Students say anxiety surrounding “Joker” is warranted

The film tells the story of social outcast Arthur Fleck before his evolution to infamous villain, the Joker.

“Joker” hit theaters on Oct. 4 and has made $543 million at the box office globally as of Oct. 13. The film was directed by Todd Phillips and stars lead talent Joaquin Phoenix. Photo by KALI HOFFMAN, Photo Editor

Although there is excitement surrounding the drama-thriller that has already raked in $543 million at the box office, concerns have risen for some due to “Joker” and the portrayal of a protagonist whose backstory mirrors that of mass shooters. 

Anxiety among audiences to watch “Joker” in theaters may stem from the 2012 theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado. During a screening of Batman movie “The Dark Knight Rises,” 12 people were killed and 70 were injured by James Holmes – who had dyed his hair red and identified himself as “the Joker” to authorities during his arrest. 

“I saw ‘Joker’ in Sherman Oaks at 1:40 p.m. and I still felt nervous,” said Aidan Jones, a sociology alumnus who researches gender and masculinity. “It is valid for people to be nervous about going to see this movie because of documented cases like the Colorado shooting, but the real problem is the availability of guns.” 

Century Theater in Huntington Beach cancelled its last two advanced screenings of the movie on Oct. 3 and closed the movie theater after credible threats of violence were received by Huntington police. 

“This isn’t a logical fear, because the likelihood of this actually happening to you is very small, but I understand why people are afraid,” said Hector Martinez, a sociology professor. “I actually feel uncomfortable seeing the movie, not because of the movie itself, but because of what’s happening in society.” 

Although trends of fear regarding the “Joker” movie are evident in the media, Grace Rendeiro, a junior psychology major, said she doesn’t live in fear. 

“I can see why people would be scared because of all the mass shootings, specifically the Colorado shooting,” she said. 

Given that 283 mass shootings have occurred since the beginning of 2019, critics expressed concerns about the representation of the Joker’s character being comparable to those of mass shooters who also possess psychological issues – like Elliot Rodger, who killed six in the college town of the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2014. He dealt with anger issues, misogyny and difficulty developing social skills. The film tells the story of a lonely individual who feels rejected by society, which can be likened to individuals known as involuntary celibates, or incels. Incels enter isolation due to rejection from women, sometimes manifesting into violent behaviors like killing sprees, which can be seen with Alek Minassian and Elliot Rodgers. Joker’s mental illness is exacerbated by events like physical assault, rejection from society and childhood abuse and neglect. This chain of events leads to the loss of his job and eventual engagement in homicidal behavior. 

“The movie focuses on the Joker’s psychological condition,” Jones said. “After he gets cut off from his medications and social services due to city budget cuts, he enters the life of murdering.” While Joker’s mental illness is never specified in the movie, his uncontrollable laughter may correlate with a disorder called pseudobulbar affect. 

“Although society influences his desire to kill, it mostly stems from his psychological condition,” Jones said. When asked if the portrayal of the Joker raises any concerns over any potential future mass shootings, Martinez said that mass shootings were an issue prior to “Joker.” 

“The movie isn’t a concern; the mass shootings happening is a concern,” Martinez said. “Art often times gets blamed for the events that happen, but art is a reflection of something that is already happening. Mass shootings were happening before the movie.”