Joker Enshrined

Oh boy, oh boy - I foresee weird stuff going down here.

Some hard core fans of Heath Ledger's excellently sinister playing of the Joker want the role withdrawn from further portrayal. Rather like that black basketball player whose jersey was taken off the menu and just  like the tribute owed to the very white Larry Bird's Celtics shirt if it hasn't already been placed behind glass, or whatever they do - hang 'em high?.

I tell you, I bet there are some awesomely weirdo fans out there who sat stunned through the Batman movie thinking

"Oh. My. God. That is like totally meee ",

before stumbling home in a dream and proceeded to build the whole gear, make-up 'n' all.

And what if the studios *don't* withdraw it? I see trouble on the picket lines - no I don't, I foresee an hilarious cavalcade of Jokers in full drag waving and shouting and generally giving the 'impostor' movie tip-top publicity.

Of course the actor who has the temerity to accept the role will have his house fire-bombed, his wife n kids jostled in the supermarket, burnings in effigy (and in Clapham, and in Hong Kong), all sorts of Facebook hate clubs, etc etc.

Speaking of Facebook, it's interesting to see the opposing comments of people who have gone to the trouble of posting pleas to keep real.

But I do see a little spookiness about this whole thing - just as when Stephen King got knocked down by a car.

I bet the driver was hugely relieved he hadn't actually performed his duty to literature and slain the scribbler. Just kidding, but seriously, the sort of fans Mr King has? I would NOT like to be responsible for he premature stemming of their staple reading, lest they wreak a revenge straight out of the pages of The Master.

Ok, that's all I wanted to say on that topic. No it isn't: I didn't actually want to say anything - I just wanted an excuse to shove up photos of the widow, the divine Michelle Williams. Mission Accomplished.