Superhero Ethics

Proving that we can find an ethical discussion in any media, (and that we haven't forgotten how to talk about topics other than Falcon & the Winter Soldier) we're diving deep on the ethical questions of the monster verse. Are they monsters, titans, or animals, and why does the word we use matter? What are the dangers of humans seeing themselves as the rulers of nature, and how does nature fight back? Paul and I are joined by Stranded Panda regular Nate Muzzy to dive into these questions and more.

Ethics and Justice in Falcon and the Winter Soldier, episode 6! With guests Will Freeland and Paul Hoppe.

This week Paul, Will, and myself dive into ethical questions raised by Falcon & the Winter Soldier, episode 5.Here are the links we mentionedPlaces to see discussion of disability, ableism, and Bucky losing his arm:https://twitter.com/leftistbucky/status/1380630711225491460?s=20https://twitter.com/srogersfilms/status/1380578915559739394?s=20https://ahscovenavengersalliance.tumblr.com/post/648025732653645824/there-are-a-couple-of-issues-with-this-scene-andFreddiesRoomate Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@freddiesroommate/video/6951758054979308806?lang=en&is_copy_url=0&is_from_webapp=v1&sender_device=pc&sender_web_id=6905098015830083077

Would you take the Super Soldier Serum? Is Walker a murderer? Is Karli? Will Freeland joins Paul & Matthew again to talk about ethical questions from Episode 4 of Falcon and the Winter Soldier.Will Freeland is a Pod Cast Host and Marvel Nerd. Located in Southern California, he is the co host of the Hype is my Superpower podcast. He can also be found at the Facebook group and Instagram page of the same name.

We examine ethical questions from Falcon and the Winter Soldier, episode 3, with guest Will Freeland.Will Freeland is the co-host of the Hype is My Superpower podcast. You can find it on most podcast apps, and join their facebook community at https://www.facebook.com/groups/1415184702155412.

Batman has had many sidekicks over the years, but it's not until Terry McGinnis steals the Batsuit that Bruce Wayne finds a successor. What is the difference between successors and sidekicks, and how do age and agency factor into that? What responsibility did Bruce have towards his wards and sidekicks, and how is Terry different? How many parallels can Ashley, Paul, & I draw to Captain America, the Falcon, and the Winter Soldier? Spoiler alert: A lot!Contains minor spoilers for Falcon & the Winter Soldier, and huge spoilers for Batman Beyond, Batman the Animated Series, and Justice League Unlimited.

With all the ethical issues Falcon & the Winter Soldier is raising, we realized we are absolutely going to record on it every week, and no more minisodes. We had a lot to say, because this show clearly has a lot to say.

The X-Men have often been symbols for the civil and human rights styles of the day. Some of the movies, especially X2, X3, and Days of Future Past, have strong resonance as metaphors for queer and disabled identity. Brand Grinslade joins me to as we explore those connections.Brand Grinslade is a non-binary nerd living just outside of Chicago Illinois, they are a musician and graphic designer who was raised a nerd since birth, and have love dissecting all things nerdy to find the truths at their core.

We didn't plan on doing episode by episode recordings about the ethics of Falcon & the Winter Soldier, but the show raised so many great questions, Paul Hoppe and I wanted to drop a quick episode. Today we talk about racism, nationalism, Bucky's trauma, and Sam's relationship to the military.

Imagine a world with superhumans. You’ve got heroes, you’ve got villains, you’ve got... an NPR style radio station aimed at supers? The creators of the Superhuman Public Radio podcast join me to discuss the gig economy for henchmen, the immigrant rights of extraterrestrials, and how their love for comic books as moral allegory drove this project.SPR is an independent, nonprofit media organization that was founded on a mission to create a more informed Superhuman public. Every day, SPR connects with millions of Superhumans on the air, online, and in person to explore the news, ideas, and what it means to be Superhuman. Through its network of member stations, SPR makes local stories national, national stories local, and global stories personal.To learn more about Superhuman Public Radio go to https://www.superhumanpublicradio.com/ or subscribe to their podcast on your favorite podcast app!To support this awesome project, go to https://www.patreon.com/sprpodFollow them on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/sprp

Is Wanda a hero, an antihero, or the MCU's version of a Batman Villain? Is sitcom jail a fair punishment for Agatha? And is the Ship of Theseus the most Star Trek moment to happen in the MCU? Matt Carroll and Paul Hoppe join me to discuss the ethical questions from WandaVision

Are you legally responsible for the actions of your clone? What is the self, and could it ever be uploaded, or copied? Rob McKenzie joins me for a deep dive into science fiction and the questions that surround digitized consciousness.

