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It’s All About the Punch(line): 
The Crossing of  Masculinity’s Border 
as portrayed in Todd Phillips’s Joker

Sam Scoma, Ball State University

Catcalls, rapists, dick jokes, and risky Catcalls, rapists, dick jokes, and risky 
business are only a handful of symptoms business are only a handful of symptoms 
of the current worldwide viral epidemic of the current worldwide viral epidemic 
dubbed “toxic masculinity.” Focusing dubbed “toxic masculinity.” Focusing 
on toxic masculinity in Todd Phillips’s on toxic masculinity in Todd Phillips’s 
film, film, JokerJoker, this essay recounts the , this essay recounts the 
toxic behaviors associated with toxic behaviors associated with 
America’s hegemonic masculine America’s hegemonic masculine 
system and addresses how party system and addresses how party 
clown and failed comic Arthur clown and failed comic Arthur 
Fleck’s journey across masculinity’s Fleck’s journey across masculinity’s 
border—and transformation into border—and transformation into 
the famous villain, Joker— glorifies the famous villain, Joker— glorifies 
the adoption of these toxic traits. the adoption of these toxic traits. 
Phillips’s film is an unhealthy influence on Phillips’s film is an unhealthy influence on 
young, nontraditionally masculine males. young, nontraditionally masculine males. 
Fleck’s character arc teaches them that Fleck’s character arc teaches them that 
using violence, sexually asserting oneself, using violence, sexually asserting oneself, 
and withholding emotions all come and withholding emotions all come 
with serious social benefits and lack any with serious social benefits and lack any 
consequences. Phillips claims through consequences. Phillips claims through 
JokerJoker that the oppressed unmasculine  that the oppressed unmasculine 
man can overcome his social hardships man can overcome his social hardships 
by simply replacing his weak, effeminate by simply replacing his weak, effeminate 
personality traits (such as crying openly, personality traits (such as crying openly, 
solving conflicts without physicality, solving conflicts without physicality, 

and sexual passivity) with mainstream and sexual passivity) with mainstream 
toxic behaviors. This personality change toxic behaviors. This personality change 
is necessary to cross the border into is necessary to cross the border into 
mainstream masculinity and elevated mainstream masculinity and elevated 
social states, according to Phillips’s social states, according to Phillips’s 
character study. Phillips’s catch-all character study. Phillips’s catch-all 
solution is a claim I contradict with solution is a claim I contradict with 
evidence of the failing health of young evidence of the failing health of young 
men in real-world America, concluding men in real-world America, concluding 
with a plea for the creation of safe spaces with a plea for the creation of safe spaces 
for healthy male identity exploration.for healthy male identity exploration.
overcome his social hardships by overcome his social hardships by 
simply replacing his weak, effeminate simply replacing his weak, effeminate 
personality traits (such as crying openly, personality traits (such as crying openly, 
solving conflicts without physicality, solving conflicts without physicality, 
and sexual passivity) with mainstream and sexual passivity) with mainstream 
toxic behaviors. This personality change toxic behaviors. This personality change 
is necessary to cross the border into is necessary to cross the border into 
mainstream masculinity and elevated mainstream masculinity and elevated 
social states, according to Phillips’s social states, according to Phillips’s 
character study. Phillips’s catch-all character study. Phillips’s catch-all 
solution is a claim I contradict with solution is a claim I contradict with 
evidence of the failing health of young evidence of the failing health of young 
men in real-world America, concluding men in real-world America, concluding 
with a plea for the creation of safe spaces with a plea for the creation of safe spaces 
for healthy male identity exploration.for healthy male identity exploration.



