Threat, Authoritarianism, and Depictions of Crime, Law, and Order in Batman Films Brandon Bosch University of Nebraska-Lincoln, [email protected]

University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Sociology Department, Faculty Publications Sociology, Department of 4-2-2016 “Why So Serious?” Threat, Authoritarianism, and Depictions of Crime, Law, and Order in Batman Films Brandon Bosch University of Nebraska-Lincoln, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/sociologyfacpub Part of the Criminal Law Commons, Criminology Commons, Family, Life Course, and Society Commons, Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons, and the Social Control, Law, Crime, and Deviance Commons Bosch, Brandon, "“Why So Serious?” Threat, Authoritarianism, and Depictions of Crime, Law, and Order in Batman Films" (2016). Sociology Department, Faculty Publications. 287. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/sociologyfacpub/287 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Sociology, Department of at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Sociology Department, Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. VOLUME 17, ISSUE 1, PAGES 37–54 (2016) Criminology, Criminal Justice Law, & Society E-ISSN 2332-886X Available online at https://scholasticahq.com/criminology-criminal-justice-law-society/ “Why So Serious?” Threat, Authoritarianism, and Depictions of Crime, Law, and Order in Batman Films Brandon Bosch University of Nebraska-Lincoln A B S T R A C T A N D A R T I C L E I N F O R M A T I O N Drawing on research on authoritarianism, this study analyzes the relationship between levels of threat in society and representations of crime, law, and order in mass media, with a particular emphasis on the superhero genre. Although the superhero genre is viewed as an important site of mediated images of crime and law enforcement, cultural criminologists have been relatively quiet about this film genre. In addressing this omission, I analyze authoritarian themes (with an emphasis on crime, law, and order) in the Batman film franchise across different periods of threat. My qualitative content analysis finds that authoritarianism themes of fear and need for order and concern about aggressive action toward crime are more common in Batman films during high-threat periods. I also find that criticism of authority figures is more prevalent in Batman films during high-threat periods, which challenges previous research on authoritarianism as well as the alleged conservative media bias toward police. Article History: Keywords: Received 02 July 2015 cultural criminology, authoritarianism, superheroes, Batman, qualitative analysis Received in revised form 31 October 2015 Accepted 16 November 2015 © 2016 Criminology, Criminal Justice, Law & Society and The Western Society of Criminology Hosting by Scholastica. All rights reserved. Although a number of scholars have studied film adaptations can make significant departures from depictions of crime and law in the superhero genre, their comic book source material (Weiner, 2012). these analyses have been largely limited to comic In analyzing cinematic representations of crime, books (Adkinson, 2008; Phillips & Strobl, 2006, 2013; law, and order in the superhero genre, this study looks Vollum & Adkinson, 2003) and television (Kort- at the role that threat plays in structuring such Butler, 2012, 2013). Film has largely been overlooked representations. In the same way that changing social when it comes to representations of law and order in conditions and political discourses helped to create a the superhero genre, despite the unprecedented shift in how Americans think about crime and commercial success (and endless sequels, spin-offs, punishment (Hagan, 2010), so too can such conditions and reboots) that the genre has been experiencing for affect depictions of crime, threat, and justice in mass quite some time. This omission is important because media (Cavender, 2004). Given that media influence perceptions of crime and the justice system (Elsass, Corresponding author: Brandon Bosch, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Department of Sociology, Department of Political Science, 722 Oldfather Hall, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588. Email: [email protected] 38 BOSCH Schildkraut, & Stafford, 2014; Kort-Butler & rebels who often fought against oppressive, unjust Hartshorn, 2011) and can reflect cultural concerns societies in such films as Bonnie and Clyde (1967), (Ryan & Kellner, 1988), it is important to know more Cool Hand Luke (1967), and Butch Cassidy and the about how media represent crime, law, and order. Sundance Kid (1969; see generally Cavender, 2004; Accordingly, this study looks at how threat relates to Ryan & Kellner, 1988). Additionally, crime dramas the construction