It’s a stairway.
Sandwiched between apartment buildings in the Bronx, it’s been dubbed by moviegoers the “Joker Stairs,” earning its name and fame after being featured prominently in “Joker.” Since the film’s release, fans have flocked to the stairs, where they’ve been posing for photos – much to the annoyance of some local residents – and uploading them to social media.
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To preface this article: No, I have not watched "Joker". That being said, this article does a really good job of not spoiling the movie, while also discussing the importance of the stairs to the character in the movie. I really like how this article compares the stairs scene in "Joker" to the stairs scene in "Rocky" and how both are used similarly in the movies, but represent different emotional states of the two characters. It's a fascinating comparison that I love. On another note, I find it interesting that people specifically go out of their way to find places that are depicted in movies. Now, to be fair, when I went to LA, I eagerly took pictures of locations depicted in "La La Land", one of my absolute favorite movies. However, I did not actively seek these places out, nor attempt to be obnoxious in taking photos. Most of the places I stumbled upon while touring LA like the good little tourist I was. It is also interesting how the stairs in "Joker" represent something entirely not so great, compared to the "Rocky" steps. Also, the "Joker" steps are in a poorer neighborhood, and the addition of tourists seems unsustainable and a little privileged. I doubt the residents there advertised the stairs existence to the world.
I think this is such an interesting phenomenon! What I think of when I hear media tourism is a couple things, actually. The apartment building that's shown in Friends is a place you can often see people taking pictures, even (and especially) to this day. I don't know why the idea of doing that is so exciting, but it is! Physically seeing the place you've seen a gazillion times on a classic TV show is just... fun! But that's in the middle of a bustling city at a normal intersection, so I don't think it's as annoying to locals.
The one place I can think of, though, that has gotten the same reaction from locals as the "Joker stairs" seem to be getting is the "You know I had to do it to 'em" sidewalk. This is a meme that is so popular that a lot of people go and pose in this residential neighborhood (I personally know of people who have done this, it's just that common), and people are, understandably, very angry by it. It's.. scary. The idea of a bunch of random people from all over the country coming to stand in front of your home and take a photo is just so disruptive of someone's privacy and sense of security. I understand the appeal and feel like I would get a laugh out od visiting, but I also respect these people's privacy enough to not seek out.
I haven’t seen the movie and even I’m aware of the staircase that they are talking about in this article! It is a little crazy how attached fans will get to different things that are associated with movies and TV. It's a very strange phenomenon that people connect to strange objects or places just because someone famous once touched it or stood by something. I once saw multiple people talking a picture of this cement wall, a completely plain wall, and I was completely dumbfounded!!! Someone nearby asked what everyone was doing and why they were taking pictures of this wall and no one knew why!!! We guessed that it had to do with a film that had just been shot there a few hours earlier but I really don’t know. I guess I will have to go watch the joker go watch this famous staircase in action! Haha
I went to see the movie, and indeed the staircase scene is one of the most memorable scenes from the movie. I remember Arthur’s celebration dance on the staircase being eerily haunting. It was the moment of his final descent into insanity. For die-hard batman/joker fans, I can totally see why this location became a tourist hotspot. Even for those not into the franchise but simply movie fans. It is very interesting how films can transform mundane locations to tourist landmarks with one famous scene. Like the article mentioned, it is not surprising that this is not necessarily pleasant to the residents of those apartments. With locations such as the “Friends” fountain or the “Rocky” stairs, it isn't a residential area, and is already in a tourist location. For the Joker stairs on the other hand, they lie directly in a neighborhood. I looked up the hashtag on instagram and it has somewhere over 1000 photos with the tag. I wonder how busy with tourists taking photos it actually gets?
The Joker staircase scene was iconic to the point that when I am doing my impressions of the Joker, which of course I would do, everyones always like, go dance down the stairs! I think the way that these different locations become such a phenomenon when they're featured in movies is interesting. It reminds me of the full house houses in San Francisco, and the apartment in Friends you can visit. One time I visited the front doorstep of the house in Mrs. Doubtfire. I feel like there really isn't that much need for negativity towards people visiting these areas. It brings people a lot of joy. That being said for the residents it is a nightmare because there is less space for parking and other things they need to do. Plus it's nice to have a little bit of space when you're trying to live your life. I'd be interested to see how valid they might be in complaining, or if there really are that many tourists.
