Donald Trump and the Rise of Reality Politics

INTRODUCTION

            Over the last year and a half we have had to bear witness to one of the most contentious elections in history.  The divisive political climate is painfully apparent in the public reaction many people have to the main two party candidates. It is not that these candidates are well liked, it is more so that those who are going to vote, hate the other candidate much more. So, many of the votes that each candidate are going to get are not from supporters, but from those against to their opposition.

 There are those that believe that Donald Trump is a racist hate spewing demagogue and others who see Hillary Clinton as a hawkish elitist prison-bound conspirator. And no Amount of “facts” will stand in the way of that belief. The understanding that objective facts, and the perception of the facts, are two different things is the basis of  Social Constructionism

  Politics, and especially winning an election, is based on how well a candidate understands that reality is a social construction. A politician who understands this social process (of knowledge production) well, can tap into the emotions of the populace, stoke their flames of fear and ride the tide of tyranny right into office.  Such a politician understands that with a lack of an agreement of what is considered true, belief can TRUMP facts. Yet, it seems that daily we are constantly surprised by the depths to which this election has sunk. 

The road to Nov 8th 2016 has been fraught with so scandals, conspiracies, xenophobia and sexual violence culminating in the threat of armed physical violence at the polls and a non peaceful transfer of power, that many people are asking "How did we get here.".  The sea of analysis that has flowed forth from that question one drop in this vast ocean, that has gotten little attention  is the influence of reality television and the way Donald Trump has run his campaign . 

 Donald Trump is "a real estate magnate with no experience in politics whose highly unconventional campaign bears a resemblance to the reality TV shows in which he has starred"

 POLITICS AND THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 

The Power of the Media
        Since the first televised debate between Kennedy and Nixon, we have understood the power of the non news media to influence elections. This was the first time that a candidate for office had to look "positively presidential". In fact, this has changed the political landscape so much, that many of our previously elected leaders, would not be elected today.  The navigation of the multi-media landscape would have claimed even our most competent former leaders. To be sure, Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt would be highly scrutinized for their look and demeanor. To put it frankly, today we wouldn't elect an man in a wheelchair.
      It is easy, using historical hindsight, to hyperbolically say that, before the media's importance in presidential elections, our elected leaders were selected more on the content of their platform, rather than who they were as a person. To do so, would not only be an example of revisionist history, but it would also ignore the role embedded, structural, institutional and covert inequality  had during those elections. Instead, the culture that we are in, cultivates the presidential candidates that we have, and it is that culture which has allowed these two candidates have risen in popularity and revulsion, which they have done against the backdrop of a relentless media landscape.

The Role of Social Media 

        Over the last two presidential elections the use of social media has become of greater and greater importance especially among younger voters. According to the American Press Institute, most millennials 18-35 gain most of their political news from online sources.  While most millennials have a daily interaction with Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, Twitter, Pintrest, Tumblr and Reddit. It is the Younger millennials (under the age of 30) that have a more consistent media presence (daily usage) with diverse social media platforms.

       Additionally, the use of Facebook as a primary social media source tends to skew toward older millennials whereas Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and Reddit skew younger.

    Thirdly, and most interestingly to the subject of political campaigns, is the way that Millennials engage with their social media.  Younger millennials use Facebook only as a social tool between friends, choosing instead to use twitter to garner the trending information and political news. Older millennials on the other hand use Facebook for both of these reasons.[1]

      To this end, of capturing the youth vote and to increase overall presence in the media both of the Candidates for president have a strong media presence. Although Trump beats out Clinton at twitter (his 12 million followers vs her 9.34 million), the Clinton campaign has a strong youtube presence where Trump is almost nonexistent (outside of videos about him of course). [2] It should be noted that the number of followers one has does not equate to voter support.  Additionally, given the polemic and inflammatory nature of Donald Trump’s tweets[3], It is plausible that a fair amount of his followers may not politically support him, but may just want to the first ones to see what new incendiary thing he send out, as a form of entertainment.

This is a small sample of some of the sexist tweets Trump uses to gain followers

Politics: The Ultimate Reality TV Contest

 This reinvention of politics as entertainment has caused Donald Trump to become a presidential candidate.  Over the last 10 years the top television genre has been reality TV. The majority of people, before this election, have known only the Trump brand and the carefully crafted image of Donald Trump from his show The Apprentice (and its many spin-offs ) for the last 16 years.  It is this image of Trump that many of his followers have embraced so completely, that regardless of the failed business ventures, bankruptcy and questionable business practices  they still think he is a "great businessman" and continue to deify him .

A small, wiry man...eyes afire, called out to all within earshot [during a Trump Rally], “To be in the presence of such a man! To be in the presence of such a man.” There seemed in this man’s call, a note of reverence, even ecstasy (Hochschild 2016:224).

