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Adam West had to explain that Batman couldn't fly after children in England began jumping out of windows to imitate the Caped Crusader
Please, stick to the Batusi.
Despite the entertainment that television has brought audiences, sometimes idolizing a superhero can have some super consequences.
According to William Dozier, such was the situation in the 1960s. Dozier was responsible for the creation of the 1966 television series, Batman. Of course, the comedic series was entertaining for all ages; children became especially attached to the Dark Knight.
But while children should have been borrowing Batman’s kind heart and his pursuit of justice, they seemed to be trying to emulate the character in a much more dangerous way.
“In England, kids started jumping out of windows,” said William Dozier, according to The Official Batman Batbook by Joel Eisner. “They thought Batman could fly. They thought the cape was wings.”
Though this might seem nonsensical to some, it’s not the first time children have tried to fly after seeing a superhero on television. George Reeves, who played the Man of Steel on the popular television series Adventures of Superman, had to advise viewers not to try to fly at home. It seemed that Adam West had the same undertaking.
“We had to do a special lead-in to the show,” said Dozier, “with an interview with Batman saying, ‘Boys and girls, I do not fly. I can’t fly any better than you can. Don’t think I can, and don’t think you can. And don’t take any chances by trying to jump off the roof.’ They were doing it, but never in this country. Thank heaven it never started in this country.”
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