Bruce Wayne Is The Ideal Billionaire | Batman The Animated Series

[@RudieObias]

We have lots of billionaires who want to be Batman, but not nearly enough who want to be Bruce Wayne

[@SerumLake]

Yeah, they want to be Batman without having any understanding of who Batman is.

[@ericgaskins571]

Isn't that always the way of it

[@anomalocaris2593]

​@@SerumLakeWell sad reality tends to be becoming billionaire like Bruce Wayne is just impossible in real life. You might make it into a millionaire or multi millionaire, but lot of economist have speculated that it is just impossible to become a billionaire without some dirty play

[@maureencora1]

Touche' (smile)

[@anomalocaris2593]

@@Loreweavver Even considering that a path to billionaire takes too much work to be that simple. Many economics agree that a limit of fair play is a massive obstacle of becoming one

[@Kunori]

In answer to the question 'why doesn't Bruce Wayne just do good with his money instead of as Batman', I feel like people forget that he's not the only billionaire in the world. It's an understandable mistake since so many stories focus closely on him, or leave mundane problems behind for grand superheroic threats, but the point's still there. Even as a billionaire, he's only one. There's a whole system of other super-wealthy people who have an interest in keeping things the way they are, and if Bruce Wayne got a little TOO philanthropic for their tastes, they'd turn on him. That's why he has to pretend to be kind of an idiot. Oh, that Bruce Wayne and his naivete! Pity the poor boy, lost his parents, no wonder he spreads his wealth around a little to feel better. He's not planning anything that would really be a threat to the money flowing upwards. If Bruce Wayne let his actual intelligence and drive to make things better show? He wouldn't be allowed to show it for very long. That frustration is probably part of why he dresses up as a bat and takes things into his own hands.

[@foldabotZ]

It should also be noted that people think that throwing enough money at a problem will make it go away, when in actuality it does not. No matter how much money Bruce donates, it will never fully fix the problems that plague Gotham. The System is thoroughly and utterly broken, corruption being deeply nestled in every part of it. Corrupt politicians and crime lords control the institutions that are supposed to fight against them. It's why Batman is also needed, to directly fight against them without being burdened by red tape or accountability, because he can't be bought.

[@johnhire6086]

Yes exactly!!!

[@DragonTrainer201]

In fact, in some versions of the Batman lore, Bruce’s parents were specifically targeted for being too philanthropic. Joe chill was hired to assassinate them and disguise their murder as a random mugging.

[@TheDarkAngel969]

And another thing, which he slightly touched upon with the dream, Bruce only has so much money to hand out to everyone in Gotham. Even if he were to donate every last penny to the people of Gotham, he'd be broke before the year was over. And the other argument I've seen for his crimefighting, that he's just "beating up the poor, or mentally challenged/unstable". Just Black Mask or Penguin alone ruins that argument, or any other mob boss from his rogue's gallery. And in Joker's case, hasn't there been multiple interpretations showcasing that his insanity is just an act

[@burge117]

So true. Well said. 😊

[@WillScarlet16]

In Paul Dini's comic "War on Crime" Batman sees a poor black kid lose his parents in a similar way to his own and spends the story watching the neighborhood where it happens. As Bruce he exposes a fellow billionaire developer for taking kickbacks in the area, AND decides to reopen a factory. "The profits in money will be marginal; in human spirit, incalculable."

[@Lanesra62905]

People always act like Bruce Wayne is a healthy, yet bad person. In truth, he is an unhealthy good person.

[@louthegiantcookie]

What I wonder is why is Bruce so kind and human in the actual show, but in the various BTAS comics he's COMPLETELY the opposite and they sort of peel away his humanity and compassion. I was shocked at the difference, especially considering how much the show depicts just what a good guy Bruce really is.

[@zemox2534]

Can you list example of Bruce being heartless in the TAS spin off comics, like key issues?

[@SerumLake]

I think that some of the comic writers had the mainline comic book Batman in mind when they wrote their stories. BTAS Batman is quite different to many of the comic book incarnations of Batman

[@milli5968]

TNBA batman makes me depressed. He's supposed to be the same guy as btas but they took away all the hope and emotion from Bruce Wayne/Batman to the point where he doesn't even emote anymore. What was the point? To show that he's more jaded? I'd say that his compassion and hope, even for his criminals, made BTAS batman who he is. Taking that away just seems... counterintuitive? Though i rarely see anyone talking about the change made to batman between btas and tnba even though imo it was very drastic

[@zemox2534]

​@milli5968 Well the explanation most fans accept is that Bruce been fighting villains for so long that he grew more obsessed with his mission which made him more cold.

[@christopherauzenne5023]

Yeah this is why the shows Bruce Wayne is so great/is something other comic or show writers should follow. They allow Bruce Wayne to breath and show himself as someone beyond just being Batman. Too often they either just have him just be a front where he acts like a playboy or focus solely on Batman persona and just make him come off as an emotionless automaton

[@angrytheclown801]

If the corrupt element among high society wasn't in Gotham, Bruce would have cleaned the city in a few months between busting crime and the altruism. This is the man that utterly stomped one of Black Mask's plots by walking in as Batman, putting a DVD on, and as Bruce, offered every henchman in the room a full time job with insurance. Still one of the best flexes in comics I've ever seen. Bruce is hellishly altruistic.

[@michaelandreipalon359]

Huh, which comic was this again?

[@angrytheclown801]

@@michaelandreipalon359 The Batman Strikes #39.

[@Brasswatchman]

"Hellishly altruistic," huh? There's a phrase for you. One generally does see Hell as an altruistic place. 😆

[@ajra6143]

In a world where we wish for Waynes and Starks, instead we get Luthors and Osborns.

[@jordanloux3883]

Yeah, more kids deserve their own murder drone satellites!

[@Xehanort10]

Like Elon "I bought Twitter because my daughter disagreed with me once" Musk. Seriously that's why he did it. Dumbass thought her questioning him meant she'd been infected with a supposed "woke mind virus."

[@billymccrary2246]

Because some people are uncaring, selfish, heartless, egotistical jerks who only care about themselves than other.

[@coolgreenbug7551]

Do you think we could turn Musk around if we threw one of his rockets back at him like in Iron Man 1?