    Unfortunately, this is nothing new in politics, we have done this with other candidates as well, We've done this with Ronald Reagan, presenting the image of the tough as nails cowboy, Arnold Schwarzenegger embracing the image of The Terminator, and now Donald Trump. All of these are examples of the disconnect we have between  the image of a person and the person themselves (remember social constructionism) which has allowed a revolving door between Hollywood and Politics. However, it also cannot be overstated that the [motion] pictures to politics pipeline usually only happens to affluent white men.

THE PANDERING TO ANGRY WHITE MEN

According to the graph above, the typical Trump supporter is a older white man with little education. This is also the same group that has tends to support the 2nd amendment and have the most guns.  The popularity of Donald Trump can be explained by his ability to tap into the zeitgeist of blue collar white male fear, racism and xenophobia that has bubbled up to the surface after the election of Barrack Obama.  

       White privilege is invisible to most white people. They believe that their experience, opportunities and access to resources are in line with everyone else, regardless of the truth. This is what is known as the normalization of whiteness (or White Hegemony). Thus, when social movements, the passing of laws and the election of the first “black” president not only makes their whiteness visible, but begins to strip away the privilege they didn’t believe that they had; it creates a backlash that Donald Trump is capitalizing on; which makes him an opportunist. In fact, many poorer white people have a lot in common with poorer people of color, even if their racial privilege still divides them. 

As this great SNL clip emphasizes

Rape Culture in Politics

    The Above clip of Donald Trump clearly illustrates Donald Trump as the embodiment of the rape culture. This was also the inciting incident that has caused his campaign to implode. Yet, it was only AFTER these comments were in the public eye (through the media) that anyone cared. From the first speech declaring his candidacy, Donald Trump, has embodied and fueled racial hatred (see clip at the beginning of this section) and Donald Trump's long history with sexism has been well documented. The question is: Why now? The answer has everything to do with  the power of the media and white men.

       A lot of the aforementioned rape culture is tied to masculinity. It is a form of toxic masculinity that sees women as sexual objects and normalized sexual assault to the point that Trump, like many other men before and after him, feels comfortable with this form of hate speech.  However, the social context can not be overlooked here. Trump is in an isolated space that is populated with mostly men. It is this space, what Sociologist Michael Kimmel calls "Guyland", that contributes to the perpetuation of the rape culture and the [street] harassment of women. Kimmel shows that this is not just a isolated problem with one political candidate. Trump is just the most recent public expression of a poisonous patriarchal practices that most men have to navigate.

     Men having to navigate such a "bro culture", is part of the reason there was a lack of outrage against Trump. His racist comments and foreign policy, along with his sexist comments against many women before this, did not have the same political fall out because it didn't prompt white men to get offended. Simply put: the outrage and backlash Trump experienced is because his behavior went from the "protected social space" of Guyland to the Public. Once the comments were in the public, he offended white women; and since all white women are in an intimate relationship with a white man, whether that be a father, brother, partner etc., Trumps comments have aggravated the paternalistic protectionism of white women by white men.

    Thus, it is not necessarily that our culture now, all of sudden, see women as people. It is more so that Trump was attacking what a lot of conservative white men believe is their property. This is illustrated by the typical White Male response to Trumps comments citing themselves as  a husband, father, brother etc. By doing this they are also illuminating the cultural perception that IN ORDER FOR A WOMAN TO BE CONSIDERED A PERSON, SHE HAS TO INDIVIDUALLY BE RELATED TO EVERY WHITE MAN!

As Samantha Bee explains 

CONCLUSION

      The current candidates both represent ideologies that clearly embody America. From our unwillingness to own up to our history of genocide, racism, and sexism, while still being racist and sexist through the emulsification of hate into a new subtler aberration; to our sense of optimism, progress, support and unity that allows for opportunities and multiculturalism, these candidates are the manufactured mirror of our culture, and regardless of who wins, this cultural duality of the United States is now clearly visible to all.

     The issue now is what do we do with this critical lens we have had over our country in the last year and a half? What will we do on Nov 9th? Will we remember this election forever, or like a lot of things, will our memory get fuzzy with age, time and distance? Could we look back on this time and say "It wasn't that bad?" like we do, so many other historical events? Perhaps.  It is far more likely that happens than that which we need. We need to remember, we need to understand and embrace these horrors; to hold them tight until it is burned in our memories. Then we can say never again... then we can have progress.

  

     

[1] http://www.mediainsight.org/PDFs/Millennials/Millennials%20Report%20FINAL.pdf

[2] http://venturebeat.com/2016/09/26/trumps-climate-change-conspiracy-was-the-most-retweeted-tweet-during-the-first-debate/

[3] http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/01/28/upshot/donald-trump-twitter-insults.html?_r=1

   

Sociology Alert! The Intersection of Race, Violence and Masculinity An attempt to Understand Recent Tragedies

Just as a domestic violence survivor murderers her/his abuser, there is nothing good to come out of the recent tragedies surrounding race, police officers and violence. From the officer involved shootings of civilians, to all the victims of the sniper attack, the series of deaths have caused a widening of the chasm of mistrust between police officers and people of color. Going forward, stereotypes will be reinforced, individuals and ideologies will be blamed. But what most likely won't happen is a real conversation and legislation about the availability, access and (mis)use of military grade weaponry. Which is a common factor in both the socialized fear of police officers by people of color and the socialized fear the police have of (usually) men of color.

