Photo-illustration: Everett Bogue;
Photos: istockphoto, Courtesy of Warner Bros.
The Man in the Gray Flannel Batsuit?
Ever since The Wall Street Journal’s editorial about how The Dark Knight’s Batman is actually a heroic portrait of George W. Bush — you know, the one that was, pardon the expression, Batshit insane — we’ve been waiting for the next overreaching columnist to employ a head-shaking Bat-metaphor. Thanks to Theo Caldwell, the president of Caldwell Asset Management, Inc., we must wait no longer!
Caldwell writes in Canada’s National Post that while The Dark Knight’s script and special effects and Heath Ledger are great and all, “the most astounding thing about the Dark Knight’s tale is the way in which he can get other people to perform at a top-notch level.†Are you ready for the Batman Executive Leadership Technique?
When, for example, our hero heads to Hong Kong to shanghai a fugitive businessman and bring him back to Gotham, the plan requires precision explosives, electronic surveillance planted by people in advance and, by the way, an airplane flying over the building at the exact right time. As everything goes off without a hitch, one wonders: What did he say at the planning meeting to get everyone to do all these jobs just right?
First of all, this is hilarious. Second of all, isn’t there a whole subplot about a disloyal Wayne Industries employee who tries to sell Batman down the river? Third of all, this is totally hilarious. Batman isn’t the only genius executive in disguise — the Joker, too, is a natural leader, says Caldwell. For instance, when he pulls that bank job, he manages to get everyone to wear clown masks!
Coming next week, as The Dark Knight’s box office reaches stratospheric levels: “Women Are From Venus, Batmen Are From Mars.†Ladies: Don’t let what happened to Rachel Dawes happen to you!
A caped study in leadership [National Post]