Joker picked up a couple of Golden Globe awards this weekend, but the film continues to hover near controversy. Two of the parents of one of the victims of the Aurora mass shooting wrote an open letter to director Todd Phillips and Warner Bros. about the film as Yahoo! learned today. Sandy and Lonnie Phillips argue that the film has “outraged” them because of the violence present in Joker. The families of the people caught in that horrible tragedy have not been silent about the film and this is just the latest case of them making sure their concerns are heard.
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“We are not outraged about The Joker because it has become a ‘thing’ to ‘look for things to be outraged about,’” the parents begin as they explain that their daughter “was murdered by an individual who was easily able to obtain firearms and ammunition in Aurora, Colorado. We are outraged because since her death, approximately 272,700 more Americans lost their lives in gun violence.”
They also made sure to talk about Warner Bros. in their statement as well. “We are outraged because in the face of such carnage, Warner Bros. continues to profit from movies that depict fictional acts of gun violence while donating to lawmakers and candidates who make it easier for individuals to obtain firearms and commit acts of violence in the real world,” they added. “We are outraged at your flippant and dismissive remarks about our very real concerns and we are outraged that Warner Bros. has refused to meet with survivors of gun violence.”
The families also penned another letter which made its way to THR before the movie released, “We are calling on you to be a part of the growing chorus of corporate leaders who understand that they have a social responsibility to keep us all safe.”
“[The Aurora shooting was] perpetrated by a socially isolated individual who felt ‘wronged’ by society [and acted],” the letter adds. “As a result, we have committed ourselves to ensuring that no other family ever has to go through the absolute hell we have experienced and the pain we continue to live with. Trust us, it does not go away.”
Continuing, “End political contributions to candidates who take money from the NRA and vote against gun reform, and use your political clout and leverage in Congress to actively lobby for gun reform. Keeping everyone safe should be a top corporate priority for Warner Brothers.”
Some members of the victims’ families also spoke out to express their concerns over Joker. “My worry is that one person who may be out there — and who knows if it is just one — who is on the edge, who is wanting to be a mass shooter, may be encouraged by this movie. And that terrifies me,” Sandy Phillips, mother of Aurora shooting victim Jessica Ghawi told the press before adding that the film feels like, “like a slap in the face.”
