Batman and Joker, two arch-nemesis, have been destroying Gotham City for several decades, but the simple solution we have is... therapy
The Dark Knight: A Tale of Two Men Who Should Really Be in Therapy
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Yesā¦ Bruce Wayne saw his parents being killed in front of his eyes when he was a kid. The Joker saw the world as a means of comedy that doesnāt deserve to live. However, which of the following options do you think would be better for the two?
A.) Making a billion-dollar suit and beating up criminals while letting The Joker wreak havoc across Gotham City with bombs and threats, and jokes?
OR
B.) Therapy?
Case File 1: The Man Dressed Like a Bat
Well, Bruce Wayne fell into a well and had bats all around him in the dark. After witnessing the murder of his parents, he dressed like a bat, invested billions of dollars, and developed a lethal armor that can almost kill a criminal (note the word: almost).
The Problem: Unresolved childhood trauma, Compulsive Avoidance, and Chronic Boundary Issues.
Instead of trying to process his emotions through a healthy medium, Bruce Wayne created a Batman suit, dressed like a bat, and fought crime. There were no moral intentions behind i,t and many fans claim that it was just an outlet for Bruce Wayneās anger issues instead of something noble like fighting crime.Ā
Not that Bruce Wayne did not fight criminals since he became one of the most feared vigilantes. The Batsuit, however, was a bit excessive. It was a two-birds-one-stone scenario, but the simple solution would have been to go to a therapist (and itās not like Bruce Wayne couldnāt afford therapy either).
Naturally, the whole point of Batman becomes irrelevant since the character is a result of one Halloween party gone wrong, and Bruce Wayne now spends eternity as a bat and hunting down criminals, beating them, letting them go, and hunting them again. Itās almost like a toxic relationship. Speaking of toxic relationshipsā¦
Case File 2: The Man Dressed Like a Joker
The Joker is actually a psychiatric patient who may or may not have escaped from Arkham Asylum countless times. The Joker has no specific backstory, no discernible traumas like Bruce Wayne, but he is the reigning king of chaos.
The Problem: Extreme Narcissism, Anti-Social Personality Disorder, and an Unhealthy, Codependent Obsession with a Cowl-Wearing Billionaire.
This joke was even highlighted in the iconic movie, The LEGO Batman Movie, wherein a hyperdependence was seen between the Joker and Batman. Being a narcissist, the Joker doesnāt want to kill Batman, ever. He just wants to have his feelings validated by Batman. Itās almost like a romantic relationship between the two (the toxic relationship that we were referencing in the above text).Ā
Of course, with the chaos and the discordance with which the Joker and Batman operate in Gotham City, it seems like a cooler way to take out their personal traumas, but is it really worth it? Let us give a perfect solution.
The Solution: Couples Therapy
Imagine a therapist sitting in front of Batman and the Joker, with both talking about their problems. The Joker wants validation while Batman needs a way to pour out his violence. Of course, the crime rate in Gotham City would reduce drastically, and you might find Batman playing a violin in his mansion while the Joker sips tea nearby.
Of course, itās a far more difficult road than committing crimes and hunting the Joker, but if Batman and his arch-nemesis have to solve it for good, then several couplesā therapy sessions should fix the problem.
