The much-hyped sequel “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/movies">Joker: Folie à Deux</a>” is projected to lose anywhere from $150 million to $200 million after a poor showing at the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/box-office">box office</a> and lackluster reviews from critics and audiences.
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/entertainment">sequel</a> to “Joker” (2019) was expected to perform much better, especially considering that the original raked in just over $1 billion. But the Joaquin Phoenix-led film, which also stars Lady Gaga, only earned $51.5 million domestically and $165 million globally after two weeks of release, per <a href="https://variety.com/2024/film/news/joker-folie-a-deux-lose-warner-bros-millions-box-office-flop-1236176479/">Variety</a>.
Comparatively, the original “Joker” made $96.2 million domestically and $248.4 million globally in its first three days. It also won two Oscars, including a Best Actor award for Phoenix.
“Folie à Deux” cost $200 million to produce and about $100 million to market and distribute, the outlet noted. That makes its break-even amount around $450 million, which it likely will never reach. Anonymous &#8220;insiders&#8221; cited by Variety project the film will lose hundreds of millions of dollars.
Warner Bros. disagrees with these predictions, however.
“Any estimates suggested by anonymous ‘insiders’ or ‘rival executives’ are grossly wrong and continues a trend where rumor is reported as fact,” a Warner Bros. spokesperson said in a statement. “The film continues to play in theatrical release, included with this week’s opening in China, and will continue to earn revenue throughout its home viewing and ancillary run.”
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The studio is also hoping to recoup some of the money when “Joker 2” is released on streaming at the end of the month.
“Folie à Deux” is very different from the first “Joker” film, which was a dark, gritty antihero tale. The sequel is a musical with a love story intertwined, which didn’t resonate with audiences. The movie has a 33% rating from critics and a 32% audience score on <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/joker_folie_a_deux">Rotten Tomatoes</a>.
“The falloff in quality from ‘Joker,’ a genuinely searing innovation in comic-book movies, to this one is so steep that it’s comparable to the dropoff between ‘The Hangover’ and ‘The Hangover Part II,’” the Wall Street Journal critic wrote. 
The reviewer from The Atlantic wrote, “The musical performances are underpowered, lacking much movement, personality, or surprise. In fact, the film’s problems are so glaring that one can’t help but wonder about what happened behind the scenes.”
Fans were not impressed either, with many complaining about the film being a musical and having such a different feel compared to the original. “I did not want to go see a musical. I went to go see a joker movie,” one moviegoer wrote, echoing the sentiments of so many others.

Joker

‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ Projected To Lose Up To $200M After Bombing At Box Office

'Joker: Folie à Deux' Projected To Lose Up To $200 Million After Bombing At Box Office

