199. Batman Pride Forever

On the last Hard NOC Life of Pride Month, Shawn, Dominic, and Keith re-contextualize Joel Schumacher's contributions to the legacy of Batman. In the wake of Schumacher's passing, the hosts look back at the late director's mid-90s Batman sequels with a new lens. Was the negative reaction to the Schumacher era the beginnings of the toxic fandom that permeates the internet today? How much of that backlash was couched in (cis male) homophobia due to the films' (not-so-subtle) queer subtext? In addition, they look at the character's inherent adaptability and why multiple interpretations of Batman is actually a good thing. They also dive into the possibility of Michael Keaton returning to the franchise and whether Batman stories can exist without the pro-police propaganda. Lastly, Shawn gives props to K-Pop fandom for using their superpowers for good -- which he originally predicted for Pop Culture Collab. All this and more on Hard NOC Life! Watch it on your screen, hit "play," and check this. Subscribe to all of the podcasts in the Hard NOC Media family on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, NPR One, Spotify, and now on Stitcher Radio! Support us on GoFundMe and Patreon! Buy merch on TeePublic! As always, our official theme music is brought to you by the super team of Adam WarRock and Chops.