US Army issues warning over potential shootings at Joker screenings
Landmark president-CEO Teo Mundroff told THR that costumes, masks, and toy guns are put on the regularly banned items list to comfort their customers in their surroundings for the Joker movie. The US Army base at Fort Sill, Oklahoma also warned their commanders with potential mass shooting threats related to the movie. The memo that was issued in the warning read, “Commanders need to be aware of this threat for Soldier and family safety and to increase situational awareness should they choose to attend the release of this movie”. They also warned the soldiers about social media posts that are referencing the 2012 Aurora shooting.
US Army issues warning over potential shootings at Joker screenings
If you are out of the loop about this whole subject, let me explain. The US military has apparently seen some posts that reference or idolize the 2012 Aurora mass shooting. 2012 Aurora mass shooting was done by a mass murderer called James Holmes who showed up to the screening of the Dark Knight Rises in tactical clothing and shot into crowd with several firearms killing 12 people. A group of people on the internet called the incels (involuntary celibate) are mostly extremists who idolize this kind of mass shootings. They are a group of individuals who express frustration from perceived disadvantages to starting intimate relationships as the military calls them in their statement. They hold society accountable for every relationship they’ve failed and every wrong life decision they’ve made. Basically a group of men who can’t get laid and blame society because of it. Plus they post some real sick stuff on the internet.
The controversy around the movie got bigger after it won the Top Prize at the Venice Film Festival
Despite posting some sick stuff on the internet, the only real problem with this group of people is that they mostly tend to show violence through terrorism. Incels see these mass shootings as a rightful retribution. 2014 Isla Vista shooting is known for inspiring other killings in their community. The reason why the military finds them related to the Joker is because most of them think the character Joker identifies them. The latest Joker movie that is planned to come out on October 4th is about the character’s origin. Story of a “normal guy” driven to violent insanity due to society being unfair to him. Incels put themselves in his shoes and think they are in a similar situation. So you get the idea why they are related to Joker screenings this much.
And because the Joker is already kicking up some controversy around its name, 2012 Aurora mass shooting victims’ families wrote a letter to Warner Bros. calling for donations to the gun-violence charities because the Joker movie “Represents the character as a protagonist with a sympathetic origin story.” Warner Bros. replied with an official statement saying that “Joker” was not meant as an endorsement of real-world violence. The Joker movie director Todd Phillips also talked to The Warp about this situation saying that people as a whole are waiting for a target they can pounce on – and “Joker” may be an obvious one.
