Deep Dive: Batman (1966)

On this week’s deep dive we’re travelling back to a comic book world straight out of the 1960s, with Batman, Dick, an elaborate hat, a dark room and….Liberace! 

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:01

Hello, welcome to Camp Icons. I'm Nick. And I'm Liz. And I this week we are watching something that I think is like a cornerstone of camp.

SPEAKER_02 0:12

Yes, it's one of those things where the word camp is always attached to it.

SPEAKER_01 0:16

Yes, completely.

SPEAKER_02 0:17

We need to explore that.

SPEAKER_01 0:19

Yes, I think I think we do. How are you? Oh, I'm very well. Oh, you sound surprised that I asked.

SPEAKER_02 0:25

Yes, because we already started talking. Well, yeah, I just thought, oh probably. Well, it's nice to check in with each other.

SPEAKER_01 0:30

I should ask, I suppose, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 0:33

How are you? Have you got anything to tell me?

SPEAKER_01 0:35

Um I'm doing alright.

SPEAKER_02 0:36

Okay. I'm doing alright. Don't pick it up to be a bit more.

SPEAKER_01 0:39

It's a bit warm, isn't it?

SPEAKER_02 0:40

Yeah, it's been so warm.

SPEAKER_01 0:42

So warm.

SPEAKER_02 0:43

Climate change really kicking us in the arse.

SPEAKER_01 0:48

So, yes, this week we are watching something that's synonymous with the word camp, I think it's fair to say. Yep. We are going to watch two episodes from the original 1960s Batman series.

SPEAKER_02 1:00

Na na na na na na na na. Batman.

SPEAKER_01 1:03

I'm quite excited because I don't think I've watched this since I was a kid.

SPEAKER_02 1:07

It's one of those things I remember watching. My dad was always a huge fan from when he was a kid, but then when it was repeated, I didn't know.

SPEAKER_01 1:14

It was on Channel 4. I can remember that much. I don't know why.

SPEAKER_02 1:17

I know he always liked me to watch it, and I do I remember enjoying it, I think. It's just a fun kind of thing to watch.

SPEAKER_01 1:24

And you've selected the episodes this week, haven't you?

SPEAKER_02 1:27

I have, I got the power.

SPEAKER_01 1:28

You got the power, because I I I think you know a little bit more about this than me.

SPEAKER_02 1:33

Well, I've been re-watching some more recently, and I I really thought this would make a good episode.

SPEAKER_01 1:41

Fine. So we are off to watch Batman. We've just watched two episodes of Batman. I feel like there's quite a lot to say about them, don't you?

SPEAKER_02 2:08

Yes. I think so because within the first, I think, minute I had to say to you, I need to pause, don't I? Because too much has happened.

SPEAKER_01 2:18

We had things to write, didn't we? Before we dive into it, I just wanted to say that my other memory of 1960s Batman, it came to me as we were watching it.

SPEAKER_02 2:28

Alright.

SPEAKER_01 2:29

Is that um um this is gonna age me slightly?

SPEAKER_02 2:32

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_01 2:33

I had a VHS of the children's television programme Rainbow.

SPEAKER_02 2:38

Right.

SPEAKER_01 2:39

And there is an episode on that VHS that's called Zip Man and Bobbin.

unknown 2:45

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 2:46

And it's an entire parody of Sixties Batman.

SPEAKER_02 2:50

Wow.

SPEAKER_01 2:51

Zippy is Batman.

SPEAKER_02 2:54

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 2:55

George is Robin.

SPEAKER_02 2:56

Right.

SPEAKER_01 2:57

Jeffrey is the Joker.

unknown 2:58

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 2:59

And I can't remember what role Bungle played, but I sort of hope it was Alfred the Butler. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:07

Interesting. Yes. I d I do have to say, I think this show, it's being quite formulaic and very stylised, is very easy to parody.

SPEAKER_01 3:16

I think it's very easy to parody, and I also think there are so many things in pop culture that we have taken from this show.

SPEAKER_02 3:26

That started here.

SPEAKER_01 3:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:27

Yeah, absolutely. It's so I should say the episode that I decided to select stars Liberace.

SPEAKER_01 3:35

Yes, doesn't it? In a jewel role.

SPEAKER_02 3:38

Yes. Yes. It's actually playing two characters.

SPEAKER_01 3:41

He's playing twins.

SPEAKER_02 3:43

The twins thing is quite confusing.

SPEAKER_01 3:45

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 3:46

And usually you'd have one good twin and an evil twin, wouldn't you?

SPEAKER_00 3:50

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 3:50

That would be a clear way to do it for the audience. It would. I we've just watched both parts of the episode. So it's a two two two-parter, as a lot of them were. And the story's all wrapped up, and I still not really clear who's the baddie.

SPEAKER_01 4:06

It was like there was a very evil twin.

SPEAKER_02 4:09

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 4:09

And a slightly less evil twin.

SPEAKER_02 4:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:12

But the very evil twin was really just doing a bit of blackmail. And the slightly less evil twin was blowing people up.

SPEAKER_02 4:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:23

Which I would say is a bigger crime.

SPEAKER_02 4:26

You would say that, wouldn't you? Yeah. It's quite yes, there were some odd choices made. I don't think you were meant to watch it for the plot.

SPEAKER_01 4:34

Well, I hope not. Because I I was sort of alright in part one. I sort of got it in halfway through part two, and we'll get there. I just lost it. Lost all touch with reality, if I'm honest.

SPEAKER_02 4:47

So part one is called The Devil's Fingers.

SPEAKER_01 4:50

Yes, quite a camp title in this.

SPEAKER_02 4:51

I was gonna say, yeah, we've started already.

SPEAKER_01 4:53

We're off the very first thing we see is the Batman logo on a big pink background.

SPEAKER_02 4:59

Yes. Yeah. They d they they love some logo work.

SPEAKER_01 5:02

They love some logo, they love colour.

SPEAKER_02 5:04

It is very colourful.

SPEAKER_01 5:06

Very colourful from the word go. And I mean the selection of pink is interesting. Because we've spoken before about archetypes of gender.

SPEAKER_02 5:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:17

And it feels like it should be, and I think probably was at the time quite a masculine show.

SPEAKER_02 5:25

Well, this is interesting, isn't it? Because I can't look at this show and say this is a very masculine show.

SPEAKER_01 5:31

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 5:32

And yet it definitely would have been trying to appeal to a young male fan base.

SPEAKER_01 5:37

Yes, and the first thing that they see is a fluorescent pink background.

SPEAKER_02 5:42

On the Batman logo, yes.

SPEAKER_01 5:44

It's just an interesting way to start.

SPEAKER_02 5:46

You definitely wouldn't with Christian Bale. You wouldn't start with fluorescent pink, would you? No, I don't think it wouldn't match up, but it works perfectly here.

SPEAKER_01 5:55

Yes. We open with a narrator.

SPEAKER_02 5:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:58

Which I sort of only just realised because obviously I haven't seen it since I was a kid, but I've realised that what they're trying to do with this is make it literally a comic book come to life.

SPEAKER_02 6:08

Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 6:09

Because always in those panels you have the bit in the top that kind of sets the scene, which is what that narrator's there to do.

SPEAKER_02 6:15

Yeah, because the narrator is is used, I you know, not all the time. They definitely could have done it without, but yeah, it gives that comic book feel. Yes. And I kind of like that you can tell it's come from there. I enjoy that.

SPEAKER_01 6:28

Then we we get into Wayne Manor.

SPEAKER_02 6:30

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 6:32

And Liberace is playing Shigal.

SPEAKER_02 6:36

No.

SPEAKER_01 6:36

No.

SPEAKER_02 6:37

Shandell.

SPEAKER_01 6:38

Shandell. What's Shigal?

SPEAKER_02 6:40

Oh, that's an artist, I think.

unknown 6:42

Oh okay.

SPEAKER_01 6:44

Shandell.

SPEAKER_02 6:45

Yes, he plays Shandell. Shandell.

SPEAKER_01 6:47

I've heard it so many times. Yeah, they say a lot. And I still I haven't convinced you remember it. He's playing Shandell.

SPEAKER_02 6:54

Yes. He's fully um Sequined. Sequined up.

SPEAKER_01 6:59

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 6:59

At the piano.

SPEAKER_00 7:00

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 7:01

With Aunt Harriet.

SPEAKER_00 7:02

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 7:02

Who is Bruce Wayne's aunt, I believe.

SPEAKER_01 7:06

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 7:07

And she's loving it.

SPEAKER_01 7:09

She is loving listening to him play and perform. He's in sequins.

SPEAKER_02 7:15

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 7:16

They speak in a sort of a very fl what we describe now as a flower flowery way.

SPEAKER_02 7:22

Yeah. Again, I think this is from the comic book.

SPEAKER_01 7:25

Yeah, that's what I was gonna say.

SPEAKER_02 7:26

It's everything. And also I realised when I was watching it as time, it's not just certain characters that do.

