U.S. Military Warns Troops About Potential "Incel" Violence At Joker Screenings

The U.S. Military is treating Joker as no laughing matter. While social media users have joked about the various nefarious characters who would attend the film in the Tickets to Joker, Please meme, the military, fearing another Aurora Theater Shooting, has issued a warning to troops about what to do in the event of an active shooter at a screening of the film.

"Posts on social media have made reference to involuntary celibate (“incel”) extremists replicating the 2012 theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado, at screenings of the Joker movie at nationwide theaters," the email reads. "Incel extremists idolize violent individuals like the Aurora movie theater shooter. They also idolize the Joker character, the violent clown from the Batman series." The email goes on to tell military personnel to either "run, hide, or fight" in the event of a shooter.

The subject matter of Joker has sparked concerns about the film, particularly in the midst of a wave of mass shooting across America. In the Joaquin Phoenix version of the film, the character's descent into madness is not because he fell into a vat of acid but because he is frustrated by society and his inability to get the girl, reminiscent of the Gamers Rise Up and We Live In a Society online communities that have toed the line between ironic and sincere incel posting.

Furthermore, Aurora Theater shooter James Holmes allegedly was inspired by the Joker, and while there are conflicting reports about the validity of that statement, the connection between Joker and the Aurora Theater shooting has put people on edge. In addition to the official military warning, the families of the Aurora Theater victims voiced their concerns to Warner Brothers over the film's release.

While the memo states there is as of now no credible threat of a shooting, a second memo obtained by io9 notes that the Department of the Army has discovered "disturbing and very specific chatter in the dark web regarding targeting an unknown theater during the Joker release."

The official email sent out to military personnel can be read below:

Team,
Posts on social media have made reference to involuntary celibate (“incel”) extremists replicating the 2012 theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado, at screenings of the Joker movie at nationwide theaters. This presents a potential risk to DOD personnel and family members, though there are no known specific credible threats to the opening of the Joker on 4 October.
Incels are individuals who express frustration from perceived disadvantages to starting intimate relationships. Incel extremists idolize violent individuals like the Aurora movie theater shooter. They also idolize the Joker character, the violent clown from the Batman series, admiring his depiction as a man who must pretend to be happy, but eventually fights back against his bullies.
When entering theaters, identify two escape routes, remain aware of your surroundings, and remember the phrase “run, hide, fight.” Run if you can. If you’re stuck, hide (also referred to as “sheltering in place”), and stay quiet. If a shooter finds you, fight with whatever you can.
* this is a condensed version of an HQ Army Materiel Command, G-3, Protection Division Security message *