One of the difficult parts of using characters that are already established is that you cannot change things about them. The show is about a strong male character. He is the focus of the show. Batman falls into the pit falls of the male gaze, but it's not all negative.
    To begin, one of the character that often can be over looked by fans as a positive, Harley Quinn. Harley is a character that was created to be the jokers girlfriend. To many fans she is a strong character. While she may have a few strong episodes, she is only concerned with a male character, Joker. She is a classic example of the male gaze. She is sexualized and abused, bullied and controlled by the joker. That's okay right? Being an old character she is just playing the part those men in the 1930es made for her. Wrong, she was a new character. Harley was invented for the Animated Series.
    Another character who fall under this category is Poison Ivy. She has strength, but again has a focus on Batman. Her strength is taken away by him. Not though over powering her, but by the fact that she cannot handle her attraction of him. She may have super powers, but that power is taken away for silly reasons.
    On the other hand there is Barbra Gordon. She is the Bat Girl. despite the name she actual has a positive impact and is a strong character. She is the only female character that defied Batman and was shown to be right. Her becoming a hero was not supported by Batman, but she proved him wrong.
    So, the score for the male gaze is two to one, but I think there is more to this. Notice the women who are the villains fall under classic male gaze. Yet, the hero, she is not. She is a strong character in her own right. The show was vilifying the stereotypical male gaze and making progress the latter. Using these characters to show us that these villains that are women are weaker characters and used the now strong hero to prove the point. I feel that the creators used the male gaze as a tool to tell a story, and used it to give strength to other female characters.   

There is a method to the madness, but nothing correct

I will be focusing on one episode of the series called, Heart of Ice.                                                 

In this episode Batman found himself up against a foe who would be difficult to beat. The villain, Mister Freeze, after a tragic lab accident caused by his employer would leave him trapped in a special suit that keeps him in a sub zero environment. This accident happened when Mister Freeze was trying to save his wife. He did this without consulting his boss. 

   Mister Freeze is a tragic villain. It is easy to really sympathize with his and his struggle. He wants to save his wife and get revenge for his now ruined life. It is hard not to want his to succeed in his mission. 

 Batman still tries to stop him. Of coarse in the end the evil boss get's his come up en's, but Mister Freeze goes to Arkham Asylum. That is something that shows the integrity of both the characters and the show. 

The show gives the villains a fair shake. The are not dimensionless and pure evil, they have hopes, dreams, and something that leads them to villainy. What the show teaches us as a group that no matter how justified that committing a crime is wrong. Mister Freeze made me root for him, and want him to end up succeeding. 

When he didn't, it gives you a sense of disappointment in yourself. At a time when it can seem appropriate for vengeance or to get back at those who hurt you we are shown the consequences. This also set Batman apart from them. He does what he does to protect people instead of vengeance.      The show gives the audiences a line between good and evil. People can understand that the difference is and connect to the hero. By seeing what makes Batman the good guy we can further accept him. In addition we no longer treat the villains as just bad guys, but as people who need help and made bad choices. 

I think this helps the community that enjoys and watches the show begin to understand that in the world people are not just evil. People are always people even if they are the "bad guy." Batman shows the audience the moral line. 
       

blog 3

    To love a character like Batman, one must over look his greatest irony. The fact that Batman is a criminal. No matter how you rationalize this fact it is undeniable. With the animated series this had to be addressed. The character used to argue this fact is Harvey Bullock.
    Harvey Bullock is a out of shape, dimwitted, and rude detective. He is constantly questioning the Batman. He argues that Batman should not be involved in police affairs. He also has questionable morals and tends to be portrayed in a negative way.
    Harvey is portrayed this way very purposely. Batman being a vigilantly, makes him not only in opposition to the law, but in conflict with what many in the audiences hold as views. In order to bridge this view they poke fun at the view point. The audience will more likely accept Batman in Harvey is his argument.
    The Ideological critic is that the show is trying to send off the message that Batman is a hero. Heroes always do the right thing. Therefore, we should trust Batman because as a hero he will always do whats right.
    This can be a tough sell to many people. The show in order to be successful also had to make Batman a good guy. In connection with his comic roots he does not kill.
    By not killing Batman does break a moral code. He becomes a good guy to the audience. By doing this Batman stops being a criminal in many eyes and becomes a hero.The show creators use morality to help the audience. As the audience becomes more comfortable with the idea of Batman and what he stands for.
    Whether or not the creators agree with vigilantly justice, they had to make Batman likable to the audience. As a ideological critique, the creators had to influence the view point of the audience to accept ideas that were different from their own views. 
    It can be very difficult to change this views. In order to do so they used as listed the character of Harvey Bullock, as well as make the audience comfortable with his morals. By doing so, people accepted a criminal into their living rooms ,and to be loved by them and their children.

The TV show Batman The animated series is a show of stories, usually discounted from one another, about Batman fighting criminals in is universe. He would encounter a villain or adversity that he is required to over come or best. The show had a large list of villains and a strong style that made the show fascinating to to watch. It has a great cast only some of which is shown on this poster. This poster very well captures the themes of the shows in terms of the character.
     The Main character is Batman. Batman is animated is a unique way fro many of the other characters. At times he will be shown as more of a shadow then a flesh out design. The writers are trying to show off his ability to become a legend and a mythical creature to the criminals he faces. Only the view is ever shown his human side. He has a certain feeling and is well shown to the audience members. Batman used to in a way that helps the audience except this world of villains and blimps. He in the poster strongly stands out against the background. This is showing that he is the most important character. The show focus is own him. That is why his villains blend in and he does not.
    One of the signifier of the poster is the Batman comics. The show borrows heavily from the comics to build it’s base. Villains like the Joker, The Penguin, Two Face, Riddler, and many more helped keep the show interesting. The show shamelessly steals materials that already exist to create a great show. This formula was continued in the DC universe that spun off this show. The Influence of the comics is very well shown. The Villains are scattered behind Batman in almost comic strips to show their origin.
    Batman animated took time to make sure that Batman was a strong well used character. This show has a devoted fan base and it can be shown by the choice made by the creators of the show.

McLuhan could respect this Batman

    “I do my best work in the dark.” Batman, from Justice League unlimited, a spin off of the Animated series. McLuhen more than likely would have found an admiration for this beloved series. At a time before computers and high definition T.V., the show still makes a powerful impact nearly twenty years since it left air. The artists behind the look of the show were, Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski. They wanted the show to be dark. However at a time when true black on home televisions was impossible the duo had to be creative. McLuhen claimed that media is dictated by technology. In order for them to get the look they wanted they tired something completely different. They began with sheets of black paper instead of white. The show was then drawn over the already black paper. This richened the look and feel of the show. The show had to bend to the technology available at the time. The show went on to earn four Emmy Awards. Despite all the hard work of the animation team at the time animation was still limited slightly limited. There was not the same technology to help animated the show as we have today. Once again the show would have to play a strength to make up for a technical weakness. The show hired a cast of fantastic actors. These voices not only strengthen the show, but defined many of what the characters sounded like for numerous fans. The technology dictated a problem so the makers of the show had to play to their strengths. Among this cast are broadway actors such as Kevin Conroy, T.V. stars such as Bob Hastings, and Adam West, and Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill. In conclusion, I wonder if McLuhen would have thought about what creativity can be born from failings in technology. The impact of this show was a look, a sound, and a style all it’s own. Created by technology that made it impossible for the show to be done any other way, and as a fan, I’m glad the show was limited by the technology around. I think McLuhen could respect that.