#gordon kaye

[achillean-archives]

"Ironically, Kaye would sometimes lament that he himself was ‘no oil painting’, which explained, he said, why he didn’t have a partner: ‘I wouldn’t want somebody to be with me just because they wanted to be with Gorden Kaye the actor. I do believe in love, but it’s only happened to me three times . . . which is two times too many.’

He was born Gordon Kaye (the spelling ‘Gorden’ came much later) in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, in 1941, the only child of working-class parents who regarded him as their little miracle: his mother was 42 when he was born. His father, Harold, was an engineer, and an air raid warden.

A sensitive boy, he worried that his parents were so much older than other children’s. ‘I was sure that I would come home and find them dead,’ he admitted.

When he was three, he crept downstairs when his parents were having a Christmas party. He watched his mother, Gracie, talking and smoking a cigarette. When she put it down in an ashtray, young Gorden picked it up and took a drag.

Whether red-hot ash flew up from the tip, or he accidentally poked himself with the burning end, he was never sure. All he could remember was throwing himself on the floor, screaming and howling, and an agonising pain in his left eye. Next morning, the pupil was swollen, and he could barely see out of it. He later regained about 20 per cent of his vision in that eye, but for the rest of his life it stared off to the side.

At 16, he took a job as a salesman at a textiles firm, for £4 7s 6d a week. But he wanted to work in showbiz, and volunteered on Huddersfield’s hospital radio, playing rock ’n’ roll.  When The Beatles performed at the town’s cinema in 1963, Gorden interviewed them. His instinctive humour brought out the best in the Fab Four, who showered him with silly jokes.

At 22, Kaye was engaged to be married, but he had known since his teens that he was gay. That was why he had proposed to his girlfriend: ‘I thought that’s how you made the feelings go away.’

But they did not go away and, feeling increasingly lonely, he sought out a pen-friend through the small ads. A sailor called Peter in the New Zealand merchant navy got in touch, and they exchanged long, confessional messages, recorded on cassettes.

When Peter visited Britain, Gorden took him to meet his parents. Afterwards, his mother guessed there was ‘something going on’ and though Gorden denied it at first, he eventually told her the truth.

‘Don’t tell your dad,’ she warned. ‘It’ll kill him.’ He never said anything to his father and, for a long time, thought if his secret was exposed he would have to kill himself.

He threw himself into amateur dramatics. Playwright Alan Ayckbourn, then a BBC radio producer, urged him to turn professional. He applied for a job with a Bolton repertory company: the audition was so successful that the director fell off his chair laughing and had to be helped up. But the company wanted him for character work, and his first role was as an 80-year-old man. 

Bit parts on TV followed, and then he was cast as Elsie Tanner’s nephew, Bernard, in Coronation Street. By now his name was ‘Gorden’, thanks to a spelling error by the actors’ union, Equity. Before he could correct it, he was taken to hospital with kidney stones. 

The registrar misspelled his name, too, so the clipboard at the end of his bed also said ‘Gorden’. ‘I took that as an omen,’ he said. ‘Or possibly an emon.’ Those sorts of mangled vowels were the mainstay of his role as Rene.

At the outset in 1982, the show by Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft was accused of mocking the heroes of the French Resistance. In fact, it was a send-up of BBC television wartime dramas such as Secret Army and Colditz. The show became hugely popular. 

But in 1989, warned that a Sunday tabloid was about to reveal his sexuality, Gorden decided to come out as gay: ‘I was born this way and I’ve never pretended to be anything other than what I am.’

He was terrified of the public response but, when the news broke, he was in panto at the London Palladium, and got a standing ovation.

Other reaction was less kind. One MP, Geoffrey Dickens, demanded the BBC sack him, for impersonating a ladies’ man on prime-time TV. 

‘That was a horrible time,’ Gorden remembered. 

‘It was a bit like the Nuremberg trials. I don’t care what my greengrocer does in bed and I don’t see why the public should have to know what I do. But of all the letters I got from the public, only two of them were nasty.’

Worse was to come. During a storm in January 1990, part of a wooden advertising hoarding was blown through his car windscreen and a piece of wood nearly 11in long was embedded in his skull. 