Watch Samantha Bee astutely address the issue of Gun Control:

Hashtag Wars

 The reality is that there is a very good chance that the Dallas sniper has fueled the #bluelivesmatter campaign. While it is true that police officers lives do matter, they are not equitable (or mutually exclusive) to the lives of black and civilians. This is because A) When these two hashtags are compared they are usually compared after a violent incident. B) The violence experienced by "black lives" and the violence experienced by "police lives" are not the same thing. When one decides to become a police officer it should be done with the reasonable understanding that you will experience violence and possible mortal danger. You should not have that same expectation just because you are black. Therefore police officers being shot and killed in the line of duty, while tragic, is an occupational hazard; while the consistent killing of unarmed people of color is more akin to genocide. These ideas are all overshadowed by the hashtag #alllivesmatter       a hashtag which is the most recent attempt in a long history of  way of isolating, alienating and erasing folks of color's identity by the white male patriarchy.

Masculinity and Violence 

There is a long history of the connection between Masculinity and Violence, especially White male violence . One of the general principles of gender  boys (and girls) learn through the process of gender socialization is that boys need to be tough and strong. That strength and toughness usually comes at the cost of boy's complex emotions.  Through an elaborate system of shaming (see image below), marketing, and praise, boys learn early on that they can freely express anger and little else.  This means that all of the complex emotions that boys have are encouraged to be filtered through anger. The result is that even the very basic positive emotions of say Joy and Love, when filtered through anger, become different forms of violence such as riotous behavior and domestic violence 

Here is the first 10 min of Tough Guise 2...a great watch

 

Reading List 

For further Sociological reading on these subjects read the work of 

Naomi Zack White Privilege and Black Rights 

Eduardo Bonilla Silva Racism Without Racists 

Michael Kimmel Angry White Men

Lisa Wade Gender Ideas and Institutions

Audrey Omar Masculinity and the Acceptance of Violence 

Comics Character Profile: John Constantine

INTRODUCTION

If there are any frequenters of this blog, many of them, given my past posts, would have assumed that the first character I would profile in the new feature on this blog would, in fact, be Batman; given my not so subtle affinity and obsessive reverence for the character.  However, I never really considered it, partly due to the fact that A LOT has been written about the character of Batman including by me (see the above link) and I am not sure what else I could contribute that would be novel and or nuanced.  Thus, I have decided to profile my second favorite comics character John Constantine.

THE BASICS 

Name pronunciation and publication history 

  John Constantine (contested pronunciation: British creators and writers say his name rhymes with turpentine (tyne) whereas Americans have his name rhyme with serpentine (teen) I prefer the latter to the former)  was created by Alan Moore , Steve Bissette, and John Totleben, originally appearing in Alan Moore's The Saga of the Swamp Thing # 37 in June 1985.  In 1988, he became the lead character in the book Hellblazer (1988-2013) finally canceled after its 300th issue. The character has since lived on in solo titles of Constantine (2013-2015), after The New 52 relaunch, and Constantine: The Hellblazer (2015-) after the Convergence event.  To increase continuity and broaden the brand, during "The New 52" relaunch, DC comics also created multiple Justice League teams.  The Justice League team that was formed to deal with magic, supernatural threats and the occult, was deemed Justice League Dark (JLD) (2011- 2015) of which Constantine was their reluctant leader.  The re-branding of the JLD into "Dark Universe" (in line with Guillermo del Toro's upcoming project of the same name) has since been stalled until late 2015 (I am not holding my breath).

Personality and Appearance 
    

"I might be a little rough around the edges, sure. But I'm on the side of the angels, mate." 
Constantine in the episode "Haunted"

     John Constantine is a chain smoking, foul mouthed, working class, anti-establishment, cynical adrenaline addicted con-man.  He is both an anti-hero and a reluctant one; meaning that while he tries to avoid heroic deeds or tasks, once he undertakes them, he is willing to sacrifice others for the greater good, and sometimes for his own selfish nature (justifying this by weighing his own value in the fight against evil over others). He is pragmatic, practical, and has little patience for hope and idealism especially if it hinders necessary action. He is not above using people, and all forms of violence, torture and murder in order to keep the mystical balance. For Constantine, the ends, definitely justify the means.  

     This gruff an rigid exterior is a front for an individual who is deeply emotionally scarred by what he has seen, and wracked by the guilt of his past deeds and the loss of (almost) everyone close to him (such as the Newcastle crew).  This later motivated him to be a self defined "Occult- Hero" to try to atone for what he believes are stains on his soul.  This perception of himself frequently makes him prone to reckless behavior that usually results in gambling with his own life (and ironically) the lives of others.  