[@lycanthis9963]

@@coolgreenbug7551 Not likely. Either he survives and receives some physical scars and ptsd, or the rocket kills him and someone inherits his fortune, just to continue his work. Plus, unlike pre-Iron Man Tony Stark, he doesn't primarily involve himself in weapon production, nor has he been held hostage by terrorists using said weapons.

[@KnightLineArtYT]

Bruce's early interpretation in the DCAU is my favorite. I wish his compassion shined more in later parts, but I get that they wanted to show how he became more jaded, especially in Batman Beyond. Though at least he doesn't totally lose himself.

[@SerumLake]

Batman’s emotional path through the DCAU is really interesting - a hopeful, compassionate hero in BTAS, a jaded cynic in TNBA and Justice League, a warm, inspiring leader in JLU, back to a broken, wounded old man in Batman Beyond, until his relationship with Terry restores his faith in his fellow man.

[@srstriker6420]

@@SerumLake yeah especially in the Old Wounds episode is where Dick started hating him and calling him a lair and manipulator which he wasn’t really in the early years

[@ChrisBear1989]

I think its just a natural progression for him. He is in general a jaded person that doesn't mean he isn't compassionate. Its just fighting crime all the time and how his psychological profile is,thats where his mindset goes. Batman's cool but its also kinda depressing.

[@JanetStarChild]

Batman became Flanderized, plain and simple; and we've been stuck with 'Edgelord Batman' ever since. What a fuckin' depraved and depressing development.

[@Shredow2]

I think it's important to remember the JLU episode Epilogue. DCAU batman is at his most compassionate in that show.

[@battlesheep2552]

Idiotic that people think just tossing money at problems will solve everything. Gotham needs Batman AND Bruce Wayne, that's why he's both.

[@SerumLake]

I think that Dolly Parton has shown that throwing money at society’s problems certainly can help - but maybe things would be even better if she donned the Cape and Cowl and fought crime? 🤔

[@jordanloux3883]

@@SerumLake I think the aerodynamics would be a bit off with Dolly, but imagine the kicks she could do in those heels!

[@Revkor]

@@SerumLake money is a short term thing. you used the analogy of the fish. what Bruce does is both. he provides the short fish and creates the long term fishing. Yes he gives a hand out but also provides the mean where they can earn a living. That is the conserative thing. We want to solve the route cause of the problem.

[@michaelandreipalon359]

Hmm, would rather give a cheap cupcake than 500 dollars inevitably wasted on a so called "c*m dumpster" though. Might even lead to a butterfly effect where said cupcake fella is inspired to do better and then becomes the kind ancestor to a truly paragonic war hero centuries on. I know it sounds like something from a Paul Harvey's "The Rest of the Story" but still, such things do happen.

[@dragonstormx]

Throwing money at a corrupt city doesn't guarantee you will fix things since the very definition of legal corruption is that money won't go to its intended purpose.

[@jordanloux3883]

A lot of the same stuff could be said of The Terrible Trio, since they think their money puts them above the law and basic morality. I know Timm doesn't like the episode, but I love the clip when they're at the gun range and Bruce is friendly with the employees. Then this happens. "Do you thank the garbage man for picking up your trash?" "If I happen to run into him." Bruce knows he isn't anyone's better. He just knows he has the chance to do good, and he takes it

[@flashstudiosguy]

I'm the same with frankly anyone I met in a public facing role because I know exactly how they feel. With me behind a counter, people get product and public spirit.

[@tinafey1727]

D​@@flashstudiosguy

[@michaelandreipalon359]

Either way, the ep gets way too much hate. I actually think it's slowly but surely aging like wine or even fine vinegar.

[@GhostPlanetFilms]

7:57 Fun Fact: Kevin Conroy (RIP) actually provided food for the first responders and other volunteers after the 9/11 attacks. Imagine their surprise when they found out Batman cooked their meals!

[@SerumLake]

Another fun story I heard is how he worked with orphaned children. One Halloween the kids insisted he come dressed as Batman and he couldn’t resist. The sight of him driving his little car through LA, getting frustrated with the traffic, dressed in his Batman costume was, apparently, quite a sight 😂

[@GhostPlanetFilms]

OH WOW! THAT'S COOL!@@SerumLake

[@simeonyves5940]

Especially as he revealed it by yelling "I am Vengeance!! I am the Night!"!!! I. AM. BATMAN!!!" From the Kitchen!

[@GhostPlanetFilms]

I KNOW! THAT WAS SO AWSM! Just imagine being there when it all went down!@@simeonyves5940

He DID say that the character of Batman as well as Bruce Wayne changed his life. Best I can figure is he learned through the writers how to not just stay in character but also be better for real people.

[@alexlemonds2838]

People snicker at Bruce Wayne's chocolate colored suit, but, little do they know, it really is chocolate. Pure 100% European milk chocolate. A gift from fellow business tycoon Willy Wonka.

[@marlo176]

I love his chocolate colored suit

[@JanetStarChild]

The warm brown and beige of his business suit is an excellent visual contrast to the cold grey and black of his Batman suit.

[@coolgreenbug7551]

The bruce wayne character would 100 percent by a chocolate suit from Wonka And then Wonka would somehow either become or create a supervillian

[@lozm4835]

@@coolgreenbug7551 Create, not become. Wonka's a mad, but ultimately good-hearted wizard (or possibly some sort of fey), with most of the negative stuff that happens being the consequences of the greed or foolishness of those around him. The only real mark on his record are the Oompa-Loompas, and even then it's not a flat-out black mark since he does provide them free lodging in a safe recreation of their original home and if my memory serves, them working is entirely optional. That being said, if someone were to tell me he has a Kaiju made out of Mochi in his basement somewhere, and that it broke out to rampage across wherever it is he lives with his only reaction being to vaguely lament how unfortunate it is, I would believe you without question.

[@coolgreenbug7551]

@@lozm4835 That Kaiju would 100% be a child who committed the grave sin of not studying for that spelling test tomorrow

[@rramdohr7548]

The B:TAS version of Bruce Wayne is the definitive version for me. He's a skilled businessman, understands the impact of his company, and takes every possible measure to make use of his resources to improve Gotham. I'm really happy to see folks talking about this version of the character because he's definitely underappreciated in the discourse, in my opinion.

