Do I look like some kind of weirdo?
Nov. 2nd, 2006 12:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bluegargantuaHi,
OK, so here's a study done to try and determine how kids perceive fantasy and reality. Specifically, how well kids perceive multiple fantasy worlds:
http://scienceblogs.com/cognitivedaily/2006/10/halloween_special_does_batman.php
The basic gist being if Batman and Spongebob are both fictional, does Batman think of Spongebob as real or fictional. And basically, adults said, "both are fictional, but in Batman's world, Batman is real and Spongebob is fictional and vice versa".
[an aside to my Amber homies: Are really real fake Batmans more heroic than fake real Batmans?]
The initial study suggested that not only did kids think that Batman thought Spongebob wasn't real, Batman thought Robin wasn't real either.
The scientists did a follow-up study and tried to formulate the questions in a better way. This time, it seemed that both kids and adults had the same general concept of multiple fantasy worlds.
But I think the coolest idea to come out of this is in the first study:
Batman doens't think Robin is real!
This would explain so much. Why does Batman run around with a pre-teen kid? Why does he have him chase down psychotic and dangerous villians? How is this not child abuse?
Easy -- Robin doesn't really exist! Or at least, Batman doesn't think so.
And it doesn't matter which way it goes -- maybe Batman thinks Robin isn't real and Robin is, in fact, a figment but he's got this Tyler Durden kind of thing going. Or maybe Batman thinks Robin isn't real, but he is and Bats is just in denial.
Either way, so much fun to think about!
I'm Batman! And this is Robin.
What? There's no one there.
Are you calling me a liar?
N-no, sir.
That's right.
Tom
OK, so here's a study done to try and determine how kids perceive fantasy and reality. Specifically, how well kids perceive multiple fantasy worlds:
http://scienceblogs.com/cognitivedaily/2006/10/halloween_special_does_batman.php
The basic gist being if Batman and Spongebob are both fictional, does Batman think of Spongebob as real or fictional. And basically, adults said, "both are fictional, but in Batman's world, Batman is real and Spongebob is fictional and vice versa".
[an aside to my Amber homies: Are really real fake Batmans more heroic than fake real Batmans?]
The initial study suggested that not only did kids think that Batman thought Spongebob wasn't real, Batman thought Robin wasn't real either.
The scientists did a follow-up study and tried to formulate the questions in a better way. This time, it seemed that both kids and adults had the same general concept of multiple fantasy worlds.
But I think the coolest idea to come out of this is in the first study:
Batman doens't think Robin is real!
This would explain so much. Why does Batman run around with a pre-teen kid? Why does he have him chase down psychotic and dangerous villians? How is this not child abuse?
Easy -- Robin doesn't really exist! Or at least, Batman doesn't think so.
And it doesn't matter which way it goes -- maybe Batman thinks Robin isn't real and Robin is, in fact, a figment but he's got this Tyler Durden kind of thing going. Or maybe Batman thinks Robin isn't real, but he is and Bats is just in denial.
Either way, so much fun to think about!
I'm Batman! And this is Robin.
What? There's no one there.
Are you calling me a liar?
N-no, sir.
That's right.
Tom
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
Amber...
Date: 2006-11-02 05:28 pm (UTC)Re: Amber...
Date: 2006-11-02 05:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-11-02 05:38 pm (UTC)Processing ... processing ...
You mean is the Batman of the one true (fictional) Amber more heroic than fictional real Batman of shadow?
Some of the shadows are doubtless more heroic, but the one true Batman would still kick their ass.
no subject
Date: 2006-11-02 05:52 pm (UTC)"Uncle Gerard, are not-really-real real pearls more valuable than really-real fake pearls?"
"Uhhhhhh..."
"Congratulations, kids, you stumped Gerard!"
no subject
Date: 2006-11-02 05:53 pm (UTC)No, assume that in Amber there's a fake Batman. He's not the real Batman, he's just some guy pretending to be Batman (and let's assume it's not Benedict pretending to be Batman or something, it's just some regular Amberite guy).
Off in Shadow, there's Bruce Wayne, Batman. He's Batman and anyone else in his Shadow who claims to be Batman is just kidding themselves. Shadow Batman is the Shadow Real Batman.
OK, so, a One True Amber Fake Batman and a Shadow Real Batman. Who's more heroic?
Don't feel bad, a similar question completely stumped Gerard
Tom
no subject
Date: 2006-11-02 06:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-11-02 07:05 pm (UTC)That's easy. Benedict and Shadow Real Batman both have the "I win" special ability. But Benedict is Really real, and Batman is only fake real, so Benedicts winning ability will triumph over Batman's. More interesting would be Batman vs, say, Bleys or Gerard or Corwin.
no subject
Date: 2006-11-02 06:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-11-02 06:47 pm (UTC)interestingly, five adults who [identified real friends as] "make believe" were also excluded from the study.
no subject
Date: 2006-11-02 07:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-11-02 08:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-11-02 08:03 pm (UTC)Replace the word [Robin] with [Jesus] or [God] to really fuck with their impressionable little minds.
no subject
Date: 2006-11-02 08:26 pm (UTC)Batman *knows* god exists. Batman IS god.
heh
Tom
no subject
Date: 2006-11-05 03:15 pm (UTC)Funny thing though, is I still encounter adults who get confused about the difference between what is realistic for a given literary setting vs. what is realistic in "the real world". For example, if you complain that it's not realistic for a cyborg-ninja to show up in a "Lord of the Rings" spin-off, they'd say, "Well, Hobbits aren't real either!"
(Anybody remember the term for that, for something "being true to the reality of the setting?" Thanks.)