The much-hyped “Joker” movie debuted in theaters this weekend with lots of fanfare and skyrocketing ticket sales but none of the violence the media promised us. For weeks leading up to the film’s release, we were subjected to headline after headline fretting that the story of a psychotic, mass murdering clown might “encourage” or “inspire” copycat attacks. “Joker” is a “dangerous” and “toxic” film, we were assured. But opening weekend came and went, and none of the predicted anarchy materialized.
Why did the film warrant these concerns? In the words of a different Joker: Why so serious? You might think that all of the worry over “copycats” was justified by the fact that the Colorado theater shooter in 2012 dressed as the Joker. The problem with that explanation is that it’s based on a myth. The Colorado theater shooter did not dress as the Joker or claim to be the Joker. That was a rumor fueled and spread by the media. A pattern is emerging here.
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