IS IT A JOKE, OR ARE WE THE JOKERS?
Written by: Emelia Anne
[SPOILER
ALERT]
If you have NOT watched Joker, please come back AFTER you have. You have been warned!
Hi! So I assume you have watched Joker and want to know what I have to say about it. Well, here's some news for you: I haven't watched it yet. But, I did watch some 'ending explained' videos on YouTube (you know, those videos that actually explain the whole movie and not just the ending) and googled the plot of the movie, so I somehow know what went down.
Most reviews I read had pretty decent things to say about this movie, though few beg to differ. I think other than the fact that the Joker happens to be DC's best villain, Joaquin Phoenix's Joker became a mega hit due to various other reasons. His top-notch acting is definitely a major contribution, but many viewers were appalled at how this movie touched on mental health. Since the Mental Health Awareness Week has just come to an end, I thought it would be appropriate to touch a little bit on the subject.
We often think that mental illnesses are just the few we often hear about - depression and anxiety disorders, but I am so glad this movie actually showcased so many other angles of mental health that deserve equal attention. In the movie, Arthur Fleck (Joker), suffers from a disorder that causes him to laugh at inappropriate times (Pseudobulbar affect), and this is actually the root of all his problems. He is never taken seriously by anyone due to these outbursts, and of course, due to the fact that he is always in a clown suit. One scene that really struck me was when a rowdy gang attacked him in an alley and he was left alone, in pain. I mean, what did he do wrong? He's just a person who is trying to make a living out of what he enjoys most - making people laugh.
The second time he was attacked was when the fun started. Three drunk weirdos literally beat the poor guy up because he had one of his laughing outbursts on a subway; but Arthur stood up for himself! Well, he did, but not in the best way, perhaps. He murdered them. I know this seems evil, but honestly, can you blame him? He was already going through so much, just losing his job merely hours ago, and then the Three Musketeers appear and start beating the living lights out of him. I mean, if I saw a laughing clown on a subway, I would be creeped out too, but I think I'd just keep my distance instead of butchering him, really.
I really feel life was immensely unfair towards Arthur in so many ways. He has suffered so much since childhood, being a victim of domestic abuse with it actually heavily impacting his mental state. So again, who is at fault here? Another thing Arthur experiences is his realistic delusions of having successful stand-up comedy shows and even believing that he is in a romantic relationship with his neighbor. And to outsiders, he seems crazy. Not someone who desperately needs help. Can you imagine how many actual people out there who are exactly like Arthur? Suffering from mental illnesses we've never heard of, but all we do is criticize and think that they are too complicated to be understood. Do take note that Arthur himself visits a psychiatrist/social worker weekly, but she seems as though she's uninterested or simply afraid of him.
"You don't listen do you? You just ask the same questions every week. How's your job? Are you having any negative thoughts? All I have ARE negative thoughts." - Arthur Fleck.
Doesn't this show how 'helpful' his psychiatrist/social worker is?
One takeaway I got from this movie is that society plays a huge role in shaping who we are. Imagine if Arthur grew up in a healthy household, without the abuse of his mother's boyfriend. Imagine if that gang of thugs didn't assault Arthur in the alley. Imagine if the three men in the subway just left him alone to express his sadness through laughter. Imagine if talk show host Murray Franklin didn't mock him on live television. Would all these killings have happened? Would Arthur, who once believed in happiness, turn into the ever-famous villain who goes by the name 'Joker'? Maybe he would, maybe he wouldn't. But I really think Gotham City created its very own neighborhood serial killer.
All I am saying is, let's just try to be kind to one another, because we don't know what someone else is going through until we look into their minds and see for ourselves the sufferings, aches and pains that they are fighting against. Mental illness is not just about anxiety and depression. Mental health is not a joke. Those who think it is are the real jokers.
If you have NOT watched Joker, please come back AFTER you have. You have been warned!
Hi! So I assume you have watched Joker and want to know what I have to say about it. Well, here's some news for you: I haven't watched it yet. But, I did watch some 'ending explained' videos on YouTube (you know, those videos that actually explain the whole movie and not just the ending) and googled the plot of the movie, so I somehow know what went down.
Most reviews I read had pretty decent things to say about this movie, though few beg to differ. I think other than the fact that the Joker happens to be DC's best villain, Joaquin Phoenix's Joker became a mega hit due to various other reasons. His top-notch acting is definitely a major contribution, but many viewers were appalled at how this movie touched on mental health. Since the Mental Health Awareness Week has just come to an end, I thought it would be appropriate to touch a little bit on the subject.
We often think that mental illnesses are just the few we often hear about - depression and anxiety disorders, but I am so glad this movie actually showcased so many other angles of mental health that deserve equal attention. In the movie, Arthur Fleck (Joker), suffers from a disorder that causes him to laugh at inappropriate times (Pseudobulbar affect), and this is actually the root of all his problems. He is never taken seriously by anyone due to these outbursts, and of course, due to the fact that he is always in a clown suit. One scene that really struck me was when a rowdy gang attacked him in an alley and he was left alone, in pain. I mean, what did he do wrong? He's just a person who is trying to make a living out of what he enjoys most - making people laugh.
The second time he was attacked was when the fun started. Three drunk weirdos literally beat the poor guy up because he had one of his laughing outbursts on a subway; but Arthur stood up for himself! Well, he did, but not in the best way, perhaps. He murdered them. I know this seems evil, but honestly, can you blame him? He was already going through so much, just losing his job merely hours ago, and then the Three Musketeers appear and start beating the living lights out of him. I mean, if I saw a laughing clown on a subway, I would be creeped out too, but I think I'd just keep my distance instead of butchering him, really.
I really feel life was immensely unfair towards Arthur in so many ways. He has suffered so much since childhood, being a victim of domestic abuse with it actually heavily impacting his mental state. So again, who is at fault here? Another thing Arthur experiences is his realistic delusions of having successful stand-up comedy shows and even believing that he is in a romantic relationship with his neighbor. And to outsiders, he seems crazy. Not someone who desperately needs help. Can you imagine how many actual people out there who are exactly like Arthur? Suffering from mental illnesses we've never heard of, but all we do is criticize and think that they are too complicated to be understood. Do take note that Arthur himself visits a psychiatrist/social worker weekly, but she seems as though she's uninterested or simply afraid of him.
"You don't listen do you? You just ask the same questions every week. How's your job? Are you having any negative thoughts? All I have ARE negative thoughts." - Arthur Fleck.
Doesn't this show how 'helpful' his psychiatrist/social worker is?
One takeaway I got from this movie is that society plays a huge role in shaping who we are. Imagine if Arthur grew up in a healthy household, without the abuse of his mother's boyfriend. Imagine if that gang of thugs didn't assault Arthur in the alley. Imagine if the three men in the subway just left him alone to express his sadness through laughter. Imagine if talk show host Murray Franklin didn't mock him on live television. Would all these killings have happened? Would Arthur, who once believed in happiness, turn into the ever-famous villain who goes by the name 'Joker'? Maybe he would, maybe he wouldn't. But I really think Gotham City created its very own neighborhood serial killer.
All I am saying is, let's just try to be kind to one another, because we don't know what someone else is going through until we look into their minds and see for ourselves the sufferings, aches and pains that they are fighting against. Mental illness is not just about anxiety and depression. Mental health is not a joke. Those who think it is are the real jokers.
Well said 👏🏻
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