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Superhero Ethics

Superhero Ethicswww.spreaker.com
Exploring ethical questions from Superhero movies and TV shows, sci-fi, and everything else geeks love
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Episodes

Witcher S1 Primer Pt 2

This episode was recorded for Pandavision, but we're having trouble uploading so I'm posting it here as well. Season 2 of The Witcher just went up, and we're helping you get ready for it! Ashley Coffin, Paul Hoppe, and Matthew Fox talk complete our primer on Season 1.

Dec 17, 202151 min

Ep 157 - BeBop 2

Paul and Matthew jump into ethical questions from the 2nd half of the live action CowBoy BeBop!

Dec 07, 20211 hr 12 min

SW Rebels S2 Ep 1-2

We're talking about Season 2, episode 1-2. SO many character reveals!

Dec 02, 20211 hr 10 min

Ep 156 - Midnight Mass

What happens when a pastor and a pastor's kid talk about the ethics of church leadership, using faith to justify terrible things, and vampires? Matthew and Matt Carroll get into all the ethical questions raised by Netflix's Midnight Mass

Nov 30, 202147 min

Ep 155 - MMMBop, Cowboy Bebop, ba duba dop...

Let's talk Cowboy BeBop, episodes 1-5. Are Spike and Jet heroes. anti-heroes, or something else? What's going on in this post earth society? Paul and I jump into these questions and more.

Nov 23, 20211 hr 13 min

Ep 154 - Ethics of Anthills. Eternals

Would you disturb an ant-hill to build a garden or something else you needed? What if humanity was the ant-hill? Is it better to force people to do good things, or let them do terrible ones? Eternals raised some great questions, and Pete Wright of The Next Reel joins me to explore them.

Nov 16, 20211 hr 2 min

Ep 153 - The Jedi need an HR Department

Could the Jedi have been saved? Was their downfall inherent in their structure, their rules, their repression? Did Anakin just need a good HR officer to take his complaints to? Rob and Jonah join me to talk about the fall of the Jedi, and how we might have rebuilt the order.

Nov 09, 20211 hr 21 min

Ep 152 - Multiverse Multi Opinions

Let's talk multiverses! Paul Hoppe and I dive into the questions raised by telling stories in a multiverse. Note- this episode may be a bit controversial, as both of us are not as gung-ho as many others about the way the multiverse is playing out in the MCU. This episode is NOT an attempt to argue with people who are loving the multiverse, or to shame them or to in any way question that. If you're super excited to see how the multiverse plays out- that is awesome, and if you're not interested in...

Nov 02, 20211 hr 8 min

Ep 151 - Ethics of Dune

Is there such a thing as benevolent colonialism as Duke Leto tries? How does Dune explore the idea of a messiah, and the way those effect and are effected by Paul, the Bene Gesserit and the Fremen? My friend and former colleague from my days as a pastor, Chris McArdle, joins me to dive into these topics and more. Chris McArdle is an ordained minister of the United Church of Christ who serves the First Congregational Church of Anoka, Minnesota. He is a self-described lifelong geek whose parents i...

Oct 26, 20211 hr 16 min

True Blood S1E5 8

Ashley and I continue our discussion of True Blood, covering S1 Eps 5-8 on this 2nd episode of Superhero Ethics After Dark! 18+ only please.. This week I am on my honeymoon, so this will be the only Superhero Ethics episode. But most of the time, After Dark will be a bonus episode, not a replacement for the normal weekly episode. Superhero Ethics After Dark is a new series where Ashley and I will discuss shows that deal frankly with topics like sexuality or other themes the podcast gods will get...

Oct 19, 20211 hr 14 min

Ep 150 - Hollywood Labor and Ethical Fandom

Hollywood Strike? ScarJo vs. DIsney? What's a fan to think and do? I'm joined by 3 friends from the The Next Reel podcast network, all of whom are industry professionals, to discuss what is happening and how it effects what we choose to watch. Here is the petition we discussed during the show: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/tell-amptp-to-make-a-deal-with-behind-the-scenes-workers Mandy Fabian was named "Best New Filmmaker of the Year" by NewFilmmakers LA, co-created/directed Lifetime's firs...

