MURRAY FRANKLIN (looking into camera

O-kay, you may have seen that clip of our next guest
when we first played it a couple weeks ago. Now before
he comes out, I just want to say that we're all
heartbroken at what's going on in the city tonight.
But, this is how he wanted to come out, and honestly I
think we could all use a good laugh. So, please
welcome-- Joker

MURRAY FRANKLI
Oh that was quiet an entranc
(PAUSE
You okay?

JOKER
Yeah. This is exactly how I imagined it

MURRAY FRANKLI
Well, that make one of us.

MURRAY FRANKLI
So can you tell us about this look? when we spoke
earlier, you mentioned that this is not a political
statement. Is that right

JOKE
That's right. I'm not political
Murray. I'm just trying to make people laugh

MURRAY FRANKLIN (beat; smiles

How's that goin' for ya

The studio audience laughs at Joker. Joker doesn't

answer Murray, just smiles to himself

MURRAY FRANKLI
Have you been working on any ne
material? Do you want to tell us a joke now

The audience claps, egging Joker on to tell a joke.

Joker reaches into his jacket pocket and-
Pulls out his worn notebook. Looks through it, sees
Bruce Wayne's photo, pauses for a moment then turns
the page. Finds the joke-
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 MURRAY FRANKLIN
He got a book … a Book of joke

MURRAY FRANKLI
Take your time, we got all night.
(Laughs

JOKER (reading
Okay. Here's one. Knock-knock.

MURRAY FRANKLI
And you had to look that up

Studio audience laughs

JOKER (nods; reads it again

I want to get it right. Knock knock
Murray makes a face like, "Okay, I’ll go along with
this.

MURRAY FRANKLIN
Who’s there

JOKE
It's the police, ma'am. Your so
has been hit by a drunk driver. He's dead

A few in the audience groan. A couple even laugh

MURRAY FRANKLIN (shakes his head

irritated
Oh No, You can not joke with that. That's not funny,
that's not the kind of humor we do on this show

JOKE
(just keeps going, on
roll
Yeah, I’m Sorry. It's just, you know, it’s been a
rough few weeks, Murray. Ever since I killed those
three Wall Street guys

Studio audience can't tell if he's joking or not.

Murray can't either

"

 MURRAY FRANKLIN (looks at him confused

Okay. I'm waiting for the punchline

JOKE
There is no punchline. It's not
joke

MURRAY FRANKLIN (turns back to Joker; wit

gravitas
You're serious, aren't you? You're telling us you
killed those three young men on the subway. Why should
we believe you

JOKER (shrugs
I got nothing left to lose. Nothing can hurt me
anymore. My life is nothing but a comedy

MURRAY FRANKLI
Let me get this straight, you thin
killing those guys is funny

JOKER
I do! and I’m tired of pretending it’s not. Comedy is
subjective, Murray, Isn’t that what they say? All of
you, the system that knows so much, you decide what's
right or wrong. The same way that you decide what's
funny or not

MURRAY FRANKLIN (beat

Okay, I think I might understand. You did this to
start a movement, to become a symbol

JOKE
C'mon, Murray, do I look like th
kind of clown that could start a movement? I killed
those guys because they were awful. Everybody's awful
these days. It's enough to make anyone crazy

MURRAY FRANKLI
So that's it, huh, you're crazy
That's your defense for killing three young men

JOKE
No. They couldn't carry a tune t
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 save their lives

Some audible groans from the audience

JOKE
Why is everyone so upset abou
these guys? If it was me dying on the side walk, you
would walk right over me. I pass you everyday and you
don’t notice me. Because these guys, because Thomas
Wayne went and cried about them on TV

MURRAY FRANKLI
You have a problem with Thoma
Wayne, too

JOKE
Yes. I do
Have you seen what it's like ou
there, Murray? Do you ever actually leave this studio?
Everybody just yells and screams at each other.
Nobody's civil anymore. Nobody thinks what it's like
to be the other guy. You think men like Thomas Wayne
ever think about what it's like to be someone like me,
to be somebody but themselves? They don't. They think
we'll just sit there and take it like good little
boys. That we won’t werewolf and go wild

MURRAY FRANKLI
You finished? It’s so much self-pity, Arthur. Yo
sound like you're making excuses for killing those
young men. Not everybody and I tell you this, not
everyone’s awful

JOKER
You're awful, Murray

MURRAY FRANKLIN
Me? I’m awful? How am I awful

JOKE
Playing my video, inviting me o
the show,-- You just wanted to make fun of me. You're
just like the rest of them,
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 MURRAY FRANKLI
You don't know the first thing about me, pal. Look
what happened because of what you did, what it led to.
There are riots out there. Two policemen are in
critical condition. You’re laughing, you’re laughing.
Someone was killed today because of what you did

JOKER
I kno

JOKE
How about another joke, Murray

MURRAY FRANKLI
No, I think we've had enoug
of your jokes

JOKE
What do you get when yo
cross a mentally-ill loner with a system that abandons
him and treats him like trash

MURRAY
I don’t think so… Thats enough. Call the Police Chief

JOKER (pulling the gun

I'll tell you what you get. You get what you fucking
deserve

SHOOT.
R