“We live in a society.” This phrase, completely void of any actual meaning beyond the tautological, has become incessant background noise to our never-ending online discourse. These five words have somehow become linked to three radically different portrayals of the infamous Batman villain, the Joker. Heath Ledger won a posthumous Oscar for his work in The Dark Knight (2008), Jared Leto gave a notoriously bizarre performance in the equally abysmal Suicide Squad (2016), while Joaquin Phoenix sculpted the character into a Scorsese-lite protagonist in the semi-controversial Joker (2019). Despite the variety of approaches each actor took in shaping their take on the clown prince of chaos to varying levels of success, the internet has reduced it all down into an inane, post-ironic sentence.
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It seems like society has emerged once again to take down its archnemesis, but not in the way you might expect. Much like how Al Capone was finally convicted of tax evasion after years of murder, the Joker has not been interned for any violent crimes. Rather, his downfall has come from the notoriously dull world of copyright law. This time, however, there are real-world consequences, with an artist unable to share her art with the world. Read on to find out what happened with The People’s Joker and why you should care.
What Is The People’s Joker?
Vera Drew
Like many of us, Vera Drew was stuck at home and incredibly bored for much of 2020, so she took up a new project to keep herself occupied. However, instead of learning to bake bread like the rest of us, she had something different in mind. Drew has been active in the field of entertainment for over a decade as both a stand-up comedian and longtime video editor for absurdist and satirical projects like On Cinema, Comedy Bang! Bang!, and Who Is America?, the last of which earned her a daytime Emmy. At the beginning of the pandemic, newly unemployed, Drew decided that she would use her free time to make a movie entitled The People’s Joker.
Her debut feature film would be autobiographical, showing her struggles with mental health and gender transition, but through the structure and aesthetics of the Joker’s supervillain origin story. A unique concept, to be sure, but Drew was determined to make it happen through a crowdfunding campaign and help from other creatives. True to her word, Drew completed the project, and it premiered recently at the Toronto Film Festival.
However, after only a single showing at TIFF, all the film’s future screenings were canceled, including those at the upcoming Fantastic Fest, due to an angry letter from Warner Bros. As of this moment, the future of the film remains in limbo, though Drew is sure that it will be shown again, according to a statement she released on Twitter:
Banning The People’s Joker Sets a Dangerous Precedent
According to an article from Rolling Stone that recounts the history of the Joker, the character first appeared in “Batman #1, the Spring 1940 launch of The Dark Knight’s dedicated comic-book series.” This was 82 years ago, longer than the lifespan of the average human, yet DC Comics, and their parent company Warner Bros., still have the copyright for the character. This is largely due to efforts from Disney to keep Mickey Mouse out of the public domain. Trademarks and copyrights were theoretically created to protect the profits of artists and inventors, but they have just become another tool that corporations can wield to extinguish creativity and competition.
The good news is that Vera Drew might be able to claim that The People’s Joker falls under fair use as a parody. However, a legal battle against the corporate behemoth of Warner Bros. could be prohibitively time-consuming and expensive. This is far from the first time a major media company has gone after fan projects, and it’s unlikely to be the last. However, due to the amount of press this story is getting, the way it all plays out could shape a major precedent for how this sort of thing is handled in the future.
Even if you don’t care about this specific project, its success or failure could have wide-reaching implications that affect something you like.
The People’s Joker Tells a Personal Queer Narrative
While very few people have been able to see the movie, according to all reports, The People’s Joker is as absurd and ironic as you’d expect, yet also contains a deeply intimate trans narrative. YouTuber and podcaster Sam Sutherland wrote on Letterboxd that while the film’s jokes and aesthetic are fantastic, they “are ultimately in service of a genuinely touching coming-of-age story grounded by sincere and powerful performances.” Similarly, a review from Variety states “[t]hat Drew can amuse, offend and still bring it all around to a heartfelt emotional finale…is quite the hat trick.”
While more queer stories than ever are being given a platform, few are as unique and personal as this one appears to be. Even beyond the necessary representation, it’s rare to see a film this anarchic, and just flat-out weird get made, let alone seen and lauded. Supporting any artist with an authentic and singular voice is the right thing to do in most cases, especially when they are a part of an underrepresented group and fighting against a mega-corporation.
It is unsurprising that Warner Bros. is trying to prevent to protect its intellectual property. However, the Streisand effect has struck once again, creating the #FreeThePeoplesJoker movement. Hopefully, pressure from eager audiences and Vera Drew’s immense amount of hard work will pay off, and everyone will be able to see The People’s Joker.
