Thread 150041526

Anyone else find the whole "Joker being afraid of the IRS" gag unfunny and lame?

>>150041526 (OP)
Nope. Contrarian

>>150041526 (OP)
It became unfunny when I worked for the IRS and realized it’s mostly 30-50 year old moms working for the Service.

Yeah. It's an obvious reference to Al Capone, but he had a law-abiding persona whereas a supervillain is supposed to be on the run, or else always covers up his crimes like Lex Luthor.

>>150041614
Yeah, this joke would make more sense for Penguin, or black mask in the comics

>>150041526 (OP)
The Joker is a "Israel is our greatest ally" patriot. He pays his taxes.

>>150041614
>but he had a law-abiding persona
That nobody bought

>>150041526 (OP)
No. It's humorous enough. Autism and overthinking aren't fun. You wouldn't know what fun is if it bit you in the cape.

>>150041958
The fun of it is you're innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to 12 of your peers. Even if everyone understood he was a criminal, they couldn't get a conviction for anything up until the IRS got him.

>>150041526 (OP)
It's so stupid I becomes funny.

>>150041948
>The Joker is a "Israel is our greatest ally" patriot

>>150041526 (OP)
These are the kind of shenanigans I'd want from a clown-themed supervillain.

>>150041526 (OP)
Nah, it was a legit funny gag. You're taking it too seriously.
The reasoning of why a villian would care about his taxes is the whole reason why its funny.

>>150042803
>not being anti-Iran in the 80s
>not being a neo-nazi in 2025
I think Joker is just a contrarian

>>150043796
Joker is one of several DC villains who could be reinterpreted as basically just a shitposter.

>>150041526 (OP)
There's a similar gag in Eerie Indiana but there it's part of the weirdness of the setting, also not really, no.
Firstly Joker's whole thing is being an odd ball, he's either fucking around or even if he's serious it's because he's off kilter.
Secondly in the DCAU universe with those like Waller around it's possible the Government fittingly has something for exceptional situations, so it's the same situation to ours.

Exceptional characters having to put up with mundane shit isn't supposed to be a clever knee slapper anyway, it's more playing into the sense of futility the viewer feels for a sympathetic headshake at most.
There are exceptions, but it's mostly visualizing an imagined get back we all empathize with too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUTK-cgmFvA
Bad joke or no if Coop could just fly off from the DMV there'd be no joke at all.

>>150043811
>Guess what, Batman?! I'm going to post the N-WORD on a BLUE BOARD!!!!

>>150042803
Iranians don't wear that garb, he's clearly referencing the Iron Sheik there.

>>150043831
lol

>>150043838
Iran has an arabic minority that do.

>>150041526 (OP)
Be happy DC isn't using that joke in the comics everytime Joker appear

>>150041948
This is almost certainly a reference to the Rocketeer. Stop making everything a front culture war. Character moments like this and the tax thing weren't meant to be over-analyzed by the terminally online, they're just cool bits of fanservice for the readers.

>>150043838
Joker's the sort of guy to piss off the guys giving him political asylum just for kicks.

>>150043811
>>150043831
Wait a minute.

Wait a minute.

Fuck.

>relentlessly haunts the city (site) at all hours of the night
>believes in a rigorous code of obeying the rules
>clearly slightly autistic
>has a secret lair (Discord) where he plots his next move
>believes in punishing (bans) but not killing (permabans)

And most importantly

>does it >for free

Is... is Batman a jannie?

>>150041526 (OP)
It's funny because it's a relatable to anyone who has had to deal with or known anyone who had to deal with the IRS which is the vast majority of regular people. The government is stingy as fuck about paying you back any money you are owed, but the IRS will chase you to the ends of the earth if they suspect you owe them as much as a dollar.

>>150041526 (OP)
>says the faggot who never paid a bill or field taxes in his life
kys

>>150042803
>>150041948
Joker like the rest of you faggots is a born contrarian.

>>150041526 (OP)
but it's factually true, though. The IRS still collects taxes on stolen goods and they don't even punish for it. Where's the joke? Joker was right.

>>150041526 (OP)
The joke is that the IRS is even crazier than Batman and his crazy villain.

>>150041526 (OP)
I think this joke is good enough that everyone wants to do a similar gag of
>Supervillain will challenge a superhero, but is intimidated by something mundane!
and those are kinda lame. But the idea of the Joker specifically not wanting to fuck with the IRS (because then he just gets got for tax evasion and it's all very mundane, compared to a fist fight with Batman on a crashing blimp) is a very funny idea.

>>150041526 (OP)
At least he tries to pay them, which is more than can be said for LEGO Batman.

