Joker

...Send in the Clowns: Controversies surrounding Joker

Todd phillips' 2019 feature Joker starring Joaquin Phoenix as the malign, oppressed, continuously suffering, mentally ill, neglected and invisible protagonist who will self actualize as Joker is visually iconic, having provocative narrative has instilled a fear of imitation among the audience. A glance of online articles about the movie is as follows

"Joker" is a wildly uneven mess- and a dangerous one in the wrong hands-Mathew Rozsa, Salon

"Joker" is a Terrifyingly Realistic Window Into White Terrorism- Noel Ransome, Vice

Blockbuster film 'Joker' raises concerns about real-life violence

'Joker' is under fire for using a famous song by a convicted pedophile- Dan Jackson, Thrillist

Joker has toxic fans. Does that mean it shouldn't exist?- Alissa Wilkinson, Vox

'It's way too terrifying' : Joker viewers around the world WALK OUT of the movie theatres and urge cinemas to BAN the ultra-violent film saying it glamorizes gun crime and deals with mental health issues in a 'triggering' way.- Ciara Farmer and Keith Griffith, Daily mail

Joker film release sparks violence fear as US cinemas ban bags and face paint- Charlie Bradley, Express

These responses and other  news narratives like- Lone shooter, serial killer, crazed gunman and dark-anti-hero narrative that exist in popular culture, targets creative forms in our society. As many believe that the main purpose of art is holding mirror to the society, like Picasso's painting 'Guernica' showed the ugliness and atrocities of war and violence, Joker holds a mirror up to its audience, as it is true to a well crafted mirror what one sees is purely subjective to that person. Plot of the film examines the way an act of violence and psychosis becomes flashpoint for a cultural movement that has anger in it, like 'kill the rich' sentiment, and traces an individual's methodical descent into madness through the embrace of anarchy and chaos. 

The film carries strong references to mental illness, mental health with recurring mention of class warfare and elitism. For one viewer they may relate strongly to Arthur's struggle with depression for another his loneliness and for a different individual entirely it may signal a distaste for wealth and inequality and it may reflect to the current political system. There isn't really a right or wrong interpretation and that is intentional by design, the visionaries behind the film has been precise in their wording when discussing about the film during its creation "the goal was to have a movie that could speak in different ways with different people"

In an article 'How Men use Humor to Hide the Relentless Pain of Sadness, Despair, and Mental Illness' from the website The Good Men Project, writer Zara Barrie while speaking about few of her favorite comedians says

I am a big fan of comedy. Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, and Eddie Murphy are a few of my favorite comedians whose humor represents a slice of America that is rarely discussed publicly. It is a form of “black comedy” literally and figuratively. Their blunt, “in your face” progressive style is not for the faint of heart. If you find and take amusement, your peers will either relate or shun you because your comedic proclivities are anti-establishment. Their humor and colloquialisms can be crass, yet entail a hefty dose of realism. But isn’t that what comedy is all about?

The harsh reality of society breaks Arthur (Joker) and at some point in the movie he says “I thought my life was a tragedy but then I learned it was a comedy.” In real life within each of us there is a kind of meek, gentle sociable nature of the downtrodden but beneath the surface of that is a potential explosive dark other waiting to be released. To further reference Elite daily website's article 'There's Pain In Laughter: Why The Funniest People Are Often The Saddest' and similarly in The Medical Station website's article 'Comedy and Depression: The Hidden Symptom' talks how people in depression deal with comedy.

Perhaps as Jim Vejvoda, executive editor of online entertainment website IGN, best puts it

Joker-the film may ask viewers to empathize with its central protagonist but it doesn’t ask us to forgive him for his increasingly evil choices. As many real-world parallels and inspirations can be uncomfortably drawn from Arthur’s descent into violent madness, the film still knows he’s deranged and not to be romanticized – merely understood.