The injury left scars mental and physical from which he never fully recovered. He returned to record a final season of ’Allo ’Allo!, but rarely worked on TV again after that. The shock of the accident left him nervous and irritable, and clumsier than ever. ‘If I try to open a packet of biscuits,’ he admitted, ‘I spill them. And then I shout at them.’

He involved himself with charity work with the Grand Order of Water Rats, which supported entertainers and their families in hard times, and was proud to be elected Chief Rat in 1999. 

But he took little joy in life, and said he didn’t want to live into old age. Invitations were declined on the excuse that he was expecting to go to a funeral — his own.

But he never regretted a day of his time on ’Allo ’Allo! If his ability to make people laugh was a gift from God, as he believed, then Rene was his greatest stroke of luck — one other actors would kill to have, ‘and might probably put ground glass in my Diet Coke,’ he laughed.

‘I loved playing Rene. ’Allo ’Allo! enabled me to work with some of the finest comic performers in Britain. We did it for ten years . . . and even Hitler only managed six.’ " Source:

"Retired college lecturer Raymond, 86, said Gorden, who grew up in Moldgreen , had become isolated and very lonely - despite being loved by millions of fans.

“He had no brothers or sisters, just a few cousins. He never married and was a lone survivor till the end.

"It was just a case of surviving and he was very lonely. That is all very sad.”

Raymond praised his famous relative as “a brilliant actor, a comic genius, who brought a lot of joy to many people. He is still making people laugh today.”

Kaye was best known for his role as Rene Artois in the 1980s BBC sitcom ‘Allo ‘Allo! which made light of the Nazi occupation of France.

BAFTA nominated, he also appeared in Last of the Summer Wine, Are You Being Served?, Coronation Street and Emmerdale.

Raymond added: “He always appreciated his fans saying ‘They’re my bread and butter’ and he always stopped to sign autographs in the street.”

Gorden, an only child, had described himself as a “shy, gay and overweight boy.”

[...]

Raymond, a father of two, said many of Gorden’s friends from London rarely visited him once he was in a care home.

He said: “Just one or two but not recently, they just seemed to forget about him.

“Me and my wife went up when we could but we’re too old to drive and it’s difficult by train and taxi.”

Raymond told how the teetotal star, who cheated death in a horrific car crash in 1990, “smoked a bit but never touched alcohol.”

He added: “I like to remember sitting and talking to him and what a brilliant actor he was.

“Allo ‘Allo was his best role. He was in 84 episodes which have been shown across the world.

[...]

Raymond fondly recalls being invited to screenings with Sheila: “We were in the audience a lot at one time. He did he make us laugh.

“He may have been forgotten by his acting friends but he’ll never be forgotten by us, his family, and his legions of fans." " Source:

[you-would-turn-it-off-halfway]

Okay, okay.

Batman has the Joker.

Nightwing has James J. Gordon

But let me add something...

Bluebird has Punchline.

@jonkleringjerster

[froot-batty]

Part 2

Punchline and Batman's relationship is kind of complicated, especially towards the end of Alexis' actual Punchline days

As he does with all of Rogues, he tries to get her help, but Bats recognizes that she only commits crimes because of the Joker - a person who uses her as a scapegoat, lackey, or meat shield at the very worse. That's why he tries a little harder to rehabilitate her, but there's only so much he can do when she's so loyal to her mother

Alexis, meanwhile, is annoyed by Bats, and of course hates him because he keeps trying to take down their gang and her mother (or, at least, makes herself feel that way to fit in). Bats trying to help her makes her feel how she felt when she was a kid, and everyone was trying to police her to make sure she didn't end up like the Joker. It's worse, because sometimes it feels like Bats is the only person who's genuinely concerned for her

In a lot of ways Punch is like an unruly child Bats is trying to wrangle. Gordon thinks the both of them are weird

[nerds-yearbook]

In Batman 181# (cover date June, 1966) Poison Ivy, Dragonfly, Silken Spider, and Tiger Moth were introduced. They were created by Robert Kanigher and Sheldon Moldoff. Of them, Poison Ivy was the break out character who would become a regular in Batman's rogues gallery. ("Beware of -- Poison Ivy", "The Perfect Crime -- Slighty Perfect", Batman 181#, DC Comic, Event)

[fangomusic]

Bass players: Kim Gordon, D’arcy Wretzky, Gail Ann Dorsey, Kim Deal, Carol Kaye, Kathy Valentine, Sean Yseult, Tal Wilkenfeld and Rhonda Smith.