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Director Todd Phillips ditched laughter for tears with 2019’s “Joker.”
The mind behind “The Hangover” franchise, “Old School” and more got fed up with woke comedy restrictions and joined the superhero craze.
On his terms.
His “Joker” became a sensation, earned star Joaquin Phoenix a Best Actor Oscar and proved there’s more to superhero films than CGI dustups.
The media tried to turn “Joker” into an incel warning, but when the film refused to spark violence journalists moved on to other false narratives.
One thing was clear. An encore was inevitable.
“Joker: Folie à Deux” defies superhero norms. Again. No action sequences, lycra-clad heroes or tired genre tropes. Phillips even made it a musical, tasking stars Phoenix and Lady Gaga to play out their tortured romance in song.
Two-plus hours later, you’ll still wonder why they bothered.
The first “Joker” delivered a brutal study of a man in psychological agony. Arthur Fleck’s transformation into the Joker happened because society pushed him to the boundaries. The health care system failed him. His co-workers couldn’t empathize with his middling comedy career.
Bullies pounced and seized at will. And, eventually, he snapped. Or, to be more specific, he opened fire.
That arc touched on societal critiques that spiked the narrative punch. “Folie à Deux” revisits some of those themes but adds precious little to the franchise.
Arthur is being held at a mental institution (Arkham style!) following the events of the 2019 film. He faces the death penalty for killing five people, although the law doesn’t realize he also killed his Ma. His lawyer (Catherine Keener) wants to improve his public image in the hopes of avoiding the electric chair.
<div id="attachment_807101" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-807101" class="wp-image-807101 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/MV5BMWFmNDA0ZjQtZDFiYS00ZDE4LWJkMWItMTczMjU3Yjg4ODBmXkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_-1024x547.jpg" alt="Joaquin Phoenix in “Joker: Folie à Deux” (2024). DC Entertainment. Warner Bros. Pictures. IMDB." width="1024" height="547" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/MV5BMWFmNDA0ZjQtZDFiYS00ZDE4LWJkMWItMTczMjU3Yjg4ODBmXkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_-1024x547.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/MV5BMWFmNDA0ZjQtZDFiYS00ZDE4LWJkMWItMTczMjU3Yjg4ODBmXkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_-300x160.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/MV5BMWFmNDA0ZjQtZDFiYS00ZDE4LWJkMWItMTczMjU3Yjg4ODBmXkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_-768x410.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/MV5BMWFmNDA0ZjQtZDFiYS00ZDE4LWJkMWItMTczMjU3Yjg4ODBmXkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_-1536x820.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/MV5BMWFmNDA0ZjQtZDFiYS00ZDE4LWJkMWItMTczMjU3Yjg4ODBmXkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_-2048x1093.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Joaquin Phoenix in “Joker: Folie à Deux” (2024). DC Entertainment. Warner Bros. Pictures. IMDB.</div>
The guards at the institution try to pry jokes from Arthur.
All Arthur wants is to smoke every cigarette within reach. This film loves smoking in ways that would make Joe Camel blush.
Meanwhile, society has made Arthur a hero of sorts. He fought back against The System on his terms. They even made a TV movie about his transformation.
That warped fame draws the attention of a fellow patient, Harleen “Lee” Quinzel (Lady Gaga). That’s Harley Quinn, of course, one of the micro-nods to the comic book source material.
The other? Harry Lawtey’s Harvey Dent is the prosecutor hoping to end the Joker’s reign.
Lee is drawn to Arthur’s anti-social Joker and he’s just happy to have a woman look his way. Can their bond survive the trial and their self-defeating ways? What are the stakes in said trial, anyway?
Phillips cast convention aside the first time around. Now, he’s doubling down in his cinematic sandbox. The film begins with an animated short featuring the Joker and his mischievous shadow.
Huh?
The musical numbers, drawn in naturalist fashion and relying on classic tunes like “That’s Entertainment” and “If My Friends Could See Me Now,” offer modest rewards. Phoenix isn’t a singer but throws himself into the unorthodox dancing.
Lady Gaga is squarely in her element, but the film won’t embrace the full musical charms that Gene Kelly and Judy Garland embraced. “Joker: Folie à Deux” is surprisingly lifeless despite two charismatic stars and a bracing origin story.
<div id="attachment_807103" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-807103" class="wp-image-807103 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/MV5BZmRkOGNlMjUtNzllMi00ODJhLTg3YjUtNjE3MWI5NzY3NTlmXkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_-864x576.jpg" alt="Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga in “Joker: Folie à Deux” (2024). DC Entertainment. Warner Bros. Pictures. IMDB." width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/MV5BZmRkOGNlMjUtNzllMi00ODJhLTg3YjUtNjE3MWI5NzY3NTlmXkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/MV5BZmRkOGNlMjUtNzllMi00ODJhLTg3YjUtNjE3MWI5NzY3NTlmXkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/MV5BZmRkOGNlMjUtNzllMi00ODJhLTg3YjUtNjE3MWI5NzY3NTlmXkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/MV5BZmRkOGNlMjUtNzllMi00ODJhLTg3YjUtNjE3MWI5NzY3NTlmXkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/MV5BZmRkOGNlMjUtNzllMi00ODJhLTg3YjUtNjE3MWI5NzY3NTlmXkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/MV5BZmRkOGNlMjUtNzllMi00ODJhLTg3YjUtNjE3MWI5NzY3NTlmXkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/MV5BZmRkOGNlMjUtNzllMi00ODJhLTg3YjUtNjE3MWI5NzY3NTlmXkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga in “Joker: Folie à Deux” (2024). DC Entertainment. Warner Bros. Pictures. IMDB.</div>
Steve Coogan appears as a tabloid journalist eager to make Arthur summon the Joker for his audience. It’s all about ratings and The Narrative, not the truth. Is Phillips, who co-wrote the screenplay with Scott Silver, mocking corporate journalism? 
Maybe. Likely. The scene ends and the film drops that criticism cold.
Other scenes depict how society continues to keep poor Arthur down. The asylum’s security guards, including a brute played by the great Brendan Gleeson, use Arthur to further their own ends. 
And? Prison guards routinely behave badly on screen and, we’re sure, sometimes off-screen. What’s so different, or meaningful, here?
The most memorable moment brings back actor Leigh Gill, whose character witnessed one of the Joker’s killings in the first film. The haunted soul describes to the courtroom how the tragedy left him fearful of everyday life.
Gill’s performance chills. We’re reminded what the real-world implications of worshiping a serial killer are. “Joker” made us mourn a sick man’s descent into madness. We rooted for him to find some sort of comfort or healing. That never materialized.
The sequel marinates in the idea that this fallen man matters. He has a purpose, a mission beyond himself. His fame alone makes him worth our admiration.
He’s suddenly … cool. No. And there’s no oversized Bat to put him in his place.
Moral complexities could have powered “Folie à Deux.” There’s a reason we hoped Tony Soprano could stay one step ahead of The Law. Instead, we get a lethargic courtroom trial, a romance with little heat and a third act that proves the sequel never had a plan in the first place.
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There’s no denying “Folie à Deux” looks magnificent. The dream sequences marry the film’s gritty aesthetic with old Hollywood panache. Phillips’ camera captures every scene for maximum impact, crafting indelible images along the way.
The film’s waning moments seem like they’re building to something mythical, a rationale for everything we’ve just witnessed. Instead, what follows erases the modest goodwill already generated.
“Joker” reinvigorated the comic book movie. “Joker: Folie à Deux” reminds us that sequels for sequels’ sake only taint the original.
* * *
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://x.com/HollywoodInToto?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@HollywoodInToto</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

