Superhero Ethics

This week, parent, geek, and holder of strong opinions, Jared Sylva, joins us to talk about watching geek media with kids. How do you decide what media to watch with kids, and how do you talk to them about it? What geek media offers entertainment and lessons for kids and parents alike? And how can parents deal with the so-called ‘Princess Problem?” Whether you have kids of your own or not, this co...

Who has agency in Picard? Is Seven finally getting to define her own life, on her terms? Did the Romulans have a point, and why did Picard give up on the rescue and on the Federation? This week, Matthew is joined by two of his podcasting inspirations, Matthew Carroll and David C Roberson to discuss season 1 of Star Trek Picard. David C. Roberson is a life-long tv/film/book geek who likes to podcas...

This week, we’re joined by returning guest Rob McKenzie, and first time guest Dan McCreary to talk about the ethics of Artificial Intelligence. What is AI, and what do we mean by concepts like sentience? Why does so much sci-fi assume AI will be our enemy? And what is the moral value of robotic life? Rob McKenzie is a science fiction and fantasy reader and Magic the Gathering judge from Minnesota....

Matthew is moving this week and hasn't had a chance to finish editing the next episode. We have great content coming for you soon, but in the meantime, enjoy one of our older episodes about the ethics of violence itself Does a Superhero movie need a good fight scene? Jacob and Matthew look at the role of physical violence in the stories we love, asking questions of both the characters and the writ...

Does Q fit the mold of a Trickster God? Steve Peterman is back to discuss Q, from Star Trek. Does Q fit the mold of a Trickster God? Do the Q have, or need a prime directive? And what happens when immortal, all powerful, beings, get bored? You can find a full list of Star Trek episodes with Q in them here- https://www.imdb.com/list/ls047709394/ You can download the episode with a right click and c...

Jessica Plummer is back to talk Birds of Prey! What happens when Margot Robbie gets to make a Harley movie HER way? Can you be a villain who only punches up? And Is this the cinematic equivalent of a compliment in the bathroom from a drunk girl? 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://...

As promised, I've been working overtime to bring you content to help get though social isolation, or to keep you company while you're one of the essential jobs we're all so grateful for. We've got episodes coming soon on Birds of Prey, The Ethics of Q, from Star Trek, and many more. Over on the Bingers Assemble podcast, Matt Carroll and I have started a special quarantine project on the TV show Al...

Today’s episode is bittersweet as it marks Jacob’s last as co-host. To give him a proper send off, we’re diving into a topic he’s been eager to talk about- using mind control to make people stop doing bad things, in particular in the video game, Persona 5. Is altering, or even completely changing, someone’s brain, a morally appropriate way to stop people from hurting others? If so, what acts justi...

Episode 83 - Who Watches the Watchers who Watch the Watchmen? Who are heroes accountable to, is a question we frequently explore on this show. In this episode, we dive into the movie and comic book* versions of The Watchmen and its interesting take on the question of accountability.  What happens when so called heroes shrug and watch as their friends do terrible things? Would the threat of alien i...

We cheer when our heroes give an evil bad guy their much deserved fate. But what happens when our hero has to fight someone who isn’t evil, they are just in our hero’s way? Should more heroes be like Jessica Jones? Should it matter to our hero if the person they are fighting is being mind controlled, or lied to or it is otherwise not their fault? Should it matter to the audience?   You can downloa...

We’re on the road again, and we’re looking back at 2019! As we did last year, we’re looking back at 2019- what were the best ethical questions raised, what are our hopes for genre media in 2020, and what are we concerned about? Want to continue the discussion with us? Agree or disagree with what we talked about, or want to add your own thoughts? We’ve got options for you! You can post questions, o...

Picard, the new Star Trek show is about to launch and we’ve got questions! Matt Carroll, of the MCU and Star Trek Universe Podcasts joins Matthew to discuss the ethical questions we think Picard will explore. Has Data’s fear of a race of slave androids come to pass? Are the Borg still the enemy? What questions will the Borg and the Androids raise about who is a person? What has decades of  war and...

Now that we’ve all seen Rise of Skywalker, we’ve brought Becky back to talk about it!  On our last episode, the three of us talked about the ethical questions, hopes, and concerns we had going into this movie- this episode we revisit them, and ask, how did this movie address them?  What happened with the Jedi? Did Rey get the character arc she deserved? And does Hanukkah Harry use the same merit b...

