How the Joker Became Political
Summary
TLDRThe video script explores the political dimensions of the Joker, a character traditionally seen as a chaotic force in comic books. It delves into how the Joker's portrayal has evolved from apolitical to a symbol of societal unrest, reflecting various political ideologies. The script discusses the character's transformation in Todd Phillips' 'Joker,' which humanizes Arthur Fleck, a man pushed to madness by an uncaring world. It examines the film's reception, with critics debating its political message and potential to incite violence. The Joker emerges as a versatile symbol for the marginalized, challenging the status quo and embodying a desire for recognition and rebellion against societal neglect.
Takeaways
- 🃏 The Joker character from Todd Phillips' film is seen as a response to a world that has ignored and abused him, rather than a political statement.
- 🎭 The Joker's portrayal has evolved over time, with earlier versions focusing on chaos and violence, rather than political messages.
- 🔍 The film has been controversial, with critics accusing it of being toxic and incendiary, while the director denies any political intent.
- 🗓️ The Joker's politicization began with Christopher Nolan's 'The Dark Knight', which was interpreted as raising political questions due to its release timing post-9/11.
- 🌐 The character has been used as a symbol by various political groups, reflecting different ideologies and societal reactions.
- 👤 The Joker's lack of a coherent political ideology makes him a versatile symbol for those who feel marginalized or disenfranchised.
- 🎭 Todd Phillips' 'Joker' humanizes the character, showing his transformation as a response to societal neglect and oppression.
- 🔥 The film has been associated with discussions on incels and potential real-world violence, highlighting its polarizing impact.
- 📰 The Joker has been compared to various political figures, from George W. Bush to Barack Obama, reflecting different perspectives on chaos and order.
- 🌈 The film's reception and the character's symbolism speak to broader societal issues, including the need for recognition and the challenge to the status quo.
Q & A
What is the main theme explored in Todd Phillips' Joker movie?
-The movie explores the transformation of Arthur Fleck, an ordinary man, into the Joker due to a world that ignores and abuses him, leading to madness and violence.
How is Arthur Fleck's character portrayed in the Joker movie?
-Arthur Fleck is portrayed as an isolated man with an uncontrollable medical condition, who is victimized by society and pushed to violence out of self-defense.
What is the political interpretation of the Joker's character in the comics?
-Initially, the Joker wasn't political in the comics. However, his character was politicized in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight, where he was seen as a terrorist and a symbol of chaos.
How was the Joker's character used in relation to political figures?
-The Joker has been used as a symbol for various political figures, including George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump, depending on who is seen as the agent of chaos.
What is the connection between the Joker and the 'incels' community?
-Some members of the 'involuntary celibates' community have related to the Joker as a symbol of their anger and frustration, seeing him as a spokesman for their cause.
What is the significance of the Joker's need for attention in a political context?
-The Joker's need for attention reflects a political message about the need for recognition and visibility, which can be a tool for expressing dissatisfaction with the status quo.
How does the Joker's character evolve from a comic book villain to a symbol of societal alienation?
-The Joker evolves from a comic book villain to a symbol of societal alienation by representing the anger and frustration of those who feel powerless and ignored by society.
What is the controversy surrounding the Joker movie in terms of potential real-world violence?
-The controversy revolves around concerns that the movie might inspire real-world violence, especially among disenfranchised groups who identify with the Joker's character.
How does the Joker's character in the movie reflect the broader societal issues?
-The Joker's character reflects societal issues such as wealth inequality, lack of empathy for the mentally ill, and the consequences of a society that neglects its vulnerable members.
What is the significance of the Joker's transformation into a symbol of populist uprising in the movie?
-The transformation signifies a response to systemic oppression and a call for societal change, as Arthur Fleck's violence sparks a populist uprising against the wealthy elite in Gotham.
How does the Joker's character differ between Todd Phillips' Joker and Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight?
