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Imaginary Worlds

Law & Order Superheroes

Imaginary Worlds

Eric Molinsky

Arts, Science Fiction, Fiction, Society & Culture

4.82.1K Ratings

🗓️ 15 October 2020

⏱️ 31 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

You know the scene. A pair of muggers are in an alleyway when a superhero leaps down and beats them to a pulp. It’s a classic scenario, but in a year when we’re reassessing the role of law enforcement in the real world, is it time to reimagine the role of super-cops in fantasy worlds? I talk with prosecutor Patrick O’Connor and police officer Henry Wong about how Batman or The Punisher could better reflect the times. Matthew Westfox, co-host of the podcast Superhero Ethics, discusses the moral quandaries of Daredevil. Peter Nowak, author of “The Rise of Real-Life Superheroes,” explains why costumed crime fighters are no longer just in fiction, and we hear from The Grim and Violet Valkyrie, who actually patrol the streets of San Diego as their superhero alter-egos. Today's episode is brought to you by EveryPlate, HelloFresh and BetterHelp. Want to advertise/sponsor our show? We have partnered with AdvertiseCast to handle our advertising/sponsorship requests. They’re great to work with and will help you advertise on our show. Please email [email protected] or click the link below to get started. Imaginary Worlds AdvertiseCast Listing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Tab for a cause is a browser extension that lets you raise money for charity will do

0:04.8

in your thing online.

0:06.6

Whenever you open a new tab, you'll see a beautiful background photo and a small ad.

0:11.6

And part of that ad money goes towards a charity of your choice.

0:15.6

It's free and incredibly easy.

0:18.1

Transform your tabs into a force for good in just 30 seconds.

0:22.4

Sign up at tabforacaws.org slash imaginary worlds.

0:29.4

You're listening to imaginary worlds.

0:31.1

A show about how we create them and why we suspend or disbelief.

0:34.7

I'm Eric Mulinsky.

0:36.8

If you're a long time listener, you might remember my friend, Patrick O'Connor.

0:40.6

In one episode, he forced me to watch The Walking Dead.

0:43.3

In another episode, we talked about D&D character alignments.

0:47.7

He's also my New York Comic Con buddy.

0:49.8

We used to go every year, until this year, of course.

0:52.8

And Patrick and I grew up in the same era of comics, which were dominated by writers

0:56.8

like Frank Miller, who turned Batman and Daredevil into brutal street-level vigilantes

1:03.1

that would break the bones of muggers or drug dealers, which at the teenage boy, I thought

1:08.7

was cool.

1:10.3

But I was living in the very safe suburbs.

1:12.9

Patrick grew up in a neighborhood in Queens that was an infamous hotspot for the drug

1:17.6

wars of the 80s and 90s.

...

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