 Toxic masculinity is a modern pandemic that has overtaken young white men in 
America at an incredible rate, with restrictive symptoms such as withholding one’s emotions, 
displaying hypersexuality and aggression, and adopting unnaturally high self-reliance, 
among others.These values are not intrinsic, but societally enforced in the practice dubbed 
hegemonic masculinity. Todd Phillips’s version of  DC villain Joker, Arthur Fleck, is a 
modern poster child for the American male everyman’s journey to adopt toxic masculine 
principles in order to mature into a man of  dangerous confidence and consequence. Fleck’s 
zero-to-hero character arc is an adept illustration of  how society forces men to cross a 
metaphysical border from “weakling boy” to “real man” in order to gain respect from 
others and exert control over one’s own body. However, as Fleck’s journey across the border 
illuminates, crossing into toxic masculinity requires the adoption of  many dangerous traits—
from coveting violence to embracing hypersexuality and adopting emotional façades—and 
serves as a testament to why toxic masculinity’s border should remain uncrossed.

A Biblical Book: Masculinity’s Commandments
 In tracing Fleck’s haphazard arc toward toxicity, one must first understand exactly 
what toxic masculinity requires of  its adherents. In 1976, social scientists Deborah David 
and Robert Brannon synthesized a “Guy Code” from years of  research, having drafted a 
bible-to-be for those coming into manliness:

1. No Sissy Stuff: anything that even remotely hints of  femininity is prohibited. A real 
man must avoid any behavior or characteristic associated with women.

2. Be a Big Wheel: masculinity is measured by success, power, and the admiration of  
others. One must possess wealth, fame, and status to be considered manly.

3. Be a Sturdy Oak: manliness requires rationality, toughness, and self-reliance. A man 
must remain calm in any situation, show no emotion, and admit no weakness.

4. Give ‘em Hell: men must exude an aura of  daring and aggression, and must be 
willing to take risks, to ‘go for it’ even when reason and fear suggest otherwise 
(Levine 145).

 But America hasn’t burned this bible yet. Distinguished sociologist Dr. Michael 
Kimmel recently asked young men (ages 17-22) from every state in America (and 15 other 
countries) what phrases came to mind when they heard someone say, “be a man.” Much to 
his dismay, Kimmel found that the Guy Code’s pillars remained largely unchanged:

1. Boys Don’t Cry
2. It’s Better to be Mad than Sad
3. Don’t Get Mad—Get Even
4. Take It Like a Man

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5. He Who has the Most Toys When He Dies, Wins
6. Just Do It or Ride or Die
7. Size Matters
8. I Don’t Stop to Ask for Directions
9. Nice Guys Finish Last
10. It’s All Good (Kimmel 45).

 These “commandments” form the foundation of  toxic masculinity—real men 
must follow them to receive the highest social status. Several of  these commandments 
are embraced by Fleck as he fills out his (rather large, clown-like) shoes during the film’s 
progression.

“It’s Better to Be Mad than Sad”: Beat-Downs and Bystanders
 The classic Joker is one of  the American public’s most beloved villains. He is 
a complete madman boasting a chemically-inflicted skin disfiguration and a love for 
violence and manic laughter. However, Todd Phillips’s Joker, Arthur Fleck, is contrastingly 
unremarkable. He is a socially awkward, sad party clown who simply learns to stand up for 
himself. Fleck’s life is one boisterous, walking example of  Kimmel’s second principle, “It’s 
better to be mad than sad” (Kimmel 45). When Fleck simply chooses to be “sad,” he is 
beaten and battered. The film proposes that violence is the necessary answer to Fleck’s woes, 
using it as the vehicle to help him cross the border into manhood. Joker opens with Fleck, 
the professional party clown, sporting a painted grin while spinning signs for a liquidated 
business. Only seconds later, a gaggle of  teenagers seize Fleck’s sign and a chase ensues, 
ending in an alley beatdown. While kicking Fleck, the boys shout, “This guy’s weak, he can’t 
do nothing. Harder, harder!”and “Beat him up, take his stuff ” (Phillips). The camera engages 
in a lengthy pause to emphasize Fleck’s pitiful state as he cradles his groin on the pavement, 
painted smile twisted with grief.

