of Batman broke recently, I did not believe it. I was in shock.  Instantly, my mind went to all of the most awful roles Ben Affleck had ever played...and I thought it was brilliant. Why? Because I want The Man of Steel sequel to fail.  However, in a rare moment of optimism, I started to wonder if they hired Affleck, not so much because he would be a good Batman (more on that below), but because he is a more accomplished (and far better) director than Zack Snyder. With Affleck on board so early, perhaps he will advise the film through the pre-production stage as well as through production.  If he does, that will undoubtedly make the film better, or at least make it suck less.
         The four main reasons Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman is a problem:

    1) He will be the first Batman to follow Christian Bale's Bruce Wayne/Batman in The Dark Knight
       Trilogy. With such a beloved set of films completed a scant year ago, the news of Ben Affleck's
      casting falls flat.  There will be inevitable comparisons, and those comparisons will be harsh.
    2) Affleck's Batman will be more fantastical.  Living in the same world as the Man of Steel
        Superman, this Bruce Wayne will have to be more like the comics... that means closer to "Bat
        Shark Repellant" and nippled Batsuits than the Dark Knight detective. Not that these next set of
        films can't be more fantastical and still have a sense of realism, but with Snyder's creative
        team,we are more likely to get the former rather than the latter.
    3) The Character.  In all of Affleck's roles I have seen him in, nothing shows me that he can
         achieved the psychosis and gritty, brooding intensity of Bruce Wayne/ Batman.  My critics
         might say that the same thing was said about Heath Ledger being the Joker in The Dark Knight,
         to which I say it is not the same.  When I heard that Ledger was going to be the Joker, I
         looked at his past roles and saw glimpses of the intensity (not of the character) needed to play
         such a role. In Affleck's roles, I have seen none of that.
   4) The Voice. I just can't hear it. I shutter to think that Affleck is going to use the same/similar
        voice that he used for 2003's Daredevil.  That. would. be. Awful.

     In Conclusion, take my analysis with a grain of salt. I want this movie to fail and I want Snyder to be responsible.  Additionally, I feel that this film is being put together for all of the wrong reasons (namely money). Warner Brothers (WB) wants to catch up with Disney and Marvel (Impossible).  So, to try and break the records for The Avengers, the WB is arbitrarily putting the character of Bruce Wayne/Batman in the sequel to Man of Steel just for the box office. For those reasons, aside from the fanboy outrage that is trolling the internet, the excitement for the addition of Batman and Affleck is rather muted.

The Perils, Pitfalls and (subtle) Joys of Sociology

        When I was younger, in my primary formative years, I believed that when you found your career, and achieved goals that you set, eventually, you would find peace.  When I say that, I do not mean just a passive sense of wellbeing, but a tranquil serenity, a bliss that can only come with a sense of earned accomplishment...then I became a sociologist*
           Two of the classic works on this subject of Sociology are Peter L. Berger's  Invitation to Sociology and C. Wright Mills' The Sociological Imagination.  These two books are essential to understanding the Sociological Perspective.  The former gives anyone license to become a Sociologist, as long as they are intellectually curious, are not swayed by simple answers, and whom are willing to look deeper into a subject. Whereas the latter breaks us of our blissful "private orbits" by placing our biography is a social context in such a way that we can not deny the impact of social forces upon our lives. 
       Because of this, studying Sociology is both a blessing and a curse.  Why? Because ignorance [can be] bliss. The blessing is that Sociology takes the random chaos of society and organizes it into multi-faceted and layered systems of power, status, identity, and structure.  From this organization comes understanding, but with it, anxiety. To paraphrase Mills, we "can't turn it off". Once we adopt the sociological perspective, we recognize social influences and its effects everywhere. Also, depending on what area (specialization) of Sociology you choose, this awareness (and the anxiety that comes with it) can be a mild annoyance to near debilitating.  I am often reminded of a quote from Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back "Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny." This is especially true for me, as my focus is on Social Inequality.
         Focusing on social inequality can leave someone cynical to the world (and I am). Immersing oneself in the awfulness of human behavior (rape, genocide, poverty, systems of privilege (aka "the isms" i.e. racism, sexism disablism ageism, etc.), can inevitably lead a person to have a low opinion of humans in general. That is, if you believe there is no hope.  Sociology and the knowledge derived from its study, can be used as a weapon to combat these problems, that, through sociological research, knowledge, and teaching, can make the world a better place. To me, that makes my Sociological mindset, the greatest tool I have.
         Unfortunately, a lot of the things that I study, and fight against, have become so normalized (become part of everyday practices, through the process of socialization and recreated through social participation)  that they often go unnoticed by the general mainstream public (and even to others in the field that do not have the same emphasis). What exacerbates this problem is that sociologist live in the very thing that they study. Therefore, to the public, any social observation or experience (regardless of its origin) has equal weight.  In fact, and Sociology teachers come up against this quite often, a person's experience, in their mind, trumps any sociological data that is presented. This becomes but one unique problem sociology has as a discipline.
        Another problem that sociology faces is the dreaded "publish or perish" mentality of many universities, a place where the majority of sociologists have their careers.  Sociologist Mark Carrigan has a great post about the problem with this mentality.  Mr. Carrigan states:

the emergence of an audit culture incentivised academic over-production (ever more books, journals and papers being ever less read) while squeezing out reading that isn’t instrumentally attached to the exigencies of present work. In this way, the speeding up of intellectual culture tends to be self-reinforcing and it’s a hugely negative trend. The more that is published, the faster debates move on and, given the underlying mechanisms driving the over-production, the limited time and space this allows for reading will tend to be subjugated to the demands of keeping on top of an ever-growing literature in order to contribute to the debate thus intensifying the process which is causing the underlying problem!

     Because of the abyss that traditional academic publications have become, many Sociologist (myself and Mr. Carrigan included) have turned to more alternative methods of publication to get our message out.  Much of this is in the realm of Public Sociology.  Yet, the more value is given to information culled from blogs and other sources ( as long as the authors are reputable) this could be the start of a shift in academic status. Maybe soon, the value of the research is not in the how you publish, or from which ivory tower university you hail from, but in the content, and how it contributes to the discipline. Perhaps then, sociology will be truly free to engage with the mainstream allowing for social research( especially research on social inequality) to move forward by leaps and bounds becoming a part of the collective consciousness. Then, even though I am constantly filled with anxiety because of my understanding of the sociological perspective, I will not have the added frustration of trying to both justify and defend the disciple I love so much, and the knowledge and power it gives me.






* In my interactions with people, (namely other academics or those with a similar degree or occupational equivalent) there is contention on whether or not I can call myself a Sociologist considering that I do not publish (unless this blog counts :)) I ONLY teach. Thus, to them, I am a Teacher who specializes in Sociology.  Given that identity, especially self identity, is constructed based upon presentation, performance, and integration of various social scripts and its acceptance by individuals within a person's primary group and the public (in terms of the lack of negative social sanctions). I am a sociologist because it is the way that I understand the world....and how I wish Blogger could do footnotes. :)

Batman Day (B-Day)