MixCollage-03-Oct-2024-02-30-PM-6545

‘Joker: Folie à Deux’: Two Charismatic Stars In A Surprisingly Lifeless Sequel

'Joker: Folie à Deux': Two Charismatic Stars In A Surprisingly Lifeless Sequel

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Actor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joaquin-phoenix">Joaquin Phoenix</a> has dropped out of a gay romance film just five days before it was scheduled to start filming, leaving the studio in the lurch with no replacement, per a report from <a href="https://variety.com/2024/film/news/joaquin-phoenix-drops-out-todd-haynes-gay-romance-movie-1236101595/">Variety</a>.
The untitled <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/movies">movie</a> headed up by director Todd Haynes was scheduled to start filming in Mexico this month but is now on hold as the lead star dropped out. A source told Variety that the 49-year-old Academy Award winner got “cold feet” and decided to bail.
The movie had already been sold to international distributors before production even began, the outlet noted, and a source said it was too late to recast Phoenix’s role. This abrupt about-face leaves the cast and crew with no work and represents financial losses that could reach seven figures. 
“Top Gun: Maverick” star Danny Ramirez was slated to play Phoenix’s love interest in the project. Haynes, who is known for the movie “May December” about a teacher who has an affair with her sixth grade student, based loosely on the real story of Mary Kay Letourneau, spoke with <a href="https://variety.com/2023/film/global/todd-haynes-sexually-explicit-joaquin-phoenix-film-may-december-julianne-moore-natalie-portman-1235718586/">Variety</a> in September 2023 about how the film was developed.
“It’s a love story between two men set in the 30s that has explicit sexual content that or at least it challenges you with the sexual relationship between these two men,” the director explained. “One is a Native American character and one is a corrupt cop in LA. It’s set in the 30s. They have to flee L.A. ultimately and go to Mexico.”
He added, “But it’s a love story and with a strong sexual component. And what was so remarkable is that it all started with Joaquin having some ideas and some thoughts and just questions and images. And he came to me and said, ‘Does this connect to you at all?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, this is really interesting.’ And so we would just be on the phone talking and it developed into a script.”
Haynes said he helped turn Phoenix’s ideas into the script and noted how, “Joaquin was pushing it further into more dangerous territory, sexually.”