[bitsofbats]

DC vs. Vampires #10, 2022 James Tynion IV, Matthew Rosenberg, and Otto Schmidt

[nefarious-616-necromancer]

[smellslikera1n]

i made a uquiz

[talkinpunchline]

Forgot to post it yesterday, but here's the preview for Knight Terrors: Punchline! While I'm bummed that the version of Batgirl going after her is Babs, or really that it's Batgirl at all, I think Danny's got a pretty decent handling on Alexis's voice so far. The art is fantastic, but we knew Lucas was gonna bring the goods. One thing I really hope isn't a one off mention is the idea of her going after the Bat's network. That's such a perfect thing for her to be targeting

[batmanofthewestcoast]

The Gotham Game Sequel - The Painful One

So last week @blueskyerising asked what I had planned if I was able to head over to DC and write a Harper-led sequel to Punchline: The Gotham Game. However, I would like to adjust my answer.

The more and more we talked about Harper, and the topic of her getting brainwashed and corrupted by Punchline, the more it's grown on me.

But I want to introduce something that has been absent since the original Punchline one-shot.

Let's make the premise terrifying.

Harper, in her attempts to bring Punchline and The Royal Flush Gang, becomes infected with the nanites that The Royal Flush Gang stole and have been weaponizing. For whatever reason, Harper's tech (which was originally developed to combat Mad Hatter's nanotechnology at the time) fails, and Punchline realizes she has a new plaything.

Alexis begins exerting her control over Harper's autonomy, and has Harper admitted as a member of The Royal Flush Gang. Harper's stuck, conscious and aware, but unable to do anything but watch. During the day, Alexis has Harper act normally, going to work at Gotham City Public Works and the Thompkins Clinic, but has Harper work for Punchline at night. While this is going on, and The Royal Flush Gang gains power in Gotham, Punchline is taunting Harper. Isn't it fun? Isn't it better to stop pretending? You're just like me! I'm freeing you Harper, I'm letting you be your true self! You're not a Bluebird anymore, you're my Six of Spades! And you're doing such a great job! I love you, you're my favourite toy!

That's when things get a bit fuzzing for me, and time passes, but inevitably The Royal Flush Gang gets the Batfamily's attention. During a sting operation, Bruce, Tim, and Cass take out a Royal Flush Gang facility, stopping whatever's going on there, only to find out from Oracle that Punchline is out on the other side of town, apprehended by police.

But it's not Alexis.

It's Harper.

From there the story would shift to how I wished the Punchline backups functioned, following Harper's pre-trial. Alexis has taken her claws out of Harper for the time being, but the psychological damage remains.

Harper is deemed unfit to stand trial, and is sent to Arkham Tower.

[That's all I've got for now, there's a lot I'm still working on, and I'll probably work on the premise more in the coming weeks.]

[papermoonloveslucy]

TV on TV!

Part 2 ~ The TV Shows of the Lucyverse

Although it may seem redundant, the worlds created by Lucille Ball on radio and television frequently created and mentioned other TV shows!  Here are a few from “The Lucy Show” (1962-1968).

“Lucy Puts Up a TV Antenna” (1962)

When Lucy's TV set doesn't work, she discovers that the antenna has blown off the roof. Refusing to spend extra money to have one professionally installed, she talks Viv into helping her replace it. As the episode opens, Sherman and Jerry are excited that the All-American Football Team is going to be on TV. When the reception is poor, Lucy engages in the old practice of  banging on the side of the set, something she claims she learned from her late husband. 

LUCY: “What did we do before television?”  VIV: “We used to hit the radio.”