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The camera engages in a 24-second pause to emphasize Fleck’s pitiful state.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_TOd0-46vQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_TOd0-46vQ


 Within the film’s first minutes, Fleck is presented as a pitiable effeminate character; 
this is what motivates the young boys to target him. When Fleck is a “sad” man, he’s an 
easy target for physical beatings. This trait is a reflection of  toxic masculinity’s emphasis on 
learning how to “take it like a man,” that is, with unbreakable stoicism. The boys also take his 
belongings in a brief  ode to Kimmel’s fifth principle, “He Who has the Most Toys ...Wins” 
(Kimmel 45). Fleck isn’t respected by others because his failed masculinity places him within 
the bordered outlands of  the social eye.
 However, everything changes once Fleck is gifted a pistol by his coworker Randall. 
Suddenly, Fleck can choose to be “mad,” and his life becomes considerably better. Arthur 
Fleck first toes the border between weak and powerful masculinity on a late-night subway 
ride when an unexpected episode of  his pseudobulbar affect (uncontrollable, mood-
noncongruent laughter) pins him beneath the shoes of  a drunken businessman trio who 
mock and assault his shaking, contorted body (Phillips). An analysis of  this scene’s physical 
posturing is pertinent to illustrate Fleck’s newfound empowerment after crossing toxic 
masculinity’s border through a sudden act of  violence.
 During the early stages of  confrontation, Fleck remains seated and small while the 
businessmen circle over him with outstretched arms and loose posture that project their 
socially owed confidence. The men’s relative posturing is indicative of  their relative social 
statuses. These businessmen bring home respectable money, sexually assert themselves upon 
a female passenger on the subway, and use violence to uphold their place in the pecking 
orderover poor, unmasculine, feeble virgin Fleck. But once he draws his pistol, Fleck unfolds 
his spine for the first time and stands tall while marching after the last of  his aggressors who 
is symbolically wounded into a limp (Phillips).

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Fleck stands tall, pistol in hand, positioned dominantly over his last victim.

https://youtu.be/mUPJckUSdzo?t=212


Fleck is able to stand over the now-terrified man’s body before murdering him from above, 
indicating that with violence he is able to quite literally stand above the men to whom society 
has awarded a higher social status for living within masculinity’s borders. Fleck then does 
something unexpected. Instead of  grieving, he performs a ninety second dance in a nearby 
bathroom to further emphasize the unexpected wave of  joy he has experienced from getting 
mad rather than sad. Miraculously, Fleck manages to escape the crime scene and return to 
his home, visually minimizing the consequences which come from using violence to solve 
disputes.
 The contrast here is blatant. When Fleck passively took a beating in the film’s opening 
scene, his body and paycheck were bruised and broken just like his wooden sign, but when 
he became angry and killed his aggressors, his problems simply vanished. His adoption 
of  violence as a problem-solving method is the most apparent sign that feeble Fleck has 
hopped over toxic masculinity’s border, taking Kimmel’s adage to heart; it really is better to 
be mad than sad (45). Once Fleck retaliates by using violence to control others, he finally 
sheds his weak façade to reveal his inner Joker: a confident man with a more jovial attitude 
who is an active player in his own life’s story. Affirming the positivity of  this masculine 
behavioral change is the next visit Fleck pays his social worker, wherein he expresses that 
he’s “finally a real person” and that “[his] life matters” (Phillips). These expressions heavily 
coincide with toxic masculinity’s notion that the only men of  consequence are those who 
use violence to obtain power, something the malnourished, weedy clown had not attempted 
before acquiringa firearm.
 Much later in the film, popular ex-coworker Randall arrives at Fleck’s apartment with 
their mutual friend Gary in tow. Randall begs Fleck to falsely testify that Randall didn’t give 
Fleck the pistol he used for the subway car’s triple-murder (thus acquitting Randall from 
any criminal charges), but Fleck simply smiles while stabbing Randall repeatedly with a pair 
of  blunt scissors (Phillips). This gruesome event indicates Fleck’s growing confidence in 
his manhood, as he no longer feels subordinate to his larger, more popular backstabbing 
colleague. Whereas Fleck once lapped up insincere praise from Randall in the green room, 
his growing sense of  entitlement to power now emboldens him to eliminate the man 
threatening to blow his cover. By “getting mad” and utilizing violence, Fleck effectively 
eliminates this threat to his new lifestyle so he can climb the social pecking order. Further, he 
does so yet again with no consequences, as Gary wearily leaves the apartment alone, having 
decided to withhold this information from the police for the film’s duration.
 Fleck’s violent tendencies escalate when he feels betrayed by his own mother, 
Penny, who had been withholding information on his adoption from him. Fleck verbally 
indicates his crossing of  toxic masculinity’s borders while standing beside her hospital bed, 

