Superhero Ethics

What’s more fun than taking an ethical system from one world, and trying to find how our favorite characters from other worlds fit into it. In this episode we start with the ethical color pie from Magic the Gathering, in which we look at ethics not in terms of actions, but motivations and mind sets. We explain the system and then focus on other characters- even if you know nothing about MtG, if you like talking about how Tony Stark, Malcolm Reynolds, and Han Solo, all have similar ethical frameworks, this episode is for you! Rob McKenzie is a science fiction and fantasy reader and Magic the Gathering judge from Minnesota. He is passionate about interesting books, running great gaming events, and helping other people have fun with their passions. Meg Baum is a Level 3 MTG Judge and all around irredeemable nerd who loves stories, cooking, and adventures. She is the Judge Manager for Pastimes and moonlights occasionally as a Decontamination Technician at nuclear power plants. You can find her on Twitch/Twitter/

Why does James Bond keep getting women killed, and can you be a spy without it? Paul Hoppe is back to talk about the ethics of espionage, with a particular focus on the TV show, Burn Notice! Whether you’re a long time fan of Burn Notice, or never seen it, we dig into questions that apply across the genre, such as the ethics of getting others to do your dirty work for you, fighting for a client or particular mission vs. what may be ‘right,’ and how far into a secret identity you can go, before you lose sense of yourself. 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, or respond to our episode threads in our Superhero Ethics Facebook Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/superheroethics/) or talk to us on the podcast’s Twitter (https://twitter.com/SuperheroEthics) account, or email us at superheroethics@gmail.com. Support this podcast through our Patreon page! Patreon is a great way to

Ep 94 - There is no Racism in Ba Sing Se The beloved Avatar:The Last Airbender is back on Netflix, and we’re talking about it, focusing on a story arc with incredible resonance with our own world; Ba Sing Se. What is it about denial, and closing your eyes to the problems of the world, that people find so appealing? How do you break through to someone who believes anything that contradicts what they’ve been taught, is a liar and a traitor? And how does this story line parallel the issues we face today, especially in the time since the killing of George Floyd. 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, or respond to our episode threads in our Superhero Ethics Facebook Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/superheroethics/) or talk to us on the podcast’s Twitter (https://twitter.com/SuperheroEthics) account, or email us at superheroethics@gmail.com. In partnership with the MCU Cast

Stan Lee was a great story teller, but he never hid his strong convictions, or his desire to use the stories he told to give people a new way to think about the issues of his time. Nor did the writers of Black Panther, Avatar the Last Airbender, Star Wars, or so many of the shows we love.Matt and Jeff are back, and we had a great episode on the ethics of Star Wars planned- but with all that has been happening in our world in the last week in terms of the killing of George Floyd, and all that has happened since, we just felt like it was important for us to address that. So today we’re talking about what it means to be a fan, and a content creator, in difficult times, and how the stories we are such fans of help shape our understandings of violence and authority and racism and cops and everything else.Here is the article on Black Panther and Allyship that Matthew mentioned - https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/how-black-panther-creates-a-model-for-good-allyship/ In partnership with the MCU Cast and all the great f

Ep 92 - Was Uncle Ben Wrong? Great Power & Great Responsibility, with Matthew Carroll and Jeff Randle What did Ben Parker mean when he tells Peter the famous words about power and responsibility, and do we agree with him? Who decides who a hero is responsible to, and what for? Can believing in the responsibility that your power gives you lead you to become a villain? Matt and Jeff of the Marvel Cinematic Podcast join us to discuss these questions and more! In partnership with the MCU Cast and all the great folks at the Stranded Panda Podcast Network, we are kicking off a review drive! Reviews are the best way to help this show grow- it moves us up the lists on Itunes and the other podcast services, gives more people a chance to find us, and join the conversation! We’ve got big goals, but we need your help! If you write a 5 star review of Superhero Ethics) between now and Sunday June 7th, you'll be entered into a raffle. At least one of the review writers for Superhero Ethics will win their choice of an

NOTE: I realized that there were sound problems with the originally uploaded version. This version is improved- please listen to this version instead. Jess Plummer and Becky Allen join us to discuss She-Ra! What makes Catra such a compelling character? How does this show blur the lines between hero and villain, friend and dating, and different shares of morality? What makes this show such a powerful example of representation, on so many levels? And just how hard to you have to work in this world to NOT get a redemption arc?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://flightsandtights.libsyn.com/). She also writes about comics and books in general at BookRiot.com (https://bookriot.com/author/jessica-plummer/). Find her on Twitter @jess_plummer. 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

Heroes can be boring- let’s talk villains! Rik Hayashi joins us to talk about the villains who have a point, the ones we can sympathize with, or even sometimes agree with. What makes someone a villain? What are the lines between a villain and a hero who is willing to do anything for the cause? We talk Sinestro, Killmonger, and what happens when Ben Sisko goes for a walk in the Pale Moon Light. Riki Hayakshi is also a co-host on the Star Wars Universe Podcast, during our Clone Wars episodes. You can download the episode with a right click and clicking “save link as” or subscribe by searching for Superhero Ethics on Itunes or on StitcherWant 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, or respond to our episode threads in our Superhero Ethics Facebook Group, or talk to us on the podcast’s Twitter account, or email us at superheroethics@gmail.com. Support this podcast through our Patreon p

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 conversation goes deep on the messages media sends us, and how we consume it and talk about it with others.Jared Sylva is a life-long Star Wars fan and a professional geek as the Organized Play department manager for Star City Games. who loves sharing the movies and shows he loves with his two young children. You can reach out to Jared on Twitter @JaredSylva.You can download the episode with a right click and clicking “save link as” or subscribe by searching for Superhero Ethics on Itunes or on StitcherWant to continue the discussion with us? Agree or disagree with what we talked about, or want to add your own thoug