[@riddlerthediddler4392]

I do love that in Brave and The Bold, when Batman gets split into his 3 characteristics/traits you have his Diplomatic and Intelligence side, His Martial Combat side, and the third one is just Bruce Wayne wearing batman's costume

[@JanetStarChild]

Yup; cool and calculating, hot and driven, and laidback with zero angst.

[@LongfusedbombasticBarbarian]

basically Bruce Wayne follows the Theodore Roosevelt School of just because I'm rich doesn't mean I need to sell out and be like the worst of my peers

[@magicalnewsmaneditsbumpers4374]

MY GOAT! My favorite president of all time, a strong and kind man, down to earth with not just his peers, but his staff as well. Not afraid to challenge giants of industry like Carnegie or Rocafella. A true man.

I wish we had more like the Roosevelts...

[@KhanhNguyen-mh5ec]

O7 to the goat presidents

[@michaelandreipalon359]

Shame they also killed elephants, but then again, such was a product of their time, game hunting.

[@Chadius]

The Terrible Trio (definitely one of my least liked episodes) shows it's not a young vs old billionaire argument, either. When Bruce thanks the waiter, Warren (the leader of the trio) asks Bruce if he thanks the garbage man. Not only would Bruce thank him, but if he wasn't busy he would flag the garbage man down and shake his hand. Yes, Batman puts out the fires. But Bruce Wayne fireproofs Gotham. Gotham City needs both, an important lesson later shows and movies forgot.

[@jordanloux3883]

Alfred raised that boy right

[@theyakkoman]

@@jordanloux3883 Alfred is the GOAT!

[@levievil9220]

@@theyakkomannah he’s the GOAT OF GOATS

[@michaelandreipalon359]

Alfred's good, but one shouldn't forget Thomas, Martha, and Leslie.

[@antonivsfortis]

If there was a billionaire like Bruce Wayne we'd never know about him

[@michaelandreipalon359]

Precisely.

[@GreenBlueWalkthrough]

Ir hate him for being a billionaire... Like how people hate the US for being so rich that most of our States and some of our companies have more GDP then the secoumd riches nation on earth...

[@zemox2534]

If only more people acted like DCAU Bruce. The world would truly be a better. At some point I love to hear your thoughts on the mainstream comics because you constantly throw shade at them. Not that they do not deserve it most of the time.

[@SerumLake]

I’ll be touching upon the comics in my Batman day video. I haven’t written anything down yet, but I’ve god a good idea of what I’m going to say

[@moonknight4053]

People do, they are social workers, teachers, support workers, etc.

[@cheezemonkeyeater]

I see all the people commenting about the dream sequence in Forgotten did not go unheard. It's funny, I looked it up and apparently, Bruce Timm added that scene because he hated stories that reduced social issues to easily solved problems and didn't want to leave the show on the note that offering jobs to a couple of people Wayne met fixed the bigger issue. It wasn't the goal of the scene, but it absolutely served as a very important character moment to reinforce why Bruce Wayne is doing it: namely, because he cares.

[@SerumLake]

In my defence, I did say that the dream sequence was decent, it’s just the rest of the episode that I don’t like 😂

[@cheezemonkeyeater]

@@SerumLake I remember you focusing on the part where Bruce Wayne's reflection turns into the Joker, though. Which is the part of the dream I tend to forget. >.> Watching that episode again, I see what you mean by sluggish animation, though I think The Cape and Cowl Conspiracy takes the cake for worst offender on that count.

[@Chadius]

That dream sequence did make me as a kid think "wait, if Bruce can't buy his way out of homelessness, maybe we need more than money?" So Bruce Timm did his job.

[@michaelandreipalon359]

Irregardless, even the "lackluster" DCAU ep is easily rewatchable alone or with family/friends than even an average Spider-Man or X-Men cartoon ep.

[@qwefg3]

DCAU made it very simple and sadly missed for a lot of people. Batman is the rich man running around in a costume punching villains. Bruce Wayne is just a random name... and they immediately miss all of the charity work, public help, and funding given to Gotham. Seriously I still liked all the little touches and am sadly still disappointed that so many people kept missing all of those little details like the halfway home, health care, or how many times it is stated that he does help look into the cryogenics technology of Mister Freeze to help people. Especially since a lot of 'what if batman dies' stories have it revealed that Mister Freeze got to safe his wife's life due to the good well and effort of Bruce Wayne funding that technology and making a cure possible. Yet nope... they just see his toys as Batman and focus solely on that than what he does as Bruce Wayne.

[@BrendanKOD]

I'd say a core part of this is a side effect of power creap with the Justice League. Originally Batman wasn't actually that super rich, just rich enough to have the spare time and financial resources to be batman. But when he started spending time in the justice league rubbing elbows with all the super heavy hitters, writers started inflating his wealth to the point where he could financing a massive satellite network was a rounding error for his accountants. At which point it does start to offer some cognitive dissonance with Gotham's perpetual underclass crime riddled nature.

[@jordanloux3883]

Funnily enough, it was originally Hawkman who paid for everything in the comics, being an alien and having access to lots of resources. But since they wanted the Thanagarian invasion to be a big twist in the show, they had to take some liberties

[@if7723]

I mean, he should only have to pay for the raw resources right? After that Superman can just fly the constructs into space that the Flash creates at super speeds using Bruce's blueprints. You could really cut down on a lot of the labor and logistics when you start using super powers.

[@Darca1n]

@@if7723 True, and though maybe having Flash just do all the constructing himself is a bit much, superman would be absolutely invaluable in getting materials up there, considering he could basically just fly massive loads of materials up whenever he's got some spare time or feels like it, reducing possibly months of work to move all those materials up there to just weeks or less, depending on how gentle he needs to be and how much can be handled at once without damaging anything.

[@if7723]

@Darca1n It really is just a "how to crack your team" situation. Thinking about it GL should be able to move it to space even easier than Supes and with Aquamans help they could easily mine deep sea resources in a non destructive way.

[@Revkor]

He funded the original watchtower but when the league expanded you can bet some the richer memebrs also helped in expensies

[@SirAroace]

What I like about TAS Bruce is he the exemption that proves the rule instead of a glorification of the rich.

[@tacoman1690q8]

in forgotten i always interpreted him doing the homeless shelter work to get details for batman. Never ONCE considered kindness of his heart being apart of it... Neat makes me like that episode a little more.

