Superhero Ethics

Jacob and Matthew take a look back at 2017, talking about our favorite characters and ethical questions from the year, and where we think we dropped the ball. We also look ahead to 2018, talking about what we are most excited about and what we are most concerned about, in terms of movies and TV coming to us in the next year.As we wrap up the year, here are some of the other content creators we think you should check out! Becky Allen: She was our guest on our episode on Star Wars and the Hero’s Journey, You can find and purchase Becky’s books at her Goodreads page, or follow her podcast, Rachel and Becky Judge Things.Stealing the Remote: A great podcast where a guy watches movies with his mom.JP Fairfield: Our guest on The Ethics of Arrows, she is a co-host of Nerdgasm Noire Network, a podcast featuring 5 nerdy women with strong opinions.MCU Podcast: The definitive podcast about the Marvel Cinematic Universe.DC on Screen Podcast: The definitive podcast about the DC Universe, on movies and TV.372 Pages we’ll Ne

Thor: Ragnarok is pretty and fun, but there’s nothing here that we can dive into for an episode, right? Challenge accepted!This week we explore a number of from and about Thor. We talk about Odin’s revisionist history, and the evolving relationship between Thor and Loki. We also talk about the value of movies that don’t hit us with deep ethical questions, and how that balances with our love of heavier fare.Agree or disagree with what we talked about, or want to add your own thoughts? Let us know! You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, or email us at superheroethics@gmail.com

From the Justice League to the Avengers, we know that heroes work best in teams. And sometimes the obnoxious brilliant guy does have the best idea. But both of those things can also go wrong.  Join us as we dive into questions from the Magic the Gathering storyline, tying them into larger questions that are pervasive in geek literature and culture.Jacob and I are joined by Lee Henderson. Lee is a Level 2 judge in the Magic the Gathering world, an avid gamer, and all around nerd.  Agree or disagree with what we talked about, or want to add your own thoughts? Let us know! You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, or email us at superheroethics@gmail.comAnd remember. #JaceReynolds or#NeverJaceReynolds? Trust us, you'll understand.

All three of our hosts, Matthew, Jacob, and Paul, come together to talk about Avatar: The Last Airbender. We take a deep dive into a number of characters, including Aang, Toph, and Uncle Iroh, examine the way the show  portrayed martial arts and alternatives to violence, and why this such is beloved by so many.Agree or disagree with what we talked about, or want to add your own thoughts? Let us know! You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, or email us at superheroethics@gmail.com 

This week, I'm joined by special guest Matt Carroll as we take a deep dive into the character of Tony Stark. What responsiblity does he hold for Ultron, and what lessons has he learned? Did he have a point in Civil War? And is mentoring Spiderman his way of working out his daddy issues? Matt Carroll is one of the co-hosts of the Marvel Cinematic Universe Podcast. You can find them on any podcast platform by searching for MCUcast. Matt is also a musician. Check out his band, Matt Carroll and the Browncoats, and keep watch for their first album, coming soon!  Agree or disagree with what we talked about, or want to add your own thoughts? Let us know! You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, or email us at superheroethics@gmail.com

For some time, we have been given villains whose actions need no explanation-- they're just "crazy." The aftermath of the Vegas shooting reminds us how strong the stigma against mental illness still is in this country, a

What can Captain America teach us about Kapernick, and vice versa? Are heroes just on screen, or can we have heroes in our own world? And what happens when our heroes fall from grace?Note- we added a brief addendum to address an issue that came up in our discussion. Thank you again to our fans for your feedback, both when we do well and when we stumble. 

Is Data a person? What about C-3P0 or Aida? Jacob and Matthew explore the ethical questions around artificial life.

Would Daredevil share information about Nazis? Would Superman or Captain Mal? How would our heroes react to Charlottesville and what can that teach us?

Babylon 5 is almost 20 years old, but the questions it raises about telepathy, fear, and how we treat the 'other' are still relevant. Jacob Milicic is our guest.

The Hero's Journey is one of the strongest tropes in literature, and Star Wars its clearest example. How does this troupe limit our stories, and the messages we can take from it? What other kind of journeys and stories c

My guest this week is JP Fairfield, of the Nerdgasm Noire Network and Operation Cubicle podcasts. Together we explore the latest season of Arrow, Oliver’s bad choices, and why long suffering Quentin Lance deserves a b

Krystal Kara joins us to discuss Wonder Woman, the Be Super project, and how we can use Superhero stories to teach about justice in our own world.

"First you have to realize that it's not just a game, it's a community... In the end it’s each of us making the choice, not the character, of what’s going to happen; what we’re going to say, how we’re going to do

What is the value in fighting fair? Paul and Matthew explore the trope of the Fair Fight, looking at its value and its problems. What does a hero do, when the opponent refuses to follow the rules? If one side follows rul

If aliens and superpowers were real, would we need SHIELD? Are Lex Luthor and Amanda Waller right to be scared of Superman? Why do government agencies dealing with powered people have to work in secret? Paul & Matthew co

Logan the guest comes back, to discuss Logan the movie! He joins Matthew for a discussion of violence, the value of seeing the flaws in our heroes, and the movie's implications for our own world.

Paul and Matthew discuss Iron Fist, exploring questions of identity, martial arts, and who to blame when a piece of an extended universe goes wrong.

Is Magneto a villain, or a hero? Can we agree with his goals, even if not his methods? How does the fight for mutant justice echo similar discussions in our own world? Paul and Matthew talk about Magento and the X-men mo

Captain America punched a lot of Nazis - does that mean we should too? We are pretty pro Nazi punching, but we want to explore the questions around it. On this episode, Paul and Matthew explore the ethical issues involve