   Constantine's personality often has a polarizing effect in others.  John's charisma and persuasiveness allows him to make friends (and lovers) easily. However, those who know him for any length of time, either have undying loyalty to him, or despise him completely. Ironically, for many of John's associates, it has been combination of both. Constantine never has a simple relationship with anyone, they are all layered and complex.

      He is defined as bisexual, but canonically he seems to be closer to pansexual as he has had relationships with men, woman and various demonic forces.  Additionally, Constantine loves Silk Cut brand cigarettes, punk rock, any type of alcohol, black coffee, and burnt bacon and eggs.

      Constantine was created using the visual model of pop artist Sting. He is British, hailing from Liverpool, England. He has blond hair and blue eyes standing at least 6 feet tall with a lanky lean build without being overly muscular.  His body displays various magical sigils; as wards or to increase magical resistance. In almost every issue, Constantine wears dark (usually black/brown) pants and dress shoes, a white button down dress shirt,  a black or blood red tie in a loosened Windsor knot, and his trademark beige/tan trench coat and gold lighter.  

    Constantine is also one of the few characters that was allowed to age throughout his initial 25 year publication.  At the beginning of Helblazer, Constantine is around 33 years old (through the NewCastle story flashes back to when he was in his early 20's) This means that Constantine was almost 60 years old by the time Hellblazer was canceled in 2013,  This was later Retconned when Constantine was folded into the larger DC comics universe after "The New 52", making him, perpetually between the ages of 32-35 years old.

Powers and Abilities 

Constantine is the most powerful mage and greatest con-artist in the DC Universe.

Chief Magical Power: Syncronicity Wave Traveling: This allows Constantine to be "in the right place at the right time." or meet the exact person he needs to meet to achieve his desired goals. This allows Constantine incredible "luck" allowing him to fall into money, reshape a fight to his advantage and avoid harm or serious injury. Unfortunately, this often does not extend beyond himself and his friends often pay the price.

 Other powers include: Backwards spell casting, evocation, necromancy, invisibility, he can generate movement (telekinesis), fire (pyrokinesis), electricity (electrokenesis), and plants (chlorokenesis); divination, mind control, illusion casting, demon summoning, teleportation, curses, spirit ward creation: including magic circles and golemancy (raising a golem)  

Chief Ability: Deception: Constantine is the greatest con-man. He has the uncanny ability to manipulate anyone around him, planning things out in an elaborate chess match. He has been known to manipulate and  deceive the most intelligent and powerful heroes and villains in the DC Universe including Batman, Superman, Lex Luthor and DC's version of The Devil and God.

Other abilities: Escapology, Hypnosis, Occultism, Prestidigitation, Stage magic, slight of hand expert, possession resistance, some limited hand to hand combat.

Magical Paraphernalia

The Trench Coat:  The coat is sentient and demonic, holding demon powers such as: Cursing, Jinxing, mind control,. So powerful that it caused the death of anyone who didn't have a strong will to resist its bloodlust. When Constantine's Niece, Gemma, sells his coat in an arc in the comics,  there is a near war in hell to see who can claim it.

Cigarette Lighter: Constantine is never seen without his signature Zeppo-style, windproof Cigarette lighter. In addition to its obvious practical purpose, John's lighter has a number of magical wards and other incantations engraved into the case.  John often uses the lighter to help with spells and rituals (when called for) especially when invoking pyrokenesis. When Constantine travels other realms and/or planes of existence, the Cigarette lighter often acts as a Talisman; anchoring him.

I'm a Nasty piece of work. Just ask anybody."

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Right man, right time.
       John Constantine's creation was largely due to the anti-establishment counter culture of the 1980's. These were your resident badasses that faulted conventional authority (others created around a similar time were Frank Castle: The Punisher, and Wolverine). Much of this is fueled by Alan Moore's original interpretation, which still effects the character's motivations in the current comics. The title of Constantine's  solo book: Hellblazer was originally supposed to be titled Hellraiser, but was changed as to not confuse the readers with the horror film series.  Yet fearing John Constantine and his associates were too adult for their mainstream readers, DC comics decided to establish Vertigo.

A Company Alone.
      Vertigo, an imprint of DC Comics, started in 1993  by Karen Berger, Vertigo was originally established so that DC Comics could tell adult themed/centric stories that would not have the watchful eye of self regulation through the Comics Code Authority.To that end, Vertigo, was all creator controlled, owned and operated. thus being as anti-establishment as Constantine himself, whom became the poster child and embodiment of the Vertigo Company which decided to focus on the horror fantasy genre than traditional superhero fare. Also during this time, the equally creator controlled imprint known as Wildstorm broke away from DC comics to become its own thing.
         Both Companies had stellar talent which caused DC sales to dip during this time period. For Constantine, he was responsible for "the British Invasion" of comic book writers.  The character attracting such stellar talent as the aforementioned Alan Moore, Len Wein, but also Neil Gaiman and Grant Morrison. Constantine easily became the most popular and longest running monthly book that Vertigo ever had.
     With John Constantine, Vertigo reinvented the occult-detective. He was something completely different while paying homage to the early noir films.  Since his creation there have been many imitators and charlatans (throughout many mediums) all don't quite live up to Constantine's gruff persona that was the voice of a new generation of disenfranchised youth.

