That said, I think there’s been an inordinate tilt toward talking about the Joker in terms of his screen (both large and small) incarnations, which, with maybe the exception of Cesar Romero’s portrayal, haven’t leaned into the queer subtext in nearly the same extent as the comics.
BATMAN GAY SEX COMIC JOKER MOVIE
Every time a new film iteration of him crops up, even though I know it won’t be what I want, I heave a little dismayed sigh at the dashed hope and saddle up to fork over the money for a movie ticket.
Perhaps that’s why the Joker’s impression on me as a character whose queerness is often erased has been indelible. Firsts are a powerful thing: they make big stamped impressions in the libraries of our memories. My first real foray into fandom was communing with fellow queer folks whose eyebrows had raised when they read the very same comic panels I had, assuring each other that the evidence wasn’t something we’d made up. Maybe it’s because he’s the first queercoded villain in comics that I ever really saw. This queercoded psychotic clown has been on my mind for far too long, and he won’t leave me be. This is how I’ll forever feel about the Joker, and while it feels dangerous to even attempt to rebel against the tide here, I just can’t help it. There’s always more to glean from art than what the loudest fans say there is and, even more than what the author tells you you’re allowed to see. And really, in a post “death of the author” era where the internet can connect marginalized groups, I don’t see why we should let anyone have final say on the interpretation of any media we love. Have I mentioned I really hate this phenomenon? Never mind that I’ve spent many an episode crying and shuddering at how all too real the depiction of narcissistic parentage and its consequences is and how rarely that issue is reflected in media. I’m a Rick and Morty fan, and somehow maladjusted dudes who misinterpret Rick’s worst behavior as something the show is actually advocating have come to be synonymous with what the show means. I’m no stranger to toxic male fans drowning me out theirs become the only voices anyone hears until they control the narrative on a character. Joker’s queerness has been expressed in many different ways over the years of endless musical chairs of comic writers and artists, but it’s being usually swallowed by a tide of angry male voices for whom the character is about something else entirely.