Below, audio of Rush Limbaugh’s radio show, wherein he posits that the villain of “The Dark Knight Rises” being named BANE is a deliberate attempt to help the Obama campaign by smearing his Republican challenger Mitt Romney (re: former head of BAIN Capital.) No, really.
UPDATE: Amusingly, The Guardian’s Catherine Shoard, posits that the film is actually much more of an anti-“Occupy” capitalist power-fantasy that “Mitt Romney would be thrilled” with. I’m not reviewing or opining on the film at all until Friday’s “Escape to The Movies,” but I’ll say that I don’t disagree with this particular thematic assessment.
Not that I expect that ANY of what Devin Faraci has colorfully named “The Bat-Jihadists” (or “Mujhabatdeen”) might be READING THIS and spurred to, oh, visit the contact page for Rush’s radio show and have themselves a lil’ old party or anything…
Y’know, I’m probably not a favorite person among the Nolan/Batman fanboys – we’ve had our differences in the past, etc. But if they insist on unleashing full-tilt troll-storms on any media personality who doesn’t break out the 10/10 rubber-stamp for their prefered movies… I can’t help but think it’d be just swell if some of that venom and vitriol got sent “Rushbo’s” way. Hate-spewing reactionary vs. hate-spewing reactionaries, and all that.
I mean, not for nothing, but part of the attack-the-critics mentality is that bad reviews might hurt the film’s chances at setting/breaking some arbitrary boxoffice record, no? Well, unlike ANY film critic, Limbaugh actually does have the clout to turn his sizable following “against” a media property – I don’t like it any more than anyone else, but he is about that powerful.
MOVIEBOB CENTRAL 
No, Bob. The attack-the-critics mentality is not about the box office at all. It's about the fact that TDKR may be Nolan, and by extension the superhero genre's last chance at attaining Oscar glory, and getting the accolades it should have gotten for The Dark Knight.
That's what this is about.
That being said, I'd love to see the Nolan fans take down Limbaugh too. I'd love to see anyone take down Limbaugh.
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Wow talk about reading into something way too much. Bane has been a villain in the series forever. I guess Batman: Arkham Asylum is against Romney. God this is just depressing… I mean… I don't even know what to say…
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um bane is a character that has been around for a couple decades now. He first showed up in the 80s, he's been in comics, games, movies and the tv shows. Do some damn research.
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Dark Knight won two oscars dude.
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I think it's hilarious that anyone would think that DKR is the genre's “last chance” at achieving “Oscar Glory.”
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indy42…so the plan to achieve oscar glory is to attack and deride any legitimate critics the movie might have? wow…awesome plan there….
That, and I've got to be honest. This is not exactly Denzel not getting the oscar for Malcom X….
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They mean for winning Best Picture. >_<
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Im a huge supporter of Nolan and everything he's doing for cinema, and his films are some of my favourites of all time…. But I'm not a Nolanite. I find the very term detestable, because it refers to a group of immature and unintelligent fanboys who will jump to attack anyone who so much as mentions Nolan in a neutral light, let alone a negative one. OMG NOLAN MAKES DA BEST ACTION MOVIES FUK ALL DA CRITICS WHO DISAGREE, and so on and so forth, seem to be the standard response. Boy I can't wait to see how many people tweet “Dark Night Rises was EPIC so much better than Avengers” or some such unnecessary dribble when they watch the film. Granted, I haven't seen it yet, and I'm probably going to enjoy it more than any other film that's come out this year, but why compare it to a different kind of film altogether, like DC and Marvel are some sort of mutually exclusive entities? In the end, if these films do well at the box office, all comicbook and comicbook movie fans win.
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@indy42 Who cares about Oscar Glory? Surely the last few years have proven that the best films of the year never win. And besides, the RT score doesn't necessarily correspond with a win. Look at Crash's 76% or A Beautiful Mind's and Gladiator's 78%. Hell, even Forest Gump is only at 71%.
And if you think that this is the genre's last change at attaining Oscar glory, then you must hold little optimism for the future of super hero movies. The super hero genre boom is still in its infancy, and I believe there are much more exciting times to come.
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I'm getting tired of everyone wanting comics/superheroes (and video games for that matter) to get that recognition that they oh so deserve.
So what if people who don't like superheroes or video games don't recognize their greatness? People who actually care about these things give out plenty of deserved accolades.
Can't we just stick with being a niche audience, but one that's welcoming to newcomers? Why are we trying to convert people anyway?
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I sent along a thought email. http://freetexthost.com/02a6pkqoli
@Greg: While doing research I found he seems to have originated in '93, not the 80s.
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@indy42:
lol the Oscars
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Let me be clear here: I wasn't trying to justify the attack-the-critic mentality. I was just trying to give you the correct motivation (its not about the box office).