SPEAKER_01 7:33

It's all of them.

SPEAKER_02 7:34

All of them have this way of speaking. Which, if you were writing a script, somebody would say to you, make sure that the characters don't all sound the same. But in this they do. They all speak in that, oh you know, the felonious uh fiends are at the fucking fireplace or whatever. They're alliterating all over they don't swear, obviously. They're obliterating all over the place.

SPEAKER_01 7:56

My next question, I don't I don't know how much you know about Batman. Okay. Is Shandel, I can't remember it.

SPEAKER_02 8:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:04

Is he an actual Batman villain or is he been created for the show for Liberachi?

SPEAKER_02 8:08

Great question. Yeah. No idea.

SPEAKER_01 8:11

Right.

SPEAKER_02 8:11

Doesn't fe it feels like a a creation especially for Liberachi. Yes. Because it fits him too well.

SPEAKER_00 8:18

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 8:18

And also because I would say, when you think about the other Batman villains, they are all actual supervillains. This is just a criminal. Do you know what I mean? Yes. They all have like a particular thing. You know, the Joker and Catwoman and then whatever. They all have like a kind of super villain.

SPEAKER_01 8:36

Some of them do.

SPEAKER_02 8:37

Some of them are just Some of them are just crooks, I guess. But yeah, this feels very much like what could we We've got Liberarchi, what could we get him to do?

SPEAKER_01 8:47

Which tells me that it was Liberarchi first, character second.

SPEAKER_02 8:53

Yeah, I think so.

SPEAKER_01 8:54

Which I would float as an odd choice of energy.

SPEAKER_02 9:00

Yes. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:02

I'm gonna I'm gonna say it now. I'm gonna get it out of the way. Liberarchi cannot act. Cannot could not act his way out of a paperback. He's playing himself.

SPEAKER_02 9:18

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 9:19

One twin is himself. But you know what? We'll get there when we get there, because I've got other things to say about the other twin who we don't meet at this point.

SPEAKER_02 9:26

I was gonna say, it's a big test. He's got to play he's got to play another twin.

SPEAKER_01 9:31

It's a big test of acting. I'm not sure that we pass. Right, okay.

SPEAKER_02 9:37

He he delivers everything in an incredibly camp way as Shondell.

SPEAKER_00 9:42

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 9:43

We'll get to the other twin later.

SPEAKER_00 9:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:44

Because what we get first, and we haven't had Batman, by the way, we're just on Shondell and Aunt Harriet so far. They're having a date, I was saying, I guess you'd say. Then if you didn't think about it too deeply.

SPEAKER_01 9:56

Three Scottish women with short kilts come to Rob. At this point, all I had was a visual.

SPEAKER_02 10:03

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:04

They are dressed in We spoke in the Miss World episode about what the Scottish national costume was.

SPEAKER_02 10:11

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 10:11

I think we found it.

SPEAKER_02 10:13

In the 60s, definitely, because these are mini kilts.

SPEAKER_01 10:16

Oh, they're mini kilts, yes.

SPEAKER_02 10:17

And then they've got sort of black roll neck tops on, and then they've got the whatever the hat is that you wear with a kilt. I'm sorry, I don't know the term.

SPEAKER_01 10:24

Is it uh it's sort of a beret, isn't it?

unknown 10:28

I don't know if it is.

SPEAKER_01 10:29

Sporin no, sporin's what's hanged down.

SPEAKER_02 10:30

Sporrin's the little furry pouch that hangs down. I hope you've all got a visual on that.

SPEAKER_01 10:37

Um furry pouch.

SPEAKER_02 10:40

But anyway, they've got the Scottish hat, the official Scottish hat.

SPEAKER_01 10:43

And just in case the tartan didn't give it away, they've got bagpipes.

SPEAKER_02 10:50

Well, the bagpipes are not just there because to make them look Scottish, are they?

SPEAKER_01 10:56

They're not, because what happens next is demonic pipe blowing knocks out Liberarchi and Alfred the Butler.

SPEAKER_02 11:05

The bagpipes were a weapon.

unknown 11:07

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 11:08

Weaponised bagpipes.

SPEAKER_02 11:09

Just before we get that, um the reason I shouted out no when you said Scottish is because we get them uh speaking. And the accents They're trying, aren't they? The accents are diabolical. Actually, as you find out later in the episode, they're not meant to be Scottish.

SPEAKER_01 11:26

No, they're not Scottish characters, they're trying to put it on.

SPEAKER_02 11:29

But the but the sc' so diabolical these accents, and actually the the writing. Because it's like it's like old-fashioned Scots.

SPEAKER_01 11:38

Ay, laddie, you'll be coming up the thistle and whistle.

SPEAKER_02 11:42

And oh, it's mad. Um one of them just sounds Russian, they don't give her a lot of dialogue.

SPEAKER_01 11:47

Second week in a row I'm having to apologize to the Scottish listeners. And then they steal things, and one of them yells, Over the Hills and Far Away.

SPEAKER_02 11:59

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 12:00

Which is the opening to the Telletuby.

SPEAKER_02 12:03

At the time it wasn't.

SPEAKER_01 12:04

No.

SPEAKER_02 12:05

At the time that was up for grabs. And um Liberarchi does some of his finest acting by yelling out, go away.

SPEAKER_00 12:16

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 12:17

Which uh honestly, uh you have to picture this. You're enjoying a nice evening in at the piano with Liberarchi. Yes. And then all of a sudden your window flies open. Three women in tiny kilts come in and talk terrible Scottish accent to you, and then they blast you away with bagpipes that have some kind of force to knock you out. I mean, really, what what are you sh what are you supposed to do?

SPEAKER_01 12:44

Um I didn't pick up on this. What do they steal?

SPEAKER_02 12:49

Good question. I don't think they steal anything.

SPEAKER_01 12:52

I'm not sure they do either.

SPEAKER_02 12:54

No. So what are they there for? Well, I Again, this is where I would say it's not don't look too deeply into the plot.

SPEAKER_01 13:01

No.

SPEAKER_02 13:03

This is a feast for your eyes with a little bit of like campy nonsense.

SPEAKER_01 13:09

And it's a feast for your ears, I would say as well.

SPEAKER_02 13:11

Yes, yeah, not a good one.

SPEAKER_01 13:13

Speaking of which, yeah, we then get our first mention of Dick.

SPEAKER_02 13:18

Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:20

Now, I'm sure there's lots of defence as it being an affectation of Richard, but you cannot convince me that it's not camp. It is to have a character called Dick.

SPEAKER_02 13:32

I don't know when Dick started to be in common usage as a like a Yeah, a slang term. A slang term for penis. But the way that they use it, it is like they're doing it on purpose.

SPEAKER_01 13:44

Yes, they very it they're quite emphatic about it.

SPEAKER_02 13:48

Very emphatic about Dick.

SPEAKER_01 13:49

Yeah. Yeah. Where are Bruce? Which And Dick.

SPEAKER_02 13:52

Of course, uh Dick Grayson is Robin. Yes. So they're looking for Batman and Robin, who we find out are away on holiday, which catastrophic, cries out Commissioner Gordon.

SPEAKER_01 14:04

Surely you must be jesting, says his partner in crime.

SPEAKER_02 14:07

I wrote down Amazing, armed assault by female phantoms, which is an example of the not realistic dialogue that they employ throughout every line. I could have written down every line of the script as justification for this being camp. Oh, and also, sorry, every uh line that I wrote down has an ellipses in it, because there is always a dramatic pause. We're going to have to solve a case ourselves.

SPEAKER_01 14:40

Yeah, the police being absolutely horrified that they've got to solve a crime without Batman and Robin, because they're on holiday.

SPEAKER_02 14:46

Because they're they're having a holiday. One of them infrequent vacations.

SPEAKER_01 14:50

Then we get the opening credits. Yes. Animated, bright, the classic theme tune that you're expecting. Mm.

SPEAKER_02 14:58

I love the credits.

SPEAKER_01 14:58

Yeah, the credits are they're iconic. We then see Chigol. No.

SPEAKER_02 15:05

It's Shandell. Shandell.

SPEAKER_01 15:07

Why won't this stick? We then see Shandell speaking to the police. I want his bow tie.

SPEAKER_02 15:14

Just the bow tie?

SPEAKER_01 15:16

Uh I want it all.

SPEAKER_02 15:17

All of it.

SPEAKER_01 15:18

I wouldn't wear it altogether.

SPEAKER_02 15:20

Oh. Where would you be going?

SPEAKER_01 15:23

Well, he wore it to go to a police station.

SPEAKER_02 15:27

He did. So this is a man reporting a crime.

SPEAKER_01 15:31

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 15:32

And he is wearing a sort of gold blazer. I don't know if that's the right term.

SPEAKER_01 15:37

Yeah, it's all sequin.

SPEAKER_02 15:38

It's all And then he's he he's got a cape, right? In a thing with superheroes, he's the one with the most dramatic cape.