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explaining that “I used to think my life was a tragedy, but now I realize it’s a ...comedy” 
(Phillips). This statement is the final indicator that Fleck no longer will simply lay down 
and feel “sad.” He has turned to unpredictability and reckless abandon, finally adopting 
toxic masculinity’s desire for chaos and power over others by “[giving] ‘em hell” (Kimmel 
45). After this admittance, Fleck coolly smothers his mother, illustrating his newfound 
masculine entitlement to power, and escapes into the night. Important to notice is the 
relative positioning of  bodies here as well—Fleck’s power has overcome that of  even his 
own mother, indicated by his high relative position while standing over her low-lying bed 
(Phillips).

The camera’s angle also remains parallel with Fleck’s eye-level to suggest his actions are 
levelheaded and thus minimizes the horror of  his violent act by excluding his mother from 
her own death scene. Despite the disturbing nature of  this event, the film’s use of  framing 
and positioning suggests that Fleck is not behaving as an insane villain, but simply as a 
different man—a real man, thanks to toxic masculinity’s commandments. Fleck’s use of  
violence to cut social ties to the weak and unlikeable (his mother) proves that he’s willing to 
do everything necessary to cross into toxic manhood, and that he has no desire to hold onto 
the past or return to the effeminate boyhood from which he came.
 Important to note in Fleck’s beatdowns is the underlying perpetuator of  male violence 
as a means to enforce masculinity’s border during assaults: bystander silence. There are easily 
dozens, even hundreds of  bystanders who watch Fleck chase down the mischievous sign-
snatching teens in the film’s opening scene, yet all refuse to respond to his frantic cries for 
help (Phillips).

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The camera focuses on Fleck with an angle equal to his eye level to imply rationality 
regarding his mother’s strangulation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUJvWQ3vZk0&t=69
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_TOd0-46vQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_TOd0-46vQ


Similarly, both Randall and Penny’s murders were sloppy, with bystanders and vital-
monitoring technology witnessing the events. Yet Fleck is never explicitly punished for either 
crime, projecting that violence is an acceptable solution to one’s problems since there are no 
consequences, all thanks to bystander silence. Scenes such as these are prime examples of  
how Phillips’s film asserts the problematic mentality that guys can act however they please 
without the risk of  being held accountable for their actions—showing young men that they 
can mirror Fleck’s actions to rise from zero to “hero” without any unwanted consequences.
 Unfortunately, the Guy Code can easily explain the reluctance of  bystanders to stop 
an assault. Real men don’t show weaknesses such as walking away from a situation, stepping 
forward to stop it, or informing an authority figure of  any misdoings. Real men have each 
other’s backs. Guys learn not to tell their teachers, their police force, their parents, to look 
the other way when lewd remarks are thrown at women. They learn to stay silent. They 
learnto let immoral behaviors continue unpunished. Weak men remain victims, and the Guy 
Code lives on.
 Phillips’s normalization of  unopposed violence as a means to solve issues in film 
feeds into the greater hero film culture which young boys mirror as they mature. This leads 
to regular, real-life beatdowns in order to assert the hegemonic hierarchy. Thanks to fictional 
media, persons in power asserting their status over subordinates has become a “natural” 
process of  life. Fleck—and American kids—are simply carrying out society’s brutal orders.
 While most fictional heroes and villains aren’t children, they are no less guilty of  
asserting a strict hierarchy upon their fictional worlds. Heroes sit atop the social hierarchy by 
means of  using artificial assistance (flight, laser beams, and the likes) to control others. They 
are, simply put, humanity’s best. The everyman stands below them, and villains are the scum 
of  society. Modern elite heroes, according to professor of  mental health Dr. Sharon Lamb, 
are far unhealthier influences than their comic book counterparts, who were “real people 

