Harley Quinn: fake news and rant about Screenrant

 So - spoiler alert - ScreenRant isn't exactly the headquarters of factual information but they do a lot of clickbait and are allllways at the top of any search for general pop culturey stuff, which I know because I make an effort to avoid clicking on their articles. Today though, they got me. 

I was curious about the tattoo on Harley's back so I read this article by a Thomas Bacon (1/9/2020) in which he states it says property of no-one, which is a throwback to her 'property of Joker' jacket from the first Suicide Squad movie. While I wish we could see this relationship actually play out on the silver screen, Mr. Bacon portrays these tattoos like they're a full relationship run-down and all we need to know. 

But attentive viewers will have noticed a subtle change in Harley Quinn; specifically, her tattoos. Most of these were supposed to have been made by Harley herself, while she was languishing in prison, bored out of her mind. But there are a couple of exceptions, ones in places even the uber-flexible Harley couldn't reach. And all of these conveyed a sense of ownership, suggesting the Joker had branded Harley. One on Harley Quinn's back literally identifies her as "property of Joker." It's easy to miss, but this has actually changed in the behind-the-scenes footage from The Suicide Squad, suggesting Harley has had someone paid to alter the tat. It now reads, "property of no one.
It's a subtle detail, but a great visual way of reminding viewers of Harley's character arc. It suggests Harley Quinn is following the same journey she did in the comics, where she learns to define herself as an individual rather than by her relationships. While she no doubt won't stay single - Birds of Prey subtly set up the romance between Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy - she will never again allow herself to be drawn into the kind of unhealthy, obsessive and abusive relationship she had with the Joker.
All this means Harley Quinn is more than a Joker abuse victim. Rather, she is recovering from her time with the Clown Prince of Crime, getting on with her life, and in so doing presenting a brilliant example to viewers. Superhero franchises rarely explore this theme, tending to show healthy relationships and present idealised views of love and romance. But Harley Quinn is far more real, meaning she has one of the best arcs in the DCEU to date. This tattoo confirms that arc will continue in James Gunn's The Suicide Squad.

I was curious about the 'subtly set up romance' thing because if there's one thing DC doesn't do well in it's films it's.... ok, well, one thing among many is that they ain't subtle. 

The link is in the paragraph if you wish to read it yourself but be warned, it's nothing to do with the movie Birds of Prey.

Yep, it's about the COMIC BOOK SERIES Gotham City Sirens. The article from the same author, dated 09/02/2020 states;

Birds of Prey sets up the relationship between Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy for future movies in the DC Extended Universe. Harley Quinn is best known as the Joker's girlfriend, but the romance between the two really shouldn't be seen as #RelationshipGoals. As Birds of Prey shows in its opening introduction, Joker is pretty horrible to Harley.

To fans of Harley Quinn, though, the Joker is part of her origin story - and not her one true love at all. No, anyone who's familiar with the comics will be well aware of the relationship between Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy. The two formed a partnership in the classic Batman: The Animated Series when Harley was thrown out by the Joker, and it didn't take long for the comics to follow suit and team the two characters together. It wasn't until 2009's Gotham City Sirens that Harley and Ivy began to become more than just friends, with Harley admitting she knew Ivy had fallen in love with her. They became girlfriends, although without what they considered to be the jealousy of monogamy.

A few things to unpack here, probably the most obvious being that these are completely different universes... and since Gotham City Sirens there have been HOW many reboots?
It's also like Mr. Bacon didn't read the series at all, because if he had done so, he would know that Harley spends the majority of the series obsessed with Mr. J and uses Ivy's feelings for her as a weapon to hurt Ivy. It's not a declaration of love from Harley, it's her challenging Ivy's attempt to control her life. 

Secondly, the animated series? Where they ran a few heists together, kicked the patriarchy around a bit and had some girl time? Some fans wanted them together but it was never canon in the series. 

Thirdly, "girlfriends without the jealousy of monogamy" - a phrase I hate personally, but regardless is nothing to do with the movie, the animated series or the comic book because it's an entirely different comic series where yes, they are canon but not exclusive or interesting in any way. 

Fourthly.... another jab at the author here but really? A five second scene at the start of the Birds of Prey movie that doesn't even show the actor portraying the character who's meant to be the object of her devotion and the cause of her depression immediately afterwards is justification for saying Joker is pretty horrible to Harley? Again, ignoring all we know about their relationship from other media - Joker kicks her out. We don't see their relationship in depth prior (or, like, at all) and we never get his version of events. How would we know she didn't do something horrible to him? Would you demonise one mutual friend because another mutual friend was dumped by them and you've only heard one side of the story?

Plus, if you take that much from that short clip, how come you aren't taking into account how many times Ivy was harsh or a shitty friend to Harley in the comics/animated series? Orrrr, is that different now? 

Mr. Bacon goes on to show that he does recognise a difference between the different mediums but steamrolls on regardless with his favourite ship:

Birds of Prey subtly sets up a romance plot between Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy - but it promises to be very different to either the comics or Batman: The Animated Series. In one early scene, Harley presents her backstory to moviegoers and recounts having her heart broken three times before she ever met the Joker. Most viewers will notice she runs through two guys and a girl, confirming the DCEU's Harley Quinn is bisexual. But the animation style of that brief shot is important, because the girl is identical to the Poison Ivy of Batman: The Animated Series. The clear implication is that, in the DCEU, Harley and Ivy got together long before either became a supervillain - but they broke up.

 

It's clear setup for a reunion, especially with a Gotham City Sirens film hopefully still on the horizon. That movie is, after all, named after the comic book where Harley and Ivy first began to admit their feelings for one another. In the comics Harley was the more reluctant of the two, initially using Ivy's feeling as a way to distract her and take her down. It will be fascinating to see how the big screen romance differs to Harley and Ivy's history in the comics.

 

I find it funny that in being pro-LGBTQIA etc a lot of people run the risk of - perhaps ironically - assuming someone's sexuality. DC can't even put enough effort in to a confirmed straight ship to make it real, can they be trusted to do a bisexual one justice? 

Showing a generic cartoon redhead does not mean it's a dead ringer for Ivy - I would say it's there as an Easter Egg of sorts but damn, what is all this clear implication nonsense? Either that's Ivy or it's not. Seeing as how we don't get more than a brief flash of this character, we have to assume she's not important, not a named character etc. How does this show it's a clear set up for a "re-union"? 

(side note, the image they put on the article here is from yet another unrelated comic series featuring Harley and Ivy.)

Then Baconator goes on to ramble about how this book is based on the two admitting feelings for each other.... Yes, please boil down the entire story of Gotham City Sirens from a fleshed out saga of three criminals living their lives, trying to be better and working together as a team when normally they'd be rivals into yet another shipping love story. Heaven forbid we get a story with some depth in it! Show me the panel where Harley confessed her undying love in this story - go on! And make sure it's not just a clickbait photoshop image of a comic Ivy kissing actor Harley Quinn like on your header. 

 If you really enjoy the pairing of Harley and Ivy - have at it. But just don't do a RWBY thing and have every single microscopic thing you see somehow point to Yellow Jacket somehow being inevitable since the dawn of time and a perfect relationship etc... it's just really weird.