          The greatest superhero trilogy is Christopher Nolan's Batman films.  They are brilliant, near perfect pieces of cinema.  "The Dark Knight Trilogy" as it is named, embodies the best and most important things about Batman, (the least of which is perseverance and the will to move forward). Therefore, they should be celebrated.
          As the films came out, due to personal circumstances ( mainly finishing Grad School and moving out of state) I was unable to full immerse myself in the full Batman experience for Batman Begins or The Dark Knight, respectfully. However, upon seeing Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, I immediately fell in love with them. The former being a much needed breathe of fresh air to revitalize the Batman franchise (after the abysmal Batman and Robin) full of gritty realism and an important focus on the psychology of Bruce Wayne. The latter, being a modern crime noir masterpiece whose characters embodied philosophical principles who just happened to wear costumes and be based on comic book characters.
          It was the anticipation built up from the first two films during the production and marketing of The Dark Knight Rises that I became a man obsessed.  I learned everything I could about the film from rumors, plot points,  spoilers, art work, run time etc.  I knew that this was going to be the LAST Christopher Nolan Batman film and the last turn of Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman; who has made the role iconic in a live action format (Kevin Conroy still holds that title for Batman in Animation).  Therefore, there needed to be a celebration worthy of both the films and the kind of inspiration Batman has been to me over the years (especially as a martial artist). Thus, Batman Day was born.
         Batman Day evolved as the release for The Dark Knight Rises got closer.  Mapped out over weekly martial arts training sessions with my student, friend and brother-in-law Chris (who was equally obsessed), the contents of Batman Day started to take shape.  First, inspired by the will and determination of the Bruce Wayne/Batman character, Batman Day would  include an intense, physically demanding, painful martial arts training session that would test our endurance.  We would then eat, and while we were recovering, watch the previous films in the trilogy.  Then, over the next 24 hrs, we would watch The Dark Knight Rises a total of 3 times in the theater upon its release.
          The first Batman day was celebrated on July 19-20th 2012, the release date of The Dark Knight Rises.  The martial arts training was full of pressure point knock outs that left both Chris and I crying on the floor in glorious pain.  As we mended, we grew with anticipation watching the previous films.  By the time we left for the first showing, at midnight, we were so full of adrenaline and caffeine that we felt no pain.
          Watching The Dark Knight Rises,  for the first time, was a religious experience for me. During that first showing, as the movie concluded, and the credits rolled, I was an emotional wreck.  I soon realized that Batman Day, originally intended to be a single celebration of Batman greatness and the greatness of The Dark Knight Trilogy, needed to be an annul holiday...Chris agreed.  We have celebrated Batman day twice already: Once for the Blu-ray release of The Dark Knight Rises back in December, and Officially yesterday: August 16, 2013.
          To be celebrated on or around the 3rd Friday in July (barring scheduling conflicts), the Batman Day celebration spans approximately 10-12hrs and has several components that will continue to evolve and expand through the years:

          1)  Morning tea, sweet bread and the presentation of gifts (it is a holiday after all)
          2) The most intense and painful Martial Arts Training session we have had all year (which
              will escalate with each subsequent year).
          3) Lunch
          4) Viewing of Batman Begins     
          5) Freshly milled Coffee w/ cookies and biscuits
          6) Viewing of The Dark Knight
          7) Dinner w/ possibility of dessert
          8) Viewing of The Dark Knight Rises

 I would urge all people to celebrate those things that mean something to you, in whatever way you see fit.  Norms and rituals have importance, because we give them importance; no matter what other people think.  Construct your own reality and celebrate the things in your life that give it meaning. Celebrate with the people that also give your life meaning.  The rest, matters not.  :)

