Joker Movie Under Fire For Using A Controversial Song

The Joker movie starring Joaquin Phoenix continues to be one of the most talked-about movies. Now that the movie is in theatres, viewers quickly noticed that the song "Rock 'n' Roll (Part II)" by English glam rocker Gary Glitter is used during a pivotal moment in the evolution of Joker the character.

Glitter, whose real name is Paul Gadd, was arrested in 1997 and charged in 1999 for child pornography and other crimes. He was incarcerated in 2005 and is currently serving a 16-year sentence. He is presumably being paid royalties for the use of his music in media, and this, among other things, is getting people riled up.

"Rock 'n' Roll (Part II)" was, and in some places, remains an institution of American sports. The song is played in arenas to hype fans up. In Joker, it's used during an important scene related to Arthur Fleck's transition to becoming the Joker.

Joker the movie was not the first popular movie to use the song, either, as it was featured in Meet the Fockers, which came out in 2004 after Gadd was arrested.

According to the BBC, Gadd was charged with a number of sexual offenses.

Joker released in theatres on October 4 and it quickly become the biggest October opening in the history of cinema in North America. Worldwide, the movie has made more than $234 million already, which represents a huge success given the film was made on a reported $55 million budget (before marketing).

Phillips originally pitched Joker as a movie that exists inside a new label of standalone, more character-focused films. Given that Joker is already a commercial success after its first weekend, you can imagine Warner Bros. looking to make more films of a similar ilk, though nothing is confirmed at this stage.