“Why So Serious?” — Internet Reacts to Korean Men Protesting Joker 2 by Sitting in Seats Reserved for Pregnant Women

Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix’s highly anticipated film Joker 2 was released on Wednesday, October 2, 2024. The movie has sparked mixed reviews so far, but it has particularly caught the attention of Korean men who are now starting a controversial trend.

After the film’s release, a peculiar trend emerged in South Korea, where some men appeared to resonate with the Joker character, showcasing their anti-feminism views by occupying seats designated for pregnant women.

This trend has drawn significant backlash from netizens globally, who have expressed their discontent on social media platforms like X. Here are some of the notable reactions:

A user tweeted:

“And they wonder why the birth rate is so low 🤡.”

“Are Korean men really trying to erase their own country? How low do they want the birth rate to be?”questioned another user, referencing the ongoing low birth rate crisis.

“So he’s so mad about Joker 2 that he’s gonna go home and piss himself?? Okay… lol,”read another tweet.

Many similar sentiments were echoed throughout X, including a post by a user who wrote:

“Ewwwww what a bunch of weirdos 😭.”

“Korean men are undoing all the good publicity generated by K-pop idols, and it’s saddening to observe,”commented another netizen.

“Manchildren at their finest,”proclaimed a different user.

Film critics note Lady Gaga’s underutilization in Joker 2

Despite the October 2 release, Joker 2 originally premiered on September 4 at the Venice Film Festival, where it began receiving varied reactions from audiences.

The original 2019 film Joker holds a 69% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while the sequel currently sits at 56%.

After the Venice premiere, IndieWire’s David Ehrlich described the sequel as a “boring continuation,”while Vanity Fair’s Richard Lawson deemed it “startlingly dull.”

Critics like Owen Gleiberman from Variety pointed out that the film failed to fully harness Lady Gaga’s exceptional talent.

According to Deadline, the latest installment, Joker: Folie à Deux, is not expected to eclipse the box office success of its predecessor, which grossed $1.07 billion, making it the second highest-grossing R-rated film of all time.

Continuing from the events of the first film, Joker 2’s plot has been described as intriguing, yet many reviews criticized its transition to a musical format, with Koimoi commenting that the integration of certain musical pieces “didn’t even make sense.”

The film is projected to earn between $80 million to $85 million globally in its opening weekend, while the 2019 movie collected approximately $139 million across the globe during its debut.

Joker 2‘s first overseas release occurred in Korea, generating around $1.3 million. Major international releases also took place in countries such as France, Italy, Spain, Brazil, China, Australia, the UK, and Germany.

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