The Joker Is Not a Socialist-- And Neither is Obama
57It's time to quit bickering about healthcare reform.
Don’t get me wrong—I love a good joke as much as the next guy. Using incongruity to skewer the absurdities of life not only makes us laugh—it keeps us sane. But a joke has to make sense within its own parameters to be effective.
Scrawling crayon renditions of Heath Ledger’s Joker makeup on the President’s portrait and titling it “Socialism” doesn’t make any sense, either as a joke or as a political statement. It makes about as much sense as painting a toothbrush moustache on Obama’s face and labeling it “Socialism.” All these little Internet posters illustrate is an unfamiliarity with pop culture, a lack of historical knowledge and a puerile fascination with name-calling.
To begin with, the Joker, at least as depicted in The Dark Knight, is anything but a socialist—he’s an anarchist. He’s not remotely interested in any kind of reform any more than he’s interested in maintaining the status quo. He is, in his words, “an agent of chaos.” He’s opposed to all rational thought, no matter its origins. All he really wants, as Alfred says early on in the film, is to “watch the world burn.” You can’t reason with a guy like the Joker. He’s already made his mind up that the only order in the universe is that there is no order, and that to make any sense of it, one has to be the most insane kid on the block. Given that, it seems much more appropriate to paint FOX “commentator” Glen Beck in white face and ruby red lips. Admittedly, he’s a bit chubby to be the Joker, but he’d make a damn good Penguin. After all, both characters specialize in double talk to disguise their nefarious goings on.
President Obama is no way the Joker. Nor does he resemble Hitler, either in appearance, attitude or proposed policies. It takes a bit more than a spray-painted toothbrush moustache to make an antichrist, and to label such posters as “socialism” show an utter lack of knowledge of political theory, as well as a misunderstanding of history. What these posters do show is that the redneck bully in the seventh grade who never grew up. You knew him then, and you know him now. He was the guy who couldn’t understand why math (as opposed to arithmetic) would ever impact him, and who thought history was already done and it wouldn’t affect his life.
Graffiti renditions of Obama as the Joker or, even worse, as Hitler, do nothing constructive to progress the debate on health care reform. What they do accomplish is a distraction from the real issues confronting the country in a time when Americans are unsure where to turn. The people behind these sloganeering posters are projecting their own personalities on the public. They’re the Joker, using fear of the future as their weapon, And they’re Hitler, using a rewriting of of social conditions as their spear.
But mostly, they’re cowards with nothing in history to back up their charges. Spray cans are so much more immediate.
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Comments
I agree ... the Joker is a sociopath incapable of any rational conversation. He is violent to shock and to control those around him. Where Obama comes in, is beyond me. At least the editors should have done a bit of research before letting that go on the front page ...
What is it with all this "Obama hype"? He's as much of a pawn and a puppet as any other president.
So glad I found my way to you and this hub! Love your analysis. Extra points for using the word "puerile" -- way cool.
I saw someone wearing one of those Obama/Joker t-shirts the other day. The caption read, "The joke's on you" which at least makes a cogent point. I must admit, tho, the graphic really bothered me. I tried to pinpoint why, as I never minded charicatures of Bush as a monkey.
All of this name=calling -- socialist, Marxist, communist --in the same breath or sentence as Hitler -- just show how ignorant some people are.
All the more reason why Obama's speech the other day to students about the importance of finishing school is so crucial to our nation's future.
Good hub. Looking forward to more of your insights. MM
I'm following MM around between articles (trying to finish a project and I can't seem to focus).
It struck me awhile back that a lot of this name calling is projection. The accusations being hurled and the ugly imagery seem to apply more to the people making the noise than the people they are complaining about. I've been called a 'brown shirt' for my liberal views but I'm not busting anybody's windows, showing up to speeches with an AK-47 on my shoulder, or interrupting and threatening people in wheelchairs.
Mostly I mind my own business and try to pay my bills. The people doing the shouting are becoming what they claim to hate.
You left out the fact that it was an insult to Heath Ledger. I hope we can agree to disagree. But, not understanding the history of this country and what makes it great is a huge mistake. Not understanding the people that Obama has surrounded himself with is another. To understand the changes we are undergoing I suggest learning more about what was going through our founding fathers minds when they wrote the constitution. They had first hand knowledge of tyranny and were not a friend of big government. This one was way out of control before Obama got there but he's making it much worse.
Pelosi started the Hitler nazi calling. You can thank her. Is it okay for her to call others this?
If he is not a socialist, why is he surrounding himself with socialists and acting like a socialist. Wants to the government to control everything. If it walks, talks, looks and sound like it. Then it probably is.
I think I have seen videos where BO admits to being socialists. Are you calling him a lier, too.
Keep on hubbing
I've been offline for the past week or so. But I do appreciate all the comments, both pro and con. But I do have to scratch my head in wonder at saber27's comment. In fact, I am intimately familiar with the history of this country and what makes it great, and otherwise. I'll admit I'm not privy to what was going on in the Founding Fathers' minds when they signed the Declaration of Independence (not the Constitution)but I suspect each one of them had their own individual ideas on what the United States should become. The rivalries between Jefferson and Hamilton are one example. It wasn't that they weren't "fans of big government" so much as they weren't fans of King George.
Everyone has an agenda, no matter how small it is. The ones who deny that the loudest are the one with the most insidious agenda. So I have to wonder what it is exactly that saber27 wants.
Great hub, and written with style.
Keep talking.
Remember that your founding fathers were as radical to King George and their legitimate English government as are Obama's choices of people with whom he surrounds himself. It's nearly all in the eye of the beholder, but also in the way history is written. Your side won, therefore you were right and England was wrong. That, even though about 1/3 of the American colonists remained loyal and another 1/3 were non-committal. That left about 1/3 to foment and carry our rebellion against the government to which they had formerly sworn their undying allegience. They were, in two words, turn coats. Worse yet, they used fear and scare tactics and obstructionism to prevent a peaceful resolusion to any and all disagreements with Great Britain.
Obama is as radical to present day U.S. Conservatives as George Washington and his ilk were to King George and the Conservative Merchantile (i.e. pre-Capitalist) government of Great Britain in 1774. If such a thing existed in 1774, Washington might have been called a Socialist by loyalists because he stood against monarchy. Although, in my mind, he was neither Socialist nor Capitalist. He was just a great leader who saw what his nation needed and provided public service, no matter the criticisms.
Jiberish, I agree that painting Bush or Obamas faces like that is pretty childish. Also painting a Hitler-like moustache is stupid, neither man is like Hitler.
But the people who seem to be driving these forces of ultra-absurdity seem to be those on the fringes of both your Republican and Democratic parties. Where is the Great Middle that used to keep these forces in line?
Just as Bush was no fascist, Obama is no Socialist. As soon as Americans get used to those two facts, your country will be better off.
jiberish says:
6 months ago
"What these posters do show is that the redneck bully in the seventh grade who never grew up." This would then also describe those who painted Bush's face? Enjoyed reading your side. Thank you.