Under the Mask from Beirut to Chile: The Joker’s Rise as a Symbol of Freedom

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(Newswire.net — January 30, 2020) — Protesters around the world have identified themselves with the character of the Joker. From Beirut, Baghdad, Hong Kong, Chile, Paris all the way to Moscow, his mask is ubiquitous on the streets.

People have decided to make the Joker their symbol of rebellion, because they identify with his fate – after he put colors on himself, people began to notice him. The protesters in Lebanon hope that the same will happen to them.

“We put this paint on our face because we sympathize with the film’s protagonist. Before putting the colors on his face, Arthur was desperate and miserable. No one was interested in him, no one wanted to listen and respect him. His anger and disappointment led him to madness, which is slowly happening to us in Lebanon as well,” a protester from Lebanon said.

According to sociologists, symbolism is very important when it comes to large-scale demonstrations, and a prime example of this is the famous Yellow Vests that have been marching for months on the streets of France. In Paris, some firefighters with their faces painted with the movie character ‘Joker’ theme, joined the “yellow west” demonstrations against the pension reforms.

In Chile, the same situation is happening. Millions of people have been on the streets of the capital of Peru for days, protesting over government reforms, demanding the resignation of their government. Demonstrators are going through the streets with face paint like Joker, pointing out the high cost of daily living and great economic inequality as a cause of dissatisfaction.

The face of the Joker has become the face of revolution and rebellion, but also a symbol of resistanceeven in the UK.
This is not, however, the first time that protesters have identified with a character from a movie. Until recently, the Guy Fawkes mask from the movie “V for Vendetta” stood as a symbol for deifying the ruling class and even become a movement onto itself. The masks of the famous Anonymous were seen at almost every protest against the government around the world, including the U.S.

Some protesters in Hong Kong have distanced themselves from the use of the Joker character mask. On the online protest site LIHKG, one commentator described the Joker as “the symbol of the resistance and the spiritual leader of the rebels.” However, posts such as these attract downvotes on the site, according to CNN.

The Joker’s face and his famous quote have inspired artists as well. Thus, the famous Russian street artist Vasily Basil drew a Joker mural in Moscow with a quote from his diary: “The worst thing about having a mental illness is that people expect you to act like you don’t have one,” he said.

What message do people want to deliver by presenting themselves as someone else?
Sociologists claim that hiding the face under a colorful mask means that people want to be noticed and their demands respected. In addition, it is in some ways both an artistic and creative move to draw attention to yourself.

On the other hand, there are critics who claim the film is bizarre and glorifies violence, killers, guns and mental disorders. Given the huge impact it has created already, critics fear that demonstrations can easily turn into violence and even a murder, which happens in the movie. Some even claim that the movie is purely a mockery of mental disorders.