That being said, I enjoy the rich irony of attacking and antagonizing Nolan fans for the crime of… attacking and antagonizing critics. Good stuff.
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Oh Limbaugh, what a twat. I will say if DKR doesn't get an Oscar for Best Picture or Best Director then it's obvious that no comic book film ever will. I am eager to see where Nolan goes after this (aside from helping write Man of Steel) as he's completely established himself as the next great director in the same vein as Spielberg
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Rush Limbaugh's an idiot. On this I think we can all agree. Still, I am a bit concerned whther DKR DOES in fact have some sort of Right-Wing agenda…just not the kind Rush is thinking of.
All the Nolan movies were written by David Goyer, who as Bob as previously pointed out, also wrote the storyline for the Call of Duty: Black Ops games; the second one of which as Bob has noted previously also seems to have a disturbing Right-Wing agenda. In fact, from what I know of Bane's motivation in this movie, and also what I've read of BO2's Menendez, both seem to have been cut from the same cloth as they both see themseleves as “champions of the 99%,” and aren't above resorting to domestic terrorism to accomplish their aims.
Also, TDK has been said to have been about the War on Terror. And considering the methodology Batman used to track down the Joker, not to mention the Chinese mob accountant, it seemed to me that Goyer was at least sympathetic to the Bush administration's policies.
I'd really like to know, then, what Goyer's political leanings are? I think that'll give much more insight in figuring out where he's coming from on TDKR.
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All I can do is quote a tweet from my namesake Ed the Sock:
Bane was createdin '93 to hurt Romney in 2012. Somehow Rip Hunter must be involved.
Ah Rush, I swear he tries to give the Daily Show fodder.
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Its a sad day when we see fans of Super Heros's ,characters who usually stand for Truth & Justice send death threats to harmless movie critics who are only trying to do their jobs.
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Limbaugh has WAY over simplified TDKR as an attempt to smear Romney. Bob has oversimplified TDK as an attempt to praise Bush.
Truth is Batman's enemies, at least the iconic ones, have always been about good (often well intentioned for society) people destroyed or screwed over by society or more powerful people. However they act with violence and a desire to see the world crumble as some act of balancing the universe.
By the logic of those who say the Nolan's films are Left or Right Wing, then Burton's Penguin is vilifying outcasts judged based on appearance, Burton's Catwoman vilifies feminism and victims of abuse, The Riddler vilifies the working man screwed over by the “job creators”, and all incarnations of Two-Face mock the notion idealists and those who stand against corruption by stating even the noble have their breaking point. Need I go on?
If there's anything Batman as been saying it's that like Bruce Wayne, we should take out our anger over how we've been wronged by turning it into something good. His villains turned it into something bad.
Even if you say “He's a rich guy! Batman supports the 1%!”….ummm yeah, the Anti-Killing, Anti-Gun, I'm going to use my wealth to help the less fortunate and use Batman to defend to innocent and stop those rich/corrupt enough to buy the City (Best exemplified by The Animated Series AND Nolan's interpretations) …..yep, definitely a Republican!
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Thing is Bob and Faraci can complain about “biased Fanboys” all they want, but they are just as adamantly certain that THEY are right, THEY are objective, THEY can have preconceived notions. They're being just as stubborn and defensive as the “Fanboys”…just on the other side of things.
I love Nolan and his films, I prefer most of them to The Avengers. Yet I hate the assholes who make death threats to critics who give films a negative review that allow critics like Bob and Faraci to turn being a Nolan fan almost into a bad thing. However…
Bob and Faraci only a week ago: Stop talking shit about Raimi or you can't be taken seriously! Of course I can have preconceived notions, that's what trailers are for! I'm objective in praising Raimi and trashing Amazing Spider-Man!
Bob and Faraci this week: Stop defending Nolan! Stop saying I can't be taken seriously if I don't like his films! You fanboys already decided you liked this film! No object person would give this film a perfect score!
Yet if I were to tell Bob or Faraci that no objective person could consider The Avengers anything more than the #5 greatest superhero film of all time (which I personally feel), they'd probably lose their shit.
Both sides are driving me insane…both those who attack critics who disagree with them and the critics who dismiss the views of anyone outside of those who agree with them as people who are “high” or “drooling fanboys”. Both sides should stop pretending one is more sane than the other.
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Bob didn't say that you HAD to like Raimi's Spiderman movies or you're wrong. Bob said HE liked Raimi's movies and hated the new spiderman. He didn't ask how anyone could dislike Raimi's movies. He said he didn't understand how people liked TASM. Even when he put dancing spidey at the end of his review, it wasn't saying “Raimi is a genius because dancing spidey”. He was saying that TASM was so bad it made even that garbage look good.
