"Joker" looks like another celebration of toxic masculinity

But here’s the thing: you’ve already met the Joker, and he wasn’t nearly as interesting or attractive in real life. Perhaps you didn’t realise he was the Joker, because he didn’t look like Heath Ledger or Jared Leto. Perhaps he smoked or vaped. Perhaps his favourite book was Infinite Jest – or was it Milan Kundera’s The Unbearable Lightness of Being? Perhaps he wanted to show you the world. There were books he wanted you to read and music you just had to listen to. Few people understood him. He was trying his best, but the world just seemed to be against him. All he wanted was a special soul who would finally get him – and how lucky were you that he had picked you?

We all have a bit of the Joker in us. It is tempting to think that our failures are the result not of our own shortcomings, but of other people’s misconceptions. It’s a natural defense mechanism, and sometimes it’s justified. Who hasn’t felt like the Joker at least once over the course of their life? It’s hard to watch the new trailer and not think of at least one instance of childhood bullying. Who hasn’t been taunted for standing out? Who hasn’t been called a freak, or an equivalent insult? (If you answered “me” to any of these questions, feel free to drop me an email, I have about 100 questions for you.)