Althouse: The "Batman" theme song, by actual bats.

June 20, 2013

The "Batman" theme song, by actual bats.

(Explained here.)

53 comments:

edutcher said...: Adam West smiles.; 6/20/13, 9:55 PM
chickelit said...: Isn't there a resident bat in the Althouse or did Meade dispatch him to the freezer?; 6/20/13, 9:57 PM
chickelit said...: Mitchell's his name, I think.; 6/20/13, 9:57 PM
KCFleming said...: The Superman theme song by actual soup would,be a little weirder.; 6/20/13, 10:08 PM
chickelit said...: @Pogo: The Spider-Man theme by spiders would be a black & white silent movie.; 6/20/13, 10:17 PM
KCFleming said...: Unless it's a Spidermonkey.; 6/20/13, 10:22 PM
KCFleming said...: But Spidermonkeyman wasn't such a good idea, I guess.; 6/20/13, 10:30 PM
chickelit said...: While we're on animal sounds, Titus sent me a recorded missive having what sounds like whale sounds in the background. Either that or it's restroom noise from the Legal Seafood men's room.

WARNING! AUDIO RECORDING CONTAINS GRAPHIC LANGUAGE; 6/20/13, 10:32 PM
madAsHell said...: We were in Ixtapa, and at sunset a black cloud of bats emerged from the tree line. I pointed, and said "See the bats".

My wife said I was an idiot, and then closed the sliding glass window as she retreated into the room.; 6/20/13, 10:37 PM
Irene said...: When the bat stands up on its hind legs and spreads its wings, it looks like a "batman."; 6/20/13, 10:38 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: And it's bats all the way down.

Another late breaking slider.; 6/20/13, 10:40 PM
KCFleming said...: I always hated Robin.

Just to get it out there.; 6/20/13, 10:41 PM
KCFleming said...: Seriously, a robin???; 6/20/13, 10:41 PM
KCFleming said...: Why not a lace garter, or a pansie, or a comfy chair?

"Batman and Comfy Chair, the Boy Wonder".; 6/20/13, 10:43 PM
KCFleming said...: Not as lame as Krypto the Superdog, though, or worse, fucking Batmite.

Even God hated Batmite, and He pretty much coos over every crappy thing humans do, like an indulgent parent, so that's saying a lot.; 6/20/13, 10:46 PM
KCFleming said...: Although I don't really have strong feelings about it either way.; 6/20/13, 10:48 PM
chickelit said...: I always hated Robin.

Me too. And Batman for that matter too. I only watched it for Catwoman. Oh and it had to be Julie Newmar too. The others were fakes, like George Lazibee (sp?) playing James Bond.; 6/20/13, 10:53 PM
KCFleming said...: Batman comics were good.
The TV show freaked me out. Didn't know what to make of it. 50s cornball.

But thanks for everything, Julie Newmar.; 6/20/13, 11:03 PM
chickelit said...: @Pogo: I rarely read comic books as a kid. The ones I did, I wish I could find again.

I read Mad Magazine and Famous Monsters Of Filmland regularly. I think "George Lazybee" is a Mad Magazine malapropism.; 6/20/13, 11:08 PM
KCFleming said...: Famous Monsters!

A friend of mine bought that all the time. Awesomely bad. Weird ads. I never understood the fascination with Dark Shadows it seemed to have.; 6/20/13, 11:13 PM
Baron Zemo said...: Did you see the plot of the new Batman movie?

Batman and Robin get married.; 6/20/13, 11:17 PM
KCFleming said...: Mad was great.
I was too late for the 50s masterpieces though.

I learned to draw people copying those giant hinged feet by Don Martin.

Which means I cannot draw.; 6/20/13, 11:17 PM
chickelit said...: @Pogo: Famous Monsters was Forrest J. Ackerman's baby. He was very present as editor in the magazine, much more so than say William Gaines was in Mad. So every reader knew him by name. The magazine published nearly every publicity still from every Universal, Hammer horror or SciFi movie. When ever I see one I think "I saw that first in Famous Monsters.