SPEAKER_01 15:46

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 15:47

Just reporting the crime.

SPEAKER_01 15:50

And he says the line, and the thing is, is I just wrote the line down and nothing else because I thought I would remember it. But there's so much happened afterwards that how he delivered it has gone clean out of my head. It's the line How Crushing.

SPEAKER_02 16:05

He says, the dynamic duo out of town. How crushing.

SPEAKER_01 16:12

Thank you for that.

SPEAKER_02 16:14

No problem, any time. Um I didn't I didn't know I had a liberace impression in me, but I think after that I think I might work on it some more.

SPEAKER_01 16:23

I think you should.

SPEAKER_02 16:26

This is also the scene where because he's not impressed. He's like, how can Batman not be here? The police clearly don't do anything. You need to Only Batman can solve the crime.

SPEAKER_01 16:36

You need to defend my concert as well. I've got a big concert.

SPEAKER_02 16:39

He's got a big concert.

SPEAKER_01 16:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:40

Because there's some kind of link between him and these women.

SPEAKER_00 16:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:45

Because he was playing a Scottish tune and they came in dressed as Scottish women.

SPEAKER_00 16:52

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 16:52

Um so he's very concerned about that.

SPEAKER_00 16:54

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 16:55

And he can't get the answers he wants out of the police. So I don't want to say I I I'm I think I'm going to employ the verb he flounces.

SPEAKER_00 17:04

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 17:04

And I think it's warranted. He flounces out of there saying Good day, sir. But will it be a good night? Which I love as a line.

SPEAKER_01 17:15

It's a great line, and though he can't act, but he does know where to place a pause in order to create the effect of camp.

SPEAKER_02 17:22

I don't know whether I want to defend him that he can't act. He obviously cannot act, but he is giving it welly.

SPEAKER_01 17:30

He is, and he's I don't think they've written him a particularly difficult part in Shandell.

SPEAKER_02 17:37

No, it's himself.

SPEAKER_01 17:40

Yes. However, then plot twist, everybody.

SPEAKER_02 17:43

Yes, right, right.

SPEAKER_01 17:44

Plot twists.

SPEAKER_02 17:46

Where are we going next? The place where we are going is one of my favourite things ever. We're travelling to so those so the villains always have a lair.

SPEAKER_00 17:55

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 17:56

Right? This is a thing. And so I think the penguin is sometimes like in the penguin enclosure of a zoo and stuff. Like it's always themed. This one is so good. This one is so good. Because it's the we're going to a factory that is a maker of the drum rolls that go in play in mechanical player pianos. So uh just in case you aren't familiar with a player piano, because why would you be? That means the piano play can play a tune itself. It looks like a piano, but it can play a tune itself. But you put one of these things in the same sort of thing you have in a music box, so it tells it when which keys to uh to press down. So that the the the lair is a factory that makes those.

SPEAKER_01 18:44

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 18:44

I love that. Tell me that's not counting.

SPEAKER_01 18:48

I mean it is in and of itself, and then you see inside it.

SPEAKER_02 18:52

And then you see it, and it's oh my god. They have like the things on the wall. Um, for like the doors to open, are like things that go.

SPEAKER_01 19:02

Oh my god, it's so good. And they they've they're printed with the piano Yes. The what tells it to play, basically. I'm sure there's a term for it. And then shock horror, we find out Shandell is a villain.

SPEAKER_02 19:15

Shandell's a villain, even though he's he's romancing Aunt Harriet.

SPEAKER_01 19:18

Yes, and he not only that, he knows the Scottish phantoms. They're there with him.

SPEAKER_02 19:24

And they're not Scottish.

SPEAKER_01 19:25

No, they're not. They've got fabulous haircuts.

SPEAKER_02 19:28

They have. So they've done so there's three women, and they've got one of each hair. One of each hair. Yes, because women don't really have personalities, but we do have hair colours.

SPEAKER_01 19:37

We've got to distinguish, haven't we? Exactly. In case we get confused.

SPEAKER_02 19:40

But the but in in saying that, the redhead is the leader.

SPEAKER_01 19:43

Clearly. That haircut is the leader. Yes, it is.

SPEAKER_02 19:48

It's so so it's like it's almost like a mullet on top. Yeah. And then it's got a drapey bit.

SPEAKER_01 19:54

It's a long mullet. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 19:58

It well it's it's a lot of hair. It's a lot of hair.

SPEAKER_01 20:03

Then one of them says, That must be your twin brother at the secret entrance.

SPEAKER_02 20:07

Yes, the dialogue isn't subtle in any way.

SPEAKER_01 20:10

It's not subtle and some might say not needed.

SPEAKER_02 20:15

So this is the point where we're gonna meet the twin.

SPEAKER_01 20:18

The twin, Harry.

SPEAKER_02 20:19

So can I just say if you are a parent and you have twins, and you name them Harry and Shondell, you've got to expect one of them to turn out a bit liberace, right? And it's not Harry.

SPEAKER_01 20:38

Not Harry.

SPEAKER_02 20:40

Because I thought Shandell would be his surname, right?

SPEAKER_01 20:45

Yeah, no.

SPEAKER_02 20:45

But it's not. It's Harry and Shandell.

SPEAKER_01 20:48

Harry and Shandell. Do you think like one parent gave each of them a name?

SPEAKER_02 20:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:54

Yeah. It's like the dad didn't pick Shandell.

SPEAKER_02 20:58

We're both we're both like choose separately, and then we won't tell each other until we've decided. And she's been dropping hints that she wants something quite unusual. I don't want all I don't want all the kids in the playground having the same name as him. I think he's gonna be really special, and I want him to have a special name. And the dad's like, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm listening, I'm listening. Football's on. What have you chosen? Um Barry.

SPEAKER_01 21:26

I took my godchildren to a party recently. I don't think I've told you this.

SPEAKER_03 21:31

No.

SPEAKER_01 21:32

And there was a mum, and she kept she kept calling her child's name. And I was sat there going, I I don't think I've got this right. And I can't be hearing it. I can't be hearing that. I can't I can't. And the child's name was Pfizer. Now, if you don't know Pfizer, Pfizer is a large pharmaceutical company and they were One of the developers of a vaccine for COVID-19. It is currently, as we record, 2026, which means that child was roughly born around 2021. And I put it to you that this mother had her COVID jack and went, oh, Pfizer, that's got a nice ring to it. And there is a child out there walking around called Pfizer. I apologi no, do you know I don't apologize if you're listening to this?

SPEAKER_02 22:35

And your name is Pfizer.

SPEAKER_01 22:36

Yeah, I want you to have a long, hard look at your parents.

SPEAKER_02 22:42

Do you think there's somebody out there with twins, Astra and Xeneka?

SPEAKER_01 22:47

I believe there could be. Yes. Yes. So anyway.

SPEAKER_02 22:52

They're never gonna get that on a key ring.

SPEAKER_01 22:54

Liberachi comes in playing the twin, Harry. And I find this fascinating.

SPEAKER_02 22:59

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 23:00

Because he is playing a version of masculinity.

SPEAKER_02 23:07

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 23:08

Which in itself is quite a camp thing to behold.

SPEAKER_02 23:13

I yeah, I think it is. I think butching it hop.

SPEAKER_01 23:16

You've sort of you've got quite soft, gentle, apart from the demonic badpipes, Chandel. And then you've got Harry coming in going, Ah, I told you, see, like he's in some 30s gangster movie.

SPEAKER_02 23:30

Yeah, he's he's a bit of a gangster, is how he's playing him. And I think in his mind he was definitely like, I'll play this one like a a criminal. And you know, those are the sort of like movies or whatever he remembers from criminals. But it definitely quite a lot of liberarchi bleeds through.

SPEAKER_01 23:47

Yes, it's not a consistent portrayal.

SPEAKER_02 23:51

And so much the better for it.

SPEAKER_01 23:54

We learn here that Harry is blackmailing Shandell and takes 95% of all of his books. It's quite boring.

SPEAKER_02 24:03

There's a there's a plot happening.

SPEAKER_01 24:05

There's some sort of plot, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 24:06

And so, yes, definitely like at this stage, Harry is taking most of Chandell's money, and that is that is why. So at this point, he introduces the idea that he can be bought out. Yeah. Harry can be bought out for five million dollars cash.

SPEAKER_01 24:24

Yes. So Shandell. I was about to call him the Baranche.

SPEAKER_02 24:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:28

Shandell is plotting to steal Bruce Wayne's fortune by wooing Aunt Harriet and getting rid of Batman and I Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 24:38

Kill Batman and Robin. The Wayne fortune will transfer to Aunt Harriet, and then he'll be married to her, and he can either kill her or, you know. Yes. Whatever. That's all the plot we need.

SPEAKER_01 24:47

Yeah. We go back to the We go back to the concert hall.

