Bam! Pow! Zap! Batman and Clever Writing

During my senior year of college, I took a class called “Psychology of Advertising,” taught by a first-time adjunct instructor. For whatever reason, we didn’t get along. Personality clash? My impatience? His arrogant attitude? Probably all of the above.

During one class discussion, he asked everyone, “What is something that makes YOU, YOU? Something or someone who has really influenced you?”

He started at the opposite side of the room from where I sat, and I listened to the stock answers. “My parents.” “My grandparents.” “My fourth-grade teacher.” And on and on. It was all very sweet, unlike me that evening.

Now, those people in my life—parents, grandparents, teachers—have influenced me more than they will ever know. That particular day, I wasn’t feeling warm and fuzzy. Plus, I was a quite snarky 21-year-old (shocking, I know).

It came my turn. I thought deeply about something that had influenced my personality and my outlook on life.

“The TV show Batman.”

I imagined a thought bubble: BAM! I got a good, steady laugh from the rest of the students, while the teacher peered at me for what seemed like an eternity. Okay, here goes—in the doghouse again.

“I’m glad you said that!” It was the most excited he had been all semester. “Pop culture things really do influence us! We’ll definitely talk more about that soon!”

That moment eased the tension between the two of us, and we got along for the rest of the semester and had some good conversations.

That’s a really long buildup for me to revisit the appreciation I have for the WRITING on the old Batman ‘66 show. Yes, the WRITING.

I recently found the series on the Roku Channel and have been watching the third season episodes, mostly because I loved Batgirl (and wanted to marry her when I was nine). Most pundits would say that season was the point where the show went downhill creatively, but I beg to differ.

Sure, the sets were sparse, adding to the surrealism, but the plots and jokes gave an interesting nod to ‘60s culture, offering plenty of satire and general absurdity.

Take, for instance, the episode in which we meet the new Catwoman, played with gusto by Eartha Kitt. The opening scene is a fashion show, in which Batgirl is awarded the first annual “Batty” for being the “best-dressed crime-fightress.” You can’t make this stuff up (well, actually, someone did). The rest of the episode pokes fun at ‘60s fashion, with Catwoman’s brilliant line in response to the miniskirt trend: “Mini-Ha-Ha!”

The three-part “Londinium” story skewers the groovy London culture; Batman dons a recycled monster costume for “How to Hatch a Dinosaur”. There are references to fondue, “wall-of-sound” girl groups, and other fads of the era.

The ultimate episode of this type was “Surf’s Up! Joker’s Under,” which hilariously satirized the surfing/beach movie culture, complete with a surfing contest between Batman and the Joker. Both hero and villain don surf jams over their costumes, and Batman fends off a shark with his Bat-Shark-Repellant-Spray to win the duel and save Gotham City, which suddenly has a beach. The humor was spot-on, with puns and clever asides galore, as campy as can be.

My lesson: good, clever writing will survive and bring joy even years later. As an adult, I am noticing things in Batman that went way over the head of my nine-year-old self who rushed home from school  to flip on the television in the hopes of seeing the Batcopter or, even better, the Batgirl-Cycle.

Know your audience and your style. Include clever asides when appropriate. And learn how to get yourself out of a deadly Human Knot by wiggling your ears—a skill that may come in handy someday.

Carlton Hughes, represented by Cyle Young of Hartline Literary, wears many hats. By day, he is a professor of communication. On Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings, he serves as a children’s pastor. In his “spare time,” he is a freelance writer. Carlton is an empty-nesting dad and devoted husband who likes long walks on the beach, old sitcoms, and chocolate–all the chocolate. His work has been featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Dating Game, The Wonders of Nature, Let the Earth Rejoice, Just Breathe, So God Made a Dog, and Everyday Grace for Men. His latest book is Adventures in Fatherhood, co-authored with Holland Webb.