Ackerman was quite the character. Google "Laura Jean Ermayne." Beth (you remember Beth) told me that one night on Twitter. She was a fan.; 6/20/13, 11:26 PM
Darrell said...: Of course the Batman TV series was 1960s "cornball," not 1950s. It never freaked me out. I could see the satire and the tongue in cheek. I only wished it was better.; 6/21/13, 3:06 AM
Anonymous said...: A Stevie Wonder version of the Wonder Woman theme would probably be pretty good.; 6/21/13, 5:35 AM
edutcher said...: Pogo said...

I always hated Robin.

Just to get it out there.

No, Batman without Robin is like the Lone Ranger without Tonto.

Bret without Bart.

Archie wit'out Edith.; 6/21/13, 5:48 AM
Saint Croix said...: Not as lame as Krypto the Superdog

I always thought Krypto the Superdog was kinda fuckin' awesome.

Superman 2 would have ended in like 30 seconds.

General Zod: "I am emperor of the world! Superman is outnumbered 3 to 1! No one can stop me!"

Enter Krypto the Superdog.

General Zod: "Holy shit! Son of a bitch! Get the fucking dog off me!"; 6/21/13, 6:37 AM
KCFleming said...: OK, I'll grant you Krypto.

But Superhorse?
Please.
I'd pick up this month's comic and find a horse with a cape and think This is worse than the stupid wedding Superman issue.

I was 5 when the Batman TV series was on TV. Loved it at age 5. Re-runs freaked me out later, having read the actual comics, and wondered what they were doing, like making Achilles into a clown.

As for Robin, a kid can always dream to grow up and become Batman, but Robin was a kid and already better than you at everything, and you knew you were doomed. Fucker.; 6/21/13, 7:02 AM
Saint Croix said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 6/21/13, 7:18 AM
Saint Croix said...: I went off on a Krypto pro-life rant and deleted it.

As Wedge or Obi-Wan or Luke or somebody said, "Stay on target."

So back to Batman. Why is Catwoman more sexually alluring to me than Batgirl? They're both hot women, right? And they're both in kinky, sexy, leather costumes. But I am more attracted to the bad girl than the good girl.

Why is that? Why is this "bad" sexuality more exciting than this "good" sexuality? And I like Batgirl. Don't get me wrong, Batfans. I just like Catwoman more. She is way more exciting. So is this some sort of moralistic impulse? Do I associate lust with bad and thus bad girls inspire more lust?

Or perhaps Batgirl is a lame feminist version of Batman? I see Batgirl as "me too" and thus kinda pathetic.; 6/21/13, 7:35 AM
Saint Croix said...: Lack of interest in Batgirl = Fear of getting it on with a clone.; 6/21/13, 7:36 AM
AllenS said...: Say what you want, but Batman did have a pretty cool car.; 6/21/13, 8:02 AM
Saint Croix said...: OK, I'll grant you Krypto.

But Superhorse?
Please.

Yeah, that doesn't work. You can't just put a cape on anything. Man's best friend, sure. But that's it!

Superwoman was lame, too. See clone discussion, above.

Wonder Woman's creator is kinda freaky, which is why we have photographs like this. She never did it for me, actually.; 6/21/13, 8:02 AM
Saint Croix said...: She never did it for me, actually.

Let me rephrase. I never read her comic book. Wonder Woman is not interesting to me. But I would, of course, totally have sex with Wonder Woman.

But see, that's the problem. Once you're in a relationship with Wonder Woman, you're Steve Rogers now. You're fucked. You're a Ken doll. You're an accessory. This is why I avoided Wonder Woman.; 6/21/13, 8:13 AM
Christy said...: I got the stoned fox video instead of Batman. What happened? But that's okay. I was a Marvel kid myself although I did like / want to be Wonder Woman.; 6/21/13, 8:31 AM
Saint Croix said...: Lois Lane is a fascinating creation, although I hated her as a kid. Lois wants the alpha (Superman) and hates the beta (Clark). And she doesn't realize that they are the same person. So the lesson, of course, is that you should love a beta. Recognize that maybe there is an alpha inside him.

