#RelationshipGoals? Suicide Squad and Fandom’s Love of “Problematic” Men

Abstract

In the DC Comics Universe, Harley Quinn and the Joker have been an iconic and problematic canonical couple, represented as everything from enviable “mad” lovers to abusive relationship cautionary tale. The couple made cinematic headlines in 2016 with the release of Suicide Squad. In this case study of the “mad love” canon/fanon ship (as embodied in recent works of fanfiction, shipper manifestos posted and shared through social media, and Tumblr discourse), I examine the progressive rhetoric and feminist elevation of Harley Quinn as a shield for the underlying toxicity of the Joker. Fandom’s discourse of “problematic faves” is important as it provides space for fans to love a text even while admitting its representational problems; however, in the case of Harley and the Joker, this discourse risks becoming an excuse for not subverting the toxic tropes of the idolized, abusive, yet still lovable, villain and his obsessive fangirl following.