We’re a little late to this story, but it’s so stupid that it’s actually still pretty fresh.

“Joker” hasn’t been released yet, but already it’s being slammed by our woke betters as essentially a step-by-step guide for angry white guys interested in becoming homicidal maniacs. So Warner Bros. is trying to do damage control.

Amidst mounting controversy, Warner Bros. defended #Joker in a statement, saying "Neither the fictional character Joker, nor the film, is an endorsement of real-world violence of any kind.” Read the full statement: https://t.co/SM5xDS0JlD pic.twitter.com/IPMfc9z5YC — Variety (@Variety) September 25, 2019

More from Variety:

Warner Bros. has weighed in on the mounting controversy surrounding “Joker,” an R-rated comic book adaptation that is being criticized for offering an in-depth portrait of a mass killer. In a statement on Tuesday, the studio hit back at suggestions that it is glamorizing a mass murderer. “Make no mistake: neither the fictional character Joker, nor the film, is an endorsement of real-world violence of any kind,” the statement reads. “It is not the intention of the film, the filmmakers or the studio to hold this character up as a hero.” Warner Bros. broke its silence after family members and friends of the victims of a 2012 mass shooting at a screening of “The Dark Knight Rises” in Aurora, Colo., wrote a letter to the studio expressing concerns about the film’s upcoming release. The letter supported the studio’s right to make the film and endorsed freedom of speech and artistic expression. However, its writers called on Warner Bros. to take several steps to get involved in the gun control movement, including pledging not to donate to political candidates who take money from the NRA.

Glad that this is where we’re at now.

The Joker isn't a hero?! pic.twitter.com/DqFJhH6KcH — Syrena Sketches ?‍? ☕ ? ✝️? ? (@SlayerSyrena) September 26, 2019

IT'S A MOVIE ABOUT A CLOWN WHO FIGHTS BATMAN https://t.co/FSX5mKhT6a — Hey, guys (@jtLOL) September 26, 2019

Yes, because a movie about a disturbed man turning into a homicidal clown, one of, if not the most well known supervillains in history, needs a disclaimer to make sure audiences don’t mistake him for a hero. — Skyler (@skyiguess) September 24, 2019

Are bad guys suppose to be social justice warriors too? I mean if you go see a movie about a crazy clown do you expect him to be fighting for human rights? — Christopher Carrasqu (@carrasquilloc1) September 24, 2019

1. This is very obvious

2. The Joker is not new, he's a well known villain who has been around for 80 years

3. Why do people act as though this is the first movie to ever star a villain?

4. Violent media does not cause real life violent behavior

5. It's sad they had to say this — Tanner LaFond (@tannerlafond) September 24, 2019

The studio having to release this statement shows how messed up American society in 2019. Scared of a movie. — CleonII (@smp2054) September 25, 2019