The Joker

I'm not going to act as though I don't understand the growth of our society's fascination with the comic book character known as "The Joker". I'd say it's largely because the fictional figure represents a chaotic nature within all of us that we're all curious as to what it would be like were we to allow it to run wild. In recent years the Joker has become a much larger figure in popular culture as opposed to his previous popularity which I guess was mainly contained within social circles of those privy to comics. By any means, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Heath Ledgers portrayal of him was a large factor in that expansion into the mainstream. I still remember seeing him in the movie and I wont lie, his performance was indeed memorable. When I saw him, I was quickly aware that I wasn't looking at a character meant to represent a typical entertaining clown, rather this was a depiction of a deeply disturbed individual. I'm not a huge comic book aficionado, but I am generally aware of the characters story and background so lets go over that for the sake of some exposition. From the best of my knowledge the figure known as the Joker came about mainly due to a disfiguring incident where he fell into a chemical vat. This was what caused his warped appearance but I'm not sure if it was the cause of his insanity and antisocial tendencies or if those were already present/dormant. Either way, the character is a known psychopath with no regard for rules, the safety of others, and even has an overt disdain for order and the status quo. Because of the latter, some people tend to romanticize the character and I think this is incredibly dangerous. As was seen with the case of the theatre shootings, the Joker is a figure that resonates with unstable individuals and that's problematic. When an anarchistic figure such as that, fictional or not, is romanticized, when they are portrayed as a kind of antihero, as a troubled individual but one whom sees the world for "what it truly is", people in the real world who are unstable themselves can sometimes think of themselves as a similar figure and may want to reenact, in some fashion, what they see as a disruption of the status quo that they so deeply desire. When this most recent movie, "The Joker" starring Joaquin Phoenix hit theatres, it was made public knowledge that there was a safety concern, which involved upping security at theatres. The very fact that this happened should really underscore what kind of fire we're playing with when creating aggrandizing standalone movies about disturbed characters. Again, I wont deny that I understand the popularity, the Joker is a fascinating character afterall. However, I feel that many are transfixed with him for the wrong reasons. While I've never read any Batman comics, I am aware that the Joker is treated as somewhat of a foil for the titular character. Batman represents order, the rule of law, and a clear and concise understanding of right and wrong. Whereas the joker represents chaos, anarchy, and an amoral or immoral worldview. It is somewhat interesting that in this case the hero is portrayed as dark and brooding while the villain is often depicted as bright and colorful, since those are obviously traits typically ascribed inversely to heroes and villains. I'd say that's one of the factors that makes them a bit more memorable, but it's far from the only one. The Joker is portrayed as having a whimsical and mischevious personality, rife with humor, but it is also one that can turn actively malicious and violent at the drop of a hat, further cementing his unpredictability and dangerous status. His nihilism and apathy towards the world is something that we can all relate to from time to time. The world can be a truly disgusting place where injustice is rampant and morality seems to be MIA so an approach of looking at all of that and laughing at it can seem appealing, but I wouldn't encourage it. The danger of nihilism and an anarchistic apathy towards society is that it concedes an individual to madness. I feel that in order for the world to work, there doesn't necessarily have to be complete order, in fact I would say that's a total pipe dream given the intrinsic nature of mankind, but I would say that a semblance of order is crucial. I've heard people say so often that laws don't stop criminals, but I would argue that it isn't so much about the concrete effectiveness of them as much as it is about the standard they set. Take for example the TSA. If you look into the organization you will find that they have actually stopped very few acts of terrorism, at least not directly, which is a very important distinction. What they do has been coined as "security theatre" as in they simply establish an image of safety rather than an actual active hinderence of crime. You might read that and say "well if they're not actually actively doing anything, why don't we just scrap the whole thing and save the money?" to which I would say that they are actually doing something, just not in the direct manner one would typically expect. When you really think about it, that's what all laws are. They are simply a thinly drawn line in the sand that we have set in order to sustain a feeling of sanity and order. Characters like the Joker wish to see that line disrupted and ultimately eliminated, which makes them dangerous, not admirable. Society is much more fragile than many believe it to be, and while many are becoming more aware of that, they choose not to throw it out of whack because they know it's better to live in this sense of stable tension rather than outright chaos, destruction and death, which is what figures such as the one this entry details want. It should also be mentioned that the Joker doesn't really care about making any substantial beneficial societal change, he just wants to benefit himself. I feel that's the best reminder to end on. *Edit* One more detail about the character was brought to my attention, and that is his relationship with another DC character, Harley Quinn. This relationship is yet one more reason the Joker shouldn't be admired in any way shape or form. Harley Quinn started out as a psychology student that believed she could cure the Joker, and in the process of attempting this he drove her insane. She is a frequent associate of his who has romantic feelings for him, but it's been pointed out many times that what is happening between them isn't so much love as it is an instance of Stockholm syndrome. That is a condition in which a victim begins to identify and side with their abuser. The Joker is abusive and manipulative with Quinn and frequently uses her as nothing more than a tool to further his own goals. This is just more indicative of what kind of figure the Joker is meant to represent, which is one that is nothing short of reprehensible. He is not trying to change anything in the world, it's all empty rhetoric that he uses to advance his own goals and himself. In summary, it would be wonderful if as a society we could collectively STOP ROMANTICIZING SOCIOPATHY.