-In The Dark Knight, the Joker is portrayed as a chaotic, philosophical terrorist with no desire for power, while in Todd Phillips' Joker, he is humanized with a backstory, shown as a victim of circumstance who turns to violence out of self-defense.
Outlines
🃏 The Joker's Political Controversy
The paragraph discusses the controversy surrounding the Joker character, particularly in Todd Phillips' film. It highlights that the film portrays the Joker as a man driven to madness by a society that neglects him. Critics have accused the film of being toxic and incendiary, with some interpreting it as a political statement. However, the director denies any political intent, aiming to provoke thought rather than make a statement. The paragraph also touches on the Joker's origins and his portrayal in different eras, noting that while he has occasionally been politicized, his primary motivation is chaos rather than power.
🔍 The Dark Knight's Political Reading
This paragraph delves into the political interpretations of the Joker in Christopher Nolan's 'The Dark Knight'. It suggests that the film's themes of justice, moral relativity, and human nature, along with its release during a period of heightened security concerns, led to political readings. Some saw the film as endorsing controversial post-9/11 security measures, while others viewed the Joker as a symbol of chaos, reflecting different perspectives on the 'war on terror'. The paragraph also mentions how the Joker's character was used in political satire, with different figures being likened to him based on the viewer's political stance.
👑 The Joker as a Symbol of Populist Frustration
The paragraph explores how the Joker has been adopted as a symbol by those feeling disenfranchised and frustrated with societal norms. It discusses the character's portrayal as an outsider who challenges the status quo, which resonates with individuals experiencing alienation. The Joker's transformation into a figure of rebellion is examined, particularly in Todd Phillips' film, where his descent into violence is presented as a response to societal oppression. The paragraph also considers the Joker's appeal to various groups, from internet trolls to political protesters, and the diverse ways his character is interpreted in relation to real-world issues.
🎭 The Joker's Connection to Real-World Politics
This paragraph examines the Joker's connection to real-world politics, noting how he has been used to represent various political figures and ideologies. It discusses the character's portrayal as both a destructive force and a symbol of liberation, depending on the context. The paragraph also addresses the controversy surrounding Todd Phillips' 'Joker', including concerns about inciting violence and the film's reception by different political groups. The Joker's complexity and his ability to reflect societal alienation are highlighted, emphasizing his role as a versatile political symbol.
🌐 The Joker as a Reflection of Societal Discontent
The final paragraph considers the Joker as a reflection of societal discontent and alienation. It discusses how the character's need for attention and his disdain for the ruling class make him an attractive figure for political messaging. The paragraph suggests that the Joker's appeal lies in his representation of those who feel marginalized and his ability to embody both negative and positive challenges to the status quo. It concludes by emphasizing the Joker's role as a symbol of rebellion and chaos, and how his character can be interpreted in various ways depending on the viewer's perspective.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Joker
💡Political Statement
💡Controversy
💡Alienation
💡Chaos
💡Symbol
💡Todd Phillips
💡Arthur Fleck
💡Misogyny
💡Populist Uprising
Highlights
The Joker's character is not inherently political but has been interpreted as such in various adaptations.
Joker's portrayal as an ordinary man driven to madness by an uncaring world in Todd Phillips' film.
Critics have deemed the film toxic and incendiary, sparking controversy and divisive discourse.
The Joker's character has evolved from apolitical to a symbol of chaos and political commentary.
The Joker's portrayal in Christopher Nolan's 'The Dark Knight' introduced political themes and societal commentary.
The Joker's character has been used to represent various political ideologies, reflecting societal fears and frustrations.
Todd Phillips' 'Joker' is seen as a response to a world that feels evil, validating the character's alienation and anger.
The film's controversy includes concerns about inciting violence and stoking real-world tensions.
The Joker's character has been compared to various political figures, reflecting different viewpoints on chaos and order.
The Joker's transformation in the film is presented as an inevitable response to systemic oppression.
The film's reception is divided based on personal politics, with some seeing it as an indictment of neoliberal capitalism.
