Joker Wasn't a Good Film

That's right, I'm back to piss off all the right people again. Business as usual.

The year is 2020 and we've got a lot of problems. But, since I'm a guy who talks about pop culture shit, let's focus on a problem that is actually related to things I know enough about to sound off with any kind of accuracy or validity. Let's talk comics, movies...hell, let's talk about a comic book movie. Specifically, let's talk about that damn clown film from the jackass who made the Hangover trilogy, Old School, and Road Trip. Yeah, that Road Trip. The one with Tom Green being weirdly sexual with a snake, jokes about black college students, and the idea of a guy possibly enjoying getting it up the ass while maintaining that he's super straight.

This is the face of a man who is ashamed that he knows the "plot" of Road Trip.

As I am sure you are all aware, Todd Phillips made the film Joker last year and it is up for awards...for some reason. If you keep up with my Twitter then you'd know that I am less than a fan of this particular film. And if it hasn't been made clear here now, I should also point of I'm not particularly fond of the director's previous work either. Which is fine, people are allowed to enjoy whatever they like. We do not all have to agree. My issue comes with the award nominations for this film while several other much better films got passed over, including one also from someone with a background in comedy.

The Academy can suck my left testicle until it's clean shaven. Uncut Gems is a masterpiece.

A big argument that vexes me is in regards to the merit of Joker as a film, as there are some rather loud voices claiming it to be a mind-blowing experience that speaks to them on a deep level. It was about an angry white dude being angry and killing people. That's all. It's not deep, it's not clever commentary, it's not a great work of art, it's Taxi Driver with clown makeup. Todd Phillips is not an artist, he's a Scorsese fan who ripped off his idol. If the Joker film speaks to someone you know on a deep level, they probably need help mentally. The film is about a man who is angry at the world and lashes out at it violently. If that seems good to someone then it's a fucking red flag. The Joker is not a folk hero, he's a psychopath that murders people because he wants to and enjoys it.

The only shocking thing about me saying that is that I feel like I kinda have to despite it being obvious.

Now, here's the thing, I know there are people who will say it's society's fault he's that way, that we live in a society that creates monsters like him, and that he's actually a victim. My reply? Fuck off. I grew up a bullied skinny (and later chubby) white kid. I'm not straight either. I had horrible things done to me in my life that will stay with me until the day I die, because that's how life works. I did not become a killer, I did not take to harassing folks, I did not become a racist because I was targeted by people of a different skintone than myself, and I most certainly never acted like an entitled little twat because life didn't turn out perfect for me. And for the record, I'm very happy with myself and where I am in life.

I mean, come on. Look at that pretty face. That's a face you wanna fuck right there. Them DSLs, amirite?

My point is, there is no excuse for the shit he does in the film simply because life didn't deliver him what he wanted on a silver tray. We are responsible for our own actions. To me, Joker is nothing but a tired angry white man film for angry white men to toss off to. It's right up there with Falling Down, Uwe Boll's Rampage, Gran Torino, and Voiceless. These films appeal to the most toxic among us as a power fantasy because the majority of them aren't brave enough to even raise a hand against another person. But they can pretend on Twitter or stab a comic book on YouTube. They can launch an IndieGoGo or Kickstarter campaign to have other angry white men support their work because they're angry like them. They can try to manipulate angry idiots into supporting their work for their own gain. Isn't that right, Todd Phillips?

Rhetorical question, please put down the mic.

Before the obvious "well, you're just being an angry white dude too" bollocks pops up, no, I'm not angry. I'm not angry about Joker getting attention or nominations, I'm disappointed that so many people jumped on the bandwagon of a wholly unimpressive film that simply had one impressive performance in it from an actor who has done far better work that deserved this kind of attention and still does. Disappointment is what I feel when I see this subpar film from a belligerent asshole hack director pop up in my purview when films like You Were Never Really Here and The Sisters Brothers flew under the radar. Joker is not a good film and I really wish people would wake up to that fact sooner rather than later.

Okay, now you can whine at me. I won't listen, but you can whine.