SPEAKER_02 24:51

The concert that we know the police are laying on extra security for because of the threat of the three Scottish women at the window. Yes. So what we see is Aunt Harriet and Alfred the Butler arriving. Yes. And there's a man, a policeman sat at a desk with a big sign, and this again is a feature of the Batman you know, this uh iteration, uh, a sign that reads Anti-Criminal Fingerprint Booth brackets mobile.

SPEAKER_01 25:25

Yes. Though I will just point out that that happens after we see two policemen in what I can only describe as a recreation of a World War II trench. There's sandbags, there's barbed wire, and they've got machine guns. Yes. In a theatre.

SPEAKER_02 25:43

In a theatre. There's quite a lot of talk about machine guns. Yes. Because the the chief chief O'Hara, or whatever he's called, he says um the machine gunners are in the boxes in this concert hall. I don't know what they think the threat is, but how would you neutralise it with machine guns?

SPEAKER_01 26:03

Like you just I assume they know it's demonic bagpipes, and they're hoping to blow open the bag. Because without the bag you cannot pipe.

SPEAKER_02 26:14

Oh, without the bag you cannot pipe.

SPEAKER_01 26:17

There we go.

SPEAKER_02 26:18

That's you know, a motto for life.

SPEAKER_01 26:20

Yes. Get it on a t-shirt. We have quite an extended piano playing sequence.

SPEAKER_02 26:25

Yeah, this is the point at which I was like, oh, they were really pleased to get Liberachi.

SPEAKER_01 26:29

Yes, they could fill some time with Liberace.

SPEAKER_02 26:32

Yeah. He plays a song, I don't know if you could identify it, but I know it is one of the ones they do in Fantasia.

SPEAKER_01 26:40

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 26:40

That's the limit of my classical music knowledge. Classical music knowledge.

SPEAKER_01 26:44

And then we cut to, I mean, I initially wrote Random Multi-armed belly dancer.

SPEAKER_02 26:51

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 26:51

What we're actually seeing is the three women stood in a line.

SPEAKER_02 26:56

Yes. It's the three Scottish women, except they were Scottish because he was playing Scottish music.

SPEAKER_00 27:01

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 27:02

Now he's playing something that they say is from Burma.

SPEAKER_00 27:06

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 27:06

And so they say that this is Burmese belly dancing.

SPEAKER_00 27:10

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 27:11

I'm not prepared to stand by any of the accuracy of whether they do that belly dancing in Burma.

unknown 27:16

No.

SPEAKER_02 27:17

Burma isn't even Burma anymore. What is it now? Myanmar? Anyway, I don't know if that tune has anything to do with Burma. I don't I don't know if they do any research when they write the plot down. But all I'm telling you is what we heard.

SPEAKER_01 27:30

I think we know if they do any research when they write the plot down.

SPEAKER_02 27:34

You're right.

SPEAKER_01 27:35

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 27:36

Then Oh, I did so I did write down at this point that because when they're out these belly dancers out in the street belly dancing, they are witnessed by a lone policeman who's on the phone, and I did write down that he gives awfully good face because his reaction to them he does like more than a more than a double take. He does a double blink w type of face seeing these belly dancers appear.

SPEAKER_01 28:00

It's sort of almost hypnotic belly dancing, isn't it?

SPEAKER_02 28:03

I think that's what we're meant to think.

SPEAKER_01 28:04

Yeah. It had no effect on me.

SPEAKER_02 28:09

No, nor me. Apart from to m make me miss I Dream of Jeannie.

SPEAKER_00 28:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 28:15

Because the costumes were very similar. I think this is our first sighting of Batman.

SPEAKER_01 28:20

It is.

SPEAKER_02 28:21

And we're quite far into the episode at this point.

SPEAKER_01 28:23

It is, and I didn't even realise it was Batman to begin with.

SPEAKER_02 28:26

No.

SPEAKER_01 28:26

I thought I was witnessing two random men on a fishing trip.

SPEAKER_02 28:29

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 28:30

I was thinking, what has this got to do with any of it?

SPEAKER_02 28:32

Well, they never bother to tell us who the other guy is.

SPEAKER_01 28:34

No, he just gets ups and leaves, doesn't he?

SPEAKER_02 28:36

Well he Well, Adam West, or um no, Adam West is the actor. Bruce Wayne.

SPEAKER_00 28:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 28:41

Bruce Wayne says, Chum, could you check the muskrat traps? So he I guess he's off trapping muskrats?

SPEAKER_01 28:51

It doesn't sound like a holiday to me. But I suppose if you spend your days fighting crime, maybe you just can't maybe you've got to be always catching something.

SPEAKER_02 29:01

Yes, I well maybe. That does actually make sense.

SPEAKER_01 29:06

Then we cut to a few more mentions of Dick. Well, yes, and then we cut to Dick.

SPEAKER_02 29:12

We cut to Dick.

SPEAKER_01 29:14

And Sal.

SPEAKER_02 29:15

Yes, he's he's with a girl.

SPEAKER_01 29:17

Yes, he's he's I think He's on a date. He's he's trying to woo her, isn't he?

unknown 29:21

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 29:22

And we get the the classic line here. Gee, Sal. Gosh Dick.

SPEAKER_02 29:27

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 29:28

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 29:29

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 29:30

Gosh Dick.

SPEAKER_01 29:31

Yes. And then we get our first holy. I I think this is something that is passed down through pop culture.

SPEAKER_02 29:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 29:40

It's certainly something that I know came from this. The exclaiming something by putting the word holy at the beginning.

SPEAKER_02 29:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 29:47

I was so shocked by how often he said it in these two episodes. That I wrote all of them down.

SPEAKER_02 29:54

You've written all of them.

SPEAKER_01 29:55

I've written all of them down. I'm gonna list them now. Holy impossibility. Holy apparition. Holy relief. Holy fratricide. Feels a bit rogue. Holy Sournote was the narrator's one. Then we've got Holy Bluebeard. Yes. Holy Pasarevsky. Yeah, I don't know.

unknown 30:20

No.

SPEAKER_01 30:21

Holy Heartbreak. And that's it. It's quite a lot, though, isn't it?

SPEAKER_02 30:25

It is quite a lot, in two episodes.

SPEAKER_01 30:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 30:28

It's interesting, yes, it that is something that Robin does particularly. Yes. Occasionally I think the narrator or um some of the other characters might have a go. But yeah, Robin is always doing that. And I think they know it's incongruous. Yes. But they it's almost like it doubles down on what's just happened.

SPEAKER_00 30:48

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 30:48

Like holy fratricide. It's like when the you know twins aren't you know doing well together. It's I don't know who it's a joke for, but I think they do mean it as a joke.

SPEAKER_01 31:00

It's just, I mean, it's classic dick, really, isn't it?

SPEAKER_02 31:02

It's classic dick. Classic dick, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:04

So Batman tells him what's going on by some sort of sensible moment.

SPEAKER_02 31:10

Listen, listen, they're communicating. He's got some kind of communicating device which he calls um Dick's geometry book, right? So they've they've taken communication devices between the two of them, but they didn't take anything to be able to communicate to Alfred or the police or anybody back home at Wayne Manor, right? So they're talking to each other. So somehow Bruce Wayne has been listening to the concert on the radio, and there's an error.

SPEAKER_01 31:40

There's a cord that shouldn't be there.

SPEAKER_02 31:42

A cord that shouldn't be there because of course Bruce Wayne is an expert in everything and he's perfect and whatever. So he's he spotted some sort of rogue cord and figured out everything from there.

SPEAKER_01 31:52

Figured out something bad is happening. Gets onto the topic of Chandel, and then Robin says, with no hint of irony, he's a famous ladies' man.

SPEAKER_02 32:04

He does say that, yep. And I think we're supposed to take that seriously.

SPEAKER_01 32:08

I think we're supposed to take it seriously, despite the fact that we've seen him. Yes. We've seen Shandell.

SPEAKER_02 32:17

Shandell. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:19

Yes. Uh We then cut to Shandell's dressing room. Now Oh I've um I've worked in theatre. I've been in my fair share of dressing rooms.

SPEAKER_02 32:30

Is this not his house or something?

SPEAKER_01 32:32

They specifically say it's his dressing room. I have never seen a dressing room like it. First of all, it's the size of a school hall. Second of all, it's just curtains.

SPEAKER_02 32:47

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 32:48

I can't see any trace of wall behind those curtains.

SPEAKER_02 32:52

I have to just say I love the sets that they have in this.

SPEAKER_01 32:57

Oh yeah, oh the sets are gorgeous.

SPEAKER_02 32:59

They are wonderful, and they do not give a fuck about realism. No. Like, genuinely, the yes, a lot of them are the size of a hall, and they don't all need to be. And this is the thing, like when they're doing when they're doing stuff now, and yeah, oh we're in an underground thing, and there's a drip and everything's dimly lit. Yeah, whatever, fine. Keep it, keep it. This is awesome. We're in this giant room filled with chiffon. There's n there's there's some furniture, but it's long. Well, there's also the thing that they both sit on, which is a love seat, I believe you call it, where they have the two chairs that are facing opposite ways, but you sort of look over the middle part.

