By Corrine Powers
In recent light of the movie "Suicide Squad," there has been talk of those wanting a “love like The Joker and Harley Quinn" or of those looking up to and aspiring to be Harley Quinn. While that's all fine and dandy, it's probably better to understand who the characters actually are and what their relationship has consisted of since Harley's creation in 1992 before you decide either of those things. For those of you who are, for lack of a better term, “meeting” the Joker and Harley for the first time, this will explain to you why their relationship is nothing to aspire to, no matter how "Suicide Squad" portrays it.
If you look at the "Suicide Squad" version of the duo versus their characters in the comic books, and even the animated series and video games, there has been a complete misrepresentation of the characters themselves and a horrid romanticization of their relationship all together. Though before we get into the plethora of things that Suicide Squad got wrong when it comes to the Joker and Harley Quinn, let’s start by discussing the few things it got right.
Looking at the two characters, only a few core aspects were correct in "Suicide Squad." Harley Quinn’s bubbly personality was spot on, as was the kick-ass scene in the elevator and her obsessive love for the Joker. As for the Joker, the only thing "Suicide Squad" got correct was his green hair, white skin, and the fact that people are generally terrified of him. Another thing that was nearly spot on was Harley Quinn’s origin story, though a few details were a bit off. The one scene, though, that made the movie was the nod to “Tango With Evil” by Alex Ross. The reference to his artwork was brilliant, beautiful and made my heart sing. I thought all my dreams had come true. But my elation did not last. My hopes and dreams for the live-action Joker and Harley Quinn I had been dying to see had been crushed. What I had been waiting for years to receive was met with disappointment and annoyance of what could have been. Now as I describe to you the Joker and Harley Quinn as they have been through the comic books, animated series and video games, I will also explain where "Suicide Squad" muffled these beloved villains and turned them into something completely different.
Dr. Harleen Quinzel was working as an intern at Arkham Asylum when she met and fell in love with the Joker. She had requested to be put on the Joker’s case because she felt as if she could “help him.” Little did she know, he would woo and manipulate her into doing his bidding and becoming his accomplice, known as Harley Quinn. Some say that the Joker’s feelings for Harley were real, but the Joker is a master manipulator, he devises incredible schemes and knows how to get what he wants. He saw an opportunity in Harley, one where he could coax her into becoming a "bad guy." He saw that he could get Harley to assist in his dastardly agendas to kill the Batman as well as create utter chaos. Harley, through getting to know the version of the Joker he chose to show, then became obsessively in love with him, what Paul Dini describes as a “mad love.” Her love consumed her and no matter how badly the Joker treated her or how many times he would try to kill her, she would always come back to him
The actual relationship between the Joker and Harley can only be described as an abusive one and is nothing to aspire to, unlike what "Suicide Squad" depicts. In "Suicide Squad," Amanda Waller (played by Viola Davis) implies that the Joker and Harley have a mutual love when she says that anyone who messes with Harley deals with the Joker. The film then goes on to portray the two characters as a crazy and dysfunctional couple, even going as far as having the Joker’s main goal in the film to find Harley and reunite the duo. In comparison to who the Joker really is, his role in "Suicide Squad" was a love-sick puppy.
The Joker we know and love from the comic books, animated series and video games is a far cry from the dribble he was portrayed as in "Suicide Squad." He’s supposed to be a cruel, menacing, sociopathic genius and instead we got a goon, a man who is feared for his “muscle” and not for his mind. The Joker as we know him tolerates Harley for his bigger agenda, he is not in love with her and would not go out of his way to save her unless it directly benefitted one of his schemes. He uses and abuses her when it is convenient for him and tosses her out like garbage when she becomes an inconvenience. Though the Joker, at times shows moments of tenderness where you can see that he may actually care for Harley, he quickly reverts back to trying to kill her or cast her off. Their relationship is an abusive one and Harley’s love for the Joker is unrequited.
All of that being said, Harley Quinn is a strong-willed individual, despite her misgivings. Her love and trust in the Joker helped to form and mold her into the character we know and love. Harley has recently realized that her love for the Joker is unrequited and his treatment of her has been unfair. Thusly she has distanced herself from him and has left the shadow of the Joker to become more independent, which you see beginning sprout in her early friendship with Poison Ivy.
As I previously mentioned "Suicide Squad" did get a few things right when it comes to Harley, though, like the Joker, the things that were wrong were overwhelming. Suicide Squad gave us a superficial look into Harley Quinn. We saw her as a crazy, dumb, sexually promiscuous woman who was once in a circus as well as a psychiatrist. Now while Harley was a psychiatrist, she was only interning at Arkham Asylum when she met the Joker, which Suicide Squad had failed to mention. While that little issue is not really anything to fuss over the other traits are a bit more grievous.
Harleen Quinzel was never in the circus. She was a gymnast and because of that was awarded a scholarship to Gotham City University. This circus stint, that never actually happened, was mentioned by Amanda Waller in Suicide Squad while explaining who Harley was. Though this may be semantics, it was a mistake that some find hard to accept. As for Harley being crazy, dumb and promiscuous, these are personality traits that Harley does not have. She is not crazy, though her being "crazy" was mentioned several times in "Suicide Squad," as well as her hearing voices. Never once has Harley heard voices and she is definitely not crazy. Harley Quinn is a psychopath which is characterized by impaired empathy and remorse, egotistical traits and antisocial behavior, whereas crazy is characterized by being mentally deranged. Harley is not mentally deranged, she has full awareness and full control of the things that she does.
Next, we have the issue of Harley being “dumb.” Like the Joker, Harley is manipulative, she may pretend to be dumb to get what she wants but is in fact incredibly smart. She comes up with schemes and has nearly killed the Batman several times as well as outsmarted the Joker on multiple occasions. Lastly Harley is not promiscuous. Though she has dated more people than just the Joker never once has she been portrayed as overly sexual or promiscuous, unlike how we saw her in the first 15 minutes of "Suicide Squad." She doesn't need to use her sexuality to get what she wants, instead she can use her intelligence to manipulate people into getting her way.
After this look into who the Joker and Harley Quinn, can you really say that their love is something to aspire to or that you would want to necessarily be either of these characters? Maybe aspects of their characters but definitely not their relationship. Their relationship is abusive and manipulative on both ends. The Joker is a man who knows what he wants and strives to get it but is also a man who will resort to violence even if it may hurt an innocent woman or even a child. Harley is a strong woman but she also has had to overcome hardships and come out on the other side. Their characters, as they were, are iconic and tell a story. To sugar coat their story and romanticize it is a disservice to the characters as well as fans who have stuck by them through the comic books, animated series, and video games. The Joker and Harley Quinn are both strong characters and should be seen as such. Their “love” stories and individual characters should not be downplayed into something that completely changes who they are.