Editorial: ‘Dark Knight’ sparks bright light for Pittsburgh

Pitt doesn’t offer a Certificate in Damsel Studies, nor should it — polishing a state of… Pitt doesn’t offer a Certificate in Damsel Studies, nor should it — polishing a state of distress doesn’t exactly prepare college students for the villainy of the modern job market. Instead, bright young college-aged people are charged with fighting society’s evils and being heroes.

However, often there come times when youthful audacity deflates under situations aimed to depress — not unlike the effect of Pitt’s NCAA defeat not too long ago. But as of yesterday, at least we young Pittsburghers can put our self-doubt away. After recovering from upsetting losses on the court, we will finally get a chance to live in the company of heroes.

Yes, that’s right. Batman is coming to Pittsburgh. Yesterday, film director Christopher Nolan announced that the third installment of his blockbuster Batman franchise will take place in the Steel City. While the exact filming locations are still in flesh-out mode, cameras are set to start rolling this summer, with the cinematic product expected to hit theaters in July 2012, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

As gas drillers suck the safety from our waters and as the governor sucks the funding from our schools, we think an influx of pectorally gifted, big-name actors could only do wonders for this city — not to mention the extra economic boost a hungry cast and crew and filming permits will bring. If Downtown’s buildings look as “beautiful” on screen as Nolan describes them, perhaps the ’Burgh will gain wider recognition — at least among moviegoers — as more than just a dusty former steel town mainly filled with either 21-year-olds or 65-year-olds.

Despite its  small size, Pittsburgh has long been a favorite of Hollywood big shots; not only did Pittsburgh bear zombie classics like “Night of the Living Dead” and “Dawn of the Dead” from its bridge-bespeckled loins, but you can find ’Burgh scenes in film favorites like “Silence of the Lambs,” “Flashdance,” the original “Angels in the Outfield” and even “RoboCop.” While this has been nice and all, as the sixth-highest grossing franchise of all time, the Batman series could offer a level of acclaim never before experienced by the likes of Yinzers.

So with that said, we’d like to prescribe a few valuable tips for Pitt students to keep in mind as they start to shape up for their big-screen debut (and because Christian Bale’s massive pecs won’t be won over without some hard work):

1 – Take a shower. Yes, at least as of press time, it’s possible to bathe in Pennsylvania water without receiving a bromine overdose.

2 – Clean your teeth. Let’s make the Batman crew glad they didn’t choose to shoot in West Virginia.

3 – Work on your personality. The good people at the Princeton Review rated the Pitt student body as the eighth happiest in the nation in 2010 — don’t prove them wrong.