[@PosthumanHeresy]

One thing I love about BTAS is how it's not entirely focused on supervillains. And even when it is, all too often there's wealth and power behind that. Oftentimes though, he's just fighting businessmen, whether in organized crime or corpo crime.

[@colinschmitz8297]

You might be surprised. Milton Hershey was pretty generous.The billionaire's with a heart are few and far between, but they have existed.

[@srstriker6420]

Well he is most compassionate man out there and I don’t know why Poison Ivy keeps going after him as he never harmed the environment. I guess you know that Roland Dagget was supposed originally going to be Max Scherk and it’s funny how Riddler’s ex boss never came back after he was arrested in the later episode

[@LegoReader12345hello]

My guess, ivy blames Bruce Wayne for what people in his company do

[@srstriker6420]

@@LegoReader12345hello right because she should be going after them then like her brief moment interaction with him as Bruce,especially in a tie in comics that she was going to save a Prince because he cared about the Environment maybe she is extremely paranoid about nearly every human being on earth

[@gooper3644]

In her second appearance she specifically target Bruce Wayne because someone in his company somehow got it involved in something relating to damaging the Amazon (I don’t remember the details). Point is, Bruce cancelled it immediately, but Ivy didn’t really care

[@Chadius]

Poison Ivy is consumed by blind vengeance. She assumes all rich men are responsible for destroying the environment, even when they're not.

[@srstriker6420]

@@gooper3644 so much be really paranoid especially in the House and Garden episode where she sent a plant man to kidnap Dick

[@davidwave4]

I’d love a Batman story that focuses on how much Gotham has improved thanks to Wayne’s interventions. Lots of stories focus on how the fear of Batman changes the city, but I’d love a story about how Wayne laying taxes and investing in a social safety net helps Gothamites out of poverty and interrupts cycles of violence. A story that emphasizes that Batman is the symbol, but that what Wayne does is the real work.

[@LoganTocker]

What about Batman: War On Crime by Paul Dini & Alex Ross?

[@WillScarlet16]

The interpretation a lot of people took from the final Nolan Batman movie was "Trust the rich instead of the 99 percenters," which is why I say Nolan screwed up royally.

[@danelisslow3269]

I took the message as "no matter how far you've fallen or how broken your back is you can always get back up". Bane's pseudo-ararchist nonsense wasn't anything to aspire to, and it was all motivated by a personal vendetta. Bane didn't give a crap about the people.

[@GreenBlueWalkthrough]

I mean how is thatr better then Comunism saying "Be us and while be the 1% togather as 100%" Then giving their eventhing to one guy...

[@flashstudiosguy]

Prior to Batman, there was another Man About Town character in the form of Lamont Cranston, otherwise known as the Shadow, a Vigilante who utilised a form of hypnotism to enable him to be perfectly invisible.

[@FirstLast-cg2nk]

One notable thing about Bruce's mission that's worth noting is that, in a very real way, he does succeed in making Gotham a better place. In Batman Beyond, we do see that the city is a much better place, becoming a megapolis of scientific research and overall a higher overall standard of living. While Batman's war on crime never seemed to make any progress, Bruce Wayne's mission to make Gotham a better place did see a lot of successes.

[@comicfan1324]

Anyone who says “Batman is just a crazy, heartless rich guy beating up, homeless people“ clearly does not know who Batman is.

[@zoneoperator]

I really enjoy the Batman Beyond iteration of the older Bruce Wayne. As Neo-Gotham progresses and younger tycoons try to muscle him out of his company and negotiate shady business deals. He has to use every bit of Bruce Wayne's charisma and savvy to keep Gotham on the right path. It's a great lesson that - even when he can physically no longer be Batman - he never stops fighting for Gotham.

[@michaelandreipalon359]

But then, what will happen after Bruce finally passes from the mortal coil?

[@sayastra]

In the Sirens of Gotham comics Batman also tells Selina/Cat Woman that if she's going to steal don't steal from the needy.

[@MetroXLR]

I liked the irony of the clip at 7:33. Poison Ivy targeted Bruce Wayne (along with other wealthy people) as revenge for what they were doing to Rainforests, when Bruce himself was just as angry about it as she was. If only she knew the truth.

[@magicalnewsmaneditsbumpers4374]

It’s inspiring to see someone like Bruce Wayne, fictional as they may be, that compassion is real, and is something to strive for. Especially the issues with the homeless I see it all the time in my area.

[@ryanmoore6259]

Boyle is actually even MORE monstrous in Arkham Origins. Basically, he pretends to help Freeze in exchange for him making cryogenic weapons, and attacks Freeze only when he gets wise and tries to back out. Moreover, he tries to kill Batman after the later saved him, and not only unplugged nora, but beat Victor in such a way that he'd have to watch Nora die.

[@StoryTeller796]

And thus, we have more of a variety of opinions that some superhero writers have either lost or neglected telling us the point of these superheroes' existence within both our reality and their own reality. Aside from what I have to say, this is honestly a great video.

[@zemox2534]

Do you really need an explanation for everything

[@StoryTeller796]

@zemox2534 That's a good point. However, have you seen my previous comments to have seen an established pattern of me asking for explanations every single time?

[@zemox2534]

​@@StoryTeller796No because I fucking try not to spend so much time on YT looking at comments on videos, negative or otherwise so fucking sorry!

[@marlo176]

I sort of miss this version of Bruce later on in the DCAU

[@christopherauzenne5023]

Yeah I always liked how oh btas (before the new adventures and justice league) Bruce could act casually, be somewhat jokey with friends and form genuine friendships without it all being a front or something. I personally never like it when writers overdo it and have Bruce act emotionless

[@christopherauzenne5023]

@@MrOrcshaman I mean for beyond that makes total sense I’m just more referring to season 4 of btas and justice league I wished the Bruce Wayne side was still there

[@fcomolineiro7596]

1:48 I think that the real bruce wayne is when he is wearing the suit but his face is being shown Thats is the only time where he shows his true self

[@saskestheman]

I always hear the Bruce amnesia episode isn't people's favorite but this episode stuck with me as a kid even today.

[@qocket]

I think the 1960's version of Bruce Wayne also presents an ideal billionaire, always using his money to set up various funds.