SPEAKER_00 33:46

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 33:46

Um so he and Aunt Harriet are sat on this, and I don't know, I don't know if there's a thing where because it's for kids they couldn't have champagne, but for some reason, out of one of those like ice buckets, they're drinking root beer. Yes. I don't know why. And they drink it in that style that you sometimes drink champagne.

SPEAKER_01 34:05

Cross arms over.

SPEAKER_02 34:06

You link arms, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 34:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 34:08

This the the camp the campometer i uh is is ding-ding-dinging away.

unknown 34:14

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 34:14

Because the the the the chaise and everything, everything's beautiful, fabrics, it's it's an absurd set. Everything about this is absurd.

SPEAKER_01 34:22

The set is mental. There's something about I don't mean this in a disparaging way. There's something about watching a clueless elderly woman being wooed by a flagrant homosexual.

SPEAKER_03 34:35

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 34:35

That's camp.

SPEAKER_02 34:36

It is, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 34:37

And I also wrote, the violins are telling me it's romantic, but it's not.

SPEAKER_02 34:42

Nothing in the scene is no because we've established that liberace acting is not his strong suit.

SPEAKER_01 34:47

No.

SPEAKER_02 34:48

Aunt Harriet, I think, doesn't know what to do with this. I don't think she knows how to be romantic with liberace.

SPEAKER_01 34:56

Acting's not his strong suit, and I think it's fair to extend that also to women.

SPEAKER_02 35:03

Yes, yeah. So there isn't a lot of chemistry. No. But you're right, it is funny. It is funny because there's there's clearly no sexual or romantic intention between the two of them. Yeah. But we are being told that there is. Yes. And that is that is camp.

SPEAKER_01 35:22

We then have another plot hole.

SPEAKER_02 35:23

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_01 35:24

When this scene starts, he puts the phone down and goes and talks to Aunt Harriet.

SPEAKER_02 35:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 35:30

Aunt Harriet gets up and leaves, and then he uncovers a hidden phone in a vase to make a separate phone call.

SPEAKER_02 35:38

Yeah, do you think that's a plot hole?

SPEAKER_01 35:40

I do because I think a phone's a phone. If you've got a phone on the side, Harriet's not going to be going, Oh, that phone.

SPEAKER_02 35:46

I think honestly, it's the campist use of phones in this because it he's got one in an urn.

SPEAKER_01 35:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 35:54

The one that they have, the special red telephone that the police have.

SPEAKER_01 35:58

They've got a cloch on top of it.

SPEAKER_02 35:59

They've got a cloche on top of. And now I've seen them in other episodes where they don't have a cloch. I don't think they need a cloch.

SPEAKER_01 36:06

Right? It just Do you think Liberace got on set and went, I won't have exposed telephones?

SPEAKER_02 36:11

Yes. I will not have a bear telephone in my presence. If it's going to be a telephone, I want it inside and or a cloch.

SPEAKER_01 36:20

You can closh that one.

SPEAKER_02 36:21

Closh that one for me. Oh.

SPEAKER_01 36:24

So then Batman and Robin end up at the secret lair.

SPEAKER_02 36:31

So he sent Aunt Harriet away in a cab.

SPEAKER_01 36:35

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 36:35

Because I think she wanted to stay the night. She'd sent the butler off. Anyway, but he knocks himself out at that point.

SPEAKER_00 36:42

Yes, he does.

SPEAKER_02 36:43

He uses the root beer bottle to whack himself on the head. Yes. He he does take a moment to arrange himself on the chaise first.

SPEAKER_00 36:53

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 36:54

And then yes, knocks himself out. And they are going in, Batman and Robin, suspicious of him. But when they see that, you know, allays all their concerns.

SPEAKER_01 37:03

And to hear more on our thoughts about Shays Longs, you can go back to our Earth for Kit episode.

SPEAKER_02 37:09

I'm gonna put love seats in there with them because that is a camp item of furniture, it really is.

SPEAKER_01 37:14

I I I don't have a lot of plot notes for what happens next, but I know that Batman and Robin arrive at the secret layer and they're looking at the belly dancing women through multicoloured beaded curns.

SPEAKER_02 37:29

Yes, I I've written down they're still going with the dancing, um, which I think I was losing interest uh at this stage. Now there comes a point in every Batman episode towards the end where they have to have the fight.

SPEAKER_01 37:45

Yes, Harry knows that they're coming and he's sent them in.

SPEAKER_02 37:49

Yes, so the the the goons in this episode are Spike Milligan? No Piano movers.

SPEAKER_01 37:56

Piano movers, yes.

SPEAKER_02 37:58

Yes. So this is the bit which again which has entered into pop culture where you get the fight and you get the the uh titles coming up.

SPEAKER_01 38:07

The words flash up on the screen. Pow. Pow BAM BAM.

SPEAKER_02 38:11

Also, sometimes the words are a bit less well known, like Zlonk. Hadn't seen that one before.

SPEAKER_01 38:21

No, can't say I have either. Uh there's no contact during these fights. No, they're doing magnificent punching the air.

SPEAKER_02 38:30

Yes. I think I think the words were supposed to cover that.

SPEAKER_01 38:34

Well, it's words and sound effects, isn't it?

SPEAKER_02 38:36

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 38:37

As you see Batman's fist fly past a man's face, you get a boo sound effect.

SPEAKER_02 38:43

I have to say that this one is particularly bad.

SPEAKER_01 38:46

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 38:47

Because they try and get the women involved.

SPEAKER_01 38:49

Well, I just wrote awkward moving around of women.

SPEAKER_02 38:52

Um yeah, I've just written some bad chorio involving women.

SPEAKER_01 38:56

Yeah, basically the women stand up and stand in between the men, jiggle about a bit, and then move away.

SPEAKER_02 39:05

Yes. Well, they wanted to involve them, yeah, but women can't be seen fighting, I guess. I don't know. Um, and so they're just sort of awkward there, and especially at the end, they're like Robin's trying to move one out the way. Yeah, and Bert Ward, who who plays Dick, is supposed to be a kid and he's quite small, and him trying to move this like adult woman who's bigger than him, uh, who doesn't seem to know that that's her thing that she's supposed to move, he's very awkward. It's one of the shoddier fights that I've seen, even by the standards of 1960s.

SPEAKER_01 39:43

Harry arrives and drops a massive roll of cutting paper on Batman and Robin's heads.

SPEAKER_02 39:50

This is how the fight ends.

SPEAKER_01 39:52

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 39:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 39:53

And then they end up being placed on the conveyor belt of the personal piano paper machine cutting machine. That's too many machines. Puncher.

SPEAKER_02 40:05

It I've written down it's the campest death machine possible.

SPEAKER_01 40:09

It's a big pink box.

SPEAKER_02 40:11

It's massive.

SPEAKER_01 40:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 40:13

It's glittery.

SPEAKER_01 40:14

Yes, it's got musical notes.

SPEAKER_02 40:16

It has musical notes all down the side.

SPEAKER_01 40:18

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 40:19

And yes, i i in order to for it to work, there has to be a tune playing.

SPEAKER_00 40:25

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 40:25

I I think the campometer is is is is bursting at this point.

SPEAKER_01 40:30

This is where we reach our cliffhanger in episode one.

SPEAKER_02 40:32

Holy sour, note.

SPEAKER_01 40:34

I know. Part two opens with a recap.

SPEAKER_02 40:38

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 40:39

I put it to you. The use of freeze framing is quite camp. Especially when you freeze, like in the middle of a moment.

SPEAKER_02 40:52

This isn't just the use of freeze framing, this is the misuse of freeze framing, because they have clips from the last episode. Now, obviously, this had a real point at the time, because we were watching them back to back because we have that capacity.

SPEAKER_03 41:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 41:05

And I believe people would have really wanted to remember the episode. But yes, when they have these little clips, they pause them to say whatever, and they seem to have done it to make it as awkward as possible. Like, not so you know, you freeze at the end when the actors are both doing an expression, but so you freeze when somebody's like awkwardly bending away from camera. Just in the middle of something.

SPEAKER_01 41:32

This is concluded by the narrator saying the most dreadful music is yet to come, and I did not believe him.

SPEAKER_02 41:39

You should have both I should have done, yes.

SPEAKER_01 41:43

So we open on Batman and Robin on the conveyor belt, allegedly moving towards the paper cutting machine.

SPEAKER_02 41:51

How will our dynamic duo escape?

SPEAKER_01 41:54

Well, I'll tell you how they'll escape. Please do, please, please. Partly because they don't go anywhere.

SPEAKER_02 42:02

No.

SPEAKER_01 42:03

So there's no danger whatsoever.

SPEAKER_02 42:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 42:05

Which is followed by Batman saying, I know how to get out of this. Follow every note that I sing exactly.