Oct 12, 20211 hr 11 min

Ep 149 - Krakoa and Mutant Separatism

A homeland for the X-men and all mutants? Should mutants be thought of as their own nation? Does this mean Magneto won? Will and Steve from Hype is my Superpower Podcast join me to discuss these questions and more as we talk about the Krakoa story line in X-Men comics. Never read the comics- neither have I! We use them as a jumping off point to discuss the characters and issues on both screen and page.

Oct 05, 20211 hr 24 min

Ep 148 - Is Star Fleet a Military

What are the questions that come up when we militarize space? Is there a problem when you show up to a first contact in ship loaded with weapons? Who makes decisions when messages to the civilian oversight back home take days or weeks to be delivered? Rob McKenzie is back to talk about these issues and more in Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Stargate and sci-fi fiction. We recommend a number of books in this episode and you can buy many of them through The Ethical Panda affiliate! You get a low...

Sep 28, 20211 hr 18 min

True blood S1E1-4

Welcome to our first episode of Superhero Ethics After Dark! 18+ only please.. Ashley and I are discussing True Blood, the HBO series about Vampires coming out of the Coffin in rural Louisiana, starting with Season 1, Episodes 1-4. We talk about the ethics of Vampires, is Sookie compassionate or naïve, all the ways this show is a metaphor for issues in our own world, and can Ashley talk about anything BUT her thirst for ER. Superhero Ethics After Dark is a new series where Ashley and I will disc...

Sep 27, 20211 hr 1 min

Ep 147 - Purple Man, Empath, and the Ethics of Total Control

What morality do you develop if no one ever tells you no? Do you learn not to hurt people, when you can always change their emotions? Will and Steve of Hype is my Superpower join me to discuss these issues on page and screen with a focus on Purple Man from Jessica Jones and Empath from the X-Men. Check out Will's twitch channel: http://twitch.tv/sylverdreamer

Sep 21, 20211 hr 7 min

Ep 146 - Ethics of Shang Chi

We dive into the ethical questions from Shang Chi! Is Wenwu a villain, an antagonist or just the best Anakin Skywalker ever?

Sep 14, 20211 hr 56 min

Ep 145 What if we Talked about What If

What if raises so many great ethical questions and we're here to explore them! With Will and Steve of the Hype is my Superpower Podcast! https://hypeismysuperpower.podbean.com/

Sep 05, 20211 hr 3 min

Ep 144 - Comics in the Classroom

Batman may face down the Joker, Cap was ready to take on Thanos by himself- but no hero is braver than the middle school teacher! Social Studies teacher and long time Panda Emily Cissell joins us to talk about how she uses comic books in her classroom. Emily Cissell is a middle school social studies teacher also known as a real life superhero. She has a borderline obsession with Captain Marvel, Loki, and her dog Hemingway. You can find her at: Instagram/Twitter: @emilyorlou Some of the links she...

Sep 01, 20211 hr 6 min

Ep 143 - When Robins Leave the Nest

What happens when Robin goes out on their own? Jessica Plummer joins me to discuss Tim Drake coming out as queer, Dick Grayson wrestling with the effects of growing up Robin and Jason Todd trying to find his way out of Dick's shadow. Jess has a new book out, and if you buy it through this link you get a discount, and help support the podcast! https://bookshop.org/books/sword-stone-table-old-legends-new-voices/9780593081891?sscid=71k5_dqqyo&utm_source=ShareASale&utm_medium=Affiliate&u...

Aug 25, 20211 hr 35 min

Ep 142 - The Suicide Squad

Paul Hoppe and Jessica Plummer join me to discuss ethical questions in The Suicide Squad! Jess has a new book out, and if you buy it through this link you get a discount, and help support the podcast! https://bookshop.org/books/sword-stone-table-old-legends-new-voices/9780593081891?sscid=71k5_dqqyo&utm_source=ShareASale&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=2805314&utm_term=1535322&fbclid=IwAR3hbVPAI_cVvXhwdBlmmM-HBtdWQu1PGYRQjQzzzDjWxyiU_y7mizzmv3U...

