Originally Posted by
Ascended
It's not because Harley is a good person, it's because Harley got away from the Joker and built a life of her own.
Most people have no idea what domestic violence situations are like. The emotional conflict, the fear, the social judgement and lack of support, etc. Ignorant people say "well why don't the victims just leave?" but it's not nearly so simple or easy as that. I mean hell, a judge recently told a rape victim that she should've kept her legs closed. A f*cking judge. It'd take a college length paper to cover all the crap that gets in the way of DV victims escaping their situation. You really think there's an overabundance of help and support for women who are beaten by their husbands and boyfriends? There isn't. What there is, is a lot of fear. These women usually have few options; no money (because their partner controlled the finances), no friends or family (because the partner drove wedges in those relationships), no job, or at least not one that can sustain an independent lifestyle, no car, etc. The cops are very little help and as often as not are an actual hindrance. The court system isn't a help. And then you add in the emotional conflict; the victims usually do love their abuser, which yeah that's dumb, but you can't help how you feel right? They're scared, most of the time they don't want to leave they just want the abuse to stop, and they're traumatized into thinking it's all their fault. A lot of the time, they think they're safer staying than trying to leave. Their husband might beat them at home, but the victims worry that if they try to leave, they'll be killed.
And that's just the tip of the iceberg. So yeah, Harley managing to get away and build her own life? For a lot of women that's an inspiration. Harley might be a killer and a psychopath, but women stuck in DV situations are told by cops to just not make their husband angry, to try and work things out. The court tells them the same thing, and if the abuser is punished at all, it's a slap on the wrist. You really think a victim of DV gives two sh*ts about Harley beating up cops and judges? Those women would likely want to do the same if they could get away with it, and who could blame them? Those people aren't part of the solution in most DV cases, but part of the problem. So yeah, women who have been through DV, they don't see Harley as a villain attacking the fabric of society, they see a woman who got out and then did whatever the f*ck she wants whether people like it or not. To them, that's inspiring. Not the crimes per se, but the fact that Harley no longer allows others to define her or her actions. She's still a psychopath, but she's her own psychopath and for DV victims who have had their entire lives controlled by others for long stretches of time? Being your own monster sounds a hell of a lot better than being someone else's.
Yeah, Batman has become a real d-bag. I miss the Bronze Age guy, who you could respect. Modern Batman is a psychopath with few redeeming qualities.