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 podcast and pursue various artistic endeavors. He's the co-host of DC on SCREEN, dconscreen.com, Star Trek Universe Podcast, startrekucast.com, and Breaking Bond, breakingbondcast.com. You can follow his artwork on instagram @drawingwithdave, his photography @dcrphotographer, and his video work at maladjusted.tv. He tweets @davidcrobersonMatthew Carroll is a podcaster and musician, whose Marvel Cinematic Universe Podcast helped launch a wide range of genre media casts, all of which are part of the Stranded Panda Podcast Network. His other podcasts include the Star Trek Universe Podcast, the Orville Universe Podcast, Binge

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. He is passionate about interesting books, running great gaming events, and helping other people have fun with their passions.Dan McCreary has working with AI in professional and hobby settings for many years. He is one of the co-founders of the AI Racing League, MN, which brings Artificial Intelligence education to underserved and underprivileged schools by teaching kids how to build and race model cars controlled by AI. The movie mentioned by Dan was, Colossus, the Forbin project - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064177/Matthew’s podcasting on Altered Carbon can be found here - https://www.spreaker.com/show/bingers

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 itselfDoes 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 writers.  Can you tell a hero story without violence? Do our heroes too often resort to their fists? And why do so many heroes see fighting as flirtation?Agree or disagree with what we talked about, or want to add your own thoughts? Let us know! We recently started a Superhero Ethics Facebook Group, which is the best way to join in the conversations. You can also find us on Twitter or email us at superheroethics@gmail.com

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 clicking “save link as” or subscribe by searching for Superhero Ethics on Itunes or on StitcherWant 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, or respond to our episode threads in our Superhero Ethics Facebook Group, or talk to us on the podcast’s Twitter account, or email us at superheroethics@gmail.com. Our guest, Steve Peterman, can be found at on Twitter: @supersteve524Support this podcast through our Patreon page! Patreon is a great way to support creators like us through donations, and get gre

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://flightsandtights.libsyn.com/). She also writes about comics and books in general at BookRiot.com (https://bookriot.com/author/jessica-plummer/). Find her on Twitter @jess_plummer. In this episode she references her recent article on BookRiot, Birds of Prey, Trauma, and the Female Gaze. https://bookriot.com/2020/02/21/birds-of-prey-movie-2/You can download the episode with a right click and clicking “save link as” or subscribe by searching for Superhero Ethics on Itunes or on StitcherWant to continue the discussion with us? Agree or disagree with what we talked about, or want to add your own thoughts? We’ve got opti

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 Altered Carbon. I wanted to share that with you all, as we go deep on a lot of ethical issues, so here is the first episode!

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 justify it, and who decides? What does mind reprogramming look like as punishment in Babylon 5 and for Prof. X?Jacob is stepping down as co-host, but he will remain a supporter and occasional guest of the show. He’s had a great run and brought so much to podcast that I’ll forever be grateful for. Please join me in paying tribute to Jacob by sharing a favorite memory of his time, or just thanking him for being a part of this.More info on the episode of Babylon 5 we discussed can be found here. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passing_Through_GethsemaneYou can download the episode with a right click and clicking “save link

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 invasion bring peace to our planet? And is anyone in this story remotely heroic?*Jacob had not seen the TV show, so we stuck to the movie. We will be exploring ethical questions from the TV show in a future episode.   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, or respond to our episode threads in our Superhero Ethics Facebook Group, or talk to us on the podcast’s Twitter account, or email us at superheroethics@gmail.com. Each of your co-hosts also has their own twitter, Matthew is CapedEthicist

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 download the episode with a right click and clicking “save link as” or subscribe by searching for Superhero Ethics on Itunes or on StitcherWant 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, or respond to our episode threads in our Superhero Ethics Facebook Group, or talk to us on the podcast’s Twitter account, or email us at superheroethics@gmail.com. Each of your co-hosts also has their own twitter, Matthew is CapedEthicist, https://twitter.com/CapedEthicistJacob is BotsRPeopleToo https://twitter.com/BotsRP

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, or respond to our episode threads in our Superhero Ethics Facebook Group, or talk to us on the podcast’s Twitter account, or email us at superheroethics@gmail.com. Each of your co-hosts also has their own twitter, Matthew is CapedEthicist, https://twitter.com/CapedEthicistJacob is BotsRPeopleToo https://twitter.com/BotsRPeopleTooSupport this podcast through our Patreon page! Patreon is a great way to support creators like us through donations, and get great rewards for your help. You can even pick a topic for an upcoming episode! https://www.patreon.com/superheroethicsWant to show your love for Superhero Ethics with a t

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 the threat of war done to the Federation, and will this show feel more like the Star Trek than many think the Abrams Trek and Discovery do?Matthew Carroll is a podcaster and musician, whose Marvel Cinematic Universe Podcast helped launch a wide range of genre media casts, all of which will be part of soon to be launched Stranded Panda Podcast Network.  His other podcasts include the Star Trek Universe Podcast, the Orville Universe Podcast, and Who Watched the Watchmen, all of which can be found on Itunes, Stitcher, or wherever you find podcasts. To follow the creation of Matthew Carroll's star trek double album chec

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 based system of gift to child allocation that Santa Claus does? We’re pleased to have Becky Allen join us for this discussion. 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 major in American studies and a minor in journalism. She is the product manager for TheBody.com, an online HIV resource, and loves New York, brunch, and feminism.We mentioned a few links in the episode, including Hanukkah Harry, Becky’s podcast episode about The Christmas Prince, and Matthew’s Facebook live blog of th