In this episode, Kevin explains why Batman and other fictional characters are more real than people who are alive.

Intro music by Lundstroem - "Great podcast intro" (Short version and Long version)

Youtube- https://www.youtube.com/@ShadowEnglish4649

Transcript:

I had a thought the other day that I wanted to flesh out in today’s podcast. That thought is…Batman is more real (or realer) than we are.

Haha..What do I mean by this?

Well, I actually do not mean to single out batman. Any fictional character could replace ‘Batman’. Or at least any fictional character that has considerable popularity I believe is more real than we are. Whether it is Spiderman, Harry Potter, Son Goku, Neo from the Matrix, Hello Kitty, The Grinch, Mr. Bean, and so on. By real, I guess what I mean is that these characters will outlive us in the minds of others. Most people who do not reach worldwide popularity, or even local popularity, will be slowly forgotten when they die and those that know them gradually pass away. Whereas fictional characters live robust lives in the imaginations and iterations in which they appear…whether it be TV, movies, comics, or online. Many characters that are popular in one generation continue to be popular in another by some creator revitalizing the character and some adaptation via one of the mediums just mentioned.  Whereas one cannot really do that with real people.

One exception to this is mythology and religious customs…when historical people reach such notoriety that they continue to live on in perpetuity…such as St. Nicholas (known more by the name Santa Claus), or the Buddha, or Jesus Christ,…and many other religious figures. 

So it is possible for real people to continue on in the minds of others indefinitely, and this can happen to some degree with important historical figures as well, however their lives in the minds of current living people are more static due to the very nature of the idea that history cannot be changed.

People who create or interact with fictional characters and mythological or religious figures adapt these characters to the time and make them relevant to current society. 

So yeah...I guess on second thought, it all depends on how you define the word “real”. If real is simply a biological organism, then of course we humans are more real. But if “real” is defined by its longevity, its impact… or what leaves its mark on the world more, then fictional characters are more real than us living, breathing folk… That is not to say people do not have an impact on the world. I think we all do to some degree or another. But it often goes unnoticed or unrecognized, and thus the memory of the average person quickly fades..

Anyways, just some musings for today. Sorry if it was a bit difficult and philosophical today. But I hope you could learn some good words from this one.

Catch you next time!