Regular CBR contributor, Sonia Harris, wrote an interesting article on psychopathy and the superhero (and supervillain), but her analysis is marred but a fundamental misunderstanding of psychopathic personalities. Most of the comments suffer from similar flaws, though all seem to be working from basically the same source(s).
I am no doctor, but allow me to offer that psychopathy and sociopathy are not the same thing. True psychopaths literally cannot feel emotion, including intellectual superiority. Granted, this is the most extreme form of the disorder, but in order to be considered "psychopathic," it has to be present in some form at all levels. Psychopathic people are almost never able to truly comprehend, on an internal level, that what they do is wrong because they are unable to empathize with those negatively affected by their actions.
In fact, though semantic, one of the primary differences between sociopaths and psychopaths is that the former can at least sympathize with his victims. Sociopaths understand that they are hurting others, they just don't care; this is what makes them Evil. Psychopaths are fundamentally flawed in their emotional makeup (and it is not necessarily genetic / hardwired, although that is a popular outlook in the psychological community), so they cannot be held responsible for their actions -- legally or psychologically.
Psychopaths, whether genetically predisposed to lack feeling or conditioned to do so, are Disaffected Personalities who do not fit-in to society, though they may not make enough waves to draw attention to themselves or their actions. They lack social skills because they fail to relate to others. Genius-level people are not necessarily psychopathic, though they often suffer from similar social problems. Genius-level intellects tend to feel anxiety, depression, and distance from individuals in social situations; psychopaths feel nothing -- they simply cannot relate. Geniuses often fit the profile of Disaffected Personalities, though they do not always identify with, nor behave according to, said profile.
Sociopaths fit into society with little problem, as they not only know how to manipulate others, they actually get-off on it. They most certainly do feel intellectual and emotional superiority to their victims, and they choose victims -- another differentiation between the two types. Sociopaths make plans and plot against others; psychopaths do not (though they may scheme for a specific goal, they rarely have the social skills necessary to manipulate or involve others in their machinations).
It's a good article and some of the comments raise some interesting points, but the conversation is flawed.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
A rambling melange of pop-culture.
Saturday, November 06, 2010
Schroedinger's Dilemma
My Image box is actually overflowing: It's so packed, I'm having to move some of them to other boxes so the first few issues don't get The Bends and I have a stack of Image stuff setting beside it that won't fit, no matter 1how I juggle things. (DO NOT JUGGLE YOUR COMIC BOOKS. *)
I now have three boxes full of X-stuff, including the longbox with all the Uncanny X-Men. I'm about to have to go into overrun on Uncanny, too (but I am going to refile a bunch of the old mini-series and one-shots first, to free-up some room). I also can't find my New Mutants #1 (new run). I swear to God some of my comics are literally just disappearing!
Turns out I have almost everything from Shadowland, which makes sense, seeing as how I ordered everything from Shadowland... and am still working on paying for it all. I will certainly read at least most of it at some point, but the interior art for the Shadowland mini looks awful.
I have to read Birds of Prey to see whether or not I want to cancel it, and I'm collecting Charmed regardless. I am not, regardless of whatever else, doing the multi-title crossover, possibly ever again, period. If I start finding that I am unable to follow the titles to which I subscribe because of that, I will cancel them.
---
* Kids in Massachusetts
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
I now have three boxes full of X-stuff, including the longbox with all the Uncanny X-Men. I'm about to have to go into overrun on Uncanny, too (but I am going to refile a bunch of the old mini-series and one-shots first, to free-up some room). I also can't find my New Mutants #1 (new run). I swear to God some of my comics are literally just disappearing!
Turns out I have almost everything from Shadowland, which makes sense, seeing as how I ordered everything from Shadowland... and am still working on paying for it all. I will certainly read at least most of it at some point, but the interior art for the Shadowland mini looks awful.
I have to read Birds of Prey to see whether or not I want to cancel it, and I'm collecting Charmed regardless. I am not, regardless of whatever else, doing the multi-title crossover, possibly ever again, period. If I start finding that I am unable to follow the titles to which I subscribe because of that, I will cancel them.
---
* Kids in Massachusetts
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Friday, November 05, 2010
No Coverage of Censorship Battle vs. Video Games
I had a guy who is actually a big video game player posting here for a while, but due to the fact that he has an infant, he simply wasn't able to devote much time here, and I don't play video games. Still, there is plenty of coverage of the debacle elsewhere, and I see no need to cover it, though I will say this:
This is a trickier situation than it seems on the surface, as many on the Supreme Court seem to agree. In short, it appears that California is looking to hold video games to a different standard than other forms of entertainment. However, I do understand California lawmakers' concerns, as video games are still largely considered kids' fare and there are few regulations in-place to restrict the sale of such to children, despite ESRB ratings.
Even casual readers know I am virulently anti-censorship, but this is a more complicated issue. If you are interested in it, there is plenty of coverage on both mainstream and "alternative" outlets across the Web.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
This is a trickier situation than it seems on the surface, as many on the Supreme Court seem to agree. In short, it appears that California is looking to hold video games to a different standard than other forms of entertainment. However, I do understand California lawmakers' concerns, as video games are still largely considered kids' fare and there are few regulations in-place to restrict the sale of such to children, despite ESRB ratings.
Even casual readers know I am virulently anti-censorship, but this is a more complicated issue. If you are interested in it, there is plenty of coverage on both mainstream and "alternative" outlets across the Web.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Disney Junior
Beginning next year (2011), Disney will air short morning blocks of "Disney Junior" on the Disney Channel before dropping SoapNet in favor of the new network, aimed at boys ages two to seven. Marvel cartoons and properties are expected to play a large part in the programming, as they already do on Disney XD, a channel aimed at slightly older boys.
