My name is Kimberly Webb, and I am a comic book nerd.
I have comic books in my room, stickers on my door, and a Captain America poster on my wall. I've argued Marvel and DC, seen most of the movies put out by the MCU, and chose a team for Captain America: Civil War. When I can find them, I read and watch books and documentaries on the history of comic books. Hell, I wrote about comic books on a final exam. I've cosplayed at a comic book convention, as well as at home. I will gladly tell you about who my favorite Joker is, and how my dream is DC villains versus Marvel superheroes.
Yet, I'm refusing to see Suicide Squad.
No, it's not because of the horrible reviews, including a 28 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. No, it's not because of my unreasonable vendetta against Jared Leto. No, it's not because I just generally prefer Marvel to DC. It's not because of the cast, the characters, or the director. I love Will Smith and Cara Delevingne, and David Ayers is a phenomenal director. Further, Harley Quinn and the Joker are two of my favorite characters of all time.
This, right here, is exactly why I'm boycotting Suicide Squad.
Harleen Quinzell was a brilliant psychiatrist, charged with Arkham Asylum's most notorious patient. Through careful manipulation, the Joker made Doctor Quinzell fall in love with him, knowing full well that the feeling would not be mutual. From there, she dons a red and black jester suit, and goes by Harley Quinn. She becomes the Joker's quirky and oftentimes seductive sidekick, whose efforts are never appreciated.
The Joker is a psychopath and, naturally, became Harley Quinn's abuser. She stays with him through cigarette burns and regular beatings, and loves him even as he tries to throw her out of a moving car or into a volcano. Through time, however, Harley realizes that she really doesn't need this man, and realizes that he's abusive. She becomes a kick-ass anti-hero, a character arc that's one of the most under-appreciated in comic book media.
When they announced the Suicide Squad movie, I got really, really excited. I was excited because it's such a cool and fun concept, and one that we don't really get to see in comic book movies. Soon, however, it became clear to me that David Ayer- who got only six weeks to write the entire movie -wasn't going to make Harley Quinn into the complex, amazing character that she is in the comics.
Suicide Squad's Harley Quinn is defined by two things: her relationship with the amoral Mr. J, and her sex appeal. Who the former Harleen Quinzell is doesn't matter to Ayer, nor to the fans of Suicide Squad. Her personality is that of a woman who became owned by a man, and had transformed herself into the person that he wanted her to be, who is also giddy and gorgeous. She's crazy, but it's okay, because it's the hot crazy that is redeemable and trendy. Furthermore, her character and self-awareness are completely trumped by the fact that she wears a crop top and really short shorts. David Ayer transforms Harley Quinn into a shooting sex toy.
This bothers me to an extent that I'm not even sure I can properly convey. First of all, since when is it okay to completely diminish a woman's character, turning her into nothing but an ornament? Since when is it okay to turn women into entertainment: beautiful, and good if they're the right amount and right type of crazy? Is this a message that we want to send to impressionable teenage girls, especially ones that get judged harshly if they're not dressed modestly enough?
It's a catch-22: girls are told by the media that they have to dress and act like Ayer's version of Harley Quinn, but are slut-shamed into oblivion if they do. This is just one of Suicide Squad's horribly problematic offenses against Harley Quinn.
The second, and more horrifying, is that the relationship between her and Jared Leto's Joker is romanticized. They're both insane, which means they understand each other, which is impossibly romantic, right? Nope, not at all. The relationship between Harley Quinn and the Joker, which is understood by comic book fans to be incredibly abusive, is glorified, and is basically sending the age-old message of "if he's mean to you, he likes you!"
Look, I get it. Harley Quinn loves him, and would do literally anything in the world for him. On the surface, which is the only view David Ayer gives us, she just seems like a great girlfriend, and it seems as though their relationship is amazing. Unfortunately, people aren't realizing that Harley suffers from Stockholm syndrome, which is really common in abuse cases.
I was in the same situation for about two years of my life. He was also a J -and I thought that he was the love of my life. Even though he told me not to go to college, and told me not to go to my dream school, I loved him. Even though I turned into the kind of girl that he wanted, and not who I was, I loved him. Even when he slapped me, I felt like I loved him. He manipulated me and I let him, because I developed such a strong attachment.
I was Harley Quinn. Hundreds of girls are Harley Quinn. In this situation, Harley is not someone that you want to be.
My name is Kimberly Webb. I'm a comic book lover, a Harley Quinn fan, a feminist, and an abuse survivor. That's why I'm boycotting Suicide Squad.