Not that i agree with what he said, but its not the same as so called nolanites bashing people for not liking nolans films just out of hand.
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Re-watching “Batman Begins” today made me really think. The film's core beliefs were about economics and how people with money have a tendency to abuse power, and that was mostly the reasoning why Gotham was such a barren wasteland.
Three of the four major antagonists are wealthy men that are only concerned with profits and manipulating the poor in their favor. If “The Dark Knight Rises” really is thematically Anti-Occupy like some people are saying, then that would basically be a fundamental betrayal of the core themes laid out in the original film. Like, “BETRAYAL” levels of betrayal. That would piss me off a ton.
I hope your just misreading this Bob, since I've read some reviews that are saying counter to yours and Catherine Shoard's point.
And since I also disagree with your (IMO: Simplistic) “Batman abuses Power” thematic interpretation of “The Dark Knight,” I'm going to remain more optimistic and hope this is a much more informed and thoughtful examination of the economic crisis then you would have me believe.
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Seriously? You guys are turning this into ANOTHER Spider-Man whinefest?
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You're honestly surprised? Bob attracts all sorts of idiots
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While I personally loath to defend Rush Whatshisface, I have to say that, if I had to talk about stuff somewhat coherent and original for 3 hours a day, I would say a lot of stupid stuff. I dont think that what he says is even worth our hate.
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“Three of the four major antagonists are wealthy men that are only concerned with profits and manipulating the poor in their favor. If “The Dark Knight Rises” really is thematically Anti-Occupy like some people are saying, then that would basically be a fundamental betrayal of the core themes laid out in the original film. Like, “BETRAYAL” levels of betrayal. That would piss me off a ton.”
No? The Scarecrow wasn't portrayed as exceptionally wealthy (except maybe implicitly for being on the mob's payroll) and Ras Alghul wasn't conventionally wealthy, he was the leader of a secret society.
In fact, it was the hero, who was the conventionally wealthy guy who was abusing his power (embezzling from his own company to fight out a personal vendetta)
Honestly, Rush's complaints are lame (in addition to just being a cynical attempt to stir up headlines) because Nolan's “politics” are just utterly tame in these movies and just reduce things to such simple pastiches of rich and poor that are, let's face it, hypocritical coming from a cast and crew of well-off Hollywood big-names.
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“some of the venom” <- I see what you did there...
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Warren- I'll agree that Bob can be biased an awful lot but the whole “love Raimi's Spider-Man or you're an idiot” to “I can hate Nolan's films, but that doesn't make me an idiot” makes no sense. Did I miss Bob hating on the Nolan trilogy, last I checked he seemed to enjoy them pretty well, even if TDK has that whole vilify the 99%.
Nor do I recall Bob saying anyone who talked badly about the Raimi films was an idiot who can't be taken seriously. Are you just upset that he went into an admittedly bad movie with bias, hating it before he saw it? I can understand that, but this whole tirade of yours about Bob and the Raimi films and then Bob and the Nolan films is just non-existent. Unless of course I happened to be off somewhere else while he was calling everyone stupid for these things.
I've gone against Bob before for his bias, but when it's there; you're just creating a problem out of nothing.
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If you've ever used the word “objective” to refer to some ideal form of criticism or what a critic should be, you're a damn moron and you don't understand English.
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I don't think Limbaugh has the clout to turn people away from TDKR because the people that take him seriously are probably not the people that would go see a “stupid comic book movie” in the first place.
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I find it odd that you're attacking Rush Limbaugh, Bob, since you're pretty much the left-wing equivalent of Limbaugh.
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Personally, I think TDKR appears to be more of a cautionary tale for the Occupy movement rather than simply being outright against it.
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Oh, and James? You really need to find yourself a girlfriend, mate. 🙂
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Taylor:
Yeah, the Scarecrow wasn't exceptionally wealthy, but his motivations were based around profits. His belief was that Ra's Al Ghul was going to hold the city for ransom. Basically, manipulating the poor to for the better of himself. Which absolutely fall under the thematic elements of Carmine Falcone who has retained power all his life by using fear to control his wealth, and the wealthy executive of Wayne Enterprises that willfully ignores the situation of the stolen microwave emitter and is only concerned with selling the company for mass profits.
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Wow, this got out of hand, eh?
I'm a Conservative, by and large, and I think Rush Limbaugh has mental problems.
Let's face it: political commentators don't know anything about comic book properties. They simply don't. Every time I've heard one comment on a comic book, they've been completely wrong.
So why do we care what he thinks? Seriously, he's an idiot. Why do we care about what stupid people think?
Ignore him and move on with your lives. Don't send him death threats because you're* insecure.
Who cares if his opinions cause a bunch of other idiots not to see a movie? If you like it, who cares what they say?