I have never given thought to film-related tourism being a specific field of study. But it makes sense that it is because if we look at the economies of places popularized by entertainment, media tourism is a phenomenon worthy of studying. I personally have not seen this movie but I’ve heard and seen a lot about it online. Normally, I don’t think media tourism is not a bad thing, if it brings benefits to the community like business and tourism. However, often times I feel like tourism also destroys the authenticity of places and can be disruptive to the local community. In regards to the this stairwell in The Joker, I’ve heard that there are a lot of locals that are angered by the tourists because they are being inconvenienced. I read somewhere that a wall of the stairwell is actually graffitied with “My poverty is not your photoshoot.” This correlates to what the article was talking about, how the Bronx is a less wealthy area in the city and people with privilege are traveling there. While I don’t think these tourists are bringing actual harm, I believe we all should be more aware of what our actions mean when we are tourists, and how it affects the local community both literally and symbolically.
“At the Joker Stairs, however, it’s the people with privilege who are more likely to descend on the neighborhood and its newly famous steps.”
This quote from the end of the article really stands the most out to me. It is all of these people visiting and treating this place with an odd sense of ‘respect’. To me it feels disrespectful. The Bronx is usually talked down on by people. It is called dirty, or unsafe. That it is dangerous to go to. The movie has given a new look at the area and these privileged folks are coming in. They come for a photo op for their Instagram followers, and leave. They do not have anything to contribute. From other articles I have read about this, people who would just be there for ‘loitering’ would get cops called on them for being there. Now these people come in and essentially contribute to gentrification of the Bronx and do not seem to notice or care as to what their actions will cause.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to visit these stairs. I loved the film when I saw it, and I think the transformation the article describes, connecting Joker to Rocky Balboa of all people, was incredibly valid. In addition, though I’m a fan of recreating things, and I think it’d be a blast to take a picture on those stairs and edit them, just create a parody of the original Joker poster. In regards to this article, though, I recently saw something disgusting that the city asked people to stop visiting the stairs apparently, which is interesting. I suppose so many people flocking to one spot could cause some heavy traffic. In addition, I suppose if people are using the stairs for their legitimate purpose, tourists visiting the stairs could create a traffic jam of pedestrians. I could see how this stuff would become pretty inconvenient, and justify a request not to crowd the space. At the same time though, as the article discusses, the stairs are such a paramount piece of the film and it’s hard to avoid such a cool piece of cinema when it’s right in front of you. I understand both sides of the argument, really is what I’m trying to say, and I don’t blame people for wanting to go to the stairs, in addition to not blaming the city for requesting less tourism there.
“Joker” has been the movie on everyone’s mind recently. People were scared of the possible gun violence the film could inspire, but that did not stop it from becoming the highest grossing comic book movie and R-rated film. Regardless of opinions it’s been in the public eye for a while, so it was no surprise to see people taking photos at the iconic staircase in the movie. What the article didn’t mention is people’s fascination with social media and the attention certain pictures can give them. The stairs are only so famous because people know taking photos at the stairs of the controversial movie “Joker” will get them attention for a few brief moments. I sympathize with the residents around that area, but I also know in a month or so, they will be ok. While at the moment the pictures may be excessive to locals, once the talk of “Joker” fades out, so will the popularity of the spot.
This is a very interesting article. After seeing this film with friends and then proceeding to watch them dance up and own every single set of stairs that we lay eyes on, I was ready for an analytical point of view of this phenomenon. It is just so interesting because I never truly thought of it as a real social phenomenon, but we really do latch onto the places we see on screens. Maybe it’s just another bit of evidence for the human obsession with escapism and the need to believe in worlds outside of our own in order to find happiness, or maybe it’s just because movies are fun and going to the places where they were filmed makes us feel like somehow we were a part of it. Maybe it's all of the above. But either way this article was a great look into this social trend while also diving into the movie at the same time in a concise, yet truly enjoyable, way.
It's always fun to go out and see areas that were in movies you like. As someone who has seen the new Joker film, I understand why people in the area are flocking to take photos on the stairs. It is definitely an iconic moment in the film. Learning about the mediated gaze term is interesting because, ultimately, these are just stairs and they exist within the lives of the people who live there. I do believe this is just a fad, however, and that people who live in the area who see this as a disturbance need not be worried for too much longer. I do understand how it can be frustrating to have unwelcome visitors disrupt the environment, especially if it is one that exists on your way to work and it obstructed by people taking photos and dancing. They are different than the Rocky steps because they are more compact and in a neighborhood, instead of a large and open public place.
Okay I saw this movie and while the stairs to create a really great moment in the movie it is not that big of deal. I think when filmmakers where searching for locations they did find the best location but I do not think that this would spiral and people would come flock to get there picture in the joker way. I find it interesting that this movie was compared to the rocky steps. When I was watching it I understood the references to The Taxi and other 70’ new York films but Rocky I think is a bit of a stretch. While the steps in Rocky are more metaphoric I think the stairs in the Joker help paint a picture of Joker and the town they are set in while the Rocky steps are about Rockys growth. I wonder what is going to happen in this neighborhood since its become so popular.
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