Noah Berlatsky

An interesting collection of essays critiquing and analyzing the superhero genre, almost entirely superhero movies. These essays were all written years ago, and it's strange to hear someone's thoughts on hero movies in a world where Age of Ultron was the biggest thing. This book came out (it seems) during the build up to Batman Vs Superman Dawn of Justice, so it's discussion of some characters (Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Black Panther) feel outdated. Nevertheless, it manages to make good points.

Of course there's lots of variance. Some parts of the book made great arguments about the faults in hero storytelling, the political ramifications of hero tropes, and I also just learned a lot about comic history. It changed the way I viewed the medium. However, there's also a fair bit of pretention, and some essays that feel like a failed attempt to sound profound by obsessing over tedium. I don't think it's very clever to point out that if Superman actually wanted to save lives he would kill mosquitos instead of bank robbers, and then say "but fighting bad guys is cooler" as though that's a big breakthrough. Similar lines can be drawn for basically any genre and medium of story telling. The conflict is the point, and superhero films have an interior logic that demands suspension of disbelief.

Long story short, Berlatsky is a smart man with a keen eye for pop culture and he knows a lot more about this stuff than I do. He's a talented writer, a great Twitter follow, so I was happy to hear his thoughts. But the book often feels like it hates things for being popular and it hates consumers for not wanting to closely analyze everything they consume. It often feels like a bitter and angry book. As smart as the essays are, I'd enjoy them more if it was made clear that this is all in the name of good natured analysis and debate, and less about assigning value or ideology to people based on their taste in summer blockbusters. Maybe such a notice shouldn't be necessary, but I don't enjoy reading old men yelling at clouds.

The best essay was by far the Aquaman one, about fandoms focusing too much on the importance of their chosen obsession, and not on their actual enjoyment. I've been thinking about that all day; the ways we identify with our favorite characters and defend them as though they are part of us, the ways we crave success for our favorite properties so that we may feel vindicated or mainstream.… (altro)

(Original Review, 2014-10-31)

Dear Barroso, Dear Malstrom and other commissioners,

If you want to achieve economic growth in Europe, you should stop bribing politicians as the Governments of Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, Czech, Hungary ...and the Central Bankers. We all know you thought-control them on the nets of Telecom Austria, Telenor ... with implants ...to quote European Parliament "converging technologies, shaping the future of european societies" - "there will be politicians with implants and control in this manner". We all know Commissioners, ECB, EC, EBRD employees have such implants and act together. We know you offer a "better life" to the CEE servants if the betray their countries, a little bit. We all know how you manipulate Ukraine and media.

There is a doubling in M1 for 5-6 year in the EUROZONE, which led to high Stock Prices only without significant growth. There is declining inflation, and according to the quantitative theory of money prices should nearly follow the quantity of money in the long run. The USA economy is growing, the EU not. So if prices do not increase, the competitiveness is not good and there will not be profits for the companies so the Stock Exchange Index may be a bubble. I am not sure how much you earn from stealing from CEE, but it is not enough for growth. I am also not aware how thought control influence the economic growth theories, but I suppose as Greenspan says if there is leverage and bubble the crisis may be substantial due to animal spirit. So we do not need bluff for economic growth but fair game from now onward to some extent.

Now, as you Barroso sent people to bribe me, implanted me with a device for though-control involuntary and threatened me to earn 50 BLN from the crisis you organized in Bulgaria, I will dare to give some advices. Do not sent Draghi to ask why people do not believe the european institutions and there is only 30% support. Why 50% believe there will not be EU which is suspiciously stable figure in the eurobarometer? Do not organize cartels on the domestic companies in EU, do not use though-control above law and industry and do not control communications of the aforementioned countries Central Banks and Banking System. Do not organize speculative crises hiding behind Sorors or other speculators. Do not steal resources from these countries. Is the expression "the information is the new oil" origination from EU? Establish fact in economics is that the stability and law lead to economic growth. You can't take 3 BLN EUR from Bulgaria, 1.5 BLN EUR with Austria Banks cartel in Bulgaria and thought-control on the net of Telecom Austria.

What is the last and only value of EU - the profit. Even Marx says, that if you still want the same returnon capital, which concentrates in 10% of the people, there will be a revolution because employees do not receive enough output. If there is not technological progress, there is not going to be more output and we can expect revolution in one or another form. Think for sharing knowledge with CEE such as thought-control technologies. You are not a businessman, do not strive for short term profits. Do you risk trillions of EUR if bribing, thought-control and cheating of companies as Siemens, Telecom Austria (a nice experiment example), SAP, Microsoft, Google, IBM, Apple is revealed to act together with EU authorities to control the EU (I have proofs for some of them only). Do not steal from small countries with companies and cheap PR for some EU funds (some of them stolen from EU). Do not make fun of us, or every European Citizen sooner or latter will know what are you doing and will interpret the information correctly. In particular, do not extinct the Bulgarian nation for the simple reason of economic profits.

