Episode 0025: I Need a (Super) Hero

In a planning meeting for our demisemicentepisode one of the minions suggested that we ”pull out all the stops”, at which point Dr. Pindar, our Director of Etymological Accuracy and General Nitpicking, pointed out that The Secret Lair does not have a pipe organ installed. This, quite naturally, led to several hours of rational discourse on whether, given the lack of pipe organs, we ought to leave some of the stops in or simply not bother with the stops at all. The discussion concluded, as is often the case, with a face-stabbing. Further planning meetings were deemed unnecessary.

Our special guest is Jay “The Kingfish” Lynn from the Metamediocrity audio comic book. Speaking of special and mediocre, our special sauce is Thousand Island Dressing blended with mayonnaise. Jay joins us at the International House of Johnson for a discussion about superheroes and approximately three inches of latex.

Promo: Quarter Share by Nathan Lowell.

Chief Medical Officer’s Progress Report #1. In which the Bad Doctor is extremely disappointed with what passes for a pandemic these days.

Discussion: What is a superhero?

• Are transforming robots from the planet Cybertron superheroes?
• What about androids built right here on Earth?
• Does a superhero have to possess meta-human abilities?
• Can you break Overlord Miller’s brain by suggesting that Batman isn’t actually a superhero?
• Are figures of legend and myth (e.g., King Arthur, Hercules) superheroes?

Musical Interlude: “White Wedding” by The Harvey Girls.

Welcome to the Ministry of Crackpot Schemes and Unfortunate Synergies

• Jay applies the Polly Pocket Principle to superheroes to create the next must-have “action figure” for young boys.
• But would it work?

On the other side of the coin…

• Let’s talk about anti-heroes (or anti-superheroes).
• Are Saw and Jason Vorhees superheroes after a fashion? Are they heroes at all?
• What do horror movies, Grimm’s Faerie Tales and urban legends have to do with superheroes, if anything?
• Are we really just talking about various forms of morality tales?
• You know, I think it’s entirely possible that we’ve begun to digress, just a little. That never happens!

The Secret Library: There’s a rumor going ’round that the Overlords will be discussing Christopher Moore’s Lamb on an upcoming (perhaps even the next) episode, so the MoCSaUS (boy, that’s awfully close to “mucous”, isn’t it?) has suggested that our next book be The Time Traveller’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.

Lairkeeping

• Our theme song is still “Skullcrusher Mountain” by Jonathan Coulton, because it’s podsafe and has the words “secret lair” in it. Come on, you knew that, right? Speaking of podsafe, did you know that Overlord Miller’s podsafeword is “Terra”?
• Join our forums and stir up some trouble. Go ahead; I triple-dog dare you.
• Phenylketonurics rejoice! Our contact form contains no phenylalanine.
• If you prefer e-mail, you may leave feedback. At The Secret Lair. Dot com.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 51:15 — 46.9MB)

Related posts:

1. Episode 0017: The Sky People by S.M. Stirling
2. Episode 0031: Free Content vs. Paying the Creator
3. Episode 0021: Watch This!
4. Episode 0027: You’ve Got Your Fantasy in My Science Fiction!
5. Episode 0026: The Secret Library – Lamb by Christopher Moore

1. 

   Joseph says:

   July 31, 2009 at 12:50 am

   I’m not sure why, but I feel compelled to clear up some confusion, or misconception, of Saw’s main character, Jigsaw.

   The first movie I don’t quite remember (except for the ending), but the second movie gives Jigsaw dimension, and reveals that he actually puts these people (as one of your guests said, are troubled in some fashion, be that drug-addicts, rapists, murderers, etc.) through these fairly gruesome “games” because he was diagnosed with cancer, told that he was going to die, attempted suicide, somehow survived, and now believes that the majority of humanity does not value Life.

   The reason he chooses these troubled souls is because out of everyöne they value it the least, because they have thrown away their lives, whereas his was stolen from him.

   To add an additional element, the “games” in themselves contain “rules”, that is, Jigsaw tells the subject (via video or audio recording) and all they have to do to escape death is follow the rules. Granted, most of these stipulations involve doing something cruel and/or painful in themselves (such as dig a key out from behind their own eye), but in the end their not dead. Given the atmosphere of the movies (or those I’ve seen anyway) most people do not follow the rules and end up dying in some horrible way.

   Yes, its true, the Saw films cater to folks who want nothing but see traumatizing images that would make anyöne cringe, which means they ingore the story. But to me, Jigsaw is in some way the ultimate anti-hero, because he does not kill people, he gives persons whose lives are in self-imposed, lamentable states a way to redeem themselves, though the way he goes about it isn’t right.

   (remember the scene in Fight Club when Tyler tells the gas-station attendant that he’s going to die unless he does something with his life? Same concept)

   Again, I have no idea where the impulse came from to explain all that, but there you go.
2. 

   Nycteris says:

   August 7, 2009 at 7:19 am

   I’m sorry, Cmaaarrr, but I will never, never hear your voice without thinking of Zombinc.

   You only did it to yourself, you know.
3. 

   Nycteris says:

   August 7, 2009 at 7:54 am

   PS. I think you just convinced me to read “The Time Traveller’s Wife”.
4. 

   Kris says:

   August 23, 2009 at 11:59 am

   @Joseph — I’m pretty sure Jigsaw explained the reasoning behind his games in the first movie, though it was probably reinforced in the second. I think I stopped watching the series after the third installment, as it seemed that the filmmakers were more interested in packing a house filled with people to kill in nasty ways than really delving into why any of them (other than perhaps whoever was bound to be the primary protagonist) were there and giving the audience to believe that the characters really had any potential to deserve to live.

   Saw is one of the better horror films I’ve seen in the past 10 years or so, and I really wanted Cary Elwes to escape (so he could marry Princess Buttercup and live happily ever after, of course). Contrast that with the sequels, wherein any given character might have three or four lines of dialog in which to build audience sympathy before they die.

   But back to your observations…

   I agree that Jigsaw is an anti-hero—I can even that appreciate that he’s trying to get people to redeem themselves—but to say that he “does not kill people” is a stretch. You may not die if you follow his “rules”, but when you do die, Jigsaw is almost invariably the person who killed you. His finger may not have been on the trigger, but he certainly set the trap.