Entertainment: Starting as a Succubus, Taking Hollywood by Storm

Ring, ring, ring!

The bedside phone's shrill chime jolted Martin awake from his dreams.

"Hello, who's this?"

Martin groggily answered, glancing instinctively at the clock: 2:30 a.m.

"It's me, Jeff Raymond. We've got a problem, Martin!"

Martin snapped upright, instantly alert. "What happened, Jeff?"

"There's been a shooting at a theater in Aurora, Colorado, showing Joker. Twelve dead, seventy injured. Word is the gunman was mimicking the Joker—laughing like Arthur during and after the killings. He even dyed his hair green…"

"What the hell!"

Martin was fully awake now.

"Honey, what's going on?"

"What happened?"

Drew and Cameron, sleeping beside him, stirred.

Martin quickly filled them in, then turned back to Jeff. "Get in touch with our media contacts immediately. This is going to blow up—we can't suppress it, so let's lean in. Sometimes bad news can be spun into good."

The more Martin spoke, the clearer his thoughts became, his voice steadying.

Hanging up, he turned to Drew. "We've got work to do. Notify our PR team right away. Have them push hard on Joker's cautionary message. We made a film about the Joker, sure, but it's really about society's injustices!"

Drew's eyes lit up, her take-charge instincts kicking in, anxiety replaced by resolve. "Budget?"

"Ten million, max," Martin said.

Then he added, "I'm calling Ivanka now. We need to mobilize our online influencers, steer this shooting narrative toward gun control. The administration's been pushing a stricter firearms policy lately—this is a sensitive issue, ripe for public debate."

Drew grinned. "Smart move. That way, the film dodges blame. Why did the shooter kill? Because he had a gun. Mimicking the Joker isn't the reason—it's just fandom. And it'll keep the movie in the spotlight."

She leapt out of bed, already pulling on clothes.

Cameron Diaz piped up, "Anything I can do?"

Martin smiled. "If anyone interviews you about this, stick to one point: a movie is just a movie. This shooting has no direct link to the film. Got it?"

Cameron repeated it under her breath a few times, then nodded. "Got it."

…

The next day, the shooting dominated the news.

"Troubled PhD Student Turns Joker, Opens Fire in Theater, Leaving 12 Dead, 70 Injured."

"Joker Doctor's Killing Spree: He Didn't Plan to Let Anyone Walk Out Alive."

"Joker Sparks Toxic Social Impact—Should Films Like This Even Be Shown?"

"Joker Should Be Pulled from Theaters. It's Caused Irreparable Tragedy and Promotes a Dangerous Mindset: When Life Doesn't Go Your Way, Turn to Crime!"

"Is Joker a Great Film? Yes. Is Joker a Terrible Film? Also Yes."

"Joker Is Too Dark, Too Bleak. It Glorifies Ideas That Can Sway Certain Groups in Dangerous Ways."

Just as Martin predicted, some outlets seized the shooting to attack the film.

But Meyers Entertainment's media allies quickly fired back.

"Does Joker Glorify Crime? No. It Exposes Why Crime Happens. It Lays Bare Social Injustice, Urging Us to Stay Vigilant. It's a Warning. When Tragedy Strikes, We Shouldn't Blame a Movie—We Should Ask Why It Happened and What Systemic Flaws Allowed It."

"Some claim the shooter, James Holmes, was imitating Arthur from the film. But Arthur never kills an innocent person in Joker. Never. Whatever drove Holmes to kill, the movie wasn't the root cause. We all know this—some just find it easier to pin a tidy excuse on a criminal rather than dig into the deeper issues."

"In the film, when Arthur is arrested, a furious cop blames him for the city's chaos, saying it's all because of him. But that's not true. The movie shows Gotham's backdrop: economic collapse, government neglect, mass unemployment, and a desperate underclass. That's the real root of violence and chaos."

"In reality, when this shooting happened, some people and media rushed to blame Joker. How absurd. First, we need to ask why Holmes killed. Second, where did he get his weapons? Finally, was his mental state stable? Those are the real causes of this tragedy."

"Let's talk about Joker itself. Is it as hopelessly negative as some claim? Does it really incite destructive emotions?"

"Blaming a movie like this is mistaking the 5 trees for a forest. Real society is far more complex than Joker. A single film can't capture or explain the full scope of society's light and darkness."

"On the contrary, Joker's warning is powerful. It's practically a fable, sparking discussion and reflection. That's its greatest strength."

"Arthur is a victim in the film. Through his tragic story, Joker warns us, not incites us."

"The film is remarkably restrained. Every time Arthur kills, he's in deep pain, tormented. The movie's point is clear: it's not glorifying violence—it's neutral. Completely neutral."

"Blaming a murder on a film like Joker, which strives for sober restraint, is the most laughable thing in the world."