SOCIAL CONTEXT

John Constantine is to the supernatural community what Batman is to superheroes.  They both often operate outside of the mainstream morals of their respected community.  Whereas Batman doesn't often fall in line with the ideals of Superman, Flash or Green Lantern; Constantine often is at odds with Swamp Thing, Deadman, Madam Xanadu and Zatanna, even when they are on the same team.  Yet, also like Batman, Constantine is the practical pragmatic voice in the crowd.  He is the one that will do what needs to be done, and that, makes him necessary but not generally likable.
    A fascinating aspect of John Constantine's relationship with the larger DC Universe is that few people both inside and (definitely) outside the supernatural community know how powerful Constantine really is. This is primarily because Constantine does not use magic unless he has to; often only using wards and magic circles over more direct and aggressive spells.  This makes Constantine one of the most underestimated characters, which he consistently uses to his advantage. Most people, when they meet him, haven't heard of him, and those who have heard of him don't think very much of him.  It is only those who are close to him, or others who have been conned by him, know just how dangerous he really is.
     In his re-imagining through the " The New 52", Constantine's reluctance to use magic was explain though a brief biographical context; stating that when Constantine was younger he did not respect magic and was prone to abuse it. After his encounter with the demon Nergal, and the loss of Astrid and the Newcastle Crew, he vowed to maintain the mystical balance, making sure that no one person became too powerful. This lead to his continuous quest to find and horde mystical items to make sure they do not fall into the wrong hands.

BADASS MOMENTS 

You know you're badass, when you "flip off" the Devil

As of this writing, I have not read through all 300+ issues of Hellblazer (I am currently on Vol 7 "Tainted Love") So I cannot speak to any Future Badass moments John may have.  But even with the amount of Hellblazer I've read, coupled with the other appearances of Constantine in other books, I think I can cobble together some pretty awesome and Iconic moments.

John Tricks the Devil Part 1
  One of the most Badass John Constantine moments (that lead to the iconic splash page above) comes from the seminal Dangerous Habits story-line. It concludes with John Constantine tricking The Devil into curing him of Cancer.

John promises his soul to each of the fallen souls from Heaven and then slits his wrists. As each of the fallen come to collect their prize, the first of the fallen, The Devil does not want to share the bounty. But he is in a pickle, if Constantine dies, there will be a war in hell over the right to his soul. The only choice The Devil has is to make sure Constantine lives, so he decides to cure his cancer.

John Tricks the Devil Part 2

Angered that A human was able to trick him. The Devil went seeking revenge. His wife told him about Ellie, a Succubus that knew Constantine and how to ensnare him. However, Ellie fled The Devil's grasp and found Constantine, tipping him off to The Devil's plan for Revenge. In exchange for Constantine's assistance, the two would trick the Devil, a second time:

Ellie, as it turns out was in love with an Angel. An Angel who was killed by the Archangel Gabriel for lying with her, a demon.  Together Constantine and Ellie forced Gabriel to fall from grace, becoming mortal. Then as an added "middle finger" to The Devil, Constantine bound Ellie to earth so that the Devil could not drag her back to hell for punishment.

Out Smarting the King of Vampires 

One night, John found himself being stalked by the King of Vampires. In a tense linguistic battle of wits, The Vampire King offers Constantine eternal life to which Constantine replies " Thanks but I like my life just the way it is." To which the King of Vampires responds by threatening John's life. Full of such arrogance, The Vampire King gives John this ultimatum:

 Constantine then slowly walks a way. Later, The King of Vampires attempts to drink from Constantine. It is then revealed that after John's blood was mixed with the blood of the demon Nergal, his blood became toxic to vampires.

 Getting the drop on Superman 

Constantine generally stays away from Superheroes (derogatorily calling them "the capes").  They are not in his world, so he is not in theirs.  Many times he sees them as having too much power and control, believing that there shouldn't be too much power in one single body... like Superman. Even though they rarely meet, when Superman and Constantine come face to face, Constantine always likes to be prepared.

REQUIRED READING

The Hellblazer Series pay particular attention to The Odd volumes up to Vol 5. which is amazing
Constantine Vol 1: The Spark and Flame 
Justice league Dark beginning with Vol 2-Vol 3 the Jeff Lemire Run

PERSONAL CORNER 

When I was a teenager, I channeled that youthful angst into a ever growing obsession with the supernatural and the occult. An obsession that started when I read Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice which lead me to such behaviors as researching Vampires, whittling stakes, hanging out in graveyards and reading about (and practicing) magic and Wicca. Therefore, John Constantine not only speaks to me as a comic book fan, his presence scratches a particular itch I've had for decades.

The Film

 Because of this, I have been an apologist for the 2005 film Constantine starring Keanu Reeves.

