‘Joker’ Controversy Continues: Parents Of Aurora Shooting Victims Call Out Todd Phillips For ‘Dismissing Violence’

Three months past Joker release, the DC movie that won Joaquin Phoenix the ‘Best Actor’ award at the Golden Globes continues to be embroiled with controversies. In fact, the controversies have tailed the Todd Philips directorial ever since the first trailer hit the internet with many fearing that the movie glories ‘violence’ with Arthur Fleck leading the ‘incels’ for the unhappy lot. The problem with Joker also intensified when some critics pointed out that in telling the story of a man like Arthur, who feels like the society has not been kind to him which leads him to violence, feels a little too similar to real news events of mass shootings that happen on a regular basis in the U.S.

Much as the warnings, parents, Sandy and Lonnie Phillips, who lost their daughter in 2012 Aurora shooting, ironically also the time when another Batman movie, 'The Dark Knight Rises' was screening, have written an open letter condemning Joker director Todd Phillips for dismissing the film’s violence.

.@jokermovie director Philips said yesterday we’re outraged about Joker for the sake of it.

Wrong! We're outraged companies like @warnerbros profit from violent movies while failing to work to prevent actual gun violence

Work w/ us — together, we can save lives. pic.twitter.com/wQh8imAyJF

— Sandy Phillips (@MamaRedfield) January 7, 2020

 “We are not outraged about The Joker because it has become a ‘thing’ to ‘look for things to be outraged about,’” the couple begin after directly addressing director Phillips.

As for director Todd Philips whose movie won accolades after accolades, he spoke up about the controversy surrounding his movie while sitting down Fresh Air’s Terry Gross.

“We knew our intentions in making the movie. It kind of bummed us out that it was so divisive,” said Phillips. “But it does seem to be that we live in an age of outrage now, and people look for things to be outraged about and they’re going to be outraged just about that comment, probably’’ Todd said.

“It’s become a thing,” Phillips continued. “The good news is the movie obviously struck a chord and people were having discussions about it and arguing about its merits.”

Golden Globes for Best Actor and also leading this year’s BAFTA nominations with 11 nods, Phoenix’s Joker also looks hopeful for the big win at the Oscars.

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