#72 - Jordan Criss: The Joker and What It Tells Us About Society

"You can't copy paste a conversation." - Jordan Criss

Jordan Criss joins us for this conversation, which started with a discussion around The JOKER starring Joaquin Phoenix. We concluded the film is much more of a social commentary than only for entertainment purposes. Jordan gives clear analogies what he believes the film was trying to accomplish, and for him, it was an unsettling film because of how real it felt. From there, the conversation expanded into questions about our modern world with subjects of friendship, connection, communication, and mental health. We wrap up with a discussion on what we are working on at a personal level. Jordan's latest goal is to be more positive, which is facilitated by being as present as possible.

Show Notes:

[00:04:35] - Jordan's five fantasy football leagues

[00:05:05] - Jordan's review of Joaquin Phoenix's Joker

[00:05:45] - What we have to say about the story and the larger impact beyond just the quality of the film.

[00:06:25] - The Joker felt more real and social commentary at its core.

[00:07:15] - Giving the backstory to the homeless guy who's talking to himself.

[00:08:00] - The Joker starts out rooting for the underdog, but then gets pushed too far.

[00:09:25] - The Next Batman movie

[00:09:55] - The Lighthouse

[00:11:05] - How it felt leaving the movie theater

[00:12:15] - Writing characters: They have wants and needs

[00:13:15] - The writing was able to rationalize what Arthur Fleck's decisions throughout the film.

[00:14:45] - Police at the movie theater

[00:15:15] - Media that makes you opt into a larger conversation

[00:15:45] - Entertainment has to be extreme to break through, but then how to do you back it up and talk about what it is commenting on

[00:16:35] - The commentary is around mental illness.

[00:17:15] - The extreme of loneliness in our society.

[00:18:15] - The world of the film wasn't fiction; it felt like the 1980s New York. It made Batman feel less real.

[00:19:00] - If its easier to picture the darkest parts of society but not the brightness, does that show a cynicism of this time?

[00:20:30] - The theory is that Arthur Fleck inspires the person who becomes the Joker

[00:22:05] - You can have an extreme evil without an extreme good

[00:23:55] - The negative aspect of our humanity. We all have the capacity to do evil.

[00:25:04] - It’s the opportunity to do something morally wrong, we are more likely to take that if the chances of getting caught are low.

[00:26:35] - Why are we attracted to darkness?

[00:26:45] - For Erich, it is about hope, that you have to go the darkest possible point to be able to bounce back.

[00:27:45] - When you read about a character who is evil, you tell yourself I would never do that, which gives you fulfillment.

[00:28:25] - What would do if you saw [this] happen to someone?

[00:28:55] - Kevin Hines' Story

[00:29:15] - You see things happening to other people, and you choose not to act, but it, not a fault.

[00:29:45] - You have to care about another person genuinely otherwise they are going to sense

[00:30:45] - For Gen Z suicide is the second leading cause of death.

[00:31:35] - Coddling of the American Mind by Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff

[00:32:35] - The average American doesn't have a best friend.

[00:34:00] - Disconnection by connection: Social Media

[00:34:45] - Calling landlines and awkward conversations with parents

[00:35:30] - Dating apps and pulling the roulette wheel

[00:36:15] - "You can't just copy and paste a conversation."

[00:37:15] - It is easy to demonize social media, but we have to make the devices and program work us, not the other way around.

[00:39:05] - Erich finds himself checking social media on repeat when he has nothing better to do.

[00:40:10] - Jordan got off Facebook

[00:41:35] - New Fasts: If its need to know then someone will tell you about it

[00:42:15] - If you're taking in "garbage" information, then that limits how much quality of thoughts you can have.

[00:42:30] - Tristan Harris on Tim Ferriss Show

[00:43:25] - Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman

[00:43:45] - Between Orwell and Huxley view of the future

[00:45:15] - There's no ejection from this negative loop for people to solve the problems that they are stuck arguing about.

[00:46:35] - Are the systems in place intentional?

[00:47:15] - Misery loves company

[00:48:30] - We all tend to find the negative in a given situation

[00:49:25] - The Negativity Bias: As explained by the primitive brain

[00:50:45] - To Erich, the larger-scale issues are to complex to make a meaningful impact. So we can make meaningful changes as an individual and those close to you.

[00:52:30] - Instagram allows you to put life through a filter.

[00:53:25] - Hiding the like button from other viewers on Instagram.

[00:54:25] - Posting Anxiety as compared to giving a speech after someone gave an amazing speech.

[00:55:15] - A view of what is performance.

[00:56:00] - "You're always going to be getting better, but most people don't start."

[00:56:45] - Comparing yourself to others is dangerous

[00:57:45] - Celebrity crushes to a significant other as an example of putting people on a pedestal.

[00:58:30] - Have a healthy level of comparison

[01:00:05] - When you have a negative world, it shrinks on itself, and it has its own gravity.

[01:00:55] - Inside Fighter Article

[01:02:15] - What is your darkness cannot be compared to others but allows you to build empathy with another person.

[01:03:30] - When Erich hears stories of people who figure out how to deal with what life throws at fills him with hope.

[01:04:15] - Kevin Hines Podcast: Seriously listen to it.

[01:05:05] - Jordan is trying to be more positive and focusing on being Present

[01:06:15] - "Wherever I am at right is where I need to be at. It's helping me create more stories."

[01:07:05] - "Let be where my feet are."

[01:07:35] - 30 Day of Headspace

[01:08:35] - If high performers can make time to do "nothing" then so can I: Back comparing yourself to others

[01:09:25] - One Hour Guided Yoga Classes

[01:11:30] - Powering down the routine for the day

[01:12:05] - The old idea of Do more to be more.

[01:13:05] - Adding awareness to your how you are showing up at this moment.

[01:13:25] - "You'll notice that you're not performing as well as you normally would be and take in stride. Do what you can."

[01:14:30] - Flow State: The most present you can be

[01:15:30] - Painting a profile of a witch

[01:16:35] - Jordan found out he enjoyed drawing and painting

[01:17:05] - Breaking out of the workout routine

[01:18:05] - Adding extra layers of challenge

[01:19:05] - Craving the feeling of experience something for the first time

[01:20:25] - If you're not present, you're not able to articulate what's on your mind.

[01:21:35] - Be 1% percent better everyday

[01:22:25] - Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset

[01:23:05] - How Erich set a vision for working out

[01:26:15] - Working out is a science, but Erich had always assumed it was something that was not intellectual.

[01:28:05] - By deciding to workout, it has become the catalyst for the growth for Erich had over the last five years from nutrition to psychology and mindset.

[01:28:30] - Erich felt comfortable with the intelligence, but had always neglected the physically.

[01:29:30] - "Who you were sets the foundation for who you will become."

[01:31:15] - Going to the dark place in a workout

[01:31:30] - Working out becomes a place where you can try to find your breaking point both physically and mentally.

[01:34:25] - The value of podcasts

[01:35:30] - Dissect podcast

Episodes you might enjoy:

#66 - Jordan Criss and Ben Kapolnek: Football, Music, and Storytelling

#55 - Jordan Criss: Dissecting the Muse

#44 - Dante Brooks and Jordan Criss: Cultural Chameleons

Check out our blogs:

The One Who Wears The Mask by Jordan Criss