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Fleck sprints past countless bystanders while crying for help—most don’t even spare him a glance.



with real problems and many vulnerabilities.” She classifies two types of  modern hero’s 
masculinity: “slackers,” who are funny but avoid responsibility and exist as sidekicks, and the 
more socially desirable “players,” who are dominant, stoic, and violent (Lamb). Young boys 
seeking validation are far more likely to model themselves after the players such as Tony 
Stark/Iron Man whose persona outside of  the super-suit manipulates women, rakes in cash, 
and demeans others in order to gain confidence, increase his social status, and give ‘em hell.
 A character’s physical superpowers often also serve as a metaphor for the power used 
to put down others deemed as “lesser” by society’s elite. While real people can never hope 
to supernaturally slow time or breathe fire, they can vicariously live through empowered 
characters who possess the extraordinary means to subvert others. Most of  these heroes are 
male, and male heroes are almost exclusively muscular, confident, and charismatic. By these 
standards, skinny, awkward Arthur Fleck should never have been able to transform into a 
powerful, inspiring figure, and yet he’s managed to win the public over. Although Fleck is 
completely unremarkable, his willingness to use any means to gain social acclaim is what 
makes him even more admirable to audiences who are “just like him.” Specifically, these 
audiences are composed of  primarily young men who are still adrift in the turbid sea of  
masculinity, learning what they’re capable of  enacting in order to rise to the top. Joker itself  
is the story of  Fleck’s transformation from an isolationist nobody to a violent, confident 
player who murders all whom he had once held dear and proudly confesses to his crimes on 
live television without batting an eyelash. Therefore, Joker serves as a perilous playbook for 
real boys hoping to transform into players and follow Fleck across toxic masculinity’s border.

“Size Matters”: Homosociality and Hypersexuality
 Behind each example of  male-male bullying lies an explicit trend—sexual themes. Sex 
is a point of  fixation forced upon men by the media, expressed in Kimmel’s rule number 
seven: “Size Matters” (45). To develop his sub-par comedic material, Fleck spends his nights 
watching comedians, from the famous television comic Murray Franklin to other wannabes. 
Much of  the material Fleck watches relies heavily on the use of  lewd jokes, such as one male 
comic who tells a long-winded metaphor about how men view sex like driving and women as 
a row of  spot[s] to park in. “Oh, I have to pay to park here? Never mind,” he jokes, implying 
that, like a stretch of  marked pavement, women have no willpower to decline sex and should 
be “easy” to sexually access. After he finishes the set, the audience goes wild, whistling and 
hollering (Phillips).
 Yet another comic tells a sexual roleplay story with his wife playing a college student 
who is “willing to do anything to pass [his ‘class’].” The audience laughs at the comic’s 
sexual comments, relating his story to their own personal experiences and expectations 

