Since then, that movie’s writer-directors, Lana and Lilly Wachowski, have come out as trans women, and the red pill choice has commonly been read as a metaphor for the trans experience, to the chagrin of some transphobic men’s rights activists. Men’s Rights Activists radically misinterpreted The Matrix’s “red pill” (the pill that shows Neo the truth, that he lives in a manufactured Matrix) to describe the supposed “lies” of feminism. Just look at Pepe the Frog, a goofy stoned cartoon amphibian that evolved into a symbol of hatred favored by the alt-right, despite the fact that its creator says he was meant to represent love. The lawlessness of the internet makes it a place where any character or symbol can easily be spun out of control or coopted by people with ill intent.
Heath Ledger’s iconic take on the character in The Dark Knight (2008), in particular, has been memeified by anarchists, gamer-gaters, men’s rights activists and incels, his ethos of “let the world burn” inspiring trolls across social media. Between these transgressive acts and his overall inclination toward nihilism and anarchy, the Joker has become a potent symbol on the internet for many people who feel isolated from or angry at society. Creators and performers have pushed boundaries with the character, like when he committed a sexually violent act in the 1988 graphic novel The Killing Joke, or when Jared Leto got into character on the set of Suicide Squad by sending his cast mates used condoms. After all, he’s been doing so for decades. Maybe we shouldn’t be surprised that the latest version of the Joker is courting controversy. But it also has some critics worried about how moviegoers will interpret the story of a man struggling with mental health issues who is pushed to violence - and at least one “credible” mass shooting threat was made, according to military officials. The film was received rapturously at the Venice Film Festival and broke the October opening weekend box-office record with an estimated $93.5 million. Joker is shaping up to be the most controversial movie of the year.
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