Do You Support Trenton's A.C. Takeover? 
Which Exit is Gotham City?
By Matt Rooney | July 21, 2008
I joined the throng of movie-goers this past weekend to see The Dark Knight and, never being one to just let myself enjoy something mindlessly, I immediately began contemplating the parallels between Bruce Wayne's world and our own. Batman's fictional home of Gotham City has developed in the popular culture to represent the dualistic nature of American urban civilization. America's cities are monuments of man, featuring centers of higher learning, architectural achievement and international commerce. Our cities remain the first stop of immigrants on their journey towards a better life in a country that was premised on, among other aspirations, the hope for a better world. Yet Gotham, once a prosperous metropolis and the home of the world-class tech firm Wayne Enterprises, has devolved into a city wracked by crime, corruption, and a pervading sense of despair. Sound familiar?
It is all too obvious that Gotham is based not only on New York or Chicago but rather the entire State of New Jersey and anywhere else that the American dream has failed to reach full bloom. Consider the similarities:
1. The Environmental Similarities
While I'm loathe to indulge unflattering New Jersey stereotypes, the "Garden" State is the most densely populated state in the union. Set aside Jersey's wealthy northern suburbs and southern farm fields for a moment. Strewn across congested New Jersey are old industrial urban centers such as Jersey City, Elizabeth, Newark, and Camden. These cities, evaluated in light of high crime rates, corrupt public officials and imposing urban architecture, could easily be right out of a D.C. comic book. Atlantic City alone could keep a team of superheroes indefinitely occupied. In addition, New Jersey's working class and emotionally deflated citizens are akin to Batman's Gothamites. Over-taxed, under-served and genuinely frustrated, New Jerseyans are fleeing the state in droves rather than wait for a superhero to right the ship.
2. Fantastic Villains Hatching Incredible Schemes
New Jersey's villains are almost too brazen, off-the-wall, colorful and downright comical to be real. Party bosses, corrupt politicians and mafia soldiers dominate the political landscape and there isn't a scam that they haven't perpetrated. Consider Former State Senator and Newark Mayor Sharpe James. A flashy dresser who robbed the public and ruled his political fiefdom with an iron fist, James was the stuff of which supervillains are made. Add white face paint and Sharpe James could give the Joker a run for his money
3. The Right Timing for a Hero
The beauty of Bob Kane's Batman, and what makes the Caped Crusader unique among superheroes, is that Batman did not become "super" through birth or some external physical experience. He is not 15 feet tall or capable of projecting laser beams from his eyes. Batman is a product of necessity; he is a mortal completely manufactured by the ingenuity and determination of one individual in a bold attempt to address depressingly dark times.
While I don't expect to see any Republican assemblyman gallivanting down the Turnpike in a black cadillac, New Jerseyans can glean hope for a hero from the natural societal patterns related in the Batman story. Consider the current dire state-wide situation along with the biographical similarities between fictional Gotham D.A. Harvey Dent and our very own U.S. Attorney Chris Christie.
The Dark Knight ultimately affirms the Hobbesian vision of a dark and brutish world that is prone to the chaos engendered by radical selfishness. Consequently, we see that the times usually make the hero and not the other way around. Perhaps New Jersey's current tumult will simply prove to be a natural step on the way to discovering our own dark knights and eventual salvation.
I joined the throng of movie-goers this past weekend to see The Dark Knight and, never being one to just let myself enjoy something mindlessly, I immediately began contemplating the parallels between Bruce Wayne's world and our own. Batman's fictional home of Gotham City has developed in the popular culture to represent the dualistic nature of American urban civilization. America's cities are monuments of man, featuring centers of higher learning, architectural achievement and international commerce. Our cities remain the first stop of immigrants on their journey towards a better life in a country that was premised on, among other aspirations, the hope for a better world. Yet Gotham, once a prosperous metropolis and the home of the world-class tech firm Wayne Enterprises, has devolved into a city wracked by crime, corruption, and a pervading sense of despair. Sound familiar?
It is all too obvious that Gotham is based not only on New York or Chicago but rather the entire State of New Jersey and anywhere else that the American dream has failed to reach full bloom. Consider the similarities:1. The Environmental Similarities
While I'm loathe to indulge unflattering New Jersey stereotypes, the "Garden" State is the most densely populated state in the union. Set aside Jersey's wealthy northern suburbs and southern farm fields for a moment. Strewn across congested New Jersey are old industrial urban centers such as Jersey City, Elizabeth, Newark, and Camden. These cities, evaluated in light of high crime rates, corrupt public officials and imposing urban architecture, could easily be right out of a D.C. comic book. Atlantic City alone could keep a team of superheroes indefinitely occupied. In addition, New Jersey's working class and emotionally deflated citizens are akin to Batman's Gothamites. Over-taxed, under-served and genuinely frustrated, New Jerseyans are fleeing the state in droves rather than wait for a superhero to right the ship.
2. Fantastic Villains Hatching Incredible Schemes
New Jersey's villains are almost too brazen, off-the-wall, colorful and downright comical to be real. Party bosses, corrupt politicians and mafia soldiers dominate the political landscape and there isn't a scam that they haven't perpetrated. Consider Former State Senator and Newark Mayor Sharpe James. A flashy dresser who robbed the public and ruled his political fiefdom with an iron fist, James was the stuff of which supervillains are made. Add white face paint and Sharpe James could give the Joker a run for his money
3. The Right Timing for a Hero
The beauty of Bob Kane's Batman, and what makes the Caped Crusader unique among superheroes, is that Batman did not become "super" through birth or some external physical experience. He is not 15 feet tall or capable of projecting laser beams from his eyes. Batman is a product of necessity; he is a mortal completely manufactured by the ingenuity and determination of one individual in a bold attempt to address depressingly dark times.
While I don't expect to see any Republican assemblyman gallivanting down the Turnpike in a black cadillac, New Jerseyans can glean hope for a hero from the natural societal patterns related in the Batman story. Consider the current dire state-wide situation along with the biographical similarities between fictional Gotham D.A. Harvey Dent and our very own U.S. Attorney Chris Christie.
The Dark Knight ultimately affirms the Hobbesian vision of a dark and brutish world that is prone to the chaos engendered by radical selfishness. Consequently, we see that the times usually make the hero and not the other way around. Perhaps New Jersey's current tumult will simply prove to be a natural step on the way to discovering our own dark knights and eventual salvation.
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