Failing Comedian Didn’t Like “Joker” Because It “Wasn’t That Funny”

As most of the SLC’s three-person film committee know, Todd Phillips’ newest film (and hopefully not manifesto), “Joker,” hit theatres at the beginning of the month. Although the film got backlash for just about everything from incel representation to setting fire to the Bechdel Test, anyone who has seen “Joker” is likely to have sprung a baby boner for Arthur Fleck - uh, we mean Joaquin Phoenix’s talent. Even with its widespread success, Phoenix has not faced this level of controversy since Dad tried to move the family vacation to fucking Arizona. Sure, people who have seen “Her” have their intellectual takes on the flick, but simply look around any local theatre to find a guy in checkered Vans pissed as fuck and yelling at a woman. That guy is everyone’s favorite classmate: a failing comedian! 

“Don’t get me wrong. ‘Brother Bear’ will always be Joaquin Phoenix’s best work. I guess I was just disappointed in the overall plot and performance - and the movie’s take on men in standup comedy,” said FSU student and 2-month veteran comedian, Noah Davis, while painting one nail pink to match his girlfriend’s fresh manicure. “I love pretty much every film Todd Phillips has made, but for the title of the movie being ‘Joker,’ I don’t think I smiled even once. Aren’t jokers supposed to be funny, or at least shit on ‘woke’ culture? It’s like, do I have to give him tips or something? I was expecting it to be a mix of ‘Borat’ and ‘A Star is Born,’ but it wasn’t even as badass as ‘War Dogs.’ It was like, way sadder. I took some notes for Joaquin in my Moleskine that I know I can one day workshop with him over a glass of Miller High Life - the champagne of beers.”

“I told my boyfriend the movie would be pretty dark, but he didn’t believe me,” said third-year film student, Tessa London, as she finished editing Davis’ thirty second comedy reel in exchange for a half-eaten Jimmy John’s sandwich. “I totally support my comedian boyfriend, but  I don’t think he fully understood the purpose of the film or the origin of the story. He kept saying that the Joker stole his material. He started weeping when Joker’s standup didn’t land, and I think he was just taking the movie a little too personally. Like yeah, babe, even the good guy/deranged clown tanks sometimes. I honestly thought the Joker was funnier than some of the guys I’ve seen at Bird’s, but that’s just my ‘dumb opinion.’ At least he wasn’t a lady comedian talking about periods or something. Yuck.”

Whether “Joker” really deserved a decent Letterboxd review or not, the movie did rob a lot of broke comedy boys of their lunch money (lunch meaning weed and funions). Just because the movie is based on a clown-inspired comic book doesn’t mean it will get laughs. There is some, how you say, tragic irony in that, Noah! But the guys who go up on stage once a week to bomb in front of an audience full of drunk burnouts? Now that’s comedy, baby.