With Lucy on the roof, Viv yells up the chimney, “I got carried away watching Art Linkletter. Come on down Lucy. He's about to go through a lady's purse.”  “The Linkletter Show” (also known as “Art Linkletter's House Party”) was seen on CBS from 1952 to 1970. Lucille Ball appeared on the show in February 1965.

“Lucy and Viv Put in a Shower” (1963) 

“Where’s Lloyd Bridges when you need him?” ~ Lucy Carmichael    

Bridges starred “Sea Hunt” from 1958 to 1961, a series about a scuba diver which featured extensive underwater filming, so much so that his name become synonymous with underwater adventures. Bridges was seen in all 155 episodes of the CBS series. He was also mentioned in the same context in “Lucy Buys a Boat” (1963). Lucy says she bought the boat with the hull in the water so she didn’t notice the poor shape it was in. She adds that she didn’t have Lloyd Bridges with her at the time!  

“Lucy’s Sister Pays a Visit” (1963)

Lucy’s son’s lunchbox features images from the television western “Lawman,” which ran on ABC from 1958-1962.  A “Lawman” lunchbox is now part of the collection of the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC. The lunchbox shows up again in “Vivian Sues Lucy” (1963). 

“Lucy Gets Locked in the Vault” (1963)

Danfield TV is on the scene when Lucy and Mr. Mooney finally get out of the vault. 

“Lucy and the Safe Cracker” (1963)

Demonstrating how she got locked in the vault for Larry McAdoo (William Woodeson) of Danfield TV, Lucy accidentally locks Mr. Mooney back in the bank vault again!  Taking advantage of the air time, Lucy gets in a commercial for Grandma’s Candy Shop, owned by the safecracker (Jay Novello).   

“Lucy and the Plumber” (1964)

Lucy and her plumber (Jack Benny) appear on the television program “Talent Discoverer's Show”.

Hosted by Greg Gregory (Willard Waterman), the show is sponsored by Kiddie Cookies, baked beans, and varnish! 

Lucy was already on the show once, so this time she disguises herself as Lucretia Carmucci, the talent discoverer of the title, presenting her plumber Harry Tuttle, who plays an arrangement of Donizetti on the violin. 

“Lucy Meets Danny Kaye” (1964) 

Lucy writes away for tickets to “The Danny Kaye Show” but is turned down.

Kaye offers to give her a walk-on role in the telecast – but Lucy manages to steal the spotlight anyway. In 1962 and 1964 Lucille Ball guest-starred on Kaye’s CBS TV program “The Danny Kaye Show.”  

Kaye telephones Bill Paley to see if he has any spare tickets to give Lucy. William S. Paley (1901-90), was the chief executive who built the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) from a small radio network into one of the foremost radio and television network operations in the United States.

“Lucy and the Beauty Doctor” (1965) 

When Lucy hears about a $25 beauty treatment, she tells Mr. Mooney the money is for a doctor. When the treatment turns out to be a hidden camera show named “Boiling Point”, Lucy must do whatever she can to stop it from airing and revealing her secret to Mr. Mooney.  

“Boiling Point” hosted by Dick Patterson is modeled loosely on “Candid Camera,” a TV show that started in 1948 and continues (in some form) to this day. Its heyday was from 1960 to 1967, when it was a ratings winner for CBS on Sundays at 10pm.  

“Lucy in the Music World” (1965)

When Lucy takes a job in a music producer's office, she wangles her new neighbor Mel Tinker (Mel Torme) into a gig on the musical variety television show “Wing Ding”.  

“Wing Ding” is hosted by Reb Foster and presents The Six Bare Feet, The Torch Bearers, The DDTs, and The Tear Ducts (Lucy and Mel) singing the plaintive ballad "My Trousseau Just Lies on the Shelf.”

“Lucy Helps Danny Thomas” (1965)

When Mr. Mooney hires Lucy to get some important papers signed at a TV studio, she finds herself dancing on Danny Thomas's TV special instead!   

Although this is not a real TV program, Thomas did host “The Danny Thomas Hour” for 22 episodes in 1967. Thomas was a Desilu regular, appearing in “Make Room for Daddy” (later “The Danny Thomas Show”) as well as doing a cross-over episode with “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour”.