Can Mutants win love and acceptance by being heroes? Can Magneto find peace in separation? Is Charles helping Jean, or himself, by trying to protect her from her powers and her past? Paul, Ashley, and Matthew, dive into these questions and more as we look at XMen: Dark Phoenix!

What is the role of fate in the Terminator movies? Do the later movies stay true to this idea? What can you do when you see the tragedy your current decisions are taking you towards?Becky Allen joins us for this episode. Becky Allen is the author of Bound by Blood and Sand and the sequel,Freed by Flame and Storm. She grew up outside Ithaca, New York, andgraduated from Brandeis University with a major in American studiesand a minor in journalism. She is the product manager for TheBody.com,an online HIV resource, and loves New York, brunch, and feminism.

How would the Batman story change, if Bruce Wayne lived in the late 19th century? What ideals would Superman fight for, if he landed in the Soviet Union, instead of the United States? What happens when stories take our beloved characters and break canon by placing them in totally different times, settings, situations, or tones?Paul Hoppe (https://twitter.com/zenmadman) takes the reigns, leading a discussion with Matthew Fox and Ashley Coffin. In the episode we mentioned the following previous episodes:Our episode on Red Son- https://theethicalpanda.wordpress.com/2018/11/08/ep-58-red-son-zenith/Our episode on Canon - https://theethicalpanda.wordpress.com/2020/12/29/the-value-and-danger-of-canon/

We know the X-men of today, but what were there origins? What questions did they explore that still hold relevance for us today? And what in the world was happening on Batman 66?Jess Plummer joins us for part 2 of our dive into Comics History- The Silver Age.

How did Marvel change comics in the 60's? Who were Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, and why did making superheroes relatable have such appeal? Jessica Plummer and I discuss those questions and more on the 3rd episode of our Comics History Series!Jessica Plummer lives in New York and loves Superman very very much. You can listen to just how much on her Superman podcast, Flights and Tights (http://flightsandtights.libsyn.com/). She also writes about comics and books in general at BookRiot.com (https://bookriot.com/author/jessica-plummer/). Find her on Twitter @jess_plummer.Her obituary of Stan Lee can be found at https://bookriot.com/stan-lees-real-legacy/

Dr. Doom is one of the most famous villains to grace the comic book page. But in some stories he plays the role of an anti-hero, a reluctant ally, or even sometimes a hero himself- all without losing the core of his identity and outlook. Special guest J. Scotty St. Claire joins me for a discussion of Doctor Doom, and what his numerous portrayals show us about the role that context plays in making the villain or the hero.J. Scotty St. Clair is a self-described media jack-of-all-trades, burgeoning content creator and contributor to the Stranded Panda Network. In addition to comic books and podcasting, his passions and talents include drawing fandom-centric cartoons, discussing film/TV and singing karaoke.Twitter- @JScott4ReelInstagram- @JScotty4ReelTwitch.tv/strandedpandatv

When you do the right thing and bad things happen- does it mean you did something wrong? Paul and Matthew take the concept of results oriented thinking, and look at how Johnny falls into that trap with morality and consequences in Season 3 of Cobra Kai. We also talk about the consequences of violence, why no one gets therapy in the Miyagi-verse, and how a show that was an interesting critique of 1980's action movies wound up just replicating them in Season 3.

The new Wonder Woman movie is out, and Jessica Plummer and myself have opinions! What did we learn about WW and what questions do we still have? What is the importance of a final battle fought with words, not weapons? And did a movie set in the 1980's need to draw on so many of the sexist and racist tropes of that time?