Superhero Ethics

Returning Guest Becky Allen joins us to discuss Shadow & Bone- the TV series, and the book it was based on. Even if you haven't seen the show or read the movie, there's lots to enjoy!

Our thirst episode, and the ongoing discussion of thirst and queerness has brought a lot of feedback and Ashley joined me to go over it. We talk about all the great support we've gotten, some of the negative comments that have come in and, amazingly, we kept our conversation under 35 minutes! (a bit longer with ads)

Paul and I are talking about deep ethical questions like- is it bad to genocide entire civilizations when they make choices you think are bad? What was the importance of Loki becoming canonically bi, and has the show addressed his gender fluidity? And no discussion of Loki would be complete without one of our old favorites- redemption arcs.

Its Pride month so we're talking queer representation in our sci-fi/fantasy/superhero stories. Why does representation matter? Why is it particularly important for the queer community, and why does Hollywood consistently do it so badly. We are joined by special guest Shiri Sondheimer. Shiri is a pansexual crone who rants about books and comics on Book Riot and the Roarbots. Her own short stories c...

Mail Bag! Paul and I dig into your feedback. Spoiler Warning- because we're answering specific questions about different stories we've covered and there are a lot of spoilers, below are the different topics we cover, with the time it starts and when the next one starts, so you can skip ahead to not be spoiled. 3:20 Invincible 28:46 Who can be a guest 45:06Avatar the Last Airbender 54:28: The ethic...

Should Superheroes promise to never kill? Is killing in the heat of battle the same as killing a supervillain so they cannot do harm again? We look at these questions and more in a discussion of Jupiter's Legacy and other stories. If you haven't seen Jupiter's Legacy, don't worry- neither has one of our guests! We use the show as a jumping off point, to focus on the topic itself. With Paul Hoppe a...

Ashley Coffin joins us for a discussion on the ethics of thirst in fandom.

What makes Matt Murdoch decide to become Daredevil? What troubles his conscience, and his faith, about putting on the mask, and how does the on screen version of those questions differ from that in the comic books. Will and Steve of the Hype is my Superpower join us for the first in our On Screen & Page series, in which we will look at characters and questions and compare how they are addressed in...

Zuhair Ali of the Animation Deliberation Podcast joins us to discuss ethical questions from Invincible, Season 1, a show that takes many of the common superhero tropes, and turns them on them on their head. Whether or not you've seen the show, there is a lot of great topics for any fan of superheroes to enjoy.

Can you be a hero while part of a mafia, gang, tong, or cartel? Paul and I use the HBO show Warrior to explore that question and more.

Comics Code gets ignored, teen angst and diversity in our heroes and Wonder Woman on the cover of Ms. Magazine -The Bronze Age of comic books was a wild time. Jessica Plummer returns to talk with me about this fascinating chapter in comic book history.

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 ba...

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 mentioned Places to see discussion of disability, ableism, and Bucky losing his arm: https://twitter.com/leftistbucky/status/1380630711225491460?s=20 https://twitter.com/srogersfilms/status/1380578915559739394?s=20 https://ahscovenavengersalliance.tumblr.com/post/648...

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...

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, th...

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...

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...

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, and graduated from Brandeis University with a...