[@christopherallen8822]

In episodes of TV shows where they talk about how the police aren't concerned about looking for homeless people, I'm reminded of a term I heard watching Law and Order. NHI. No Humans Involved. It's what some police officers say when a victim of a crime is homeless, or a prostitute, or a drug addict, or something along those lines. Like they're basically saying, "Don't bother with this one. The victim was just a worthless piece of human garbage." Its both heartbreaking and infuriating. In one episode of Law and Order, there was this man, a serial killer, who killed almost twenty young women and kept their bodies stuffed in a warehouse for god only knows how long. All of these women were reported missing, but the cops never followed up on any of them because they were homeless, drug addicts, prostitutes, etc. They just kept filing them under "NHI".

[@actionboy3221]

This video reminded me, There’s a quote from the Fallout show that makes me think about billionaires and modern politics. “Everyone wants to save the world, but now one agrees on how.” But I’d add “also most of them just want the attention, fame, or money that would come with that.” Especially in America, we have politicians and rich Americans seemingly doing good, but then we learn everything else they’re doing is undermining any good they did. Or they publicly claim their actions are part of some plan to help, but really it was to impact the market to favor some investment they had made. And then there are people who genuinely think they’re helping. But they can’t see they’re only doing it for praise. If people stopped congratulating them, they’d stop helping. There are very few people that still do good when no one is looking. And I’d bet those few are not billionaires, so they can only do so much.

[@supersmashbro596]

bruces life has always been about helping people. whether wearing the mask of a billionair or the cowl of a vigilante. as batman, he intends to scare you into taking a better path. as bruce wayne, he will fight tooth and nail to help you down that better path. while appearing as a simple playboy. it takes a lot of work on bruces part to be able to switch these two modes as effortlessly as he appears to make them. one of my favorite scenes is when batman takes a call for bruce wayne, while in his full costume he puts on his bruce wayne voice and nonchelantly talks to the person on the other end. when he hangs up, he goes back to using his regular batman voice.

[@ionasappy2732]

I can't take half of Bruce's online hot take haters seriously when with their words they basically make apologies for the Joker's crimes or are unironically Tony Stark fans, who in canon is waayy worse than Bruce ever was.

[@anon9469]

Someone else mentioned "why don't people hate Tony Stark", and my answer is "...they do? Like Stark is just Wayne except he makes half his money from the arms industry"

[@mapleflag6518]

@@anon9469 Plus he’s a bit of an asshole.

[@MrZomBie775]

⁠@@anon9469 except when Bruce acts like a drunk playboy billionaire, it’s an act. Where as Tony actually is a drunk playboy billionaire.

[@jacktoma21]

Then you have Lex who sees himself as a god

[@louthegiantcookie]

Lex is so unhinged. And kind of bigoted? He'll always see Clark as an alien first and foremost, rather than just a good man from Kansas just trying his best.

[@jacktoma21]

@@louthegiantcookie I think it’s the only way he can rationalize Superman one uping him. He’s still the #1 human being in his eyes. Who cares if some alien has god like powers. But it still drives him crazy

[@Xehanort10]

Unfortunately most billionaires are more like Lex Luthor than Bruce Wayne.

[@DanRyzESPUK]

Just like Bill Gates, Elon Musk or other millonaires in the past. When you have that much wealth, that you hold in your pocket the annual salary of your staff, you start thinking that you're a god among insects.

[@lloydchristian936]

@@louthegiantcookiethe irony in all star Superman where he says he likes Clark cause he’s human and everything Superman isn’t

[@Snapdragon0112]

I honestly really hate the literal version of Bruce Wayne being the mask. They do it great in BTAS because they show that he is still compassionate and human. In Batman Beyond they decided that actually Bruce was selfish and pushed everyone away, slept with Barbra, and calls himself Batman instead of Bruce Wayne. That line was so bad. Like really, when you think to yourself you call yourself Batman and not Bruce.

[@battlesheep2552]

Especially considering the whole point where Bruce retired because he no longer believed he deserved to wear the cowl due to using a gun.

[@AnAverageGoblin]

@@battlesheep2552 I think you're not fully getting it. the fact he had to resort to using a gun to defend himself in a fight proved he was getting too old and weak to be batman.

[@battlesheep2552]

@@AnAverageGoblin as if Batman would ever quit just because he was getting too old. He's too stubborn for that.

[@AnAverageGoblin]

@@battlesheep2552 you're still missing the point lmao.

[@battlesheep2552]

@@AnAverageGoblin I get the point that you don't understand Batman

[@prcervi]

one way i'd seen bruce's billionaire status explained is that it's mostly net worth, he'd invest it in other businesses if they didn't keep turning up as owned by the worst of the worst. so he gains ownership in some way to keep standards up, and it gets added back to his net worth, rinse and repeat, the man can't reasonably invest or spend the accruing interest faster then he gains it.

[@TheYigafooWisperer]

I think there are some who are like Bruce Wayne who just aren't broadcasted in the news. I know one. He lives well beneath his means and donates a lot to charity. I agree with you. We need more people like him and Bruce Wayne. Unfortunately, not everyone wants to be like that and society is worse for it.

[@anon9469]

Problem is that throwing money around like a drunken sailor catches headlines. "Man lives quiet life, donates large but regular sums of money to charity" doesn't really make the news.

[@michaelandreipalon359]

Honestly, not getting media attention is arguably the better end of the stick. Since we, as humans, do not know these unsung heroes, we mercifully do not start nitpicking out of boredom against "the good hearted" and overparanoia akin to "Oh, he's nice, right? Bet they're just overcompensating because their ancestors were irrepentant slavers and all".

[@jurfrokstar]

Bruce Wayne also helped to fund the Bang Baby cure in Static Shock.

[@michaelandreipalon359]

Ah, wish the efforts on the cure were far more fleshed out, as an aside. Things turning for the better after the second Aquamaria incident just happened so fast.

[@pirate4460]

Maybe Bruce Wayne's inheritance comes with him getting an allowance, so while he might be worth 30 billion dollars, he's only allowed a few million per year due to a will or trust.