Joaquin Phoenix Dropped Out Of Gay Romance Right Before Filming Due To ‘Cold Feet’: Report

Joaquin Phoenix Dropped Out Of Gay Romance Right Before Filming Due To 'Cold Feet': Report

Celebrities

“Succession” actor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/celebrities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brian Cox</a> had some words of criticism for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joaquin-phoenix" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joaquin Phoenix</a>, saying he would have done a better job as the lead in Ridley Scott&#8217;s historical drama “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/movies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Napoleon</a>.”
The 77-year-old actor called Phoenix&#8217;s performance &#8220;terrible&#8221; at London’s HistFest, per <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/news/londoners-diary/brian-cox-joaquin-phoenix-terrible-napoleon-i-would-have-played-it-better-b1151473.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Standard</a>.
“A truly terrible performance by Joaquin Phoenix,” Cox said. “It really is appalling. I don’t know what he was thinking. I think it’s totally his fault and I don’t think Ridley Scott helps him. I would have played it a lot better than Joaquin Phoenix, I tell you that. You can say it’s good drama. No — it’s lies.”
He added, “I think he’s well-named. Joaquin … wackeen … wacky. It’s a sort of wacky performance.”
The “Succession” star also lamented historical inaccuracies present in films more generally. “&#8217;Braveheart&#8217; is a load of nonsense,” the actor said of the 1995 film starring Mel Gibson, which Cox also appeared in. “Mel Gibson was wonderful but it’s a load of lies. He never impregnated the French princess. It is a bollocks [sic] that film.”
Scott previously responded harshly to French critics trashing his film. 
“Like all history, it’s been reported. Napoleon dies, then, 10 years later, someone writes a book. Then someone takes that book and writes another book and so, 400 years later there’s a lot of imagination [in history books],” Scott told The Times in November 2023, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ridley-scott-responds-to-french-critics-slamming-napoleon-shut-the-f-up" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
“When I have issues with historians, I ask: ‘Excuse me, mate, were you there? No? Well, shut the f*** up then,’” he added.
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“Napoleon” has grossed $221 million worldwide and received mixed reviews from critics. The film was  praised for having realistic battle sequences and performances, but was criticized for the narrative&#8217;s historical inaccuracies.
It was nominated for Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, and Best Visual Effects at the 96th Academy Awards.
Scott <a href="https://deadline.com/2023/10/ridley-scott-napoleon-joaquin-phoenix-casting-joker-gladiator-1235566587/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> he was torn between Phoenix and another unnamed actor to play the main role, but was &#8220;blown away&#8221; by Phoenix&#8217;s performance in “Joker” (2019) and ultimately decided that Phoenix would be an &#8220;amazing asset&#8221; for the film.

Brian Cox

‘Succession’ Star Slams Joaquin Phoenix’s ‘Truly Terrible’ Performance As Napoleon: ‘I Would Have Played It A Lot Better’

'Succession' Star Slams Joaquin Phoenix's 'Truly Terrible' Performance As Napoleon: 'I Would Have Played It A Lot Better’