The Joker's character is used as a symbol for the disenfranchised and a tool for political messaging.
The Joker's need for attention and recognition is inherently political, reflecting a desire to challenge the status quo.
The film's ending suggests that the Joker's actions lead to a populist uprising against societal elites.
The Joker's character serves as a Rorschach test, reflecting the viewer's own alienation and political beliefs.
The Joker's portrayal in various films and media is a reflection of the societal and political climate of the time.
The film's release was met with controversy and debate over its potential impact on societal violence and unrest.
The Joker's character is a versatile symbol, adaptable to various political contexts and ideologies.
Transcripts
when we spoke earlier you mentioned that
this look is not a political statement
is that right all Jokers Arthur Fleck
ever wanted was to be noticed in todd
phillips is grim origins story for the
comic book villain we meet the Joker as
an ordinary man who is slowly driven to
madness and eventually murder by a world
that's done nothing but ignore and abuse
him you don't listen do you I don't
think you ever really human Arthur's
uncontrollable medical condition has
left him both isolated and exposed
because the system that's supposed to
help him doesn't seem to care you just
ask the same questions every week how's
your job are you having any negative
thoughts all I have a negative thoughts
this psychological study has been
interpreted as a political statement
something that has left the film mired
in controversy since the moment anyone
laid eyes on it critics deemed the film
toxic and incendiary the wrong movie
aimed at the wrong audience who were
sure to take from it the wrong message
but what message was that anyway and who
exactly was the film talking to while
Phillips has explicitly denied that
Joker is a political film I'm not
political I'm not just trying to make
people laugh and how's that going for
the heated and divisive discourse around
the film prove that it is too many
viewers even if no one agrees on what
its politics
actually are so how did a criminally
insane clown the living embodiment of
chaos become one of the most potent and
controversial symbols of our time here's
our take on the unlikely political life
of the Joker take your time
got all night
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[Music]
the concept of the Joker did have some
political roots the characters frozen
mirthless grin was partially modeled on
conrad veidt in the man who laughs the
1928 film adaptation of Victor Hugo's
novel about a man who was cruelly
disfigured as revenge by his father's
political rival
but from the characters 1940 debut in
Batman number one through the decades of
appearances and adaptations that
followed the Joker wasn't interested in
politics he was far too concerned with
pulling crazy capers and committing
random acts of violence the rare
exception that proved the rule came in
the 1980s with the jim Starlin penned a
death in the family
released at the height of us tensions
with Iran this story finds the Joker
being appointed as the Iranian
ambassador to the United Nations by none
other than the Ayatollah Khomeini it's a
position he held just long enough to try
murdering a roomful of diplomats but the
whole Iran Ambassador plotline was
quickly abandoned and the Joker never
got overtly political in the comics
again that's because unlike Superman's
foe Lex Luthor you know the oldest lie
in America senator that power can be
innocent the Joker doesn't hunger for
power he ridicules it
[Music]
the joker truly became politicized for
the first time in Christopher Nolan's
The Dark Knight in 2008 some men aren't
looking for anything logical like money
they can't be bullied reasoned or
negotiated with some men just want to
watch the world burn this unusually
philosophical comic book movie asks
soul-searching questions about justice
moral relativity and human nature you
either die a hero or you live long
enough to see yourself become the
villain and due to the timing of the
release after the attacks of September
11th and amid the war on terror that
followed these were received as
political quandaries as well see their
laws their code it's a bad joke
dropped at the first sign of trouble
even though Nolan claimed to have no
political intentions the dark night
contains multiple allusions to 9/11 in
its imagery and Joker is even referred
to repeatedly as a terrorist
should we give in to this terrorists
demands played by Heath Ledger with the
Fuhrer and unpredictable intensity
Nolan's Joker is not the capering Clown
Prince of Crime of the campy 60s Batman
TV series featuring Cesar Romero or Tim
Burton's 1989 film starring Jack
Nicholson
