Okay, Which One of These Clowns Got Naked for the ‘Joker’ Sequel?

Joker: Folie à Deux, the first jukebox musical about mental illness based on comic books, has received an R rating for, among other things, “brief full nudity.” Which almost certainly means Joaquin Phoenix is showing his deux.

The Motion Picture Association (via Variety) has officially given Joker: Folie à Deux an R rating for “some strong violence, language throughout, some sexuality and brief full nudity.” I have to give kudos to this deranged musical comic book movie about two mentally unwell people who bond over clown makeup and do crimes for just going for it. It’s probably safe to assume that Joaquin Phoenix bravely disrobed for the sequel, given the weird sense of pride among male actors who undergo “astonishing physical transformations,” i.e., develop wildly unhealthy disordered eating habits to change their body size. We saw a little of that in 2019’s Joker, which features lingering shots of Phoenix’s shirtless body, filmed with the same admiring hetero male gaze employed by Michael Bay.

For the sake of gender equity and fun with hypotheticals, it’s entirely possible that Lady Gaga is the one serving “brief full nudity.” Arguments for this possibility include her entire performance history, an IDGAF attitude when it comes to sex and sexuality, and (speculative) a downhill race with Phoenix to see which Actor can do the most on their journey to becoming the least recognizable version of themselves. The only real argument against Gaga going full nakey for a Joker movie is that it’s a Joker movie directed by a man named Todd. To which I say: that’s exactly why she would.

(featured image: Warner Bros.)