SPEAKER_02 42:13

Yes. He's very insistent that it be precise.

SPEAKER_01 42:18

And then they just start scatting. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 42:22

And and he's told he's told Robin to do the note exact notes that he's doing.

SPEAKER_01 42:27

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 42:28

They both start scattering at random.

SPEAKER_01 42:31

Complete random. So I missed two of my holies out here.

SPEAKER_02 42:35

Oh, did you?

SPEAKER_01 42:35

Yeah, once they have escaped, we get Holy Caruso.

SPEAKER_02 42:39

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 42:39

And then when Batman is explaining his plan, which we'll get to, Robin shouts, Holy perfect pitch.

SPEAKER_02 42:47

Holy perfect pitch. The plan it's worked, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 42:51

Is nonsense.

SPEAKER_02 42:52

It is nonsense, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 42:54

Can you explain it? Because I can't.

SPEAKER_02 42:57

So the the machine punches holes based on the music it is hearing. The machine can hear. Right? Based on the music that it's hearing. So the piano is playing, but because they scat their notes Batman has chosen so that he visualised them in his mind, and he's chosen those notes so that everywhere the machine would punch would be around their bodies and they would get out unscathed. Which is clearly nonsense, especially when you consider they've just been going.

SPEAKER_01 43:39

And that, dear listener, is camp.

SPEAKER_02 43:44

Oh, honestly, I told you it's the campest death machine I've ever seen.

SPEAKER_01 43:48

Harry has been taken in by the police and they're trying to get answers from him. And so they switch on the subtle interrogation lamp.

SPEAKER_02 44:00

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 44:01

A lawyer comes in and shouts.

SPEAKER_02 44:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 44:05

Tells the police that Harry's free and he's taking him away. Yes, he does, yep. And then accuses Batman and Robin of malicious mischief.

SPEAKER_02 44:16

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 44:16

Which I say is not a crime.

SPEAKER_02 44:19

No, none of the things anybody lists in this episode are crimes.

SPEAKER_01 44:22

No. No.

SPEAKER_02 44:24

And that the um lawyer, I was confused at first because he brought with him one of those hats that people wear on Safari.

SPEAKER_00 44:32

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 44:32

But it turned and but it turns out that um because they have this lamp, they were gonna shine in Harry's eyes, that he bought he bought that and some sunglasses to protect his client.

SPEAKER_01 44:46

At this point, I decided to note down there's something quite theatrical about all of this.

SPEAKER_02 44:53

Yes, yes, there is actually, isn't there?

SPEAKER_01 44:57

There is a style of acting at play here that kind of leans, it it exceeds screen.

SPEAKER_02 45:03

Yes, and I was gonna say, I think this is important to note because there are people who can act who would not do well in this. Yes, you know, because I think why it works so well is that Adam West and Dick Grayson and the regulars throw themselves into it so much, and there's a there's a point where Adam West, I can't remember where it is, is at the window discussing a plot point with Robin and he's like, you know, to the phone, and he fully charges, and the phone is like three feet behind him, but that kind of commitment to it is needed for how big the acting is in this, and it's kind of why I almost want to defend Liberace because he clearly can't act, but he does get the level of performance, like yeah, he he does somehow work in this. Yes, he's not he's he's clearly not an actor, and he doesn't he doesn't quite convince you of anything that he's doing, but he does kind of work for this world, and I love this world, it's very camping.

SPEAKER_01 46:15

Yeah, I get I get what you mean. At this point, I wrote I'm not following the plot at all.

SPEAKER_02 46:20

No, and I'm looking at my notes, yeah, and it's clear that I'm not following the plot at all.

SPEAKER_01 46:26

Good. Let's talk about what Liber Archie's wearing. Bright red jacket.

SPEAKER_02 46:31

Yes, bedazzled, obviously.

SPEAKER_01 46:34

Of course, of course. And this is the point at which we are to believe that he again is wooing Aunt Harry. Is this the one where she's laying on Yes, it is. She's laying on the chaise long, he's sat next to her, and he the dynamic I am getting is visiting your nan in hospital.

SPEAKER_02 46:56

Yes, yes, that's right.

SPEAKER_01 46:58

Batman and Robin are peeping at this, they're peeping Toms through the window.

SPEAKER_02 47:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 47:03

And one of them says the line, she's quite thoroughly in his fingers.

SPEAKER_02 47:07

Yes, that is said.

SPEAKER_01 47:09

Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 47:10

Because he's a pianist, so they're on about fingers. He's a pianist.

SPEAKER_01 47:20

Right.

SPEAKER_02 47:21

Because penguin eat fish. So it's one of the only or feathers. These are the things they're talking about all the time. Like every they they want to do puns all the time, and they're not quite sure, apart from like music and notes, and you know, holy sour note is a pun and whatever. But apart from that, they're not sure what to do. So fingers gets used in a kind of uncomfortable way a couple of times.

SPEAKER_01 47:43

Yes. So going from her being in his fingers, yes, we quite rapidly move to a part of the episode that I don't even think is camp anymore. I think it's just out and out gay. We move to the Dick Grayson Darkroom.

SPEAKER_02 48:02

Yes. This is another one of those that is introduced in that way that gives it no subtlety to exposition. Remember the dark room that we built?

SPEAKER_01 48:13

Yes. And then cuts to a sign that says Dick Grayson's dark room. Are you familiar with darkrooms?

SPEAKER_02 48:21

I'm familiar with the photographic kind.

SPEAKER_01 48:24

Right.

SPEAKER_02 48:24

Are you familiar with a different kind?

SPEAKER_01 48:26

I'm not familiar, but I do know what the other kind is.

SPEAKER_02 48:29

I'd love you to tell me.

SPEAKER_01 48:30

Would you? A dark room is a room in generally a nightclub. Right. Where the patrons can go and have some sexy time. In the dark. Yes. You know. So you don't know You but I mean I I I genuinely have never been in one. I assume what you're walking into is like an orgy in the dark, really. I don't know that everyone's swapping or you know. Who knows? Who knows? And I think I think for a long time darkrooms were associated with gay men. But I'm not sure that's the case anymore.

unknown 49:18

Oh.

SPEAKER_01 49:19

I think they've become more commonplace.

SPEAKER_02 49:21

I'll have to look into it.

SPEAKER_01 49:24

Next time on Camp Icons, we review We're out in the field. This is weekend in the dark room.

SPEAKER_02 49:33

Oh I I wish. No, um I think this is only the photographic kind of dark room.

SPEAKER_01 49:42

Yes, I know it's intended to be. And I and when Batman says the line, he says photographic dark room.

SPEAKER_02 49:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 49:50

But when we flip to the sign, the word photographic's not in there.

SPEAKER_02 49:54

I think Dick Grayson's just taking Also they they blow the the the door off as an explosion. And inside, I think it's meant to look like that red light that they use in dark rooms, but it's actually pink. And it looks like a nightclub.

SPEAKER_01 50:11

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 50:12

It's interesting, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 50:13

That I glare from the doorway.

SPEAKER_02 50:15

I suspect the usage that you're talking about didn't exist then. Maybe it did, but I'm sure they weren't referring to it, and yet somehow they've fallen into this trap. Maybe it's all on purpose. Maybe there's somebody on set who's just Liberarchi! Liberachy's like we need to know.

SPEAKER_01 50:34

No, I think we need to get rid of photographic. So we're we're led to believe that Batman and Robin are dead. They they're trying to trick trick them into believing they're dead.

SPEAKER_02 50:48

They're trying to trick them, but I think we know. But we're back in the I've put at this stage, even the camera angle is camp.

SPEAKER_01 50:56

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 50:56

Because we're looking at things on a on a slant. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 51:00

These women are fashion icons. They're now in silver.

SPEAKER_02 51:04

Yes, silver sort of jumpsuit y things.

SPEAKER_01 51:06

And then one of them.

SPEAKER_02 51:07

And she's getting her bagpipes out.

SPEAKER_01 51:09

Oh. One of them brings out the bagpipes and blows it in Liberarchi's face.

SPEAKER_02 51:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 51:14

And it is the most incredible reaction.

SPEAKER_02 51:19

Would you like to would you like to try the reaction?

SPEAKER_01 51:21

Well the the problem is it's not audio.

SPEAKER_02 51:23

No.

SPEAKER_01 51:24

It's just visual. No. So I'll tell you what, I'll do it for you.

SPEAKER_02 51:27

Okay, do it for me.

SPEAKER_01 51:31

Do you mind? Did I do it justice?

SPEAKER_02 51:33

I think it's very good, yes. I'm gonna post that clip on our social media so people can go and yes, I would describe what you did as like there's like a there's like a classic clip of maybe from like a silent movie of a little kid that's about to cry. It looks like that. I think he also says, Oh my ears! Oh so this is one of the liberachis. This is either Shandell or Harriet.

SPEAKER_01 51:55

So it's Shandell.

SPEAKER_02 51:56

At this point I've lost track.