Sociology Alert! The Burka Avenger

        Meet Pakistan's first female superhero: The Burka Avenger.  When I first heard( via the Mary Sue) that this was going to be an animated show, I had a few Sociological issues with the concept. Before I saw the show, I took issue with the title "Burka Avenger". It left me with too many unanswered questions. Was she going to avenge women's right to or not to wear a Burka? Was this going to be a subversive cartoon about women's visibility and choice, or is it going to repackage old sexist repressive stereotypes disguised as female empowerment (i.e. faux feminism)?  Secondly, given the socio-political and international legislative kerfuffle that has been present throughout international relations lately, regarding the Burka,  I thought this could act as a lightening rod to further destabilize and divide individuals and countries on this issue. After seeing the first episode (embedded above), I am pleasantly surprised but maintain a healthy amount of trepidacious skepticism.
         The show's opening credit sequence, the best part of the episode in my opinion, tells an origin story that is commonplace: a child that was orphaned by violent and tragic means is taken in by a wise master who teaches the child a special skill to fight crime, get revenge etc.   What makes this uncommon, is that the protagonist is female.
          Jiya, the main character, even though she has a typically masculine backstory, that is usually a motivator for going on to fight for a world where no one will ever lose their parents (ala Batman) or for "truth justice and the "the American Way" (ala Superman) she fights for justice, peace and education for all.  This is very subversive and radically outspoken given the tragic events befalling Malala Yousuf and her courage and determination while fighting for a woman's right to education.
          As a westerner with no cultural, religious or emotional investment in the burka (outside of the issues of choice and body representation) I did not have an issue with how it was used in the episode.  Essentially, the burka is used to hide Jiya's identity and the animation uses it much like a ninja outfit (along with an added wicked cool gliding ability).  However, I can see with this secular use of a religious garb how some people might be offended, seeing this as sacrilege. This also brings up the reality that many girls and women do not have a choice in when, where and for what purpose they can or can not wear the burka. This is not addressed in the first episode but I hope gets addressed in the series.  
      One issue I felt troubled by in the first episode is that while Jiya uses the tools of education as a teacher, her alter ego, The Burka Avenger,  uses pens and books as proxies for grappling hooks and Shurikens.  I think sends a mixed message of how we are supposed to use education to better our society. Yes, she is fighting for the right to get an education for boys and girls.  I am not sure she needs to use the objects that are commonly associated with education as gimmicks to defend and fight crime.
       I am disappointed that the animation is not of the highest quality. The better the quality of the animation the more likely, I believe, people are willing to watch.  The best parts of animation are the parts with The Burka Avenger, those moments of animation are cleaner and more fluid. Although, personally, I could do without the blatant Matrix references.
      I applaud the creators for taking such a bold new step towards equality.  Now, middle eastern women and girls of color can have a more positive female role model that, at least attempts, to maintain cultural and religious tradition while attempting to re-appropriate clothing for a brighter future.

This ends the Sociology Alert!

The Feminism and Race Politics of "The Wolverine"

       I saw "The Wolverine" for the second time this evening. Not only did I enjoy the film even more with the second viewing (I forgave the film for some of my earlier nit picks about the third act.), but I was able to level out my geekiness enough to look at the film Sociologically.  Upon deeper sociological inspection, I was pleasantly surprised with how subversive this film is; unapologetically breaking barriers with its number of racially/ethnically diverse principle female characters.  In fact, one of the first barriers this film breaks is a male centric cast. "The Wolverine has 4 principle female characters (shown above) and 5 male characters, a greater balance than any other superhero film. Additionally, through its many feminist themes and racial politics, "The Wolverine" is one of the most egalitarian summer blockbuster superhero films that I have ever seen.

Feminist Themes
     There is no denying that "The Wolverine" is a film about James "Logan" Howlett.  However, all of his decisions, actions and motivations are informed by the women that are around him.  So much so, that one could say that there wouldn't be a plot (or point) to "The Wolverine" without its female cast.    Many of the feminist themes in this movie involve passing the Bechdel Test,  and are centered around the complexity and dimension of the female characters.

The Bechdel Test 
    "The Wolverine" passes the Bechdel Test.  The Bechdel test is a test of female representation in film/TV.  There are three simple criteria: 1) There must be two or more women in the film that have names. 2) These women need to talk to each other. 3) These women need to talk to one another about something other than a man. This criteria may seem simple (and it is), but a majority of films (especially superhero summer blockbusters) do not meet these easy requirements.
     In "The Wolverine", the Bechdel Test is satisfied by the conversations between Yukio and Mariko, who are childhood friends.  In these personal conversations they display caring for one another and discuss Mariko's new social position, and how to best keep safe from the threat of assassination. These conversation culminate at the end of the film with a reaffirmation of their relationship as sisters.