If feminists want to understand misogyny they ought to think about alpha-beta dynamics and their own behavior. For instance, sex harassment law is designed to punish betas. When the President pulls out his penis, feminists say it's not sex harassment. He's Superman. But when nerdy Clark surfs the internet and looks at a naked woman, he's fired. Not because he harassed anybody, but because he's a loser.

I talk about double standards in the India thread. There's a reason women like alphas better than betas. It's so men will strive to be alpha! But feminism needs to be aware of all its double standards.

The Lois and Clark show, by the way, is fantastic. Precisely because Clark and Lois actually flirt and have a relationship. He's not a beta in that show. And Lois is 1000 times more likable as a character.; 6/21/13, 8:42 AM
Astro said...: Reminds me of that joke:
If olive oil comes from olives, and corn oil comes from corn, where does baby oil come from?

BTW, it always seemed to me that Robin should have been Batman's niece - a younger, female, crime-fighting assistant, but not one he'd be romantically connected with.; 6/21/13, 8:45 AM
Saint Croix said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 6/21/13, 8:47 AM
Anonymous said...: Dalai Lama Batman Robot says:

I Have Alms in My Utility Belt. Violence is Not the Answer.; 6/21/13, 8:47 AM
Anonymous said...: Dalai Lama Batman Robot says:

I Shall Contemplate Deeply on Your Wrong-Doing, Penguin.; 6/21/13, 8:47 AM
Anonymous said...: Dalai Lama Batman Robot says:

Penguin, Can We Not Set Aside Our Differences through Meditation?; 6/21/13, 8:48 AM
Anonymous said...: Dalai Lama Batman Robot says:

Penguin, Perhaps Wrong-doing In Previous Lives has Led You to Your Deformed State. It is Time to Break the Cycle.; 6/21/13, 8:48 AM
Anonymous said...: Dalai Lama Batman Robot says:

Penguin, Your Future Lives Are at Risk Due to Your Actions Today. I Suggest You Examine Your Inner Workings.; 6/21/13, 8:48 AM
Anonymous said...: Dalai Lama Batman Robot says:

Penguin, Your Punches Only Hurt My Physical Form: I am Untouched in Spirit.; 6/21/13, 8:49 AM
Saint Croix said...: Your episode with the flower children was awesome, Dalai Lama Batman Robot!; 6/21/13, 8:49 AM
Anonymous said...: Dalai Lama Batman Robot says:

Penguin, My Patience will Outlast Your Aggression. I Keep Spare Patience in My Utility Belt.; 6/21/13, 8:51 AM
Anonymous said...: Robin the Boy Wonder Buddhist Robot says:

Dalai Lama Batman, We Shall Meditate Together about the Penguin's Transgressions.; 6/21/13, 8:58 AM
Anonymous said...: Superman Robot says:

There were No Buddhists on Krypton. I Shall Handle the Penguin Situation in My All-American Way.

(One Super Punch = Penguin, Lights Out); 6/21/13, 9:01 AM
Anonymous said...: Dalai Lama Batman Robot says:

See, Young Robin: Our Meditation Has Borne Fruit. Believe.; 6/21/13, 9:01 AM
Anonymous said...: AKB48 Catwoman says:

Batman, you Resistance is Futile. Gaze Upon My Thighs and We Shall Pillow Fight.; 6/21/13, 9:39 AM
Anonymous said...: AKB48 Catwoman says:

I Shall Dance Girlishly and You Will Be Powerless to Stop It.; 6/21/13, 9:39 AM
Anonymous said...: AKB48 Catwoman says:

I Shall Wear a Short School-Skirt and Knee-High White Socks over my Skin-Tight Leather: You Will Rendered Ineffectual as You Fidgit With Your Utility Belt.; 6/21/13, 9:39 AM
Bryan C said...: Obviously it's the theme song from an alternate universe where Man-Bat got his own TV show.; 6/21/13, 10:23 AM