Joker only survives because he fucks with one guy and a shitty police department
If he ticked off the Feds he'd never have a moment's peace

This is what convinced me DCAU Joker was just evil and not insane, no sane man would con the IRS

>>150041526 (OP)
No, you’re just a child.

>>150041569
And 20,000 armed agents now

>>150044943
The point is that Joker normally wouldn't care about paying taxes, but he spent much of his inherited money to pay off the legal system and clear all his criminal records. If he gets busted on tax evasion, he's back where he started. Heck, when he realizes the rest of his money is fake and he has to pay somehow, Joker attempts to perform anonymous crimes without any of his usual trademarks (laughing gas, grinning corpses, etc.) so nobody can trace them to him.

>>150041526 (OP)
IRS from DC is no joke

>>150041526 (OP)
I'm tired of "invincible God mode fearless Joker", so I actually like it when we see the Joker scared and humiliated, especially if Batman isn't even involved.

>>150044061
When stupid people need a thrill, they rent the Rocketeer.

>>150041526 (OP)
The IRS being something that heroes and villains fear and is willing to go over the top is always funny

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msHJh68lvQU

>>150041526 (OP)
So what name does the Joker put on his tax return?

>adapt a funny silver age story
>people seethe

>>150041526 (OP)
The episode is actually pretty funny, this scene isnt tho

>>150044211
>a dollar
I remember reading a headline aeons ago about the "sense to collect two cents" because some guy was harassed by the IRS because he owed 2¢. He said that is shows gubmint is dumb since it surely cost them more than 2¢ to collect that 2¢.

>>150041526 (OP)
Even if you don't find it funny, cartoon Joker playing a joke like that straight is totally in character. Remember he's nuts.

>>150045653
It’s funny how much people don’t realize Bill Finger contributes to the mythos even past the visuals and initial rogues gallery. He also came up with the idea behind the Wayne murders being a planned hit and not a random killing

>>150041892
>>150041614
>the joker's jokes need t make more sense
do they? i feel like they can be whatever he thinks is funny in the moment

>>150045732
Comedy is subjective, Murray.

>>150041526 (OP)
It is funny. The past twenty years of people running the joke into the ground is what’s lame.

>>150041569
I think it's reference to Al Capone who with many crimes was nailed by IRS.

>>150041526 (OP)
Comicfags are insufferable

>>150045614
Joe Kerr

>>150045614
Jack White

>>150041526 (OP)
Just a staple joke of 90s cartoons.

Lawyers, the IRS, etc.

>>150041526 (OP)
It's a matter of respect, as the IRS has destroyed more lives than Joker ever could. He's bowing to the superior villain.

>>150041526 (OP)
One of my favorite scenes. Mark Hamill pulls it off brilliantly.
>>150041948
This bit speaks for itself.

>>150044211
And yet despite this 46% of Americans pay absolutely no Federal Taxes and are reimbursed every dollar they sent the IRS, sometimes they get more than what they paid.

>>150047470
>t.

>>150041526 (OP)
I thought it was just a joke he was playing on everyone around him. It seemed like the kind of thing he'd do just to mess with his own henchmen.

>>150047470
That doesn't mean they don't have to deal with the IRS because they will audit to make sure information actually lines up. And since working class people can't afford expensive lawyers to tie up the auditing process, it's more cost-effective to primarily audit working class people instead of actually going after rich tax cheats.

>>150041526 (OP)
No insanity plea for tax evasion. I genuinely believe that Joker is very much NOT insane, but it works to his benefit to claim such to the court because it stops him from being sent to assfuck supermax.

>>150047470
This is probably true, but that's what money printing and debt is for. You don't have to pay your taxes, they just indirectly steal the wealth by devaluing every dollar you're paid so they can funnel that wealth into things like welfare, foreign wars, and patronage networks. Taxation just maintains the illusion.

>>150044193
>STAY OUT OF GOTHAM...for 3 days

>>150044193
>Is... is Batman a jannie?
Congratulations, you've cracked the code.

>>150043796
Comedy should be contrarian. Comedy should challenge preconceived notions, the popular belief and regular status quo. Comedy should push and offend. And you should be better and demand better than just hearing things that you already agree with.

I can't think of a more punishing fate for the Joker than him spending time in white collar prison. No room for showmanship at the trial, no therapists to mess with, no entertaining cell mates. Nothing but boredom and rotting away with a couple hundred boring guys that did the exact same thing. A permanent reputation as someone who actually was doing crime for the money.

>>150041526 (OP)
Its been like 30 fucking years shut up

>>150049242
When you put it like that, the gang rape feels like the merciful option.