unlike the master thieves that came
before him this Joker doesn't even want
money
everything burns the Joker is out to
show Gotham that society is a flimsy
construct that people only follow the
rules as long as it's in their
self-interest when the chips are down
these these civilized people they'll eat
each other like a terrorist Joker says
his goals are to introduce a little
energy upset the established order and
everything becomes the Joker is
generally portrayed as insane which
would seem to make him unfit to express
a coherent political ideology but the
Dark Knight's Joker is though still a
psychopath chillingly logical articulate
and strategic the Joker manipulates
Batman into making his own ethical
compromises in order to capture the
Joker Batman deploys a citywide
surveillance system that requires
hacking into everyone's phones spying on
30 million people listen part of my job
description and in the end Batman takes
on the mantle of villain at least
partially out of guilt for what he's
done these were issues that America was
grappling with in the wake of 9/11 when
the nation much like 'litham found
itself confronted by a new and
unconventional evil one that couldn't be
bargained with that saw only our
destruction and the government responded
with its own extreme measures we've
turned every cell phone in Gotham into a
microphone some even went so far as to
declare the Dark Knight a conservative
film an endorsement of the controversial
actions undertaken by president george w
bush while he waged his war on terror
Andrew Klavan wrote for The Wall Street
Journal like W Batman is vilified and
despised for confronting terrorists in
the only terms they understand even if
everyone hates him for it that's a
sacrifice
he's making he's not being a hero he
being something more of course the fact
that some saw Bush's Batman didn't stop
others from recasting him as the Joker
as cartoonist drew Friedman did for
Vanity Fair in 2008 it all depended on
who you saw as the true agent of chaos
and in the decade that followed the Dark
Knight this would only become more
complicated Dark Knight screenwriters
Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan
deliberately didn't give Joker a
definitive backstory because the
director said we didn't want to humanize
him no like a disguise Heath Ledger's
death months before the Dark Knight's
release conferred on his Joker an aura
of tragedy that only made him a more
darkly compelling mythic figure and
without Ledger around to comment on the
character or to perform the usual
sanitized niceties of TV or magazine
interviews the Joker's sinister mystique
remained firmly intact that unknowable
legendary nature also made the Joker and
especially elastic symbol 1 easily
applied to anyone that could be seen as
a possible threat Vanity Fair's George W
Bush cartoon was followed just six
months later by an image of newly
elected President Barack Obama and Joker
make up an image that a University of
Illinois at Chicago students named
Theotis al Khatib created he says
largely out of boredom but the Obama
Joker took on a life of its own after an
unknown person out of the caption
socialism then began posting it
throughout Los Angeles and it was soon
seized on by the right-wing Tea Party
movement who used the image at
demonstrations be crying what they saw
as the chaos that Obama's policies would
introduce then came the most potent
choker symbol of our times people have
been drawing parallels between Joker and
Trump since well before he became
president in the weeks before Trump took
office actor Mark Hamill who voiced the
Joker in the 1990s Batman the Animated
Series debuted a character he dubbed the
Trumpster where he read Trump's tweets
aloud in his Joker voice
including to my many enemies and those
who have fought me and lost so what to
do shortly thereafter The Daily Show
aired footage from a trump interview
with Joker makeup superimposed over his
face the world is a mess the world is as
angry as it gets
what do you think this is gonna cause a
little more anger the world is an angry
place after Joker's release Washington
Post columnist max boot even went so far
as to declare we have a joker on the big
screen and a joker in the White House
although as we've seen the Joker is a
frequent comparison for any politician
that someone doesn't like there's a
specific parallel between Joker's alien
nation and the one that Trump regularly
appeals to they think that we'll just
sit there and take it like good little
boys that we will wolf go wild ditto the
often outlandish statements and mocking
rhetoric that both used to stoke
resentment and ultimately to spark a
populist uprising the movement the Trump
Joker parallel spoke directly to a
growing subset of people who welcomed