 
The main problem with this film is in its casting of John Constantine and Chas Chandler played by Keanu Reeves and Shia Labeouf.  They are awful. Not really getting the feel or the nuances of their characters right.  However, the other cast members are great; Especially:

Tilda Swinton as Gabriel

Dijmon Hounsou as Papa Midnite

Peter Stormare as Lucifer 

 To this day, I still contend that the movie around Reeves and Labeouf is amazing, its just painful to watch the two of them struggle their way through their characters.  To be fair, I didn't have a problem with Reeves' performance until after I started to read the comics. However, I have always had a problem with Labeouf, both his acting and his arrogant public persona.

Best scene: right out of the "Dangerous Habits" Storyline

I had been so enamored with the film that I had championed its sequel for many years, hoping that we would see more of this world.  It was only after I started reading the comics, that the dream died.

Full disclosure: I wasn't into the comic book version of John Constantine until the New 52 relaunch in 2011.  Initially, it wasn't the awesomeness of John Constantine that drew me in, it was the thought of and sheer geek pleasure of a Supernatural Justice League Team aka "The Justice League Dark" of which Constantine was on the roster.  It was his presence on the team, along with the writing of Jeff Lemire that had me hooked and caused me to pick up the first issue of his solo book in 2013. The rest, as they say is history.  I didn't know it at the time, but it was about to get a whole lot better.

The Series 

It was in keeping my ear to the ground about a sequel to the Constantine film that I heard about the development of Constantine for NBC. I was very apprehensive that a heavy Supernatural show could ever workon a network like NBC. But I liked the creative team and the direction they said they were headed. I was still a little worried about the look of Constantine, after Keanu Reeves portrayal.

Then they released this Image:

Again I was hooked.  He looked like he stepped off the page of Hellblazer,  I wanted more, then, the trailer Dropped:

  
I. was. in.  Heaven. It was a brilliant series I ravenously consumed each episode which paid proper homage to the Hellblazer Comics and the "New 52" Version of Constantine. My only gripe about the show: Given what we know about Constantine's coat (see above), why would he keep taking it off in. every. episode?!


 However, knowing how the corporate side of TV works, my heart slowly sank as I watched the ratings slip, from its initial high point in the pilot. With the average ratings, being below the standard for a network like NBC, and the overall cost of the show, when the series wasn't picked up for a full season order (making its first season only 13 episodes) I knew it was the beginning of the end. The eventually canceled the show

#SaveConstantine

  As the show was slowly dying, running out its final episodes on NBC.  Social Media took up the charge to find Constantine a new home with the #SaveConstantine. This was coupled with the hashtages #Constantine  and #Hellblazers. While the show didn't find a permanent home, the social media life line kept Constantine in the public consciousness long enough for Stephen Amell and the showrunners of Arrow to take notice.

#ConstantineonArrow

Stephen Amell began supporting the #SaveConstantine campaign back in May 2015 with a series of Tweets  where he said if the show was saved, he would guest star.  Unfortunately this did nothing to save the (entire) show.  This did however, give rise to #ConstantineonArrow. The thinking was, if Arrow couldn't be on Constantine, why not have John Constantine guest star on Arrow.

The result was the excellent episode 3X05 of Arrow titled "Haunted"

Here are some of the best moments:

The Crossover was a major success! The result was Arrow getting a season high ratings Bump. This not only brought more attention to Matt Ryan's stellar performance as  John Constantine (and thereby making more people aware of the Original series) But it also put Constantine (the show and the character) in the Arrow Universe that is shared by The Flash, Supergirl, and soon to be Legends of Tomorrow. This means that the character can not only return to Arrow, which, given his episode and the tone of the season, he may show back up for the finale; but he could also show up on ANY OF THESE OTHER SHOWS!  

        Additionally, Matt Ryan's portrayal of Constantine had such High praise that Guillermo del Toro a self confessed huge Hellblazer fan and producer of the upcoming film Dark Universe based in the soon to be DC Cinematic Universe (think Man of Steel, Suicide Squad and Batman v. Superman) wants to see Matt Ryan back in the Trenchcoat.

Change.org petition

 One of the best depictions of Constantine has been Matt Ryan's interpretation of the character.  I would love it if he could continue in some capacity whether it be in the "Arrowverse" or through a revival of the show .  Please follow this link I have provided sending you to Change.org to Sign the petition to help Constantine, and Matt Ryan's portrayal of such an iconic and refreshing character in popular culture  

CONCLUSION


At the end of this, the first Comics Character Profile, I hope you have learned something about a character that you may not have known. I also hope it inspires you to seek out this character in whatever medium you find them in. Please consider my recommendations and give this character a chance, he deserves it. After all, "He's been to hell and back."

Comics Character Profile (C.C.P.): An Introduction

  Introduction to the C.C.P.