With just two days left before the release of Star Wars Episode IX, we’ve got theories! Can force users find a third path, neither Jedi or Sith? What does the future hold for Rey, Leia, Finn, and the rest of them? And how much respect will JJ Abrams have for the choices Rian Johnson made in The Last Jedi? We’re pleased to have Becky Allen join us for this discussion. Becky Allen is the author of B...

Star Wars Ethics - Ranking the Movies and TV Shows!   This is a special cross over episode between Superhero Ethics and Matthew’s new Star Wars universe Podcast. Matthew and original superhero ethics podcast co-host Paul Hoppe, look back at all of the Star Wars movies and TV shows to date, ranking them and talking about what we loved or didn't love, and the questions they raise. We hope this a gre...

“By all means, keep selling Mad Love. But do you have to sell it as a coloring book?” Jessica Plummer, “A Close Look at the Paradox of Harley Quinn” in BookRiot.  Harley Quinn has quickly become one of the most popular, and the most controversial, characters in comic book media. Returning guest and comic book nerd and critic extraordinaire joins us for an in depth look at this fascinating characte...

What should you do when your favorite author turns out to be a transphobe? When your childhood favorite movie has a cringe-worthy romance? When the star of the movie you where really excited for gets called out for being awful? How do we separate the art from the artist, and should we? How do we draw the lines of what we can or cannot accept, and how we will spend our money and our attention? In t...

This week, we are joined by special guest Morgan Wentworth as we discuss the ins and outs of superhero dating! Should heroes only date other heroes? What are the problems with trying to ‘protect’ your love by making decisions for them? And why do so many superheroes gaslight their love interests in order to protect their secret identity? Morgan Wentworth is a long time gamer and a soon to be libra...

This episode, we’re talking about the ethics of professional wrestling- both the stories themselves, and the meta questions about wrestling as entertainment. How far can or should a heel go, before it becomes a problem? Can wrestling storylines be cathartic for the performers? What role do performers have in picking their story, and so many more! This episode, we are joined by two of the wrestling...

How many kings could a kingpin king, if a kingpin could king pins? Jacob and Matthew are talking Spiderverse! What are the ethical questions about multiple dimensions and the role of destiny, or fate? What makes this movie so important, and so damn good? How do these spiderfolk approach the question of a hero’s responsibility? You can download the episode with a right click  and clicking “save lin...

Jacob and Matthew put on their house robes, pick up their quills and talk Potter! We’re talking Wizard-Muggle relations, the house system and whether Slytherins are all evil, and if Hermonie’s quest to save the House Elves is noble, colonialist, or a mix of both! To make this episode accessible to Potter fans of all ages, we made a point to keep our language PG this time.  Want to continue the dis...

  One returning and one new guest join besieged host Jacob Milicic to discuss the Knights Radiant, from Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archives, and where different heroes and villains from the MCU and other media would best fit? How do the Knights Radiant work?  What kind of heroes fall in the framework of the 10 orders?  What order of knights is Nick Fury? Loki? Javert?!? Guest Starring: Rob McK...

Ep 70 - The Ethics of Endgames The game is at an end but the debates are just beginning! What did we love, and what left us scratching our heads? What happens when killing the bad guy doesn’t change anything? Did Tony get the plot arc he deserved? Did Thor, or Natasha? And who did time travel better- The Avengers, or Marty McFly? Spoiler Warning for Avengers: Endgame and the entire MCU! Want to co...

Ep 69: A Punishing Take on Heroism, & Moral Agency In Season 1, Punisher raised some hard questions about vengeance, justice, and why audiences enjoy revenge fantasy. How did season 2 measure up? Does Frank have any accountability for the people he puts in danger? And did the world need another Harleyesque plot where a therapist bangs her dangerous patient, and the writers try to make it sexy? Two...

What does co-dependence look like in a superhero?  Should heroes compromise their own ethics for the sake of the people they love? And can Matthew escape the wrath of the EZ Pass machine he offended? On our drive back from Cleveland, we once again took advantage of the drive to bring you a car talk episode, recorded on a phone in a car. Next episode we go back to the studio to talk Punisher Season...