BY MARTINA SMITH
Harley Quinn, a popular Batman villain, is the henchwoman and on-again, off-again girlfriend of the Joker. She is a relatively new addition to the canon, first appearing in Batman: The Animated Series in 1994. In her debut episode entitled “Mad Love”, her road to being the Joker’s hench-girl is revealed. A young and ambitious intern at Arkham Asylum, Dr. Harleen Quinzel was determined to make a name for herself by curing the Joker of his insanity. However, through The Joker’s manipulation, Quinzel begins to believe that he is just misunderstood and falls madly in love with him. One night, she raids a costume store, dons her trademark jester outfit, and busts Mr. J, as she calls him, out of jail. Afterwards, the pair live out their crime-filled lives happily ever after.
Or do they? The relationship between The Joker and Harley Quinn is not an ideal one. Yet female comic book fans tend to glorify their union, stating at comic conventions, online, and to each other that they “are just a Harley Quinn looking for their Mr. J”. This glorification is concerning, because as enjoyable as the duo are to watch and read about, their relationship is abusive and not one that girls should aspire to be a part of.
It’s a classic abusive relationship. The Joker violently lashes out at Harley whenever his plans fail, destroys her self-esteem with rude comments and prevents her from seeing her friend Poison Ivy. All this while giving her hope that he may care for her. The question here is why Harley stays. But that’s always the question when it comes to abuse in relationships, isn’t it? She’s foolish, she’s crazy, she’s weak in love. Whatever the reason, she is drawn to staying with a man who, regardless of his true feelings, treats her like dirt.
What does this say about the Harley Quinn “fandom”? It depends. On one hand, there are many fans of Harley that understand her predicament and don’t wish to be her, they just appreciate the character. The character has inspired fan art, cosplays, videos and numerous fan fiction archives, full of fans who enjoy her plucky humor and drawn good looks. But then, as in everything, you have those who make the rest look bad. The fangirls who want to be Harley Quinn and be with The Joker and insult anyone who says anything harsh on their relationship. It’s troubling to think that these girls will or already do have relationships of their own.
The Harley Quinn issue is a complex one. Delving deep into it brings up questions about sexuality, gender, love, boundaries, and stereotypes. For example, there are several fan theories that involve Harley being a masochist. This is troubling on an entire other level. The idea that masochism, something you consent to, and straight up abuse are seen as one in the same should be a scary concept to you.
It’s important that comic book readers acknowledge that, as much as we love to watch them, Harley Quinn and the Joker are not people we should aspire to be. Women who wish for their “Mr. J” are ignorant and are going to encounter Mr. Wrong. Mr. Really Wrong.