Disney Channel is also looking to expand into the digital arena, though its plans for doing so have not been clearly defined as of this point.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Disney Channel is also looking to expand into the digital arena, though its plans for doing so have not been clearly defined as of this point.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Conan to be Streaming
For those of us who have cut the cord, TBS' new Conan talk show (with Conan O'Brien, of course) will be available online the day after it airs! While clips will be available for anyone, full episodes will only be available in the United States.
Conan premieres on TBS this coming Monday at 10pm, CST.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Conan premieres on TBS this coming Monday at 10pm, CST.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Thursday, November 04, 2010
AMC Streaming the First Ep of Walking Dead for FREE!
Yep, AMC is streaming the premiere episode of the first season of Walking Dead (based on Robert Kirkman's comic book title of the same name from Image), in case you missed it or just want to watch it again.
I cut the cord over a year ago now and was certain I wouldn't be able to see it, because AMC doesn't do the Hulu thing (yet), but since the 85 senators who were for net neutrality were voted out of office (shocker! -- the media runs everything, really?), I'm sure I can pay an extra $50+ per month to get pay TV online in just a few, short months.
Ah, commercialism. Just can't beat it, can you?
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
I cut the cord over a year ago now and was certain I wouldn't be able to see it, because AMC doesn't do the Hulu thing (yet), but since the 85 senators who were for net neutrality were voted out of office (shocker! -- the media runs everything, really?), I'm sure I can pay an extra $50+ per month to get pay TV online in just a few, short months.
Ah, commercialism. Just can't beat it, can you?
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Reading Schedule
Alright, so I know I just posted the other day about how I wasn't going to read like half the comic books I've received in the last three months, but I broke-down and started reading Shadowland the other night and I was pleasantly disappointed.
The truth is that lowered expectations actually do offer some protection against disappointment. Which has made me decide to go ahead and read some of the other comics in my collection in no particular order -- after all, they certainly weren't written in any particular order (which is pretty weird, considering the fact that they were planned for like 30 years before release!).
I am looking forward to reading Morning Glories, though.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
The truth is that lowered expectations actually do offer some protection against disappointment. Which has made me decide to go ahead and read some of the other comics in my collection in no particular order -- after all, they certainly weren't written in any particular order (which is pretty weird, considering the fact that they were planned for like 30 years before release!).
I am looking forward to reading Morning Glories, though.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Wednesday, November 03, 2010
Trying to Organize
Part of the reason I've fallen so far behind is simple: I've once again become so disorganized that I literally have no idea where anything is, nor what I am [supposed to be] doing. I spent at least a few hours yesterday and today trying to rectify that, but I barely made a dent in it.
Like I said, things are going to slow down here while I focus on some other projects, including the cartooning course I have now been taking for going on a year and half (and for no other reason than that I never think about fucking with it until about this time of night, when I literally go, "Oh man! Ah, I'll do it tomorrow...").
I could go on a long diatribe about comic books and how I'm canceling almost all of my subscriptions, but I won't -- at least not now. I will still bring you all the press releases and review comics as I read them, but I'm not even trying to read Shadowland, or Curse of the Mutants, or Second Coming, or Heroic Age, or Image United, or Brightest Day, despite the fact that I have almost all of the issues of all but the latter.
I've decided to forgo all the "major, mega-series, crossover event that will change the n Universe FOREVER," and since every title insists on insinuating itself in those, making them completely unreadable unless you purchase basically every issue on newsstands (which I can neither afford nor have the time to read, nor give a flying fuck about), I'm just completely over it.
And I am so trying not to be a Debbie Downer here! This is my personal decision, and I've hinted at it and discussed it here several times over, so I don't want to throw cold water all over everything; I'm just personally disgusted and basically every comic book publisher out there has gotten a fat chunk of my money throughout 2010, so there's no love lost.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Like I said, things are going to slow down here while I focus on some other projects, including the cartooning course I have now been taking for going on a year and half (and for no other reason than that I never think about fucking with it until about this time of night, when I literally go, "Oh man! Ah, I'll do it tomorrow...").
I could go on a long diatribe about comic books and how I'm canceling almost all of my subscriptions, but I won't -- at least not now. I will still bring you all the press releases and review comics as I read them, but I'm not even trying to read Shadowland, or Curse of the Mutants, or Second Coming, or Heroic Age, or Image United, or Brightest Day, despite the fact that I have almost all of the issues of all but the latter.
I've decided to forgo all the "major, mega-series, crossover event that will change the n Universe FOREVER," and since every title insists on insinuating itself in those, making them completely unreadable unless you purchase basically every issue on newsstands (which I can neither afford nor have the time to read, nor give a flying fuck about), I'm just completely over it.
And I am so trying not to be a Debbie Downer here! This is my personal decision, and I've hinted at it and discussed it here several times over, so I don't want to throw cold water all over everything; I'm just personally disgusted and basically every comic book publisher out there has gotten a fat chunk of my money throughout 2010, so there's no love lost.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Monday, November 01, 2010
Running Behind
Obviously I didn't get the Chill updates up yesterday and I apologize, but there were a ton of mitigating factors, some of which were beyond my control. I also didn't really review 31 horror flicks in October, but I got sick for a week and that really crashed the whole thing, so I tried and feel I succeeded to some extent.
Anyway, we'll be getting back to our regularly-scheduled program, which is unscheduled and almost completely improvised, but like I said before, there will be a lot more reviews and there won't be as many posts.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Anyway, we'll be getting back to our regularly-scheduled program, which is unscheduled and almost completely improvised, but like I said before, there will be a lot more reviews and there won't be as many posts.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
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