Though actor Joaquin Phoenix is an avowed vegan and passionate animal rights activist, he will not &#8220;force&#8221; his son to follow in his footsteps.
Speaking with Britain&#8217;s <a class="x5l" href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/9a567656-c3a0-11eb-912a-e652f3ef104d" target="_blank" rel="noopener external noreferrer">Sunday Times</a>, the &#8220;Joker&#8221; star said that while he hopes his son becomes vegan, he will not impose that lifestyle on him, opting to educate him on the &#8220;reality&#8221; of eating meat.
“I’m not going to impose my belief on my child,” he said. “I’m going to educate him about the reality. I’m not going to indoctrinate him with the idea that McDonald’s have a Happy Meal because there’s nothing f***ing happy about that meal. And I’m not going to tell him that it’s OK to read books about all the wonderful little farm animals, and they say ‘oink oink oink’ and ‘moo moo moo,’ and not tell him that that’s what a hamburger is.&#8221;
If his son were to ever join the ranks of carnivorous humans, Phoenix said that he would support him.
“So I’m not going to perpetuate the lie, but I’m also not going to force him to be vegan. I’ll support him. That’s my plan,” said the actor.
Phoenix recalled his experience of seeing fish getting stunned on the side of the boat as a kid, prompting him to become a vegetarian at the age of three.
“It was such a shocking, visceral experience,” he said. “As a child, your parents just say, ‘It’s fish,’ and you don’t know the difference between fish or broccoli.”
“And to suddenly realize that this thing that we’ve eaten once used to be full of life and we can see it struggling for its life,” he added.
During his Oscar acceptance speech for &#8220;Joker,&#8221; Joaquin Phoenix lamented about how &#8220;disconnected&#8221; society has become from the natural world.
“We’ve become very disconnected from the natural world,” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rush-limbaugh-reacts-to-joaquin-phoenixs-feel-good-wackoism-oscars-speech">Phoenix said</a>. “And many of us, what we’re guilty of is an egocentric world view, the belief that we’re the center of the universe. We go into the natural world and we plunder it for its resources.”
“We feel entitled to artificially inseminate a cow and when she gives birth, we steal her baby, even though her cries of anguish are unmistakable,” he added. “And then we take her milk that’s intended for her calf and we put it in our coffee and our cereal.”
Prior to the speech, he attended a vigil at a pig slaughterhouse where he described the practice as one of &#8220;torture and murder.&#8221;
“Most people don’t really know of the torture and murder in the meat and dairy industry,” <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JaneVelezMitchell/videos/192314958577321/UzpfSTc4NzY2MDE1ODA0MjQ3NToxNTk2NTM0MDIwNDg4NDE0/">Phoenix said</a>. “I’ve seen it for what it is, so I have to be here.”
Phoenix went on to lament that people have been brainwashed to believe animals live happy lives on farms, arguing that those who know the truth have an obligation to fight back.
“We have moral obligations to talk about it and expose it for what it really is,” he continued. “We are so indoctrinated with these happy images of animals on farms, on the covers of meat containers, at restaurants and it’s a lie. I think people need to know the truth and we have an obligation to do that. Those of us that have seen it for what it really is, we have an obligation to expose it, so I have to be here.”

2020 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Radhika Jones – Arrivals

