Written by Chris Snellgrove | issued
Recently, the world was shocked by the sudden assassination of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson and the subsequent arrest of suspected gunman Luigi Mangione. As a pop culture writer and all-around geek, I tend to view big events through the lens of TV and movies, but the widespread support for CEO murder led me to a wild and somewhat unpleasant realization. So the Joker is real, he’s in all of us, and Todd Phillips’ first film about the clown prince of crime perfectly illustrates how we react to these strange occurrences. I had predicted it.
we are all clowns
what made it joker When this film was released, it was notable for its realistic portrayal of the psychology of comic book villains, who are often dismissed as mere murderous clowns. Rather than giving the titular villain a very ambiguous origin, as in the comics and early films, joker It shows very clearly how he descended into murderous insanity because the system kept failing him when he was at his most vulnerable. This culminates in him executing three arrogant Wall Street brothers and a cynical talk show host, and the film’s ending shows how much his actions resonate with a supportive public. It shows the size.
when joker ” came out, this ending seemed as crazy as the Jester Prince himself. It seemed unreal that so many people would riot and rally behind a complete stranger after learning he was a murderer. Nevertheless, that is exactly what happened recently when the CEO of United Healthcare was shot and killed. Even before Luigi Mangione was arrested as a suspect, there was an outpouring of public support for his actions. And since his arrest, his support has grown even more, with even his fellow inmates recently calling for him to be released even if he is found guilty.
Without commenting on the morality of the shooter or the moral responsibility of the victims, I still cannot help pointing out that these events proved a conspiracy conspiracy. joker Realistic and eerily prescient. In that movie, the main character kills a powerful Wall Street bully who is harassing a helpless woman, and then goes on a talk show where he can’t believe his favorite clown thinks his murderous act is so funny. Kill the presenter. The Joker also kills Murray Franklin after realizing that the man’s primary role is to support a broken system that chews up dreams and spits out corpses.
eerie similarities
If you think I’m getting there about Joker being too realistic, watch the movie again and see how well some of the quotes match up with the discourse surrounding the CEO assassination. please. The Joker confronts Murray and asks, “Have you seen what it’s like outside?” And powerful people like Thomas Wayne rhetorically ask, “Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be like me?” In justifying his decision to shoot Wall Street associates who worked for Wayne, the Joker says that those in power “think we’re just going to sit there and accept it…We… I have no intention of turning into a werewolf and going on a rampage!” he declares.
Similar statements have been made by defenders of Brian Thompson’s assassination, and UnitedHealthcare has previously denied claims (it has reportedly denied one in three claims). Many people have pointed out that this means that they are responsible for injuring or killing civilians. As such, the CEO became a kind of Thomas Wayne-like figure, and many people were unsympathetic to his death, much like the Joker was to Murray Franklin. It was the belief that people can be pushed to their limits before being pushed back.
Despite a surge of support for suspected gunman Luigi Mangione, mainstream media reacts with horror to the idea that anyone would condone the murder of Brian Thompson. For those who condone or celebrate that murder, it represents what the Joker said to Murray as another real insight into the power structure tearing the country apart. “It’s a system that knows a lot, folks. It decides what’s right and what’s wrong just as it decides what’s funny and what’s not.”
we get what we deserve
Although Luigi Mangione’s guilt has not yet been determined, it is noteworthy that his own history seems to suggest that he may feel betrayed by the medical industry. He suffered a severe back injury that made everything from surfing (his favorite hobby) to sex impossible, and he became a murderer, especially at the age of 26, the age at which young people can no longer take out their parents’ insurance. The Joker’s final joke to Murray asks, “What do you get when you mix a mentally ill, lonely man with a society that abandons him and treats him like trash?” It keeps the Joker authentic.
The fatal punchline is “You’re getting what you deserve,” and it’s hard to avoid the conclusion that America is, in fact, getting what we deserve. As our health care system becomes increasingly unaffordable and irretrievably broken, we all allow executives to scrape together millions of dollars while effectively sentencing poor patients whose claims are dismissed to death. We have been conditioned to accept the world. But until a few years ago, it still seemed far-fetched that a relative who didn’t attack the rich and powerful could inspire such public enthusiasm and treat him like a hero.
But while the Joker is real, he’s not necessarily the alleged gunman. Rather, we are all becoming more and more “werewolves” and “running wild” out of a desire to resist a sick system that preys on even sicker people. And it looks like this joke isn’t going to end anytime soon, given the recent spate of wanted CEO posters in New York City urging other vigilante groups to take further action against the rich and powerful. We may see more punch lines soon. It will forever change the discourse on health care in America.