being compared to the Joker self-styled
internet provocateurs who saw in the
character a useful spokesman for their
own anger and frustrations the Joker
became an enduring meme used by
anonymous trolls to express their
distaste for various social justice
issues to lash out at society or to just
mock anyone who came off as overly
sensitive or politically correct hi so
various some Joker's hatred of the
establishment his conviction that the
world is filled with hypocrites and
especially his belief that only he can
see the truth all of these proved
irresistible to people who felt
increasingly powerless you think men
like thomas wayne ever think what it's
like to be someone like me with the
debut of todd phillips joker that
fanbase finally got a joker movie that
seemingly dared to validate those
feelings to show the world as
objectively evil and the Joker as a
logical response long the Joker's always
been an outsider wreaking havoc against
the status quo in the comics and the
Batman TV series he causes mayhem simply
because he enjoys it
my favorite kind of joke one which ends
with in Tim Burton's film it's born out
of petulance and wounded vanity did
somebody tell me what kind of a world we
live in where a man dressed up as a bat
it's all of my press in Dark Knight it's
his
stood nihilistic philosophy the only
sensible way to live in this world is
without rules and while we don't get
much insight into Jared Leto's heavily
tattooed gangster Joker from 2016
Suicide Squad
what we do see comes off like an
affectation edginess mixed with a doing
it for the Instagram brand of showing
off are you sweet-talking me but in
Phillips's film we are at last asked to
fully understand even sympathize with
Joker in stark contrast to Nolan's film
Joker does humanize him with a backstory
buddy
tell us what's funny
and unlike Jack Nicholson's petty thug
Arthur Fleck is presented as a meek
victim of circumstance the kind of guy
who even after he's brutally attacked by
a group of teens offers them empathy in
return I heard about the beatdown you
took the savages it was just a bunch of
kids alone when Arthur is pushed into
committing violence it's purely out of
self-defense
whatever good may have once been inside
Arthur Fleck is corroded by the
relentless oppression of being treated
like he doesn't matter like he's not
there they don't give a [ __ ] about
people like you Arthur the film makes
Arthur's transformation into the Joker
the inevitable response of a man who's
pushed past his breaking point made evil
by an evil system seen in the wildly
divided response to the film how you
interpret the definition of that system
and who you see as the perpetrators of
Arthur's oppression is largely based on
your own personal politics some regard
Joker as a clear indictment of
neoliberal capitalism
according to documentarian Michael Moore
it's a film about the America which
feels no need to help the outcasts the
destitute the America where the filthy
rich just get richer and filthier as
Arthur's violence sparks a populist
uprising against Gotham's elite
represented by the billionaire Thomas
Wayne Wayne himself makes the war
between the haves and have-nots explicit
and until those kind of people change
for the better
those of us who have made something of
our lives will always look at those who
haven't it's nothing the clowns
according to this reading Joker's army
are left-wing protesters targeting the
fascist 1% Washington Post columnist
Sonny bunch wrote that Joker can thus be
seen as the forefather of anti feh but
to others Arthur's murder of three men
who were harassing him with its echoes
of 80s subway vigilante Bernard Goetz
the man who shot and wounded
or teenagers in a subway car after they
allegedly demanded money turned himself
in and said he is the vigilante invites
audiences to view him as an antihero
provoked into violent retribution by a
violent world
Joker Foster is this notion through its
deliberate homages to the Martin
Scorsese films the King of Comedy and
taxi driver these movies similarly
concerned lonely disaffected men living
in grimy dangerous New York whose
criminal acts are portrayed as both the
embodiment of and reaction to their
harsh environments Joker even casts both
films star Robert De Niro in a
not-so-subtle effort to evoke their dark
power before it was even released some
branded Joker in the words of film
critic David Ehrlich a toxic rallying
cry for self-pitying in cells referring
to the group of internet dwelling
misogynists who call themselves
involuntary celibates although Arthur
doesn't overtly express any of those
misogynistic views in the film his
romantic fixation on his neighbor Sophie
played by za C beats has been read as a
projection of a similar attitude
hey are you following me today that
