Editing Joker (character) (section)

==Legacy==
[[File:Batman villains The Penguin The Riddler The Joker 1967.JPG|left|upright|thumb|alt=Three smiling live-action villains next to electronic equipment|[[Cesar Romero]] as the Joker (top) in the 1966 film ''Batman'' (based on the TV series of the same name), with [[Burgess Meredith]] as the Penguin (left) and [[Frank Gorshin]] as the Riddler (center)]]
The Joker is considered one of the most recognizable and iconic fictional characters in popular culture,<ref name="ImpactIGN2"/><ref name="ImpactComplex"/><ref name="LubbockOnline"/> one of the best comic villains, and one of the greatest villains of all time.<ref name="ImpactLATimes"/><ref name="ImpactIGNHero"/> The character was well-liked following his debut, appearing in nine out of the first 12 ''Batman'' issues, and remained one of Batman's most popular foes throughout his publication.<ref name="CBR75Greatest"/> The character is considered one of the four top comic book characters, alongside Batman, Superman, and [[Spider-Man]].<ref name="LubbockOnline"/> Indeed, when DC Comics released the original series of ''Greatest Stories Ever Told'' (1987–1988) featuring collections of stories about heroes like Batman and Superman, the Joker was the only villain included alongside them.{{sfn|Weiner|Peaslee|2015|p=XVIII}} The character has been the focus of ethical discussion on the desirability of Batman (who adheres to an unbreakable code forbidding killing) saving lives by murdering the Joker (a relentless dealer of death). These debates weigh the positive (stopping the Joker permanently) against its effect on Batman's character and the possibility that he might begin killing all criminals.<ref name="ImpactMoral3"/><ref name="ImpactMoral1"/><ref name="ImpactMoral2"/>

In 2006, the Joker was number one on ''[[Wizard (magazine)|Wizard]]'' magazine's "100 Greatest Villains of All Time."<ref name="ImpactWizard"/> In 2008 ''Wizard''{{'}}s list of "200 Greatest Comic Book Characters of All Time" placed the Joker fifth,<ref name="ImpactWizard2"/> and the character was eighth on ''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]''{{'}}s list of "50 Greatest Comic Book Characters" (the highest-ranked villain on both lists).<ref name="ImpactEmpire"/> In 2009, the Joker was second on ''[[IGN]]''{{'}}s list of "Top 100 Comic Book Villains,"<ref name="ImpactIGN"/> and in 2011, ''[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]'' named him "Comics' Greatest Supervillain."<ref name="ImpactWired"/> ''[[Complex (magazine)|Complex]]'', ''[[CollegeHumor]]'', and ''[[WhatCulture]]'' named the Joker the greatest comic book villain of all time<ref name="ImpactComplex"/><ref name="ImpactWhatCulture"/><ref name="ImpactCHumor2013"/> while ''IGN'' listed him the top DC Comics villain in 2013,<ref name="ImpactIGN2013"/> and ''[[Newsarama]]'' as the greatest Batman villain.<ref name="ImpactRama2013"/>

The Joker's popularity (and his role as Batman's enemy) has involved the character in most ''Batman''-related media, from television to video games.<ref name="ImpactCBR"/><ref name="Origin3"/> These adaptations of the character have been received positively<ref name="GoldenAge2"/> on film,<ref name="ImpactAFI100" /><ref name="ImpactTime2013"/> television,<ref name="ImpactTVGuide"/> and in video games.<ref name="ImpactGRadar"/> As in the comics, the character's personality and appearance shift; he is campy, ferocious or unstable, depending on the author and the intended audience.<ref name="GoldenAge2"/>

The character inspired theme-park roller coasters (such as [[The Joker's Jinx]],<ref name="CulturalCoaster2"/><ref name="CulturalCoaster1"/> [[The Joker (Six Flags Mexico)|The Joker in Mexico]] and [[The Joker (Six Flags Discovery Kingdom)|California]],<ref name="CulturalCoaster5"/><ref name="CulturalCoaster10"/> and The Joker Chaos Coaster),<ref name="CulturalCoaster50"/> and featured in story-based rides such as [[Justice League: Battle for Metropolis]].<ref name="CulturalCoaster50"/> The Joker is one of the few comic book supervillains to be represented on children's merchandise and toys, appearing on items including action figures, trading cards, board games, money boxes, pajamas, socks, and shoes.<ref name="LubbockOnline"/>{{sfn|Weiner|Peaslee|2015|p=19}} The Jokermobile was a popular toy; a Corgi [[Die-cast toy|die-cast metal]] replica was successful during the 1950s, and in the 1970s a Joker-styled, [[flower power]]-era [[Volkswagen Type 2|Volkswagen microbus]] was manufactured by [[Mego Corporation|Mego]].{{sfn|Manning|2011|p=75}} In 2015, ''The Joker: A Serious Study of the Clown Prince of Crime'' became the first academic book to be published about a supervillain.<ref name="LubbockOnline"/>

=== Online phenomena ===
{{Redirect|We live in a society|the JPEGMafia EP|We Live in a Society (EP)}}
[[File:"Joker" graffiti in Amsterdam.jpg|alt=Barack Obama Joker|thumb|Street art inspired by the [[Barack Obama "Joker" poster]], an early example of the Joker's close relationship to politics and wider culture]]
The Joker has inspired a large number of [[internet meme]]s, often stemming from the character's portrayal in films. According to Steven T. Wright of ''[[The Outline (website)|The Outline]]'', the character "came to symbolize the archetype of the '[[edgelord]],' a vapid, self-styled provocateur who prides himself in his ability to '[[trigger warning|trigger]]' those who hold [[progressivism|progressive]] viewpoints."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wright |first1=Steven T. |title=Why Joker memes took over the internet |url=https://theoutline.com/post/6263/joker-meme-history-gamer-joker |website=[[The Outline (website)|The Outline]] |date=September 19, 2018}}</ref>

The phrase "We live in a society" is commonly associated with the Joker in memes, especially after the release of the trailers of the 2019 film ''[[Joker (2019 film)|Joker]]''. The line garnered particular notoriety after a trailer for the film ''[[Zack Snyder's Justice League]]'' (2021) featured Joker saying the line.<ref name="Society" /><ref name="SocietyDeletedScene" />

The Joker is often featured as part of the "Gang Weed" meme, a satirical take on [[incel]]s, "[[Neckbeard (slang)|neckbeards]]" and "[[nice guy]]s", as well as [[Cannabis culture|cannabis]] and [[Video game culture|gamer culture]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Feldman |first=Brian |date=2018-08-02 |title=Once You Understand 'Gang weed,' You'll Understand Everything |url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/08/once-you-understand-gang-weed-youll-understand-everything.html |access-date=2023-03-22 |website=Intelligencer |language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Iskiev |first=Max |date=2019-10-18 |title=What is Gang Weed? |url=https://stayhipp.com/internet/memes/what-is-gang-weed/ |access-date=2023-03-22 |website=StayHipp |language=en-US}}</ref>