“Lucy and Art Linkletter” (1966)

Lucy is picked from Art Linkletter's studio audience and challenged not to utter a sound for 24 hours to win $200. In January 1966, CBS aired new episodes of “Art Linkletter’s House Party” daily at 2:30pm while “I Love Lucy” was in reruns at 10:30am.   

During the 24 hours, Linkletter arranges for a one-armed man to burst into Lucy's apartment waving a gun and say that a guy has been chasing him for three years. This is a reference to the hit ABC series “The Fugitive” (1963-67) on which David Janssen was on the trail of a one-armed man who killed his wife. Three weeks after this episode of “The Lucy Show” was filmed, Doris Singleton (Ruth Cosgrove on “Lucy and Art Linkletter”) guest-starred on “The Fugitive.” The series was a Quinn Martin Production. Quinn Martin was a producer at Desilu and also married Madelyn Pugh, one of Lucille Ball’s longest lasting writers.

“Lucy and the Soap Opera” (1966)

Lucy disguises herself in a number of outrageous get-ups to gain access to the reclusive writer of “Camden Cove,” her favorite soap opera, to learn how the show will turn out.  

Camden Cove is described at “the typical American town” so it was probably inspired by “Peyton Place,” a prime-time soap opera which aired on ABC from 1964 to 1969. Like “Camden Cove,” it aired three nights a week and dealt with the tangled relationships found in a small American town. Danfield was compared to Peyton Place in “Lucy and Joan” (1965).

“Lucy Goes to a Hollywood Premiere” (1966)

LUCY (to Edwards): “Oh, doctor!  Oh, doctor!”

Lucy disguises herself as an usher to meet celebrities. On the reception line, she asks Vince Edwards for his autograph. Vincent Edwards (1928-96) was probably best known as the title character on ABC TV’s “Ben Casey” (1961-66) which was filmed on the Desilu lot. A new episode of “Ben Casey” aired on ABC at 10pm on the night this episode of “The Lucy Show” premiered. It was directed by Marc Daniels, one of the directors of “I Love Lucy” and Jesse Wayne was the stunt coordinator, as he was for “The Lucy Show.”  

“Lucy and Bob Crane” (1966)

Crane was best known as the clever Colonel Hogan in the CBS POW camp sitcom “Hogan's Heroes” (1965-1971), which was filmed at Desilu Studios.

In the episode, Crane is making a World War One film. A one-line gag features an appearance by John Banner, who played Sergeant Schultz on “Hogan’s Heroes”. He utters his famous catch-phrase from the sitcom. 

SCHULTZ: “I know nothing!”  CRANE: “Schultz! You're in the wrong war!”

Oscar Beregi plays Wolfgang Schmidt the director of the film. Beregi did two episodes of “Hogan's Heroes.” He was probably cast here for his resemblance to Werner Klemperer, who played Colonel Klink on “Hogan’s Heroes” who also wore a monocle.

“Lucy the Robot” (1966)

Jay North plays Mr. Mooney’s spoiled brat nephew Wendell. North was best known as the star of “Dennis the Menace” (1959-1963). During the show's final season, North played opposite Gale Gordon (Mr. Mooney) as John Wilson. 

“You will keep that MENACE subdued for the next eight days!” ~ Mr. Mooney to Lucy about Wendell

“Dennis the Menace” also included a character named Theodore Mooney! 

“Lucy the Gun Moll” (1966)

RUSTY: “So ya see, no one is really untouchable!” 

The episode is a parody of “The Untouchables” (one of Desilu’s biggest hits) starring most of the original cast. Lucy plays a gun moll named Rusty. Robert Stack (who originally played Elliott Ness), agreed to appear as long as the character names were not the same as the original. Stack was joined by Walter Winchell, Bruce Gordon, and Steve London. 

“The Untouchables” started out as a two-part pilot episode of “Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse” in April 1959. The show was introduced by Desi Arnaz and starred Robert Stack and the voice of Walter Winchell, both of whom were cast in the series, which began in October 1959 on CBS. The final episode was aired in May 1963.

