Man living with laughing condition like Joker spoke out accusing Joaquin Phoenix of stealing his persona
Film fans, the day is finally here - so run to the cinema and grab your popcorn as Joker: Folie à Deux has just dropped.
Not to skew your opinion before you have even seen it, but the highly-anticipated sequel hasn't had the best reception so far, seeing its score on Rotten Tomatoes slump down to a measly 39 percent.
And to rub a bit more salt in the wound, there's a bloke who reckons that he deserves some credit for helping Joaquin Phoenix craft his persona for the Clown Prince of Crime.
Scott Lotan lives with a laughing condition just like the Joker, which causes him to burst into uncontrollable fits of giggles or even tears, and these exaggerated emotions often emerge at quite unfortunate times.
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The man, from Virginia, US, suffers from something known as the pseudobulbar affect (PBA) which is a neurological condition that can occur in people with multiple sclerosis (MS).
It causes him to experience painful and exhausting laughing episodes - which can last up to 10 minutes at a time.
Lotan has no control over his villainous chuckles and they can be triggered at the most inopportune moments, such as in the aftermath of a tragic crash in which his fiancée and mum were killed.
Following the release of Joker in 2019, he shared his thoughts on Phoenix's performance with LADbible, explaining that he thought the star did 'a great job' of conveying the struggles those with PBA face.
However, he believes that the Oscar winner and director Todd Phillips should have at least given him a nod for helping them perfect the DC character's manic laugh - accusing the pair of 'stealing his persona' without any acknowledgement.
Speaking to LADbible in 2022, Lotan said: "OK, Joaquin, you don't eat meat, you want to protect all the animals - what about the people? I mean, you stole my persona.
"You took my identity, and you put it on the screen and made millions, and you can't help a community? You can't donate to MS or Parkinson's or any of these other things? I don't get it.
"I've seen the interviews with Todd Phillips, I've seen the interviews with Joaquin, and they make reference to the videos, and that laughter, and how it helped develop the actual character."
The father-of-two explained that he finds it unjust that the community who provided the blueprint for a quintessential element of Phoenix's character went unrewarded for their assistance.
Lotan added: "At no single point, one of the highest grossing movies ever, have you reached out to do anything for the community."
"The reality is, when you look at my videos on YouTube and you watch that movie, you think about my storyline... It kind of helped form the character, the Joker itself," the PBA sufferer said.
"No recognition from Todd Phillips, no recognition from Joaquin, or any of it.
"It's like, not that I care to have you guys come pay me, but do something for the community."
Lotan's frustrations were likely spurred on by his life experience as someone living with PBA, as he told LADbible in 2021 how he had been refused service at restaurants and 'asked to leave' places as his laugh made people uncomfortable.
"Many times if I am out for a drink with friends, there is someone with low self-esteem that believes I am laughing at them and they will try and start a fight," he added.
Opening up about how his PBA impacted his grieving process following the deaths of his mother and fiancée in 2003, the dad revealed he had to 'separate himself' from other mourners at the funerals due to his laughter.
For Lotan, the disorder is also physically taxing as well, with his chuckles often leading to uncomfortable choking - something which he praised from Phoenix's Oscar-winning performance.
"The choking comes from trying to catch my breath, desperately needing to breathe. Also, spit builds up in your mouth and as you pull in a breath the spit goes down the wrong pipe," he said.
"My neck gets really sore and I am moving my head to try to relieve strain and sometimes that cuts off air."
Lotan added that having PBA also 'weighs heavy on the mind', as the condition is broadly misunderstood, so people often have 'preconceived notions' about the real reason behind his amusement.
Praising Phoenix's portrayal, he said: "I think he captured the feeling of isolation and frustration with the lack of understanding from others."
That laugh won't sound the same when you hear it ringing out in the cinemas now, will it?
Topics: Celebrity, Health, Joaquin Phoenix, Joker, TV and Film
Olivia Burke