SPEAKER_01 51:58

Because then Harry pretends to be Shandell.

SPEAKER_02 52:02

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 52:03

So that he can marry Aunt Harriet and get all the money.

SPEAKER_02 52:06

Right.

SPEAKER_01 52:07

He goes to visit Harriet in what I would say is quite an understated Liberachi jacket. Harry's obviously gone, I'm not quite Shandell, but I've got to look like him. In that it's all black, but it's just got the the six flowers on the front.

SPEAKER_02 52:22

It's just got six flowers, yeah. I th i I is this the one that just before he does we see that scene, he says, um, where's that costume from Queen Elizabeth's coronation?

SPEAKER_01 52:32

Yes, yes it is.

SPEAKER_02 52:33

So presumably that was what he wore.

SPEAKER_01 52:36

Shandell was there.

SPEAKER_02 52:38

Maybe he was playing, I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 52:40

We get a quite awkward scene with him trying to woo Aunt Harriet.

SPEAKER_02 52:45

They've all been quite awkward.

SPEAKER_01 52:47

I mean This one especially because he's Iberarchie playing Harry playing Shandell. Yes. Trying to flip the woman.

SPEAKER_02 52:54

Yes. Quite a lot from him as a a non-actor.

SPEAKER_01 52:58

He leaves.

SPEAKER_02 52:59

Well, he kisses her on the hand as he's leaving.

SPEAKER_01 53:01

He does kiss her on the hand as he's leaving. As he leaves, Harriet kicks up a fuss. Mmm, which brings Alfred running into the room.

SPEAKER_02 53:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 53:09

And she says, as the old saying goes, a girl can tell.

SPEAKER_02 53:15

Yes. Quite a long time since she's been a girl. But um She can still tell. She can tell. That was not her man.

SPEAKER_01 53:24

Then we cunt to the next scene, and I will let the listeners know we had to pause again because we had to gather ourselves.

SPEAKER_02 53:35

It's important to understand that at some points I was bored, really, when they were trying to do plot at me. At other points, so much camp was happening, I couldn't properly record all of it. And this was one of those points. Because we've just had the the classic, a girl can tell. And then we cut to her with oh who is it? Harry playing Shandell.

SPEAKER_00 54:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 54:01

And so he's playing the piano.

SPEAKER_01 54:02

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 54:03

While she sings.

SPEAKER_01 54:05

While she what?

SPEAKER_02 54:06

Sings? Because we've been.

SPEAKER_01 54:09

I wrote that she wobbles with Shandell dressed for a day at the races.

SPEAKER_02 54:13

Or her ex-husband's funeral.

SPEAKER_01 54:15

Yes. It's it's quite a hat.

SPEAKER_02 54:18

It's uh quite a large black feathery hat, and then her outfit has some sheer black net at the top. It's not very Aunt Harriet, because she's quite she's quite tame a lot of the time.

SPEAKER_00 54:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 54:33

And this is quite the quite quite the outfit for her. And yes, she's warbling. Because we've been talking, we've been told that she sings and that she was going to sing with um Chandelle all along, right from the very first scene. And this is our first evidence of her singing voice, and it is appalling. And I say that as someone who is also an appalling singer. I recognised it, I was like, that that's me.

SPEAKER_01 54:57

Yes, Harry says maybe your hat is obscuring the view of the sheet music.

SPEAKER_02 55:02

Yes, which cannot possibly affect her to that extent. Absolutely impossible.

SPEAKER_01 55:08

Because even if that was the case, you'd still be singing actual notes.

SPEAKER_02 55:12

Yes, you would, yeah. But that does cause her to remove her hat.

SPEAKER_01 55:16

Produce a gun and say, as they say in the movies, stick up your mitts.

SPEAKER_02 55:23

The the camp She's she's quite a sort of a tame sort of character, as I say. She seems like a nice little old lady, that's her role. So for her to be all dressed up in a, you know, black widow outfit, brandishing a revolver at liberal Whilst saying the word fiddlesticks. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 55:47

I don't I don't think we hear that word enough anymore.

SPEAKER_02 55:50

No, you're right. You're right.

SPEAKER_01 55:51

Oh fiddlesticks.

SPEAKER_02 55:52

Bring back fiddlesticks.

SPEAKER_01 55:55

Then she gets knocked out by the demonic bagpipes.

SPEAKER_02 56:00

The bagpipes just seem Sorry, I just absorbed the sentence I the bagpipes basically come back anytime the writers don't know what to do with the scene. We're like, we need someone knocked out again. Can we get the girl with the bagpipes in here? Yeah. Get her to just blow them vaguely this way.

SPEAKER_01 56:17

And then Harry as Shandell tells the piano movers, the goons, to put her in a box.

SPEAKER_02 56:27

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 56:28

And uh no, to take her outside and put her in a box.

SPEAKER_02 56:31

Take her outside and put her in a box.

SPEAKER_01 56:33

Which I'll be honest seems strange.

SPEAKER_02 56:36

And they also Alfred is there. Even though we don't see him. So her and Alfred are gonna go in this very big box.

SPEAKER_01 56:43

Big pink box.

SPEAKER_02 56:45

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 56:46

We see our next shot of a machine gun where Harry machine guns the box, leading us to believe that he's killed Aunt Harriet.

SPEAKER_02 56:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 56:56

Did you buy it?

SPEAKER_02 56:58

No. No. But I didn't know exactly what was going to happen. I thought maybe there was nobody in there.

SPEAKER_01 57:04

I don't think anybody could know what was about to happen.

SPEAKER_02 57:06

No, because you you know that this is like nobody really is gonna get killed, not the main characters. And so when Liberarchi is firing his machine gun at the giant pink box, I know that nobody's actually gonna die, but I thought when it when it was opened, it would be like, they've gone, how did they escape? And we'd find out Batman had rescued them. That isn't what happens, is it?

SPEAKER_01 57:29

No, do tell us.

SPEAKER_02 57:30

In fact, they open the box, and Batman and Robin are inside sheltering behind a acetate piece of plastic that has bat shield written on it.

SPEAKER_01 57:46

It's in the shape of a bat as well.

SPEAKER_02 57:48

Sort of, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 57:49

I don't believe that would stop any bullet in its track. No.

SPEAKER_02 57:54

No. But they're it wasn't remotely big enough to stop the spread of all those bullets, even if it was some kind of magical substance that we don't have that was strong enough to stop them. And this is another classic of Batman is having the bat themed gadgets. Yeah. I think the classic one is the shark repellent spray that he has in the movie. He has like a bat version for every single animal.

SPEAKER_00 58:23

Brilliant.

SPEAKER_02 58:23

Also notable the bat credit card that he has in the Batman and Robin, the movie. Much underrated. Uh but the bat shield, yes, looks flimsy as fuck.

SPEAKER_01 58:33

And then they fold it up.

SPEAKER_02 58:34

He f he folds it up. And I I don't know why. As I was watching that, I was like, this is camp. Because having to fold up your bat shield because you're done with it so that you can talk to the baddie is so good.

SPEAKER_01 58:48

He does lose some points in this scene. Right. Because of three words that he says about the bagpipe playing belly dancing ghosts. Sorry, phantoms. Phantoms.

SPEAKER_02 59:01

They do are they actually we haven't mentioned this much. They do keep calling them phantoms and ghosts and But he says of them poor deluded females. Yes. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 59:13

Just just if you weren't sure that we were still in the 60s.

SPEAKER_02 59:17

Yeah, yeah. Just uh don't for don't forget.

SPEAKER_01 59:20

As progressive as this might all seem with Liberace present. We can't escape without some poor deluded females. He's not talking about Aunt Harriet either. No. That got hoodwinked into nearly marrying an imposter dressed up as the twin brother of the man that she actually wanted to get with. No, he's talking about the capable women.

SPEAKER_02 59:43

Yes, you've been doing fine so far.

SPEAKER_01 59:45

Yeah, doing much more than chan.

SPEAKER_02 59:48

I've forgotten two now. Chanel. Shandel. Shandell. So this is another punch-up now, isn't it? Yes.

SPEAKER_01 59:55

The line is poor deluded females have a bit of bat gas.

SPEAKER_02 59:59

Have a bit of bat gas. Yes. Yes, because you can't you can't punch the women in the face. So you could knock about with gas.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:06

Yes. Another fight sequence, very much the same territory as the previous one. Swack. And then we cut to Oh we cut to Harriet's hat as well.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:17

Oh, we've got to wrap up now. We've got to wrap up. This is you know, after the big fight sequence, in the first part, you know, you always get the how will our Cape Crusader escape this. In the second part, you always get a nice wrap-up of what happened to all the characters, including sometimes the baddies, which we get in this. But yes, Aunt Harriet is in Commissioner Gordon's office being given an anti-crime award.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:46

Even though she was sort of the core.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:50

Oh, she did she's just fallen for a scam.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:55

She's a poor little old lady.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:57

She did pull out that gun at the end.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:59

She just had a text that said, Hi grandma, it's me. Please could you send 500 quid?