“Lucy Puts Main Street on the Map” (1967)

To bring attention to the plight of the town of Bancroft, Lucy stages a spectacle on Main Street, calling all the television news programs to witness the event. 

Dan McGowan (Dan Rowan) is a TV reporter with the National News Service.

“Lucy Meets Sheldon Leonard” (1967)

Mr. Mooney allows TV producer Sheldon Leonard to film a hold-up scene at the bank. Lucy thinks he is really a gangster and is determined to foil his robbery.  

Over the telephone, Mr. Cheever tells Mr. Mooney that Sheldon Leonard produced “The Danny Thomas Show,” “Dick Van Dyke” and “I Spy.” Leonard himself adds “Andy Griffith” and “Gomer Pyle” to his credits. All of these shows were filmed at Desilu Studios. 

The end of the episode Leonard says:

“I suddenly got this idea for a new television series. It would be about this kooky red headed girl. She works in a bank and she gets into all sorts of impossible situations and... forget it.  Nobody would ever believe it.”

“Lucy Helps Ken Berry” (1968)

A dance instructor (Ken Berry) is about to default on his loan until Lucy arranges for him to be on “Ralph Story’s Los Angeles”, a local television show.  

Ralph Story was well known in the Los Angeles area as a local TV personality as host of “Ralph Story’s Los Angeles” from 1963 until the late 1970s. 

Ken and the his students perform “Steppin’ Out With My Baby” by Irving Berlin. For the finale, everyone sings “Pick Yourself Up” by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields.

Stay Tuned for Part 3!  Same Time, Same Station!

[therealmrpositive]

The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999)

In today's review, I find that telekinetic vengeance may run in the blood. As I attempt a #positive review of the sequel known as The Rage: Carrie 2 #EmilyBergl #JasonLondon #DylanBruno #J.Smith-Cameron #AmyIrving #ZacheryTyBryan #JohnDoe #CharlotteAyanna #RachelBlanchard #MenaSuvari #EliCraig

While it has been a long while since I have been a student in full-time education, memories of the time still return from the highs to the lows, and everything in-between. A topic that is no stranger to the world of fiction, or even sequels to popular works of fiction. In 1999, a film built upon the legacy of Carrie to tell a fresh story that explored similar topics and the after-effects of the…

[gardenwalrus]

The Beatles' interview with Gordon Kaye, backstage at the ABC Cinema, Huddersfield, 29 November 1963

KAYE: What do you think of [fans] coming in and then screaming?

GEORGE: Well, they've paid the money so they can scream, can't they? I mean, if they haven't paid and they were screaming, it'd be a liberty, wouldn't it!

PAUL: Aye, aye.

RINGO: Would that, Georgie.

KAYE: What is your, sort of, favourite types of music? Beethoven, for instance?

GEORGE: No, I like trad jazz, you know, Kenny Ball and all that.

PAUL: [to George] You don't! You told me you didn't!

GEORGE: I do. I've changed. Washington Square, I got it.

[CUT]

PAUL: How'd it go? Great, thanks. Yeah it was fine. I think it was one of the best receptions we've had, terrific.

KAYE: Now then, let's know a little bit about your personal life. What do you like to do in your spare time when you get it?

PAUL: When I get spare time? Go to the pictures or watch telly, or erm... r-read, uh, read... comics, you know.

[Laughter]

KAYE: What sort of films do you like?

PAUL: What sort of films...

JOHN: [From across the room] The man and [Inaudible]

PAUL: Yeah, the man and the green basket [???]

PAUL: No, just ordinary films like 'The Trial,' 'The Servants.'

PAUL:  Just ordinary, you know... like Walt Disney. You know, 'The Trial' by Walt Disney. It's great.

KAYE: What sort of music do you like personally?

PAUL: Just, I like everybody else. Stravinsky, Beethoven, all of that.

PAUL: No, American groups actually, I listen to.

KAYE: Female groups?

PAUL: But mainly American records, generally.

KAYE: Now then George, what do you like to do on your spare time?

GEORGE: Umm... Well I uhh... umm... [to the others] What do I do?