We can't shake hands with you, because you do not know if I will hold a check for 1,500 EUR and you for 1 million EUR as it seems to be the established practice in EU. The odds of this game are trillions to 1, think what chance I have and decide if you want to play "music-lover ". Tell Malstrom not to kill people as in Perm, or Burgas as ultimatum or probably the Mall in Latvia, or Smolenks for which I receive info in advance because Stalin and USSR was another union. Strive for knowledge, values with higher return not bribing. Information nowadays is everywhere and EU citizens have about 100BLN EUR, not neurons in neural networks to interpret the information correctly.

[2018 EDIT: Eduardo Barroso is a Portuguese Politician who for 10 years lead the EU.]… (altro)

In Wonder Woman: Bondage and Feminism in the Marston/Peter Comics, 1941-1948, Noah Berlatsky argues, “Wonder Woman, the original comic, was much more interesting, beautiful, and worthwhile than Wonder Woman the popular icon” (pg. 187). He draws upon queer theory, performance theory, and gender theory in his analysis with comparisons to other examples of media targeted to women, such as Twilight and gothic literature. Bertlasky focuses specifically on the comics written by Wonder Woman creator William Moulton Marston and illustrator Harry G. Peter. While many modern interpretations of the original comics attempt to downplay or explain away the themes of bondage and lesbianism, Berlatsky argues, “To ignore the bondage in Marston and Peter then, is to miss the comic’s appeal not only to men but to women – and is also to ignore an important part of the feminist message” (pg. 23). The stories offer a parallel to women’s own sense of metaphorical bondage in a patriarchal society while offering a message of hope through Wonder Woman’s escapes. Discussing themes of lesbianism in Marston’s work, Berlatsky argues, “I do not see how it is possible to see the lesbian romance and lesbian play in Wonder Woman as anything but intentional” (pg. 153). Further, Berlatsky continues, “Marston…included lesbianism in both his academic work and in his fiction. He saw lesbianism as normal, healthy, and even ideal” (pg. 149). He draws comparisons to Marston’s living arrangement with Elizabeth Holloway and Olive Byrne, arguing based on the appearance of these themes in Marston’s work that Holloway and Byrne were lovers. Jill Lepore, in her book The Secret History of Wonder Woman, examined the same living situation without coming to that conclusion based on the extant evidence. Bertlasky, while conceding “to some degree those questions are unanswerable,” insists that his assumption is correct (pg. 151). While it would be interesting if it were, he argues without evidence beyond his literary interpretation. I fundamentally disagree with Berlatsky’s conclusion that the iterations of Wonder Woman following Marston and Peter’s run is superfluous. While some of the storylines and interpretations were undoubtedly weak or flawed, each successive generation of readers and writers reworked the character to meet the demands of their time, much like the Greek myths on which Marston and Peter drew for the character. His goal that his book will encourage others to read Marston and Peter’s comics to discover a “work created in the spirit of feminism, of peace, of queerness, and of love” is noble, but some of his conclusions could use more evidence (pg. 215).… (altro)

Berlatsky, Noah. Doomsday Scenarios (Opposing Viewpoints). New York: Greenhaven Press, 2011.
Characters: There are no single characters but there are a variety of different situations
Setting: Doomsday scenarios.
Theme: Post-apocalyptic, worst case scenarios.
Genre: High school hi-low.
Summary: This is a book about opposing point of views based on an apocalyptic or post-apocalyptic situation. There is a compilation of excerpts from multiple individuals who are well versed in the field. The interesting thing about this book is that it provides a pro and a con point of view, without imposing the reader to make a stance. It allows the readers to read different arguments of what type of doomsday scenarios could and could not occur. These scenarios range from an economic downfall to the actual human beings causing a doomsday scenario.
Audience: High school reluctant readers.
Curriculum: History, civic, politics, religion.
Personal Response: This is a very interesting book that allows the readers to read short excerpts of other people’s opinions on doomsday scenarios. The reader does not have to read the entire book to gain a point of view and it does not force the reader to develop one, in regards to doomsday scenarios. As a result of the way the opinions are compiled, readers can simply pick the book up, look through the index and decide which topics they are interested in exploring. The book also makes a great reference book because the ideas represented in the book are cited and taken from other books. One of the main drawing points for reluctant readers is the subject matter. Doomsday scenarios seem to be popular among younger students and this book could possibly draw in reluctant readers since it is an interesting subject matter and it is considerably an easier read.… (altro)