Recently I saw Suicide Squad.  There are many, many things wrong with it, but I think one of the things that bothered me most was the relationship between Harley Quinn and The Joker, portraying them as a cutesy, albeit psychotic, romantic couple.  My impression of Harley Quinn is that she’s supposed to be an example of hybristophillia, sometimes called Bonnie & Clyde Syndrome.  That’s the name given to the
phenomenon

of some women being attracted to extremely violent and dangerous men.  There are about 100 British women, for example, who write to and are engaged to inmates on death row.  Serial killers often get mail from female fans and groupies.  No one really knows why this happens – probably lots of different reasons.  Some might imagine they can somehow reform these psychopaths.  Others might just simply think it will be exciting and thrilling to be with a criminal, just like Bonnie & Clyde.  But should they actually get together with the object of their affection, it’s unlikely to go well for them (there were once two sisters who left their husbands to be with two recently released convicts.  One of the women had her teeth pulled out and the other was beaten to death).

But back to the movie. Harley and Joker are romanticsed like Bonnie & Clyde.  They’re both crazy, but The Joker clearly has feelings for her and goes out of his way to rescue her.  Whereas the real Harley Quinn’s life revolves around trying to prove herself to The Joker even though he doesn’t care – he’s incapable of having feelings for her.  She’s just a tool.  He’ll think nothing of sacrificing or leaving her behind, and if she becomes annoying, kill her himself (and he has tried several times).  I mean he does abandon and try to kill her a couple times in the movie, but then has a change of heart and as I mentioned goes to a lot of trouble to get her back in the end.  Maybe he sees her as his property?  I don’t know… the movie is just a mess anyway.