[@jeffreyherrera5069]

1:01 While I do agree that Batman from BTAS is the definitive version, I don't think you really challenged the idea of "Batman" being the true face and "Bruce Wayne" being the mask, especially since having a double life doesn't negate it in the slightest and, in fact, sort of strengthens the case. There is that one scene in Batman Beyond, after all, when the topic is touched upon in a conversation. Granted, it's not in the original BTAS, but Batman Beyond is part of the continuity, and thus is relevant. In it, Bruce essentially confirms the idea. Terry: Why were you so sure those voices weren't coming from you? Bruce: Well first, I know I'm not psychotic. Terry: I hope your other reason's more convincing. Bruce: And second, the voice kept calling me "Bruce". In my mind, that's not what I call myself. Terry: What *do* you call yourself? Bruce: (turns and stares, as though to say, "What do you think?") Terry: Oh yeah. I suppose you would. But that's my name now. Bruce: Hmm. Tell that to my subconscious.

[@SerumLake]

To be honest, I’m not entirely convinced that Batman really has a double life - his life as Bruce Wayne doesn’t really consist of much, outside of sitting in his office at Wayne Enterprises. Almost everything he does as Bruce Wayne serves his mission as Batman is one way or another. The version of himself that he presented to the public in BTAS was very much a facade, but I wouldn’t call that a double life, it’s a deception to avert suspicions.

[@Eshanas]

I always thought that by now the standard was that Bruce’s charity, works, networks, and reforms were working, and Gotham turns from a corrupt, poor, crime ridden hellhole to dealing with basically just the rogues gallery and even most of them end up in Arkham - the average goon gets a job, and the rogues gotta recruit from further afield, cops are cleaner, even government gets cleaned up. But I do hear this “gotcha” all the time and it even spreads into the movies….

[@evanbao93]

This is why Brave and the Bold Batman is the most successful Batman, even more successful than DCAU Batman. He cleaned the city to the point that the only crimes in Gotham are supervillains who don't fear Batman. Aside from those, Gotham is actually considered one of the safest cities thanks to Batman. That's what Batman comics should aim for.

[@azuresaiyan9005]

@evanbao93 They already have. It’s called Golden Age Batman.

[@leebarker5602]

I saw a tumblr post that stated it’s not that Bruce actively tries to make Wayne industries profitable it’s more so the fact he has some form of financial plot armour where he will do something knowing he loses money such as increasing employee salaries and giving the full complement of benefits and as a result more people buy Wayne industries products because it’s one of the better companies and provides for its employees

[@michaelandreipalon359]

Enough with the Watsonian BS of "plot armor".

[@akiraeatsguitarpicks491]

The joker is absolute proof Bruce NEEDS to be Batman

[@neoluna1172]

I suppose my biggest criticism of how BTAS handles billionaires is that it didn't go far enough. The themes of systems of greed and exploitation in the show are strong but subtle, likely due to limitations placed on the writers by their corporate bosses. I think it would have done BTAS a lot of good if it more upfront and flatly showed how single persons having obscene amounts of money happens and causes problems in a systemic sense, lobbying/legalized bribery of elected officials, over funding of police while slashing public benefits, the horrors of for profit healthcare (though that whole thing with one company creating a disease to then sell the cure did get close), union busting etc, and how batman and bruce wane stand against these things. At the same time, I also think its just as valid to use bruce wane as an example of the destructive outcomes of hoarded wealth and power, as insane and off the wall it is the current animated Harely Quinn show does confront this here and there.

[@CT_Phipps]

Yeah but amusingly Harley also points out it is the JOKER saying this and blaming Bruce as a scapegoat.

[@ericgaskins571]

Yeah but it's kinda hard to throw that all in within the confines of a 23 minute cartoon episode without boring the hell out of children. The genius of this show is that it does just enough to cover the basis of a good moral story with enough action and interesting story to entertain children.

[@PosthumanHeresy]

@@ericgaskins571 90s kids, yeah. Not so sure modern tweens would take issue with it, at least.

[@michaelandreipalon359]

I don't know, the show not going far enough is worth it to me. The last thing one needs is for things to go alienatingly overambitious due to so much misguided progressiveness and such. Alas, works like Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, BioShock: Infinite, Young Justice Seasons 3 and 4, and Homeworld 3 seem to have failed on the matters at hand. Believe me, fiction shouldn't try to forget that RESTRAINT is still a prime necessity.

[@GreenBlueWalkthrough]

I mean how does any that matter in a non currpote system like Florida or US leadership... Ok then you think it's ilegel to inspear a law makers choice in anyway... like sending them an email... Um wehat when has that ever happened? Like one of the things youy do with more budget is pay more have more benfits also how do you overfound police? Um what? IN the non for profit health care systems they litterly have zero funding. Compaired to Floridas which is filghtly rich alowing us to have issue with over staffing/ ROOM during Covid and sending people to where the health care systems falled because they were poor... All the while having normal opoerations... the UK hasn'yt had normal operations seemly since it whent free... Right becuase letting poor people cause nation spread desator is so much better then a rich person trying to do it...

[@Wolfy39565]

rest in peace Kevin Conroy ❤😭

[@seanmartin1762]

The daget part about blowing up crime alley has a real life interpretation of the Maui fires and the scummy people trying to steal the land

[@railfandepotproductions]

Proof?

[@Brasswatchman]

I don't know so much about the conspiracy theories saying the fires were deliberate. The land grab afterwards, though, certainly seems to be true.

[@LowellLucasJr.]

Great video looking at Bruce outside the cowl! This came out on my birthday so this is an ultimate gift I'll cherish!

[@StagFiesta]

The whole "WOW WHY DOESNT BATMAN DO GOOD WITH HIS MONEY" thing has been explored already in numerous batman iterations. Dark Knight Rises shows that he did try and fund things to make the world better, but they fell through or were taken advantage of, The Batman literally shows that you cant just throw money at society to fix it, hell even Arkham Asylum depicted the asylum, which was getting funding from Wayne at times, as pretty cruel in spots [I mean, electrified floors? A suicide collar that just went off if someone made an attempt?]. Corruption loves money, and it won't stop simply because the one giving it is a good guy.

