http://indiana.bilerico.com/2008/07/BatmanRobin.gif
Dr. Fredric Wertham was the Chief Psychiatrist for the New York Department of Hospitals and an important figure among the New York City liberal intelligentsia. His writings were respected enough to help form part of the legal strategy for Brown v. Board. In 1954, Wertham published a scathing indictment of comic books, The Seduction of the Innocent, which argued that comic books were an invidious influence on American youth, responsible for warped gender attitudes and all manner of delinquency. Wertham's accusations garnered the attention of Senator Estes Kefauver and his Senate Sub-committee on Juvenile Delinquency, where Wertham repeated many of his central claims.
Batman and Robin, Wertham charged, inhabited "a wish dream of two homosexuals living together." They lived in "sumptuous quarters," unencumbered by wives and girlfriends, with only an aged butler for company. They cared for each other's injuries, frequently shared quarters, and lounged together in dressing gowns. Worse still, both exhibited damning psychological characteristics: proclivities for costumes, dressing up, and fantasy play; secretive behavior and double-lives; little interest in women; and, most damning of all, neurotic compulsions resulting in their violent vigilantism. Indeed, Wertham argued, depictions of Batman and Robin were frequently homoerotic, visually emphasizing Batman's rippling physique and Robins splayed, bare thighs.
"Only someone ignorant of the fundamentals of psychiatry and psychopathology of sex can fail to realize the subtle atmosphere of homoeroticism which pervades the adventures," wrote Wertham. "The Batman type of story may stimulate children to homosexual fantasies."
Batman's creators and writers were aghast....
http://www.bilerico.com/2008/07/when_batman_was_gay.php
― Dr Morbius, Thursday, 24 July 2008 19:49 (seventeen years ago)
Ha! Pretty standard stuff, but I love some of those panel grabs. Robin with his face covered with a dripping white substance=hilar.
― Oilyrags, Thursday, 24 July 2008 20:15 (seventeen years ago)
It's funny how Wertham thinks B&R being gay is a bad thing - not so liberal now, are you?
― The Real Dirty Vicar, Friday, 25 July 2008 11:35 (seventeen years ago)
How many liberals were pro-gay back then though? IIRC, Wertham was known for his anti-racist opinions, and also, one of the reasons he criticized mainstream comics was because he thought they gave a bad role model for little girls who read them, with most female characters being passive and subordinate to men.
― Tuomas, Friday, 25 July 2008 12:53 (seventeen years ago)
I mean, of course his analysis of superheroes was ridiculous and homoophobic, but I don't think he was the sort of ignorant conservative many people might assume. Also, he later stated that he never meant his book to cause comics actually getting censored, because he was against censorship. I think it was supposed to be a critical psychological analysis on the effects of comic books on children, with the purpose of making them "better", not a rallying cry to burn on censor comics. Of course one can argue that he should've realized the book would be used for that exact purpose.
― Tuomas, Friday, 25 July 2008 13:01 (seventeen years ago)
With the purpose of making comic books better.
― Tuomas, Friday, 25 July 2008 13:02 (seventeen years ago)
I don't know, with a title like "Seduction of the Innocent", I don't see how he could really argue it wasn't supposed to be inflammatory and incite action against comic book makers... in a sense, he succeeded in making comic books "better", by his standards.
And sadly, while conservative Christians have been more active lately with their mad-on for censorship, liberals have had a habit for censorship when it comes to "saving the children", like Tipper Gore and half the video game "protection" laws to pop up this decade. It's... annoying to history repeat itself.
― Nhex, Friday, 25 July 2008 20:55 (seventeen years ago)
There's a great book by Will Brooker called Batman Unmasked that goes deep into 'gay readings' of Batman - worth a look.
― Vic Fluro, Saturday, 26 July 2008 17:08 (seventeen years ago)
Holy gay subtext Batman! http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/spotlights/news/batmanrobin.jpg
― snoball, Saturday, 26 July 2008 17:16 (seventeen years ago)
oh fudge... http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/spotlights/news/batmanrobin.jpg
― snoball, Saturday, 26 July 2008 17:17 (seventeen years ago)
more like Gay Man, amirite
― KOOL-AID MAN, Saturday, 26 July 2008 18:25 (seventeen years ago)
Lyrics of 'Flamboyant' by the Pet Shop Boys to thread
― Vic Fluro, Sunday, 27 July 2008 22:16 (seventeen years ago)
You want police intervention?
http://www.superherotimes.com/assets/newsimages/BatmanHush3CommishGordon.jpg
― energy flash gordon, Monday, 28 July 2008 03:07 (seventeen years ago)
Brooker's Batman Unmasked seconded! It's at most libraries and will go over well with the ILC crowd. He illuminates a lot of stuff about Wertham that casts the whole thing in a much more interesting, less strawman-y light.
― Dr. Superman, Tuesday, 29 July 2008 05:19 (seventeen years ago)
I don't see how he could really argue it wasn't supposed to be inflammatory and incite action against comic book makers... in a sense, he succeeded in making comic books "better", by his standards.
Well yeah, if I remember correctly he only said he never wanted to censor comics years after the Seduction of the Innocent debacle, so it could be he just wanted to save his reputation after the damage had already been done.
I recommend reading Brooker's book too, it does put the whole thing into a wider context, and it's a great book in general. I think around the time there were lots of incentives to censor comic books, regardless of what Wertham's intentions were, his book was mostly just used as a "scientific" proof of the evil of comics by the people who wanted to get them censored. I don't think things would've gone that differently even if Wertham had never written anything about comic books.
― Tuomas, Tuesday, 29 July 2008 06:51 (seventeen years ago)
And of course Batman Unmasked is written by a prominent ILXor's brother!
― Groke, Tuesday, 29 July 2008 09:27 (seventeen years ago)
J0ey Darnielle
― balls, Wednesday, 30 July 2008 03:22 (seventeen years ago)
Mick Jagger
― The Yellow Kid, Wednesday, 30 July 2008 17:37 (seventeen years ago)
Bromus?
― David R., Wednesday, 30 July 2008 17:39 (seventeen years ago)
If my brother has been writing big-selling batcomics and not telling me, I'm never speaking to him again!
― Oilyrags, Wednesday, 30 July 2008 19:08 (seventeen years ago)
Ted Raggett
― latebloomer, Tuesday, 5 August 2008 03:11 (seventeen years ago)
Jerry Lee Lewis Telecom?
― Matt M., Tuesday, 5 August 2008 05:27 (seventeen years ago)