Joaquin Phoenix Will Not Force His Son To Be Vegan

During his Oscars acceptance speech for best male lead as the psychologically tormented Arthur Fleck in &#8220;Joker&#8221; (2019), actor Joaquin Phoenix famously lamented man&#8217;s treatment of cows. &#8220;We go into the natural world and we plunder it for its resources,&#8221; he lamented. &#8220;We feel entitled to artificially inseminate a cow and when she gives birth, we steal her baby. Even though her cries of anguish are unmistakable. And then we take her milk that’s intended for her calf and we put it in our coffee and our cereal.&#8221;
A couple of days later, Phoenix went to the Pico Rivera slaughterhouse in Los Angeles and &#8220;liberated&#8221; a cow and its calf from being &#8220;murdered, murdered, murdered,&#8221; as he put it.
Video of the moment was published online this week by animal rescue and advocacy group <a href="https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&amp;ai=CgljM-fFPXt2vNpbckgPMsIOYBczbi8xbwKfOu9cK9ei9ugIIABABILlUYMne6IbIo5AZoAHA-oDnAsgBAcgD2CCqBD1P0DZ50bqXQhDFbTaRop_zQjOIWXbR7pRQ6z-F8-ycWPX5pYlRZq-R1jcT5lm0mAvOrE9lhIv_iTHa57IVwAShrZLotwKABZBOoAZRgAeohf-YAZAHAagHpr4bqAfy2RuoB_PRG6gH7tIbqAfC2hvYBwGwCAHSCAUQAiCEAZoJHmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmZhcm1zYW5jdHVhcnkub3JnL7EJKCNaVyQYckW5CSgjWlckGHJF-AkBmAsB&amp;ved=2ahUKEwim-Ibw9eLnAhXVop4KHe9BDmMQ0Qx6BAgXEAE&amp;dblrd=1&amp;val=Ggi3A0vqwQAjzSABKAAw3f-P9O-64MwrOPj70O4FQKetv_IF&amp;sig=AOD64_2Al6F250JE6xcPzZsweEw-VfOQ8g&amp;adurl=https://www.farmsanctuary.org/%3Futm_source%3Dgoogle%26utm_medium%3Dcpc">Farm Sanctuary</a>. WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Joaquin Phoenix Rescues Mother Cow and Newborn Calf Day after Academy Awards Win" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_rW0z-9t2q8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
As the video highlights, Phoenix&#8217;s actions followed his wild Oscars acceptance speech in which he portrayed human beings as pillagers and plunderers of the world, which he framed as part of a larger discussion about &#8220;justice.&#8221; During his lament, he specifically cited humanity&#8217;s treatment of cows.
&#8220;I’ve been thinking a lot about some of the distressing issues that we are facing collectively, and I think at times we feel or are made to feel that we champion different causes,” Phoenix said. “But for me, I see commonality. I think whether we’re talking about gender inequality or racism or queer rights or indigenous rights or animal rights, we’re talking about the fight against injustice. We’re talking about the fight against the belief that one nation, one people, one race, one gender, or one species has the right to dominate, control, and use and exploit another with impunity. I think that we’ve become very disconnected from the natural world and many of us, what we’re guilty of, is an egocentric world view, the belief that we’re the center of the universe.&#8221;
&#8220;We go into the natural world and we plunder it for its resources,&#8221; Phoenix continued. &#8220;We feel entitled to artificially inseminate a cow and when she gives birth, we steal her baby. Even though her cries of anguish are unmistakable. And then we take her milk that’s intended for her calf and we put it in our coffee and our cereal. And I think we fear the idea of personal change because we think that we have to sacrifice something to give something up but human beings, at our best, are so inventive and creative and ingenious, and I think that when we use love and compassion as our guiding principles, we can create, develop, and implement systems of change that are beneficial to all sentient beings and to the environment.&#8221;
&#8220;Now, I have been — I’ve been a scoundrel in my life,&#8221; he concluded. &#8220;I’ve been selfish, I’ve been cruel at times, hard to work with and I’m grateful that so many of you in this room have given me a second chance and I think that’s when we’re at our best, when we support each other, not when we cancel each other out for past mistakes, but when we help each other to grow, when we educate each other, when we guide each other toward redemption. That is the best of humanity. I just I want to, when he was 17, my brother wrote this lyric, he said, ‘Run to the rescue with love and peace will follow.’ Thank you.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Who had inseminated cows on their bingo card <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AcademyAwards?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AcademyAwards</a> <a href="https://t.co/hPCdQr4ASj">pic.twitter.com/hPCdQr4ASj</a>
&mdash; Ben McDonald (@Bmac0507) <a href="https://twitter.com/Bmac0507/status/1226721626420441088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The speech garnered a wide range of responses, including from some high-profile figures on the right, among them talk radio legend Rush Limbaugh, who offered some commentary on Phoenix&#8217;s &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rush-limbaugh-reacts-to-joaquin-phoenixs-feel-good-wackoism-oscars-speech">feel-good wackoism</a>&#8221; on his radio show that week.
&#8220;Boy, do we suck,&#8221; said Limbaugh, mockingly. &#8220;Yeah. That’s the Academy Award, best actor for a movie appropriately called &#8216;The Joker.&#8217; We are the center of the universe, Mr. Phoenix,” said Rush. “Humanity is the center of the universe by design. We are the stewards of the universe. We are the stewards of the natural world. We are the ones bestowed with the intelligence and the compassion to do it. We have more cows and more milk than anybody knows, and there isn’t a cow in the world that is anguished when her calf is taken away for more than five minutes because she doesn’t remember it. It’s a gift of God&#8230; Humanity has to feed itself. The means by which we do so has been given to us by God. &#8230; This is not even liberalism. This is just some sort of feel-good wackoism that seeks primacy by placing humanity on no higher level than any other living organism.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/shapiro-joaquin-phoenix-lectures-the-church-of-the-hollywood-elite">SHAPIRO: Joaquin Phoenix Lectures The Church Of The Hollywood Elite</a>

WATCH: Joaquin Phoenix Rescues Calf From Slaughterhouse After Viral Oscars ‘Cow’ Speech