PAUL: What does he do? I'll tell you what George does. He goes to the pictures.

GEORGE: I go to the pictures, yeah.

PAUL: Reads Tolstoy.

GEORGE: I read Telstar.

PAUL: Tolstoy.

GEORGE: And umm...

RINGO: Beethoven's poems.

GEORGE: And play records and play the banjo!

PAUL: Beethoven's poems.

KAYE: What are your ambitions in, George?

GEORGE: Umm, to join the Navy, actually.

GEORGE: I want to join the Navy and be a lieutenant commander on HMS Queen Victoria.

[CUT]

KAYE: You've never been on [the television show] Juke Box Jury before?

RINGO: Oh no. John's been on.

JOHN: [yelling] I've been on! I was on!

KAYE: How long?

JOHN: For twenty minutes!

[aliteralchicken]

Wayne, Grayson, Kyle, Gordon, Todd, Drake, Cain, Kane, Harper, Thomas, Paige, kaye etc.

the list of Gotham first-name-last-names goes on and on and I’m sick of it, I’m not counting anymore

[5-7-9]

This panel is pretty funny 😂 just because of how wish fulfillment it is

Like, you wish this happened, huh?

I don’t like it when stories use their citizens as some kind of monolith hive mind, they just suddenly get inspired to do good or bad for no reason or the reason is too superficial. It bugs me, what can i say? 🤷

Interesting part to note is how they treated people taking up Joker's masks though.

Joker’s mask seems to be what gives these hooligans the freedom to cause mayhem. I’ve already said it before, but this comic treats Joker’s smile as insincere, something to hide, fake. As if being allowed to a secretive identity removes guilt over responsibility. Like when internet trolls can’t be tied to their face. This is expanded on through Alex Kayes the best. Although I don’t like her character’s existence, she highlights the part of Joker’s legacy that was perhaps misguidedly applied to Joker. Social media and public outcry.

Remember Logan Paul’s infamous apology video? James Charles? Etc. social media people? The comic even got the YouTube logo on it.

Red Flag is having a political podcast 🚩😙 sorry~ but if you’re anything like Andrew Tate, the alt-right pipeline is one you don’t want to stay in. Don’t believe everything you hear.

“It’s about sending a message” …was it hate speech? Jkjk. But this is exactly what Heath Ledger’s Joker’s mission in The Dark Knight Rises movie by Chris Nolan was like.

He was also described by Alfred as “Someone people just want to watch the world burn” with absolutely no reason to be evil, he just is evil 🙃 So there is some similarity to Punchline to this movie’s Joker.

Social media and the constant criticisms done by people reacting and adding their own stuff like idk tiktok i guess? Oh right, the comic said it, yeah. Idk any tiktok challenges like this one, so no video example 🤷

Joker War was also mentioned in other comics. I think it’s interesting how Bao Pham’s origins with Joker and Harley was, and his eventual rise to being Joker Hunter and protecting his city. Then i think he left eventually (idk). Huh.

More Punchline, this time from oftentimes copaganda and all times police commissioner Jim Gordon! More teenagers that support Punchline being bullies, what else is new. I totally forgot what I wanted to say, so I’ll just skip to the end of what I really wanted to comment on. Y’know I only recently learned about this so that’s why I’m talking about it but I think it was really awesome that Joker 2019 traveled all the way around the world because people were using his face masks in activism. That’s the positive side of having a brand, DC comics can go across countries and be recognizable. The more recognizable you are, the more people hear you. That’s what happened in the case with the Joker from the protests in Lebonon, Chile, Hong Kong, Bolivia, Colombia, Spain, Catalonia, and Ecuador (there may have been more but idk). (Warning! Talks of death and possible SA in this video!)

(I’d like to take a special time to acknowledge the Iraq Joker (mustafa makki kareem) since I found a rather in-depth interview video of his efforts). (This was 4 years ago, so I’m afraid the political landscape of Iraq has taken a turn… I hope he’s okay).

An interview with some Hong Kong protestors that wear masks to protect their identity. Interestingly enough, this video calls the mask similar to Batman :)

Also they mention reasons for hiding their identity, and methods!

