I was sad about the death of Adam West. I was a bit surprised at how sad. 
I am not alone. All over the weekend, social media—as well as print media and TV—was “all things Batman.”
For many of us, and our parents, Adam West was not “a”
batman but “the” one and only Batman that we all watched
together.
Of course, there is the pure joy of nostalgia. Who can forget Batman doing the Batusi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiiuvtzK3SQ
And, there were brilliant lines. Remember: Some days you can’t get rid of a bomb: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIPZROBiNik
For the record, Batman did get rid of the bomb without hurting anyone. Sometimes
getting rid of the bomb just takes a little extra effort.
And, the villains were purr-fectly delightful. Who didn’t have a favorite villain among
Cat Woman, the Joker, the Penguin and the Riddler?
The good “guys” were good and the bad “guys” were bad. And with bat magic, the good “guys” always won.
And, now we find out that Adam West and Burt Ward remained friends for 50 years. So the dynamic duo was not just on the reel but real.
It was a comedic fantasy in a time of both great turmoil and greater innocence. Once again, we find ourselves in a time of great turmoil. What we are missing is the “bat”
innocence.