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in the bedroom. These situations are unfamiliar to Fleck, a virgin and social isolationist. 
He laughs at all the wrong times during the set, proving that laughing at sex and the 
objectification of  others are not innate tendencies; they’re adopted traits enforced by society 
when crossing toxic masculinity’s border. Fleck also earns a few side-eyes for his mis-timed 
laughter, indicating that there is little tolerance for people who don’t live within masculinity’s 
postulates. To show what he’s learned that night, Fleck jots a note in large, messy script: 
“sexy jokes alwaze funny” (Phillips).
 Where in society, though, is this pressure to start sexualizing the world coming from? 
Citizens are bombarded from all angles by the media’s sexist and objectifying television 
shows, movies, product promotions, music, video games, and more. Content from all sides 
promises happiness once men transition into sexual confidence and dominance. Society 
depicts men as hypersexual beings who must be physically attractive, and sexually active—
standards which assert the Guy Code’s emphasis on risk-taking, use of  genitalia, and an 
inflated sense of  self-importance. Although Gotham is in an alternate reality, it’s safe to say 
that sex still sells everywhere; its comics, construction workers, and passersby toss around 
sexualized comments from the film’s background. Comedy broadcasts featuring lewd jokes 
often play on television sets, and audiences applaud while watching men kiss strangers 
without consent.
 As Arthur Fleck’s confidence in his newfound social behaviors grows, he himself  
takes a large leap in the “right direction” regarding virility, having stalked his neighbor for 
days before arriving at her doorstep to kiss her suddenly without consent. A similar incident 
happens near the film’s conclusion when Fleck (now called Joker) seizes the chin of  elderly 
Murray Franklin Show guest Dr. Sally and kisses her on live television while she flails her 
arms, eyes open in surprise, for nearly twenty seconds (Phillips).

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Fleck, now called “Joker,” forcefully kisses the elderly Doctor Sally on live television, who becomes visibly uncomfortable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WWrqn8060M&t=83s


It seems that after crossing masculinity’s border, Fleck has taken the other comics’ lifestyle 
advice to heart by asserting dominance over the few females he encounters, in heavy 
contrast to the awkward virgin he once was. This problematic behavior extends from 
society’s assertion of  male virility: a man must be sexually forward, and that he can “have” 
any woman he wishes. By the film’s conclusion, Fleck has successfully pocketed another 
trait of  toxic masculinity—the necessity of  dominant virulence—in order to step into toxic 
masculine territory.
 In fact, many real and fictional men carry false or shaky definitions of  consent and 
assault. Eighty-eight percent of  men whose actions fit under the legal definition of  rape 
adamantly denied that they had committed that act. This is because men are misled about 
what exactly constitutes rape. Society teaches them through sexist, brutal pornography 
and misogynistic music that all women are sexually available and have a sex drive just as 
high—or even higher—than men’s, which is not exclusively true (Katz 27). Men are taught 
by American culture that women are continuously open to sexual advances regardless of  
whether they voice a consensual “yes” and are always ready to “take it rough” (reminiscent 
of  the film’s joke comparing women to parking spots), which often results in rape or 
attempted rape.
 In America, “less than one percent of  rape is committed by women,” but rape is 
classified as a women’s issue even though men are the perpetrators. This is because society 
has normalized hypersexuality as a normal male behavior. As American educator, filmmaker, 
actor, and advocate Jason Katz explains, “Men are the ones doing most of  the battering and 
almost all of  the raping. Men are the ones paying the prostitutes (and killing them in video 
games), going to strip clubs, renting sexually degrading pornography, [and] writing and per-
forming misogynistic music” (5). American men are praised for a high libido, indicating that 
“real” men must be sexually dominant in order to cross the border into manhood and earn 
social praise. These claims carry across to Phillips’s Joker. No male character is ever sexually 
degraded or beaten by a woman, and neither woman retaliates after being sexually assaulted 
by Fleck, normalizing his dominant behavior. Phillips’s film is a problematic space for men 
to wreak havoc on society without consequences. 

“It’s All Good”: Standing Tall like a Sturdy Oak
 Perhaps the most famous trait of  toxic masculinity is adopting the sturdiness of  
an oak. A man must remain unemotional and stand tall no matter his circumstances, or as 
Kimmel recounts, “It’s All Good” (45). What sets this rule apart, however, is that Fleck 
learns this trait during his childhood and therefore exhibits it throughout his time on the 
screen. It’s revealed late in the film that he was abused by his stepfather and neglected by 