Rush Limbaugh

The following is satirical.
The ramifications of last Sunday’s Oscar telecast are still being felt from the corner of Hollywood and Vine to the other corner of Hollywood and Vine just across the street. After all, when actors are given little statuettes for pretending to be other people, all of America stops, eager to hear what they have to say or possibly we’ve just dozed off.
But who among us is not interested in the opinions of a beautiful millionaire actress traipsing down a red carpet in a hand-made gown embroidered with the names of I’m not sure what exactly, since I was staring at her cleavage like everyone else. And which of us does not want our evening uplifted by hearing the wisdom of an actor who’s kicked drugs long enough to give us the lecture he used to give to his third wife before she wised up and took the kids back to Philadelphia?
We got to hear from Brad Pitt, who was bold enough to speak out against Donald Trump, risking his career by agreeing with every single powerful person he knows or has ever met.
Then there was an Oscar for a documentary about the working man produced by Barack Obama, who made a deal with Netflix likely valued at over $100 million just after making a memoir deal with Random House valued at $65 million.
The director of the documentary accepted her award by quoting the line from the Communist Manifesto, “Workers of the world Unite,” after which she and a motley crew of Russian peasants stormed the Obamas&#8217; mansion and occupied it in your dreams.
And finally, there was Joaquin Phoenix’s speech after winning the Oscar for &#8220;Joker.&#8221; Joaquin, who is still recovering from having been named Joaquin, denounced all mankind for stealing milk from poor little cows and brutally putting it in our coffee, or flavoring it with chocolate — which is really tasty, by the way, especially with just a small scoop of ice cream&#8230;
I forgot what Joaquin was talking about. But then, so has everyone else.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rush-limbaugh-reacts-to-joaquin-phoenixs-feel-good-wackoism-oscars-speech">Rush Limbaugh Reacts To Joaquin Phoenix’s ‘Feel-Good Wackoism’ Oscars Speech</a>

Oscars

After Oscars, Workers Unite To Storm Obama’s Mansion [Satire]

Barack Obama

On Tuesday, legendary conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh reacted to actor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/joaquin-phoenix-we-feel-entitled-to-artificially-inseminate-a-cow-we-steel-her-baby-we-take-her-milk">Joaquin Phoenix&#8217;s Oscar acceptance speech</a>, which the host said went beyond liberalism, qualifying as &#8220;feel-good wackoism.&#8221;
&#8220;We’ve become very disconnected from the natural world,&#8221; Phoenix said on Sunday at the award show. &#8220;And many of us, what we’re guilty of is an egocentric world view, the belief that we’re the center of the universe. We go into the natural world and we plunder it for its resources.&#8221;
&#8220;We feel entitled to artificially inseminate a cow and when she gives birth, we steal her baby, even though her cries of anguish are unmistakable,&#8221; &#8220;The Joker&#8221; actor added. &#8220;And then we take her milk that’s intended for her calf and we put it in our coffee and our cereal.&#8221;
&#8220;Boy, do we suck,&#8221; <a href="https://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2020/02/11/orson-bean-and-the-demise-of-hollywood-greatness/">Limbaugh</a> reacted to the soundbite. &#8220;Yeah. That’s the Academy Award, best actor for a movie appropriately called The Joker.&#8221;
&#8220;We are the center of the universe, Mr. Phoenix,&#8221; the radio host explained. &#8220;Humanity is the center of the universe by design. We are the stewards of the universe. We are the stewards of the natural world. We are the ones bestowed with the intelligence and the compassion to do it.&#8221;
&#8220;We have more cows and more milk than anybody knows, and there isn’t a cow in the world that is anguished when her calf is taken away for more than five minutes because she doesn’t remember it. It’s a gift of God,&#8221; he continued.
&#8220;Remember the story, Mr. Snerdley, a cow fell into a frozen lake, and the media was there to see it, and other cows didn’t even care. They didn’t even notice it. One day the cow was there. The next moment it disappeared in the water,&#8221; Limbaugh outlined. &#8220;But the media wrote that neighboring cows were looking on with great concern. They don’t have the capacity to look – (interruption) hope and fear. Hope and fear. They don’t have the capacity for hope and fear.&#8221;
&#8220;Humanity has to feed itself,&#8221; the host stated. &#8220;The means by which we do so has been given to us by God. We are the stewards of.&#8221;
&#8220;These people are literal fools,&#8221; Limbaugh continued. &#8220;This is what this writer means. They don’t know what they’re talking about.&#8221;
&#8220;This is not even liberalism. This is just some sort of feel-good wackoism that seeks primacy by placing humanity on no higher level than any other living organism,&#8221; he added.
Limbaugh announced earlier this month that he has been diagnosed with advanced lung cancer.
&#8220;I have to tell you something today that I wish I didn’t have to tell you,” he told his loyal listeners. “I have been diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. Diagnosis confirmed by two medical institutions back on January 20th.”
Limbaugh assured his listeners that he was a close relationship with God and noted that he is not experiencing any symptoms.
“I told the staff today that I have a deeply personal relationship with God that I do not proselytize about, but I do, and I have been working that relationship tremendously,” he said. “I am, at the moment, experiencing zero symptoms.”
During the State of the Union address last week, President Donald Trump awarded Limbaugh the Medal of Freedom.
Partial transcript via <a href="https://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2020/02/11/orson-bean-and-the-demise-of-hollywood-greatness/">RushLimbaugh.com</a>

