The British glam rocker Gary, who was sentenced in 2015 to 16 years in jail for sexually abusing three young girls, is expected to receive royalty for the use of his song 'Rock and Roll (Part 2)' in the movie.
- Oct 8, 2019
AceShowbiz - While people's concern over the depiction of violence in "Joker" has not faded away, the movie is engulfed in another controversy. The R-rated film about Batman's villain has sparked new outrage for featuring a song by convicted pedophile Gary Glitter.
The British glam rocker's 1970 hit "Rock and Roll (Part 2)" is used in the scene which sees a transformed Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) dancing down the stairs, seemingly in trance. The song has also been featured in other movies such as "The Replacements" and "Meet the Fockers", and played in many sports arenas as a stadium anthem.
Glitter was sentenced in 2015 to 16 years in jail after being convicted of sexually abusing three young girls. He was found guilty of one count of attempted rape, four counts of indecent assault and one count of sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 13.
The 75-year-old singer is expected to receive royalty for the use of the song in "Joker". CNBC journalist Sam Meredith reports, "Glitter, whose real name is Paul Gadd, is reportedly expected to receive a lump sum for allowing the recording to be used in 'Joker'. He is also thought to be in line for music royalties depending on the success of movie theater ticket sales, DVD sales and film soundtrack sales."
This doesn't sit well with many movie fans, who think that no one should support a pedophile by promoting or using his song. "For the all the unease and tension that the #Joker stirs up... my British brothers and sisters are probably gonna be the most uncomfortable with Gary Glitter," one Twitter user reacted after learning of Glitter's song being featured in the movie.
Another declared, "I'm refusing to watch any @wbpictures or anything made by #WarnerBrothers@DCComics because @jokermovie uses music by a convicted notorious peadophile Gary Glitter. And he will receive payment for use of his music. So when you buy a ticket remember who's getting some of that." Another user similarly tweeted, "I will pass on paying to see #JokerMovie until they remove convicted pedophile Gary Glitter's song or donate royalties from it to a child abuse charity."
"Idly wondering how much Gary Glitter will be making in royalties from his appearance on the JOKER soundtrack," someone rhetorically asked. Another commented on the controversial aspects of the film, "I'm of two minds about this, to be frank. On one level, the film's provocations are deliberately juvenile, bordering in on trollish. In actuality, the most morally questionable aspect of the film is the use of a Gary Glitter song, and the film is well aware of this."
Warner Bros., which distributes the movie, and director/producer Todd Phillips have not responded to the backlash regarding the use of Glitter's song.
"Joker" is currently playing in theaters. It debuted atop the North American box office with $96.2 million on its opening weekend, breaking the record previously set by "Venom (2018)" for the biggest October opening.