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his own mother, who caused the head trauma behind his medical condition. Because Fleck’s 
own guardians abused him during his childhood, he never learned to trust others enough to 
lean on them emotionally. Thus, the seeds of  Fleck’s sturdy oak are well-grown by the time 
he graces the silver screen.
 When asked to share his mental health journal with his social worker (post-triple 
murder), Fleck’s shaking legs and fidgeting fingers express discomfort with the idea of  
sharing its contents, as he is accustomed to keeping his emotions to himself  (Phillips). When 
she asks Fleck if  “it help[s] to have someone to talk to?” he responds with, “I think I felt 
better when I was locked up in the hospital.” The scene cuts abruptly to a clip of  straight-
jacketed Fleck beating his head against the walls of  an isolation ward (Phillips). This brief  
statement implies that even at the height of  Fleck’s sickness he was never cared for by 
others, but instead locked in seclusion. 

 
 In real-world America, males experience a lack of  medical care as well. The average 
man perishes five years before the average woman as reported by the CDC, but physiological 
differences don’t explain this discrepancy. According to a study of  250 participants 
conducted by psychology professors Himmelstein and Sanchez, men who held ‘traditional 
beliefs’ about masculinity were more likely to put off  the confrontation of  medical issues, 
compared with women or men who held less traditional beliefs (Himmelstein and Sanchez). 
Traditional beliefs included being “tough, brave, self-reliant, and restrained in expression 
of  emotion.” Fleck is one of  these men, exhibiting reluctance to share his journal’s many 
dark thoughts about death and depression with his social worker, which prevents her from 
properly helping him to improve his health. This scene contains just one example of  the 

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Fleck beats his head forcefully against the glass window of  his isolation ward cell’s door in Arkham Asylum.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU1tRIGFs_4


postulates Fleck has been forced to adopt in order to cross toxic masculinity’s border: “It’s all 
good” (Kimmel 45).
 In the film’s early scenes, even after running out of  medicine and losing a paycheck for his 
busted sign, Fleck still soothes his mother’s worries. He reasons that “everybody’s telling me that 
my stand-up is ready for the big clubs” (when he hadn’t yet performed a single joke), following up 
with “I don’t want you worrying about money, Mom, or me” (Phillips). Fleck’s tendency to lie about 
his financial situation, mental health, and career progress are indicative of  his desire to keep up 
appearances and admit no weakness, even to those whom he should trust. He cries in secret, hides 
his bruises, and quite literally paints on a happy face for work every day to keep the world unaware 
of  his internal despondency. However, Fleck’s façade does slip at times. He is seen shooting 
himself  in the head with finger guns throughout the film, and even places his loaded pistol’s barrel 
into his mouth in a moment of  despair. While folded delicately in his kitchen chair, Fleck records a 
rightly telling note in his journal: “The worst part about having a mental illness is people expect you 
to behave as if  you DON’T” (Phillips).
 And Fleck is far from alone. Boys who develop depression are far less likely to seek 
treatment than their female counterparts. Why? Because real men don’t cry. A plethora of  
psychologists argue that from an early age, boys are taught to stow away their emotions and never 
display weakness. As a result, boys feel effeminate not only if  they express emotions, but even if  
they only feel any at all (Kimmel 53). For men, there is socially sourced shame in sadness and in 
showing emotional vulnerability. These feelings are left to fester until a man cannot bear his burden 
any longer. In the United States, eighty percent of  suicide deaths are males according to the Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention (Holmes).