reputation only intensified once actual
in cells began suggesting on web forums
that Joker might inspire some of their
members to commit another mass shooting
prompting the US Army to issue a warning
of a possible attack such discussion was
especially charged in the wake of the
2012 incident in Aurora Colorado when a
man opened fire on a crowded theater
during a screening of The Dark Knight
Rises
while fear is that this new Joker movie
would incite violence
fortunately never came to fruition they
helped to cement Joker's reputation as a
potentially dangerous movie one that
speaks to the growing numbers of men who
feel disenfranchised and forgotten CNN's
Jeff yang even suggested that Joker
might be a political parable for our age
an insidious validation of the white
male resentment that helped bring
President Donald Trump to power all of
this rancor and divisive nozomi
intensified after Phillips reacted to
criticisms by deriding the whoa culture
of the far left that had preemptively
condemned his
there have been a lot of think pieces
written by people who proudly state they
haven't even seen the movie and they
don't need to I would just argue that
you might want to watch the movie
both he and star Joaquin Phoenix would
have several tense confrontations with
the press over whether the film was
deliberately stoking tensions or if it
might encourage them to boil over into
real-world violence meanwhile Warner
Brothers responded to the growing
criticisms by issuing the statement it
is not the intention of the film the
filmmakers or the studio to hold this
character up as a hero much of the
political controversy surrounding the
Joker is really about a question that
dates back to his earliest days when he
first ran afoul of the comics code
Authority in the 1950s does enjoying the
Joker create a desire to emulate him and
if the characters seemingly unmoored
from any known ideology whose just plain
crazy can be adopted as such a versatile
political symbol what is it exactly that
people are responding to in the Joker's
every incarnation some things always
remain the same the makeup and clown
suit his weirdly symbiotic connection to
Batman and more than anything
his bottomless need for attention deep
down it always has to be about him on a
very basic level that demand to be seen
to bring everyone into his world to not
be ignored is inherently political it's
about the need for recognition for my
whole life I didn't know if I even
really existed but I do people are
starting to notice this along with
Joker's general disdain for the ruling
class is what makes him such an
attractive tool for political messaging
take away the killing the sadism and the
insanity and the Joker stands in for
anyone who feels like the other anyone
who poses some sort of challenge to the
status quo this can be expressed as both
a negative and a positive the Joker can
be a destructive clown who threatens
disorder in chaos his makeup slathered
across politicians as disparate as
george w bush Barack Obama and Boris
Johnson or he can be the
face of liberation for the
disenfranchised turning up on masks worn
by anti-government protesters in Hong
Kong Chile and Lebanon in the end Joker
is kind of a walking Rorschach test
he is the reflection of your own
alienation whatever form that takes
everybody is awful these days it's
enough to make anyone crazy Joker can be
the soul sucking emptiness of reagan-era
agreed it's time for who do you trust or
the guilt paranoia and numbing
detachment of post 9/11 America if
tomorrow I tell the press that like a
gangbanger will get shot nobody panics
because it's all part of the plan or he
is the simmering discontent of our
polarized age where it seems like
everyone is always at each other's
throats have you seen what it's like out
there Mireille everybody just yells and
screams at each other
nobody's civil anymore nobody thinks
what it's like to be the other guy
this iteration of the Joker's need for
attention reads as a cautionary tale
about what happens when many in society
feel neglected left behind unseen and
unheard but the ultimate meaning and the
message Joker conveys is often as mixed
up as he is what's with the face I mean
are you part of the process it's
deliberately left open to interpretation
allowing anyone who feels marginalized
to identify with and occasionally draw
power from him anyone from a protester
to a pissed-off teenager to the
President of the United States Joker is
politics in its most elemental emotional
and theatrical sense reducing it to
rebellion
to sound and fury and yes to chaos in
other words it turns politics into one
big joke comedy is subjective Murray and
then what they say
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[Music]
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