[@Birdsflight44]

Dolly Parton would've been a billionaire by now if it weren't for all her charity work. She works hard to bring jobs to her home, as well as a variety of support systems and an incredible literacy program. She even has a dramatic persona that she can take off or remove to navigate through society unnoticed. (apparently people largely ignore her out of wig/makeup lol) Dolly is irl BTAS Bruce Wayne confirmed

[@VALonYouTube]

I certainly wasn't expecting to hear the word "funny" related to this year's The Flash when starting this video. 🤨 Except for that twist, I found this analysis thoroughly enjoyable. One of my favorites, not only as a Batman fan, but as a BTAS enthusiast as well. Another great essay, most definitely.

[@vuseu]

these character study essays are great, I’ve been binge watching them while building the BTAS Gotham Lego set haha. Thanks for making these :)

[@SerumLake]

Glad you like them!

[@bloxyoyo]

Bruce Wayne is literally described as a billionaire PHILANTROPIST.

[@zenebean]

Bruce Wayne could generally just do the bare minimum billionaires should do by paying his employees enough to actually live and avoid funding environmentally destructive efforts, but he does more. I think the show highlights that there is fundamental need for change if we rely on a billionaire to *decide* to be kind to avoid the damage they cause.

[@edwardgaines6561]

6:12 Wait a minute! Wasn't that the same plot I saw in that one Boondocks episode? Same voice actor as Daggett too I believe, "Wuncler" was trying to buy a neighborhood.

[@WillPower311]

You missed that bruce wayne didn't earn the money himself, he was born into billions. Unfortunately these other's probably had to crawl out from the gutter while being stepped on to rise up. This difference gives you a much different approach to life.

[@Brasswatchman]

That provides an explanation, not an excuse.

[@darkAwesome100]

A related note: A lot of his philanthropic efforts are less effective due to the corruption in the gotham government. Trying to change things on a more fundamental level would require going into politics, and that would mean rubbing elbows with the most corrupt people in the city. The last time Batman tried to do something like that, it led to Two Face.

[@ComradeRagdoll]

We all miss Kevin… 😔💔🪦🌹😢😭

[@mrefromninjago7665]

🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️

[@benthompson8683]

Thank you! So many people (like "Film Theory") don't get this. Bruce Wayne is known as "The Billionaire" not because he's the richest or something, but because he actually has the money, through boring, non-complicated means, and he gets dividends from Wayne Enterprise's profits (and the normal stock market), and probably just has put his dividend money in actual bank accounts earning standard interest rates which are probably higher than ours because the high-crime world of Gotham has higher interest rates on loans to cover the higher loss ratios, amd he has probably ALWAYS paid the taxes on it, because a butler and a child couldn't be bothered a way to thibk of a way to change things so he wouldnt end up paying the taxes.

[@benpepin7872]

Ugh, Eternal Youth. Used to hate that episode only because BTAS played on a smalltown station here, and when they couldn't find the next episode to air, they played that. Once saw it 3 times in a week.

[@theimperialcombine]

People really don't give the Persona of Bruce Wayne enough Character, Yes he is rich but being a Billionaire isn't what makes him Special, Money is irrelevant compared to his Compassion and human kindness, and we have seen him do his best in the DCAU to help as many people as possible, Bruce is a great example of what Humanity could be and I doubt Throwing money will solve many of Gotham's problems when you realistically think about it, Just because He's Rich doesn't mean he's like Elon Musk or John D. Rockefeller and we shouldn't compare him to them.

[@tarzankom]

It's sad that the world doesn't have a Bruce Wayne. Not Batman. We don't NEED a Batman. We need the upper 1% of the 1% to take an interest in the lowest of the low. Most people need a hand up, not a hand out.

[@mapleflag6518]

People who say that “Bruce should have gotten therapy instead of dressing up as a bat.” don’t know shit about why he became the Batman. Bruce becomes the Batman because he doesn’t want what happened to him to happen to anyone else.

[@Bowiiihowdy]

ive always liked the BTAS Bruce. He tries to make gotham a better place both above the board as bruce and below it as batman

[@Zek3nator]

The batman is rich as his superpower criticism is wrong. Batman superpower is that he defies the laws of plausibility. Gives away loads of money, invents tons of new crap, somehow keeps Wane Industries afloat, practices multiple martial arts, knows multiple languages, fights crime at night, and is “the world’s greatest detective”. Realistically I think the cardinal sin of any Batman story is to focus on his wealth. If you look at how Batman/Bruce Wane functions he becomes so much less realistic than any of his super-powered compatriots. Batman is a great fun character, but just don’t squint to hard.

[@AedanTheGrey]

Its also worth pointing out a certain billionaire didnt buy and destroy twitter purely out of ego and money wasting. It was also a targeted attack against queer online communities.

[@Scrinwaipwr]

If you're not being Batman, creating Jurassic Park or being so charitable and philanthropic that you're not even a billionaire any more then you're being a billionaire wrong.

[@l1ghtd3m0n3]

The second one is still being a billionaire wrong, as the movies clearly show the consequences of messing with forces beyond humanity’s capacity to control

[@Scrinwaipwr]

@@l1ghtd3m0n3 books and movies. No reason real life has to happen the same way. You couldn't even make dinosaurs the same way anyway as DNA doesn't last that long. Most of the issues of Jurassic Park would be solved if the IRL version wasn't being run for profit. Corporate greed was the root cause of everything from the cut costs to the espionage - and the creation of the I.Rex that ruined Jurassic World (a park that'd been running for 11 years just fine.)

[@michaelandreipalon359]

On a sidenote, movie Hammond >>> book Hammond.

[@Scrinwaipwr]

@@michaelandreipalon359 movie Hammond = dinosaur Santa book Hammond = Mr Burns

[@michaelandreipalon359]

@@Scrinwaipwr Nah, Mr. Burns seems tame. No, book Hammond reminds me of a Futurama character whose name eludes me.

[@colebehnke7767]

I actually want to write a short story about what if Bruce Wayne was the primary identity and Batman was an drunken accident that he picked up to help deal with the side of Guthum that he publicly couldn’t.

