Is It Just Me, Or Is It Getting Crazier Out There?

Welp, I called it!

A couple weeks ago I reviewed Joker, Warner Bros.' inexplicably popular new non-superhero superhero movie. 

In the film, the titular character trudges up and down a set of steep stairs several times, with the weight of the world seemingly on his shoulders. Once he loses his mind and becomes a murderous clown, he dances down the stairs with the grace and ease of Fred Astaire.

It's an iconic moment in the movie, and has already become a recognizable part of pop culture. In my review I predicted it wouldn't be long before the stairs became a tourist destination, as countless fans flocked to them.

Annnnnd sure enough, that's exactly what happened. The instant the film was released, thousands began making a pilgrimage to the stairs, which are located in the Bronx. Some fans are actually coming all the way from overseas just to pose on these dirty inner city steps! Oy gevalt!

The bad part about the whole thing is that these steps aren't there for decorative purposes. People who live in the area actually use them to get to and from their apartments. Or they did, until a month ago. Now they're most likely going blocks out of the way to avoid the nimrods clogging the alleyway.

And from what I've read, the stairs aren't exactly in a safe part of the city. It's probably only a matter of time before someone's stabbed, robbed, shot or all three.

Hopefully Jokermania will fade away soon, so the residents of the Bronx can have their stairs and their lives back again. They used to think life was a tragedy. But now they realize it's a pain in the ass.