Are Movies Ruined?

Far and away, Joker (2019) is the most divisive film of the year. This Joaquin Phoenix led film is about the origin story of the classic comic book villain, the Joker (obviously), a troubled reject from society, and in the same way that the comprable character Travis Bickle exudes violence in the film Taxi Driver (1976), many claim Arthur Fleck poses as a potential inspiration for real world predators, including mass shooters. In a modern society where we can't be too careful about what we say, this movie begs the question: are movies ruined? Do our 'woke' societal values restrict original and controversial media? Don't worry, because the answer is no.

The reason why the worry about this R-Rated flick confuses me is because people are acting like violent movies didn't exist before today. Earlier this year, Ari Aster wrote and directed a film WAY more gruesome than the Joker called Midsommar (2019), and it KILLED at the box office, bringing in over 300% in profit in relation to its budget. This movie was both well received and adored by many, while also containing material that would give me an in-school suspension if I wrote it on this blog. If you think that our modernized culture is ruining movies, then you are dumb. 

But do you know who's NOT dumb? Todd Phillips, the director of the aforementioned film, the Joker.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Phillips complains about the 'woke culture' ruining the industry. As a director previously exclusively known for his male-lead comedy films (The Hangover Trilogy, Starsky and Hutch, Road Trip), he rants about how impossible it is to maintain a career in comedy: “Go try to be funny nowadays with this woke culture... There were articles written about why comedies don't work anymore -- I'll tell you why, because all the [dang] funny guys are like, ‘[screw] this [stuff], because I don't want to offend you’”Vanity Fair). 

Todd is not alone on this topic. Dave Chappelle -- a legendary and controversial standup comic who is notorious for dancing on the line of hilarious and too-far -- had a lot to say about this topic: “Celebrity-hunting season," he says in his critically disastrous yet publicly adored Netflix special: Sticks and Stones, “They’re going to get everybody eventually. I don’t think I did anything wrong... but we’ll see” (Netflix). Although this comment was followed by a huge laugh, its meaning rings true: if celebrities, whether comedians or dramatic actors, are being cancelled left and right for ruffling feathers, can media still remain genuine? And what does this mean for movies like the Joker? 

No matter how morally troubling the film is, the true way to tell if the Joker fared well with the public is if it is a commercial success. While I write this, the Joker is on track to set box office records, grossing $93 MILLION domestically in just the opening weekend. And in the film industry, there's an old saying: “If it makes money, there's gonna be more of it.” If you can't add two and two together, with the windfall the Joker is expected to have, I don't think we'll be saying goodbye to films like the Joker anytime soon.