Aug 17, 20212 hr

Ep 141 - What Happens Next

The evil king is dead, the empire has fallen, the story is over! But what comes next? On this specially-commissioned episode, Paul Hoppe and I explore that question and many others that go into the making of sequels and prequels. This episode was commissioned by the 50th follower of Paul's Twitch Stream, freecplad3454. You can find Paul at twitch.tv/zenmadman, and if you're interested in commissioning an episode yourself, email me at theethicalpanda@gmail.com to discuss it!...

Aug 10, 20212 hr 2 min

Ep 140 - Raya, Luca, and the Wisdom of Kids Movies

Paul joins me to talk Luka, and Raya and the Last Dragon! We dive into questions raised by each of these movies individually, as well as talking about why Kids Movies are so often dismissed, and the power that can be found in their version of storytelling. We go into questions like trust, identity, queer representation, and where legend and myth meet reality.

Jul 27, 20211 hr 11 min

Ep 139 - Ethical Variants Loki Pt 2

Did he who remains have to die? Did Loki miss the mark on queer representation? And how did the phrases Thank you Daddy Disney, and Schrodinger's Kang, make it into our episode? Paul Hoppe and Fox Kaye join me to discuss these questions and more.

Jul 21, 20211 hr 41 min

Ep 138 - Black Widow Ethics

Paul and Ashley join me to discuss ethical questions from Black Widow! We talk about character agency, the importance of this movie, and falling fortress fight fiascos.

Jul 13, 20211 hr 21 min

Ep 137 - Shadows and Bones and Anti-heroes, Oh My!

Returning Guest Becky Allen joins us to discuss Shadow & Bone- the TV series, and the book it was based on. Even if you haven't seen the show or read the movie, there's lots to enjoy!

Jul 06, 20211 hr 54 min

Ep 132.5 Thirst Feedback

Our thirst episode, and the ongoing discussion of thirst and queerness has brought a lot of feedback and Ashley joined me to go over it. We talk about all the great support we've gotten, some of the negative comments that have come in and, amazingly, we kept our conversation under 35 minutes! (a bit longer with ads)

Jul 01, 202135 min

Ep 136 - Burdened with Glorious Ethical Questions

Paul and I are talking about deep ethical questions like- is it bad to genocide entire civilizations when they make choices you think are bad? What was the importance of Loki becoming canonically bi, and has the show addressed his gender fluidity? And no discussion of Loki would be complete without one of our old favorites- redemption arcs.

Jun 29, 20211 hr 19 min

Ep 135 - Queer Heroes & Representation

Its Pride month so we're talking queer representation in our sci-fi/fantasy/superhero stories. Why does representation matter? Why is it particularly important for the queer community, and why does Hollywood consistently do it so badly. We are joined by special guest Shiri Sondheimer. Shiri is a pansexual crone who rants about books and comics on Book Riot and the Roarbots. Her own short stories can be found in Unlocking the Magic: A Fantasy Anthology and Women In Horror 2016. She has an article...

Jun 22, 20211 hr 25 min

Ep 134 - Feedback!

Mail Bag! Paul and I dig into your feedback. Spoiler Warning- because we're answering specific questions about different stories we've covered and there are a lot of spoilers, below are the different topics we cover, with the time it starts and when the next one starts, so you can skip ahead to not be spoiled. 3:20 Invincible 28:46 Who can be a guest 45:06Avatar the Last Airbender 54:28: The ethics of thirst 1:02:20 Godzilla vs Kong movies 1:14:44 Warrior...

Jun 15, 20211 hr 56 min

Ep 133 - Jupiter's Lethality

Should Superheroes promise to never kill? Is killing in the heat of battle the same as killing a supervillain so they cannot do harm again? We look at these questions and more in a discussion of Jupiter's Legacy and other stories. If you haven't seen Jupiter's Legacy, don't worry- neither has one of our guests! We use the show as a jumping off point, to focus on the topic itself. With Paul Hoppe and Jessica Plummer. During the show we mention an earlier episode where we discussed the Superman Co...

Jun 08, 20211 hr 37 min
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