As a new, and hopefully recurring, feature on this blog, I've decided to write a Sociological Geek centered profile on some of my favorite comic book characters. Using Sociological analysis, I will be giving background, social and historical context,  and overall reverence for each character I profile. Hopefully, given my expertise, I can bring some insight or perception on a character that hasn't been taken before or been neglected. Essentially, I hope to provide a novel analysis that will pique interest and stimulate critical dialogue.

  This new feature will have several; components:
1) The Basics: Where I discuss the basic history, knowledge, skills and attributes of the character.
2) Historical Context: Where I discuss the relevant historical climate that informs the character.
3) Social Analysis:Where I discuss the social importance of the character in their Universe
4) Badass Moments: This is pretty self explanatory.
5) Required Reading: A list of the seminal stories for the character
6) Personal Corner: Here I get a bit more subjective where I reveal the reasons for my love (bordering on obsession) the the character within my own biography.

 

This new feature is designed to satisfy my increasing unquenchable obsession with comics and comic book characters. Thus, as a form of catharsis, these profiles will allow me a form of release from these all consuming thoughts. However, even though this process is personally therapeutic, I hope to provide a worth while analysis that will add something to the overall conversation that has yet to be discussed...as previously stated.

Enjoy. :)

Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy: an Exercise in Perfection.

INTRODUCTION

Batman and my biography

        I am a person with a disability (PWD).  I have cerebral palsy. Growing up, I always wanted to be someone other than me. As a child I wanted to be Superman, pretending to do all the things that he could do and be the peak physical specimen that I knew my disability robbed from me. Then, toward adolescence coming to terms with my perceived "otherness" I gravitated to the X-men, hoping that with my difference, also came special abilities (like Nightcrawler). It didn't happen no matter how I tried to convince my self it was possible.When I reached high school, I realized that I had been waiting around for a miracle, and that miracle was never going to come.  That is when I let Batman into my life.

"...You've changed things...FOREVER."- Joker The Dark Knight







     

     Before this, I was a casual Batman fan. I watched the movies get progressively worse from Burton to Schumacher (culminating in the abysmal and near un-watchable Batman and Robin), and even though my first comic books ever purchased were the self titled Batman (Issue 485), I never understood the character until that moment in high school when I realized, that I was always  going to be a PWD. There was no miracle, cure, or way to get around what and who I was.  There was nothing inherently special about me....just like Bruce Wayne.

          "Batman could be anybody"- Bruce Wayne The Dark Knight Rises 

       This understanding that Bruce Wayne and I shared this lack of specialness gave me hope that I could build myself into something spectacular. That through training, perseverance, and sheer force of will, I could become something more than I was, that I could "make myself more than just [a disabled] man". All I had to do was work hard enough at what I wanted.  It was then that Bruce Wayne/ Batman became a member of my reference group in all aspects of my life.  For me it wasn't What would Jesus do, it was "What would Batman do.". 

       By using Batman as a role model, I excelled in my studies at school, vastly improving with each tier from high school and on throughout college and graduate school.  I wanted to understand everything and have a keen critical and analytical mind as he always seemed to.  Even as I continue with my education independently reading and writing I am always chasing Batman.  Pushing myself to my academic limits of understanding, I often challenge myself with new topics and new ideas that I must Master.

      It is also because of Batman that I went back into the Martial arts that I had started when I was a kid.  I committed myself completely to my martial arts practice and my Sensei (still am committed) achieving the rank of 3rd Degree Black Belt in Isshin-ryu and a second degree Black Belt in Kyusho Jitsu. Now, again like Batman, I am currently working out my own "style" or "art" just as every martial artist has to make each technique their own. I with my disability have to take what works for me from multiple different styles ( I have incorporated some techniques from Wing Chun and KFM for obvious reasons) and leave the rest.

           However, the motivation for this period of self discovery and personal achievement had to be kept secret.  When this journey began in High school during a time when it was unacceptable for anyone over the age of 12 to be into comic books and superheroes.  So Batman, as my fictional paragon, was also my guilty pleasure.  I stopped reading comic books, and did not embrace the geek culture until, as an adult, I gave myself permission.

My Batman

          Every Batman fan has Their Batman. This is the depiction of Batman in comics and other media that resonates the most with them and who they are.  For some, it might be the Batman '66 television show, for others it might be the Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams run in the comics. For me, the gateway drug into the Batman Mythos was the work of Bruce Timm. Timm was creator of the famed DC animated Universe Continuity  That included:

          Batman: The Animated Series

Superman: The Animated Series 

Justice League 

Justice League Unlimited 

And Batman Beyond 

Being so engrossed in this world shaped how I see Batman, to the point that when I read Batman comic books today, Batman's voice sounds like Kevin Conroy's portrayal and The Joker's voice is Mark Hamill's portrayal 

From this great starting off point I built my personal Batman. To me, Batman is a dark, tortured character that uses the cape and cowl as a form of therapy to keep him from falling into the pit of madness that he is constantly on the precipice of.  It is through the persona of Batman that he needs to exorcise his demons, some who have taken physical form ( The Joker).  He is paranoid, he is alienated, he seeks to end his pain through stopping the pain of others. My Batman is a master combatant and a detective. Someone who is always prepared for any eventuality , who can out think his villains and strategize  better than anyone.  Unfortunately, this has become so ridiculous and outrageous over the years (in part due to Batman's loyal fandom) that it has become a parody of it's self.  Many Batman fans believe that Batman can do and survive anything just because "He's Batman."

