“What do you get when you cross a mentally ill loner with a society that abandons him and treats him like trash? You get what you fuckin’ deserve!” – Arthur Fleck
I recently biked uphill for half an hour, and then back again after midnight, just to finally watch this movie which has sparked so much controversy. I am talking, of course, about Joker. Despite another unfounded and dangerous conspiracy theory from major media outlets, not one incel shot up a theater as a result of this movie. This movie broke box office records for the biggest weekend opening in October, and it surpassed Deadpool as the highest grossing R-rated movie of all time… two weeks before I bought my own ticket. I generally cover political issues, so why am I talking about this film?
The film is a political issue, but not because it intends to send a political message. Instead, the movie attempts (successfully) to hammer home the message that society has been ignoring the suffering of millions, and this trend cannot continue. Some have taken it upon themselves to reject this, and have instead turned Joker into a political flashpoint.
First: cable television. MSNBC continuously gave coverage to the idea that the movie was harmful and dangerous, talking about some time seven years ago where some mentally ill person shot up a movie theater in some town in Colorado, and how this particular movie with cause a repeat incident. They brought on people who lost family at that Aurora theater shooting to condemn the piece, pressuring Warner Brothers to cancel the film. Not to be outdone, CNN blatantly declared that the film could inspire “copycat attacks.” They then pointed to the protests and increased security, resulting from their own fear mongering, as evidence.
Next, the New York Times. One article smears Joker as “essentially a depiction of what happens when white supremacy is left unchecked.” It then goes on to say that if a black man had the same circumstances as Arthur Fleck (the Joker), he would be invisible to society: “Black men dealing with Fleck’s conditions are often cast aside by society, ending up on the streets or in jail.” Literally the entire point of the film is showing how society has cast aside Arthur, how he ends up both on the streets and in jail. The movie is truly a heartrending depiction of ignored suffering, but the article instead chooses to call Arthur “privileged.” The critic then claims that white men are delusional, and that they don’t actually know what it is to suffer.
Finally, another Times article simply dismisses Joker: “The film turns out to be afraid… of any actual relevance.” Talking with my brother, who is far more into film analysis than myself, his major complaint was that Joker had very little to do with the Joker. The story is really a depiction of the neglected suffering of millions. The millions of Americans, of all races, living in poverty and suffering from the opioid crisis demonstrate the suffering. The callous articles by the New York Times demonstrate the neglect, and thus ironically validate the movie’s claim.
Thankfully, not a single incidence of violence occurred, leaving the media disappointed. The psychological damage was still inflicted, nonetheless. In one reported incident, a man simply walked into a theater, stood at the front to scan the room for a seat, and then sat down. Some people were so traumatized by this that they actually left the theater. Police shut down screenings of the movie in California, Colorado, and Florida cities as a result of protests.
To describe what has happened to former pillars of ethical journalism, I will tweak another Arthur quote: “I used to think my [world] was a tragedy. Now I realize, it’s a fucking comedy.”
https://ew.com/movies/2019/10/25/joker-highest-grossing-r-rated-film-ever/
https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/04/entertainment/joker-movie-opening-night/index.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/09/movies/joker-movie-controversy.html
I think the Joker is a super interesting concept for a movie, but unfortunately I have not seen it yet. I like how you pointed out the concern about the safety of watching the movie in a theater and the points of contention surrounding that. Because I haven’t seen the film, it is hard to comment on its relevance, but I think a film of this nature about mental illness and what that does within the context of loneliness and isolation is a fascinating study.