It's not this there's any sequel potential after this that could removed in the wake of low box office gross: it's the end of the trilogy.
Simply put, Rush is stupid, and we should all ignore him, especially when he tries talking about comics.
*I use this as a general “you,” not toward anyone specific.
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I find it hilarious how Moviebob and other people think this is something coming out of the blue. This has already been implied by Chris Lehane:
http://dailycaller.com/2012/07/17/hey-guys-bain-sounds-like-bane/
Talk about awkward…
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I agree with TheDVDGrouch.
And Aiddon, I'm confused: you make it seem like no human will ever get other humans together and make a movie about superheroes in the future that will come close to the THIRD Nolan Batman.
What?
Will time reverse after this movie?
It is impossible that someone WON'T make another superhero movie which is great. And it doesn't have to be grim and gritty.
But to assume hurting critics will help this movie win an Oscar is lame and misguided thinking.
Heck! Assuming any great film at this point will win “Best Picture” (or even be nominated for more than “Sound Editing” (still upset about Drive over here)) is misguided thinking.
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Anon from above here,
Not that the last few sentences are directed at you, Aiddon, just at the mob-mentality of the Nolanites.
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Thank you for missing my point and then saying some truly weird stuff. It was quite entertaining
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While not related to the Limbaugh backlash, Rotten Tomatoes has had to suspend their comment function on the film due to Nolanites' abuse of film critics that dare give the film a bad review.
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Sorry for my overuse of the word “film” in that sentence. I didn't realize how bad it was until after I posted it.
Wish I had an edit function!
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I'm just gonna leave this here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIT-SYVPV8s
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I dunno…after listening to the clip twice it sort of sounded to me like Mr. Limbaugh was making the point that voters knowing nothing about the back story of Batman (like, f'rinstance, Rush himself) could be swayed by the coincidence. Which is true. There are a staggering number of dipshits on both sides (and I'll include myself in this category out of principle – I'm dumber than a brick) of politics, after all. My question is, why should ANY critic, of politics, movies, or what have you, be blasted for having an opinion about something? Isn't that sort of their job? If analysis of anything were purely objective, there would be a standard list of checked boxes that everyone would just tick off as they watched a movie, political debate or what-have-you. That would be freakin' boring. And so, I now find myself defending both Bob Chipman and Rush Limbaugh in the same post. May God-whom-fashion-dictates-I-renounce-yet-I-still-believe-in have mercy on my soul…
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'Also, TDK has been said to have been about the War on Terror. And considering the methodology Batman used to track down the Joker, not to mention the Chinese mob accountant, it seemed to me that Goyer was at least sympathetic to the Bush administration's policies.'
I'm waiting to see the movie, but I get the impression so far that these critics making TDKR out to be pro-capitalist anti-Occupy are probably gleaning only a superficial understanding of the film. Just as those who try to make TDK out to be a Pro-Bush movie completely fail to recognize the movie treats those threads as a compromise of values. The point the movie is making with the batphone-radar schtick is that super cool spy toys that the movies use are only cool until you extend the concept further and all of a sudden its a grossly invasive surveillance tool.
I can't see how Goyer and Nolan could have had anything as specific as Occupy in mind since they developed the script farrrr before Occupy even became a thing.
I'm putting my money that story involves Bane actually manipulating the masses for his own ends. Which is actually the kind of the kind thing that Occupy was actually trying to raise awareness of. I'll eat my words if it turns out differently though.
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If the Republicans ran Bruce Wayne for President, I'd vote for him. No doubt.
Wayne-Greyson 2012!
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So… Rush is saying that Chris Nolan and/or David Goyer are psychic? Somehow, they knew years in advance that Mitt Romney would get the Republican nomination, and that his association with Bain Capitol would become a big story? Truly amazing, those guys!
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I think ya'all are missing Rush's point. He was saying democrat stratagists we're wanting people to associate the similer names, so when they see the evil Bane at the movie they will associate him with the “evil” Bain capitol.
Rush's point has nothing to do with Nolan's or the DC artists intenstions.
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Nolan has actually commented on Limbaugh. His response: “[that] was a peculiar comment to make.”
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Considering Romney's only been the offical candidate for a few months now, anyone that thinks the use of the villan Bane is in any way any statement one way or the other probably (yes, I'll say it) isn't smart enough to vote. At the very least, they need help for rather serious paranoia.
Either that or it's all the work of evil liberal time travelers.
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Completely off topic- there was this amazing article about why millennial moviegoers aren't interested in older movies. I would love to hear your opinion on this.
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/movies/la-ca-film-novelty-20120715,0,4176050.story
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Apparently Limbaugh walked his comments back Wednesday, after claiming he received an even bigger backlash about Batman than he did about Sandra Fluke.
I seriously hope he's lying.
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