 

Seminal Comics work for My Batman

Frank Miller's Year One and The Dark Knight Returns (plus the animated versions are good too)

The Long Holloween, Dark Victory and Haunted Knight by Jeff Loeb and Tim Sale

Hush by Jim Lee and Jeff Loeb

Arkham Asylum and Batman RIP by Grant Morrison

The Killing Joke by Alan Moore 

Scott Snyder's Run on Batman (three arcs Court of Owls, Death of the Family, and End Game) I have yet to read Zero Year 

    

Film

 It is Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Trilogy that is my near perfect portrayal of Batman and Bruce Wayne 

BATMAN BEGINS

   In my original review of the film (see link above), I stated that Batman Begins is the greatest superhero origin story, and I still stand by that.  However, I did not know this going into the theater in 2005.  I was relatively unaware of both the contents of this film and director Christopher Nolan.  What I did know is that they were going to tell the untold story of Bruce Wayne, going back to discuss his training and how he "became Batman." As the story unfolded before me, I realized what a wonderful piece of Cinema I was beholding. I saw the film three times, each with a different family friend and/or loved one.  I could not get enough.
       Nolan wisely made the decision to not show Batman until an hour into the film making us care first about Bruce Wayne before he dons his symbol.  This was so revolutionary that during one of my screenings someone came up to me at the beginning and asked " Is this the Batman film?" I assume they were expecting something different than an Indie Art house Batman Film.

Top 5 Favorite Scenes 

Sword fight on a glacier
"Will is Everything!"

"Where are You!".....Here.

"Where were the other drugs going!"

"I won't kill you. But I don't have to save you."

"A taste of the Theatrical,"

THE DARK KNIGHT

      The Dark Knight is one of the greatest superhero film in cinema history.  After seeing the joker card at the end of Batman Begins which caused me to shout out in the middle of the theater in joyous glee, I wanted to know everything about this film.  I was there for the press release announcing Heath Ledger as the Joker (I was skeptical) I was all upon the viral marketing campaign that invoked "The Long Halloween" which gave us the first images of the Joker.  I read about Heath Ledger's preparation for the role ( and the rumors of the psychological toll it took) and I was in Chicago during filming in March- May 2007.  I watched the news as they blew up an old Brach Candy factory that stood in for Gotham General in the film. However, when the film was released on July 18th 2008. I was in the midst of a big life changing event so I was unable to see the film at Midnight. To cope, I had asked my Brother in law (who was going to the midnight showing) to call me directly afterwards to give me his initial impressions...The verdict: Amazing.  I first saw this film in IMAX,  it was beautiful.

Top 5 Favorite Scenes

"You Think you can steal from us and just walk away?" "Yeah."

"Hit Me!"

"They're only as good as the world allows them to be."

"It's all part of the plan."

"He's the hero we deserve, but not the hero we need right now."

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES 

In anticipation for The Dark Knight Rises, Batman day was created.I was deep into marketing, spoilers, the reveal of the time jump (8 years), the completion of the story and the general awesomness that ensued. Very early on, I had already decided that I would see the film multiple times in the theater on the same day in a row (3 times in a row).  I ended up seeing the film 10 times in the theater, and now own multiple copies of it on Blu-Ray.  As I stated in my original review, this film is unique in that it has a complete ending. It completes the story of Bruce Wayne that we started in Batman Begins. This is why this installment of the Triology is my favorite.

      In a bit of eerie foreshadowing, while we were waiting for the film to begin at Midnight I leaned over to my Brother-in Law and said "What if Bane came through those exit doors right now?" " Oh, it would be over," he replied.  Little did we know that at that moment in Aurora, Colorado James Holmes was preparing to massacre people in a similar theater.  

      Aside from the tragedy, seeing the film at Midnight with my fellow fans became like a religious experience for me.  There were screams of Joy, outrage,  laughter, tears and Cheers! all the way up to the end.  Thank you Emotional Contagion. :) The Batman vs. Bane fight to this day gives me chills!

Top 5 Favorite Scenes

"The Fire Rises."

"Oops"

"I am the League of Shadows."

"Because I'm Batman."

Happy Healthy Life.

CONCLUSION

This is the series of films that I can watch over and over without getting tired. Since the three films complete a story I can not watch just one of them. I have to watch them all. Sure I will spread them out over days maybe weeks (because who really has 10 + hrs to watch films anymore) but I need to watch them in order. I have been watching them at least once a year, and will continue to do so.  Christopher Nolan gave me three Batman stories and the complete Journey of Bruce Wayne. For that I will be forever Grateful.