of crime and justice in superhero during this period often featured socially-minded films. More specifically, this study explores the defense attorneys that protected the under-privileged relationship between periods of threat in the world and and wrongfully accused (Rapping, 2003). representations of Batman as gritty and authoritarian However, representations of crime and authority or campy and humorful. Put differently, this article would soon take on a new tone. Hagan (2010) notes attempts to apply the Joker’s “Why so serious” that American thinking on crime in the late 1960s question from The Dark Knight (2008) to the entire shifted from focusing on social reforms and Batman film franchise. rehabilitation to mass incarceration and stiff penalties. This study is organized as follows. First, I review This changing view of crime also appeared to be the literature on representations of crime and the legal mirrored in mass media. Crime on both television and system in mass media, and argue that research on film moved away from the courtroom to the police authoritarianism helps explain the role that threat plays station and from celebrating outlaws to celebrating in these representations. Second, I argue why the renegade cops (Rapping, 2003). This mediated superhero genre—and Batman in particular—is an backlash against rising crime rates and the free- appropriate place for analyzing the relationship spirited 1960s is exemplified by Dirty Harry (1971), a between threat, authoritarianism, and mediated film that emphasized the burden that civil liberties and representations of crime and the legal system. Third, I liberal judges put on police trying to fight crime in discuss findings from my analysis of these themes in their gritty, urban cities (Rafter & Brown, 2011; Batman films across different levels of threat. Finally, Rapping, 2003; Ryan & Kellner, 1988). Nichols- I discuss the relevance of these findings to research on Pethick (2012) argues that this change in mediated crime and media. representations of crime and the legal system was “dictated” in part by concerns over rising crime rates Literature Review (p. 73). More recently, cable television programs like The Sopranos (1999-2007), Dexter (2006-2013), and Scholars have regularly criticized mass media for Breaking Bad (2008-2013) encourage audiences to its depictions of crime and law enforcement. Scholars relate to the criminal protagonist, which harkens back often dismiss the television police drama as a in some ways to the gangster films of the 1930s. politically conservative genre (Nichols-Pethick, 2012, Threat and Authoritarianism p. 8). Law enforcement is often shown favorably in mass media (Cavender & Deutsch, 2007, p. 78), and The psychological concept of authoritarianism the violation of civil liberties is shown to be an can help us better understand these changing occasionally necessary (albeit unsavory) way of discourses on crime and the legal system in mass obtaining justice (Donovan & Klahm, 2014; Eschholz, media. Although criticized for their Freudian-derived Mallard, & Flynn, 2004). Consistent with this alleged theorizing and methodology, the basic tenets of conservative bias, these programs tend to downplay authoritarianism as originally formulated by Adorno, the structural factors behind crime and instead Frenkel-Brunswik, Levinson, and Sanford (1950) emphasize that criminals are greedy and vengeful remain largely intact. One consistent characteristic of (Gans-Boriskin & Wardle, 2005) and require authoritarianism is a tendency to uncritically obey punishment, not rehabilitation (Rapping, 2003). authority figures. This obedience is termed However, if we take a broader historical authoritarian submission, defined as “a high degree of perspective, we can see more heterogeneous submission to the authorities who are perceived to be depictions of crime and law in mass media. The established and legitimate in the society in which one gangster films of the 1930s featured “lower-class men, lives” (Altemeyer, 1988, p. 2). Sources of authority crude and uneducated, shooting their way to riches, include the legal system, political leaders, and the fame, and misfortune” (Rafter & Brown, 2011, p. military (Altemeyer, 1988), and authoritarianism is 107). The gangster genre—with its outlaw empirically linked to more positive affect toward protagonists fighting against clumsy and often corrupt police officers (Larsen, 1968; Oliver, 1996). cops—can be seen as an expression of frustration with Obedience to authority is also captured by Feldman society’s economic and political institutions during the and Stenner’s (1997) measures for authoritarianism, Great Depression (Gianos, 1998). During the counter- which regard attitudes toward child-rearing, such as culture 1960s,

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