[@AlexSmith-tp7xu]

I think 2004's the batman has a far better story with Bruce Wayne, and the fact all his villains can fight and have unique styles are things I wish the dcau had, but literally btas and everything after it are way more definitive

[@alexkrill2617]

I think the purpose of the initial meme here could be mostly read that way : I'm not sure we should thank billionnaires just for not being assh*les, and eventually, start to questioning the point to just having billionnaires in this world, while so many people are poor in the very same city. It's a question of political belief, I guess (and I'm not american, so it might be a question of paradigm as well, I don't know.) The main problem I have with the Batman mythology in general (and most of billionnaires representation in culture and medias) is that tend to subconsciously forget to question the morality/absurdity/utility of the actual fact that some people in the world possess so much. It's a banalisation of a perniscious trope, that the wealthy are the solution. But as I said, it's a very common trope, so I'm not attacking Batman specifically on this, and it doesn't forbid me to enjoy the character, the series and the Gotham universe. (Also, thank you for your videos. I discovered the channel recently, with the return of BTAS on Netflix in my country. This cartoon was a big part of my childhood, and your whole work is a very clever take on it, making me realise how much it was rich with my now adult eyes. I'm glad the qualities of the cartoon are not only due to nostalgia.)

[@SerumLake]

Thanks, and welcome aboard! It's always gratifying to hear that people are enjoying my videos (and it's fine when people don't enjoy them, just so long as they're not jerks about it!!!)

[@anthonyoliver418]

Bruce Wayne helps only when Batman can’t, he not only goes out of his way to support causes that can help where Batman can’t, but he also goes out of his way to supply what he needs to help Gotham be a better city, and the best stories use both sides of Bruce to solve problems they can’t alone. Even though so many major millionaires are shown being villains, there are some who have good intentions in the more minor millionaires we see, then there is Bruce Wayne who both has good intentions, but also goes out of his way to ensure the best outcome will happen for everyone, even for people like the Arkham patients who cause many problems, so when someone mistreats these clearly troubled individuals, he is willing to make the changes he can to better them, making even Bruce Wayne just like Batman.

[@ToastyNoneofyourbusiness]

We might not have a billionaire like Batman, but we *do* at least have Dolly Parton. So we're not doing *so* bad

[@SerumLake]

Excellent point.

[@michaelandreipalon359]

It should be going better though. Even I would admit to supporting the use of otherwise immoral mind control to covertly manipulate world affairs for the better if it were possible.

[@generalsmite7167]

I have always hated the idea that Batman could be doing more as Bruce Wayne with money. It’s dumb first for the fact that like in BTAS he does good things with his money and is Batman the two aren’t mutually exclusive. Second that’s not how money works especially in a city that has a major corruption and crime problem. Throwing money at a problem goes not fix all.

[@Wiiguy1606]

There's a reason I started using the word Corporate Disney to refer to the dark side of the Disney company itself as a greedy company while still believing in the fictional yet "real" and true world of Disney featuring all the heroes, the villains, the morals, lessons or animation, live action, theme parks, whatever have you that actually was Walt's vision when he was still alive. If the higher ups working for the Disney company or any company within the entertainment industry were more like Bruce Wayne, the world would be a better place

[@TheMasterofMasters1]

And Yet.......You All Wonder Why I Do This.

[@TheMasterofMasters1]

Correct Video On Why.

[@LinkieNecronLore]

I don’t think that the show criticizes capitalism. The show rather criticizes unchecked, unfeeling business moguls who hoard their money. Where Bruce is the idealized form of capitalism. Donating to charity, creating charities, and is a good person.

[@spooneater9001]

Roland daggett has done more damage to Gotham than any villain in Arkham

While I WOULD agree with critics of the batman story about the whole need for social programs to heal social ills, in the specific universe Batman lives in that just isn't enough considering the types of enemies he faces. Corrupt businessmen and gangsters are one thing. But Joker, Ra's Al Ghul, Clayface, Scarecrow, or Bane???? While they all were products of humanity's hubris one way or another which easilly could have been prevented with that solution, the fact they exist at all requires something more in an attempt to solve the problem. After all, DC has the Greek Gods, metahumans, and Etrigan to name just a few things that set it apart from reality, they all require a much different path to address in the long run.

[@miked5814]

No such thing as an ideal billionaire. They don't exist, if they did, they wouldn't be billionaires in the first place. I won't get into politics but I think everyone can admit that, in order to become that rich, you have to do a lot of shady stuff and you can't have any empathy whatsoever.

[@purplepedantry]

While I generally agree that one cannot exist in reality, that's the point of an ideal. There will be those who are close, but shortcomings (no matter how frequent or atrocious), are inevitable.

[@ShadowSearcher31]

Bruce Wayne does do charitable work AND is Batman

[@MichaelSpikes-pv6kl]

Excellent video

[@shakurpaschall6762]

Bruce Wayne is the real world needs a true billionaire that truly helps his community

[@ThomasSpettel]

the animated series of Batman is the best version. Bruce is kind, compassionate and honouring his family. But its still a mask as Batman is the real identity. He is the dark knight for a reason.

[@WolfJarl]

Fact Elon Musk wants us to think he's like Bruce Wayne or Marvel Comics' Tony Stark/Iron Man when he's just a vain glorious scammer who wants people to worship him. No wonder these corporate villains in BTAS are so believable despite the face molding creams, killer viruses and such.

[@anon9469]

Elon Musk's answer to that is to work on his own telepathic machine-control chip so that he can finally turn into Lex Luthor.

[@Texasjim2007]

Ever wonder how Bruce Wayne gets away with not reporting his financial assets like all that multi-million dollar collection of planes, cars, and computers in the Batcave to his tax assessors? Granted the fact that he never sells them means he doesn't have to report them to the IRS under current tax laws however I would think he logically has to be violating any sort of property tax laws there may be in Gotham City

[@demi-fiendoftime3825]

Bruce Wayne is what I believe a successful business man should be alongside the likes of Scrooge McDuck both have tons of resources and use them to improve their family and communities lives.

[@arempy5836]

The idea of a "good billionaire" is more ridiculous than that of a man who can fly. It's a contradiction in terms and only possible in comics.

[@Drewski-hw1yi]

Do people really think Batman isnt using his money to help Gotham? Imagine a place so fucked no amount of money is just going to fix it so your other solution is to do it yourself that's Gotham basically in a nutshell.

[@jordanloux3883]

People don't read comics. The shows and movies are basically all the exposure most people get to these characters.

[@michaelandreipalon359]

Hence why I'm waiting for the city to finally become a successfully purged crater.

[@jessicapinkman-hd4bw]

why don't people hate iron man for the same reason