Rush Limbaugh, Joaquin Phoenix

Rush Limbaugh Reacts To Joaquin Phoenix’s ‘Feel-Good Wackoism’ Oscars Speech

Actor Joaquin Phoenix gave a bizarre leftist speech as he accepted an award at the Oscars for his role in the movie &#8220;Joker,&#8221; suggesting that humans use the resources that cows provide because humans believe that they are superior to cows.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve been thinking a lot about some of the distressing issues that we are facing collectively, and I think at times we feel or are made to feel that we champion different causes,&#8221; Phoenix said. &#8220;But for me, I see commonality. I think whether we&#8217;re talking about gender inequality or racism or queer rights or indigenous rights or animal rights, we&#8217;re talking about the fight against injustice.&#8221;
&#8220;We&#8217;re talking about the fight against the belief that one nation, one people, one race, one gender, or one species has the right to dominate, control, and use and exploit another with impunity,&#8221; Phoenix continued. &#8220;I think that we&#8217;ve become very disconnected from the natural world and many of us, what we&#8217;re guilty of, is an egocentric world view, the belief that we&#8217;re the center of the universe.”
&#8220;We go into the natural world and we plunder it for its resources,&#8221; Phoenix continued. &#8220;We feel entitled to artificially inseminate a cow and when she gives birth, we steal her baby. Even though her cries of anguish are unmistakable. And then we take her milk that&#8217;s intended for her calf and we put it in our coffee and our cereal. And I think we fear the idea of personal change because we think that we have to sacrifice something to give something up but human beings, at our best, are so inventive and creative and ingenious, and I think that when we use love and compassion as our guiding principles, we can create, develop, and implement systems of change that are beneficial to all sentient beings and to the environment.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Who had inseminated cows on their bingo card <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AcademyAwards?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AcademyAwards</a> <a href="https://t.co/hPCdQr4ASj">pic.twitter.com/hPCdQr4ASj</a>
&mdash; Ben McDonald (@Bmac0507) <a href="https://twitter.com/Bmac0507/status/1226721626420441088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“Now, I have been &#8212; I&#8217;ve been a scoundrel in my life,” Phoenix continued. “I&#8217;ve been selfish, I&#8217;ve been cruel at times, hard to work with and I&#8217;m grateful that so many of you in this room have given me a second chance and I think that&#8217;s when we&#8217;re at our best, when we support each other, not when we cancel each other out for past mistakes, but when we help each other to grow, when we educate each other, when we guide each other toward redemption.”
“That is the best of humanity,” Phoenix continued. “I just I want to, when he was 17, my brother wrote this lyric, he said, ‘Run to the rescue with love and peace will follow.’ Thank you.”
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
An emotional Joaquin Phoenix concludes his acceptance speech by remembering his brother River Phoenix: &quot;When he was 17, my brother wrote this lyric. He said, &#39;Run to the rescue with love—and peace will follow.&#39;&quot; <a href="https://t.co/8kz7m5vtnF">https://t.co/8kz7m5vtnF</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Oscars?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Oscars</a> <a href="https://t.co/rg89eYCyLK">pic.twitter.com/rg89eYCyLK</a>
&mdash; ABC News (@ABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABC/status/1226723729905987584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Far-left animal rights organization PETA praised Phoenix for his leftist speech, <a href="https://twitter.com/peta/status/1226723427945345026">writing</a>, &#8220;JAW DROP. Sending a HUGE congratulations to #vegan Joaquin Phoenix for winning Best Actor! Joaquin has dedicated his life to ending speciesism and that speech was proof that he is never afraid to speak up for ALL beings. #Joker #Oscars #EndSpeciesism&#8221;
&#8220;THIS is why Joaquin Phoenix is a star in animals’ eyes,&#8221; PETA <a href="https://twitter.com/peta/status/1226728239479033856">added</a>. &#8220;While the entire country was watching, Best Actor winner Joaquin Phoenix took his #Oscars acceptance speech to talk about the cruelty in dairy.&#8221;

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