Why Joker is a Surprisingly Conservative Film

Todd Phillips’ Joker is often heralded as a critique of modern inequality and a rallying cry against societal indifference. Yet, beneath its gritty nihilism and chaos, the film surprisingly aligns with several conservative critiques of modern culture. From its depiction of anti-meritocratic movements to the consequences of broken family structures, Joker offers a cautionary tale that resonates with traditionally conservative values.

Anti-Meritocracy in the Clown Movement

The clown movement that engulfs Gotham isn’t motivated by truth or justice. Instead, it is fueled by resentment, scapegoating, and a rejection of meritocracy. Arthur Fleck, the Joker, kills three young men who work for Wayne Enterprises. While these men were indeed cruel and violent toward Arthur on a subway train, the broader public doesn’t know that. The protesters who glorify Arthur don’t see him as a hero because he exposed corruption or injustice; they lionize him because his victims were young, white, and successful.

This blind hatred of success and privilege, regardless of the individuals’ character, is a rejection of meritocracy. The protesters have no interest in whether these men earned their positions or whether they were good or bad. Instead, their anger stems from the simple fact that they represented wealth and opportunity in a world that seemed to offer them none. This underpins a key conservative critique of modern populist and progressive movements: they often reject the very systems of effort and achievement that can lift people out of poverty.

A Left-Wing Anarchy

The film also starkly portrays the dangers of rejecting law and order, a cornerstone of conservative philosophy. As Gotham descends into chaos, we see the raw consequences of unchecked rage and lawlessness. Police officers are attacked, mobs take to the streets, and the city burns—all in the name of a movement with no coherent ideology beyond destruction.

This is a radical left-wing stance: the rejection of authority and institutions in favor of anarchy. In contrast, conservatism emphasizes the need for order and the rule of law as the foundation of a stable society. Without these pillars, as Joker vividly illustrates, civilization collapses into chaos.

The Impact of Fatherlessness

Perhaps most strikingly, Arthur Fleck’s tragic story underscores the consequences of a broken family structure. Arthur grows up in a fatherless home, raised by his mentally ill mother, Penny. The lack of a stable father figure leaves him vulnerable, insecure, and yearning for male guidance—a longing that he briefly projects onto Murray Franklin and subsequently Thomas Wayne before discovering the painful truth about his parentage.

Really, Gotham? Who thought it was a good idea to hand over a child to a single, unstable woman like Penny? It’s as if the adoption agency’s motto was, ‘Let’s roll the dice and see what happens!’ Unsurprisingly, the result was a total societal meltdown, with Arthur’s spiral into madness and violence becoming a case study in why conservatives keep harping on about the dangers of fatherlessness. Higher rates of poverty, crime, and mental health issues among kids from single-parent households aren’t just statistics—they’re Gotham’s tragic reality, now brought to life with clown makeup and chaos.

A Conservative Warning

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While Joker may appear to align with progressive critiques of wealth inequality and systemic indifference, its underlying message is far more conservative. It warns of the dangers of rejecting meritocracy, dismantling law and order, and ignoring the importance of stable family structures.
In the end, Joker is less about glorifying Arthur Fleck’s rebellion and more about exposing the tragic consequences of a society that abandons its foundational principles. Far from a left-wing manifesto, it serves as a cautionary tale for what happens when conservative values are discarded, leaving chaos, resentment, and broken lives in their wake.
This draft balances the points you provided while maintaining a thoughtful tone. Let me know if you’d like further refinements!

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Written by: Lucas Callejas

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