This Joker is no Joke

I was sitting in our family room over thirty years ago when a disturbing news bulletin flashed across the screen.  Families in a neighborhood not far from us were warned to lockdown and seek a safe place in the center of their house.  It was not a tornado that was eminent, rather a man dressed in camouflage and carrying semi-automatic weapons.  He was walking up and down a residential street firing randomly into homes.  Fortunately no one was seriously injured and police were able to safely arrest him.  He actually lived in the neighborhood and in his mind he was defending “his turf.”  When they searched his home they found poster of Rambo on the wall and a similar movie in his VCR. 

I thought of this incident on Friday when I read of the release of the new Joker movie. As I understand, the plot centers around a man named Arthur who is beaten down in life both mentally and physically.  As a result he descends into madness and takes on the character of “the Joker.”  In this scenario the Joker becomes happier and more well-liked has he embraces horror and anarchism.  In a world where mass shootings are so common, I struggle to find any value in this story.  Frankly, it sounds like the backstory to too many of the disturbed people who have committed actual violent acts.  The sad fact is too many people cannot distinguish fantasy from reality.

I will admit a bias when it comes to Hollywood.  My family will tell you that I don’t go to the movies.  We do own a DVD player but I prefer to watch concert videos or old sitcoms like Cheers, Coach or WKRP.  If I do watch a movie it’s usually a classic that I have seen before like Hoosiers or Coach Carter.  It’s a scary world and I don’t need to go to movie to be reminded of that.  I also disdain any film that promotes violence.  An additional reason for skipping the flics is Hollywood seems to have a genuine disdain for Christianity.  Additionally I feel the film industry promotes much of the moral shift that we have seen in our culture. 

I am not sure what I want you to do with this information.  I certainly am not advocating a boycott.  I guess I would just hope you are more aware of what kind of entertainment you watch and what kind of behavior and lifestyle you encourage.  Today’s children and teens are growing in a challenging environment.  We do not need an entertainment industry that further leads us further down the wrong path.