There’s a few clips of Bolivia’s Joker too

Some faces of Lebonon Jokers (this video is edited with TDK Bane’s message but the original video isn’t allowed in my country?)

More edits of Chile Lebonon and Hong Kong (again, original video linked in description but unavailable to me)

In fact, that’s what happened to the Joker 2019 movie. Nowhere in the comics had Joker been depicted as he was in that movie, a victim of an oppressive system. That movie essentially took back a villain and made him this icon. That was the first time ever after Joker’s further evilization after “The Dark Knight Rises” and “Death In The Family” and “The Killing Joke” made Joker one of the evilest Batman characters (considering the ever so slightly sympathetic side to the rest of the rouges). Not to go off on it, but I think it really was a good thing for Joker. I think his criminalization crossed a line at some point, so in a way, this makes up for it.

Of course, even with all of this, it’d be unfair of me to not mention all the bad that did come from Joker. I will not discount that. And no- the 2012 Aurora shooter James Holms had orange dyed hair and is NOT inspired by Joker, he didn’t even know the movie was going on, fyi. • The Florida man Lawrence Sullivan who was arrested in 2017 for allegedly pointing a firearm at an officer. (I reached my 10 video limit 😭). • The recreation of Joker 2019 bus killing scene with suicidal 24-year-old Kyota Hattori in Tokyo train. • The “Gypsy Crusader” or Paul Nicholas Miller was a popular troll that liked to cosplay as Joker in the 2019 movie and comics Riddler while making jokes (i think he did offensive humor?) of the “radical” alt-right stance. (Ironically, the racists didn’t want a Roma descent racist on their side 💀). He was arrested for possession of an unregistered rifle and a lot of ammunition. He also lived in New Jersey…

• 2014 Jerad Miller from Las Vadas Nevada shot two police officers and one bystander dressed as the Joker with an accomplice. Essentially doing a murder-suicide when they then shot themselves. He posted videos to Youtube of his messages. (I think there was some mental illness going on? But idk) (there is also mentions of political stuff like angry at drug laws and the corrupted government and a swatsika?) (yeah idk, it was confusing).

Yes, the criminal turned devil turned sympathetic villain leads to multiple interpretations of Joker, who would’ve guessed? (sarcasm). Even London and Clermont mocked their presidents with the clown face. It’s not entirely black and white 🤷

Still, despite all the flaws in Joker 2019’s movie, all the good that came out of it… I feel as though it outweighed the bad. So, it’s not easy to hate it. Shout out to this video analysis essay that made me critically think about the Batman movies!

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

Gotham's Newest...Hero?

by Neppy A fanfiction about the newest member in the Bat Family! Luciana Soto has had a...strange life, but it takes a turn for the worst when villains attack her school, Gotham University, and things just spiral from there. Featuring characters such as Cassandra Cain, Stephanie Brown, Kate Kane, Punchline, and plenty more from the Bat Family, follow Luciana as she discovers the puzzle of her past, figures out her future, and sets a life for herself among the heroes of Gotham. This fic is for fun, it will avoid the "adopted by Batman" trope (sorry), and it does center on a queer women of color! Characters that will get plenty of attention (because of my personal bias) are Stephanie Brown and Cassandra Cain, but you will see most other Bat Family members and even guest DC characters in certain moments. This is not a crack/joke story, or a short fic, it is a full blown story with a big character arc, unique villains with different goals and motivations, and more! Enjoy~! Words: 4661, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types, Batman (Comics), Batman: Wayne Family Adventures (Webcomic) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Categories: F/F, Gen Characters: Stephanie Brown, Cassandra Cain, Kate Kane (DCU), Bruce Wayne, Barbara Gordon, Harleen Quinzel, Alexis Kaye Relationships: Stephanie Brown/Cassandra Cain, Barbara Gordon/Dick Grayson Additional Tags: Action/Adventure, Family Drama, Drama, Eventual Romance, Teen Romance, Angst, Amnesia, Batfamily (DCU), Original Character(s) via https://ift.tt/LiejNz3