Complexity and Dimensions
      Each female character in the film services the plot in a unique and specific way. Yet, most of the characters do not fall victim to being portrayed as two dimensional tropes.  Mariko Yukio and Jean all enrich the story with their fully formed, multi-faceted and layered personalities, while Viper falls into a trope but makes up for it with some feminist behavior.

Mariko
      Yes, Mariko is a damsel through out a lot of the film.  Yet, in that role she shows strength through resistance and defiance.  During each kidnapping attempt, Mariko is shown to be adept at self defense; she even displays deadly skills with a knife on more than one occasion.  She is also shown to be both knowledgeable of her families company (enough to be trusted to run it) and compassionate to the needs of others (especially Yuiko and Logan). These character aspects allow Mariko to be spared the Damsel Trope and fails to become a victim to the ever popular "Women in Refrigerators" trope; something that even the 2008 mega hit "The Dark Knight" couldn't escape from.
    
Yukio
     A shallow interpretation of the character of Yukio could be seen as "the sidekick".  While she does travel with Logan and fight along side him, she does these things for her own reasons, and on her own terms.  She seeks out Logan under the orders of her employer, Yashida. It is her job. its not about Logan, regardless of how enamored she is with him in the beginning.  Secondly, she only attaches herself to Logan to prevent his death. Even then, she acts as his bodyguard; resulting in her saving his life more times than she's saved by him. At the end of the film it seems that this charge is one that Yukio takes seriously. She decides to accompanies Logan around the world, maintaining her "bodyguard" status.
      Yukio is also given a tragic backstory that rivals Wolverine's. Yukio has the mutant power to see the deaths of everyone she meets.  As a child, she "saw" her parents deaths and then witnessed it while she was in the backseat of the car. When Mariko was a young, her father Shingen took her to the southern part of Japan. Upon their arrival, they found Yukio eating out of the garbage.  She was taken by Shingen to be a companion for Mariko.  Through many years together, Yukio and Mariko's relationship grew into a mutual sisterhood.

Jean
      Logan's "visions" of Jean act as his moral conscience in the film.  They remind him of his past sins and his aching desire to end his life and "be with her". Jean's frank speech with Logan forces him to engage with some of the harsh realities of his life. Being haunted by Jean motivates Logan toward his over all end goal...to be faced with his role in Jean's tragedy, and forgive himself.  She is the barometer of Logan's character arc throughout the film.
   
Viper
     The one female character that is a bit one dimensional is Viper. She is regulated to the "Fem Fatale" trope.  However, even though she isn't given much backstory or character development she emphasizes strong female characteristics in the way that she demands respect from Harada (boasting that she was the cause of Wolverine's weakness), subdues Shingen and effortlessly murdering a man who mistakes her for a prostitute. 

Racial/Ethnic Politics
       Of the principle cast, there are no Europeans.  The ethnicity of the cast spans from Australia to the Netherlands, Japan to Korea and Russia. This is a breathe of fresh air in a genre that is typically populated with white ethnicities and national ties to the US.  This eclectic nature of the casting continues with the extras.  The film being set and shot in Japan all of the background characters, extras and enemies are people of color.
       This increased diversity lead Director James Mangold to have over 1/3 of the films dialogue be spoken in Japanese with English subtitles.  Mangold stuck pretty close to the rule that, if two native speaking Japanese characters were alone, they would speak Japanese.  This was in direct defiance to the film trope of having everyone in a foreign setting speaking English.  This was a fact that Mangold cautiously kept from the producers until right before release.

Conclusion
    It is for these reasons stated above that I believe that "The Wolverine" is, like its namesake, one of a kind.  It is a feminist friendly film portraying women with strength, complexity, and vulnerability, while minimizing or inverting the tropes that they do use. Also, this film represents people of color very well giving them diverse meaningful roles that ad texture to the story.  This is a film to emulate to achieve equality in big budget pictures.  While it is not completely perfect, it is a welcomed change to the women hating, masculine infused, adrenaline sucking stories that usually populate the summer cinema.