In light of the release of DC Comics new film, “Joker,” media coverage has been overwhelmingly negative since its debut. Unlike the media, I don’t see any reason for such negativity. The plain truth is that media isn’t the main cause of violence at all.

In the film, we see failed clown and comedian Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) dissolve into madness and become the villain we all know as Joker. Arthur’s dive into insanity and terribly violent crimes are all based around his abandonment issues and his feeling of not fitting in due to a neurological disorder that causes him to laugh at uncomfortable times. The movie truly has some disturbing themes, and that has both some people and the media scared. 

In a recent CNN article, the author argues that the movie could lead to potential copycat violence spawned from the film represents. The worry the article mentions is made to spread fear and create a public disapproval for the movie. 

Over many years politicians, reporters and media companies have tried and tried to make it sound like movies and video games are the reason behind violent attacks, such as shootings and murders. Sure, people may get upset about losing a round of Call Of Duty and be in a bad mood, but they’re not going to go shoot a random person on the street because of it. That would be a product of mental issues, not the game itself. An article published in TheWeek, titled “Video Games and Violence, Explained,” they showed research in with three groups. One group was playing a violent game, one playing a non-violent game and one not playing any games at all. They found that between all three groups, there were no differences in their aggression or anxiety levels. 

But media companies want to use these as their excuse to not talk about the real issues behind an event, such as a shooting, to help spread their own ideologies. They may want to push their gun control agenda, or make you believe, even in this case, someone will be inspired by the Joker movie to commit horrible acts against people.