SPEAKER_02 1:01:05

Otherwise I can't get home.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:07

Oh love, I better send it over, hadn't I? She's clicked the link. She hasn't done it for her normal channel. She's clicked the link.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:14

And she's been scammed and she'd be given an award for that.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:17

Yes. It's not fair, is it?

SPEAKER_01 1:01:19

No. And I would also say, I know I realise what you say about she pulled the gun. Yeah. My counter to that is she pulled a gun. I'm not I know it's different in America, but I it is I don't think they necessarily reward it.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:39

I don't know. I think if you're a little old lady, they love it. They love it. You know, what what where is it they have um you stand your ground you know? They love that. That's what I'm saying. I don't I don't know what the rules are in Gotham. You know, you have to go state by state.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:54

Well, apparently you get a medal.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:56

You get a medal for pulling a gun. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:58

Whilst wearing a swimming hat.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:01

Yes, she has a quite a sixties hat. This hasn't really ever come back. This is this, you know, some trends come round come round again and again.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:10

Um but the 60s, like flowery swim cap hasn't really come back.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:16

I think it should.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:17

I think we definitely do you want to start? You bring in it back?

SPEAKER_01 1:02:20

Maybe I will. Okay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:22

Fine.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:22

Good.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:23

I'll I'll I'll see how it goes for you.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:27

She gets a letter from Chanel. No.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:29

Shandell!

SPEAKER_01 1:02:31

Shandell. She gets a letter from Shandell.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:34

That is a tearful f goodbye. He's saying that he's gone off on tour.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:40

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:40

Which is like, I mean, they're basically gaslighting the woman.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:44

They are.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:44

Because he's in jail.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:46

But and they can't bear to tell her.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:48

It's actually some of the only clever writing, I think, of the whole thing. Well, actually, I think all of it's really well done. It's doing what it means to do. But I quite enjoy this bit where they say to her, Yes, it it's one of those long tours where you get time off for good performance.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:04

Performance.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:07

I think it's really fun. This is the this is one of the greatest things that could happen at the end of the episode, I think. Is because we're we're watching it and we're looking for camp. We don't have to look that hard.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:19

No, we don't have to look deep in this, do we?

SPEAKER_02 1:03:22

But in this scene, it just explodes all over your face.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:25

It's absolutely like Dick Grayson's dark room.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:28

Yes. It's absolutely outrageous.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:32

We cut to Shandel in prison wearing a bedazzled black and white striped prison outfit.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:40

Yes. His is the only one that is his is bedazzled in rainbow colours.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:44

It was in the rider.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:45

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:46

He is sat at a black and white striped piano.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:50

Grand piano. The whole thing is striped. The whole thing.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:54

With a candelabra on top. Of course. And behind him are all the criminal miscreants from the episode.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:01

Yes, and they've also got their Brynn uniforms.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:04

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:04

Although not bedazzled.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:06

No, he's playing piano for them. Again, quite an extended piano scene.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:10

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:11

And then the last shot is of Harry in his cell doing his most gangster. He has never been more gangster than this moment.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:22

No.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:22

I'm gonna break out a sing sing.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:28

Again, just to confirm that is Liberace butching it up.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:32

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:33

Whilst looking at a version of himself in a bedazzled prison uniform playing on a black and white striped jail piano.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:42

For convicted prisoners.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:45

Yes. I really enjoyed that episode.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:48

I enjoyed that episode. Just one final thing. But I it's just a little bit of a weird anomaly. These days, if you're getting a trailer of what's coming next week, you sort of get some clips and you get some idea of the story, and they're they're really trying to hook you back in.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:05

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:05

At the end of this, we just get the narrator going, the penguin models again. Over a still image.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:14

Of the penguin.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:15

Of the penguin.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:16

I I think they they really have this idea that you know the world.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:22

And that you'll just cut tune in for it.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:25

And I love that.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:26

That you are coming back every week.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:28

Yeah. What did you make of all that then?

SPEAKER_01 1:05:32

What did I make of all that? I mean, where do you begin? This is we've talked about excess before a lot.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:38

Oh, so much. Like I say, every single set is bigger and more colourful than anything you get now.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:45

But this is total excess. Every minute detail that you can think of that could be happening is in excess. Dialogue, performance style, sets, costumes, the editor. The set dressing, the well, the guest stars is an entity in their own right in this one, but um the leads, it's not like you know. I've seen a couple of episodes of things where they've sort of shipped Joan Collins in for a couple of episodes, and she's this sort of Camp Wellman, but everyone else is playing it very straight. This is they've thrown everything at the wall and made it thick.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:27

I have to say I absolutely love it for that.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:30

Because I think it's something we've really lost touch with.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:34

The idea that something can be fictional.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:37

And we sort of tend to shy away from being this stylised and outrageous.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:44

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:44

It's seen as it it is sort of seen like it like looked down upon and yeah, seen as childish or something. And I mean this was for kids, but it was it's it's so well done, so camp and outrageous, all pushing towards this comic book vision, and I absolutely love it.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:05

I wonder if it would work so well if there was even just one thing that wasn't done to excess. So if you imagine if you had everything that is there, but the performances were really naturalistic.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:18

It wouldn't work, it wouldn't work. Because you need to know this isn't the real world.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:23

Don't expect it to behave with the laws of the real world, because it doesn't.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:29

And if you, you know, if you put on one of the Christian Bale Batman movies, yeah, and halfway through you've got flashcards saying bam, zlonk, how it it just wouldn't. No. None of this it's sort of like none of it works on its own, but altogether it comes together and makes this brilliant thing, and I think that's why it's endured in pop culture and why people continue to still enjoy watching it and referencing it.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:57

Yes, absolutely. And I I yeah, it's it's actually crazy to think when you do think about how like gritty they try to make the Batman's Now, it's it is crazy to think they come from the same source.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:10

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:10

I think grit is like the opposite of Camp. I don't know if I've said this before, but like trying to do something that's so real, so kind of like viscerally real, is is kind of the antithesis to what Camp is doing. Camp is like giving you a fantasy, and superheroes are a kind of like they are a fantasy, so why not go to this world that is absolutely everything is ridiculous about it? But you you it's fun, but you you you know, it's treating these concepts in a a light-hearted way. So it is meant to be life and death, like we're meant to think that Batman's gonna be killed, but it's treating it in a comic book way, so we don't need to sit with the weight of a criminal who's capable of murder because that doesn't exist really here, it's all nonsense, and anybody could be brought back to life by you know a a bat hypodermic or whatever. It's it's like it's literally a bat epiphen. Yes, you don't need to just sit with the weight of these real concepts because everything is comic book, and I think this is where like comic book and camp go so well together. I think that's why that this this this kind of happened is because it it just it just works.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:31

But I mean, even the comic book in terms of an actual comic book has evolved.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:38

What we're seeing on screen in this is what we were seeing in the pages of the comic books. Like I've read some old comic books, I've read some more modern comic books, and you see the stark the difference between them. They've tried to I don't know what it is. I guess they've tried to get rid of all that colour and flair.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:00

We're obsessed with realism now. We think that depicting things that feel real is the only way to experience something. But when you're watching this, you're experiencing things in a different way. The differences between real life are giving you some information that making things like you know, like you know, like I know the feeling of stepping in a puddle, like the way that you know Commissioner Gordon just stepped off the pavement. Like there's a difference, there's a difference in how you're experiencing things. You can learn from reality, you can learn from fiction, you know?

SPEAKER_01 1:10:36

Yes, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:37

Yeah. I've really enjoyed this. I think this has given us a whole new pillar of camp.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:44

A pillar of camp. Wow.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:47

I'm going all the way to pillar.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:49

Pillar. That's quite camp in itself, isn't it? Yes, it is actually an opulent pillar.

unknown 1:10:55

Woo!

SPEAKER_01 1:10:56

So there we have it. We have watched the 1960s Batman. I've really enjoyed this one. Obviously, I hadn't seen it before, so I was. This was sort of a new experience for me. See something. I know. If you have enjoyed this episode, please give us a like, give us a subscribe, leave us a review. It really helps get the podcast into the ears of other people. Tell all your friends about it, tell some enemies if you like. We really don't mind who is listening. Well, to a degree. You can follow us on social media, on Instagram and TikTok. We are at Camp Icons Podcast. That is at Camp Icons Podcast. And we have a Facebook page which is Camp Icons Podcast.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:36

You always say that, like they're different. Are you putting the spaces in on one of them?

SPEAKER_01 1:11:41

Yes, I am. I'm putting the spaces in on Facebook.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:46

Okay, I've just figured that out. It's taken me several episodes.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:48

Yes. Yeah. Yeah. That's what's going on then. Thank you very much for listening. Thank you, Liz.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:56

Thank you, Nick.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:57

And we'll see you next week. Bye.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:00

Bye.