Who’s Enforcing the Border: The Gender Police
 It’s important to note that without social pressure, masculinity would be noticeably more 
diverse. Who, then, is moderating young guys’ behaviors? It turns out, nearly all males have become 
the self-employed gender police. Teachers, coaches, strangers, and—most importantly—a guy’s 
own bros observe and judge his behavior. If  a guy didn’t have physical strength or stoicism, he 
wasn’tdeemed a man, and his peers made sure he knew it by either taunts, physical assaults, or 
barefaced exclusion from activities.
 Although Fleck’s educational background is unclear, he does fall victim to the gender police 
as an adult several times throughout the film. In the film’s early stages, Fleck is personally brought 
up onto the stage during a taping of  The Murray Franklin Show after yelling “I love you, Murray!” 
and explaining that his own purpose in life is also to make others laugh (Phillips). Franklin then tells 
Fleck that he’d be a great son to have and hugs him affectionately. But when Fleck finally attempts 
to perform his own comedy set in a nightclub, video clips of  it wind up on the same comedian’s 
television show. Franklin introduces Fleck this time as “a guy who thinks if  you just keep laughing, 
it’ll somehow make you funny” and not only plays into the masculine urge to ignore the possibility 
of  illness (considering Fleck looks pained in the tapes) but also makes a mockery of  Fleck’s 
aspirations, teasing that this is “in a world where everyone thinks they could do my job” (Phillips). 

124

https://youtu.be/J5618GE0Mn8?t=39s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zb7cG2PbDwM&t=60s


Franklin thoroughly mocks Fleck, comparing the clown to himself  in order to demean Fleck and 
boost his own public opinion. This change in behavior is brought about when Fleck attempts to 
ascend the social ladder from audience member to competitor, illustrating the masculine urge to 
uphold the male hierarchy. Franklin’s opinion of  Fleck turns from sweet to sour, his scorn pushing 
Fleck back into his place—outside of  masculinity’s walls.
 Additionally, billionaire Thomas Wayne (who Fleck mistakes as his biological father from his 
mother’s lobotomy-driven illusions) treats Fleck in a similar manner. When Fleck dons an employee 
outfit and sneaks into a high-class film premiere, the affluent audience spares him no glances, even 
staring straight through him when he walks down into the aisle. This is because Fleck is perceived 
as a lowly server who is of  no threat to them, and especially not to Thomas Wayne. When Fleck 
follows Wayne into the bathroom, the mogul looks straight past him at first (Phillips). As Fleck 
approaches, Wayne entertains his story with an amused expression and light laughter until it calls 
the billionaire’s social reputation into question. Once Fleck doubles down on his claim that Thomas 
Wayne is his father, however, Wayne’s demeanor changes. He begins interrupting Fleck as if  to 
prevent socially injurious words from even escaping into the air and offers Fleck a bribe to keep 
him away from the glittering Wayne family reputation. When that approach doesn’t work, however, 
Thomas Wayne takes the familiar masculine approach and socks Fleck in the nose before quickly 
leaving the room. Yet again, Fleck is beaten down by a male moderator with higher social status 
who wants nothing to do with a poor, unsuccessful social recluse.

It’s Not All Good: Some Borders Shouldn’t be Crossed
 If  “weak” men like Arthur Fleck weren’t forced to march across the border into toxic 
masculinity to earn a place in society, the world would be a safer place. There would be fewer 
rape cases based on the blurry line of  consent and dominant masculine positioning. There would 
be fewer male suicides in the United States from years of  severe emotional isolation. Boys in 
schoolyards and sidewalks wouldn’t have to limp home after being assaulted by teammates in 
the name of  “manning up.” Some borders are not meant to be crossed, and Arthur Fleck is a 
superlative exam--ple of  the burdensome behavioral toll paid by unmasculine men when crossing 
into toxic masculinity.
 Although Fleck glows with confidence and self-satisfaction when leading Gotham’s 
underdogs as Joker, viewers behind the screen can recognize that he has become a violent, lewd, 
dangerous isolationist. He is a perfect villain. However, simply recognizing toxic masculinity in 
films like Joker isn’t enough; we must learn to recognize these films’ negative impact on America’s 
real-life young men. Hero films are a staple of  American culture, and young boys developing their 
identities look to these heroes (and sometimes, villains) to determine how to act and what to value. 
Therefore, Phillips’s Joker is only one instance within a genre that’s hindering toxic masculinity’s 
real-world abolishment. We must strive to provide better examples of  masculinity to America’s 
boys; to provide a safe space for every man in society: one without the pressure to cross borders 
into toxic masculinity’s dangerous territory.
 

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