Psychiatrist Breaks Down Batman's Psychotic Arkham Inmates | GQ

Psychiatrist Dr. Eric Bender is back to explore and diagnose the mental health of Batman's psychotic Arkham Asylum inmates, including Two-Face, Riddler, Joker, Harley Quinn, Mad Hatter, Mr. Zsasz, The Ventriloquist and Scarface, Maxie Zeus, Mr. Freeze and Penguin.
Director - Christopher Smith
Director of Photography - Florian Pilsl
Editor - Jimmy Chorng
Host - Eric Bender
Executive Producer - Traci Oshiro
Producer - Kristen Rakes
Associate Producer - Sam Dennis
Line Producer - Jen Santos
Production Manager - James Pipitone
Production Coordinator - Daniella Resto
Camera Operator - Lisa Fryklund
Audio - Simon Gordon
Production Assistant - George Anderson
Covid Coordinator - Erica Beedle
Post Production Supervisor - Rachael Knight
Post Production Coordinator - Ian Bryant
Supervising Editor - Rob Lombardi
Assistant Editor - Diego Rentsch & Billy Ward
00:00 "Let the psychiatrist do the psychiatry"
00:27 Two-Face
02:20 Riddler
03:24 Joker
06:03 Harley Quinn
10:22 Mad Hatter
14:00 Mr. Zsasz
15:19 The Ventriloquist & Scarface
17:35 Maxie Zeus
19:58 Mr. Freeze
22:10 Penguin
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[@mistymcclure21]

Bold move having Scarecrow diagnose his fellow Gotham villains on camera, GQ.

[@ZeldaMcFly]

I knew i wasn't the only one who noticed this!

[@Malkiore1]

That is who was missing! The Scarecrow. I kept saying "Wait I think he is forgetting some people here. I know Clayface was left out but I do not remember him ever being put in Arkham so who else could it be?" Another one would be The Clock King but I do not remember him ever being put in Arkham either which the same goes for Catwoman.

[@tiananesbitt7156]

Poison Ivy here? 🌱 🍃 🌿

[@SirBlade666]

@@tiananesbitt7156 She just values the needs of her current "species" above her former one. Just like we consider the needs of humans more important then the needs of other species. The same goes for Gorilla Grod.

[@ScarecrOmega]

👏

[@taleoftwowolves74]

This guy did, in 25 minutes, what Arkham doctors have failed to do since the 40s

[@SlyScribeV]

That's why you don't let PhDs do an MD's job for over 70 years 😂

[@joseaguirre2090]

Lol

[@Andy-ly2li]

Na na, they flesh out what makes most batman villains do what they do- just doesn't fill up as much of a story as their breakout lol

[@freedantheeternal]

Villains being rehabilitated or executed doesn't really make for long-running stories to sell books off of.

[@pregerzoreo4886]

​@@SlyScribeV😂

[@xweert711]

I love the way he said "He doesn't belong here, in Arkham." when talking about the Joker. That makes it seem like he's literally screening the inmates AT Arkham and is determining how criminally insane they are and trying to make a case for or against it, which makes the video have a totally different vibe

[@lemonace6695]

Of coudse he is AT Arkham. That is clearly Doctor Jonathan Crane, he just isn't still on his fear gas burlap clothes phase yet

[@xweert711]

@@lemonace6695 I'm very strongly looking forward to when he hits that phase :p

[@Chancecheese420]

Same when he said he feels sad when he "sits with Mr.Freeze.", like he's actually the consulting psychiatrist at arkham

[@eternalhistory4706]

It makes sense since The Joker is literally so intelligent that he uses all the other inmates of arkham to his own advantage.

[@1kungfukid]

This video is titled incorrectly. Please learn what psychotic means.

[@Astraeus..]

The theory about Joker not actually being insane or having some kind of mental illness has been around the fandom for quite awhile actually. It's generally accepted that not only is he not insane, he's more than likely hyper-aware and has a high degree of control over his own personality traits, such that he can flip on a dime and give the "illusion" that he's just outright nuts. It's all just one big game/stage-show for him, and he's just trying to entertain himself.

[@MetroidPurples]

He’s quite clearly insane. Look at the Batman v superman movie. Joker is literally and emtpy shell without Batman and as soon as hes back the Joker goes on a rampage. Hes obsessed and has many other mental problems

[@cngotham4111]

Very possible but I always thought he was a narcissist because of how he treats Harley. Manulating and even when she tries to help him he'll get pissed off if she does one thing wrong.

[@NPClownumber81googolplex]

TIL psychopathy is not a mental illness...

[@turk58guy]

Well I think it depends on the depiction. Phoenix's joker definitely had some mental disorders. Even had a card for the laughter

[@theoutlawking9123]

Joker is like Deadpool, both are brilliant but are also a little wacky, but that's by choice. They chose to act goofy to make life, their lives at least, "interesting," because otherwise they'd get bored real fast.

[@ToxicChaos115]

The scariest part is when you realize the most dangerous villain in this group doesn't have a mental illness at all. He's just a bad person.

[@koleszgdanska7149]

Scarecrow? The one who does the breakdown? (It's a half joke)

[@justinenicole3926]

Yup

[@TheGhostScorpion]

or.... simply has a sense of humor

[@J.J.J.J.J.J.J]

Except ASPD is indeed a type of mental illness. However, he's referring to legal mental illness (i.e. that can be managed by mental health acts for involuntary treatment).

[@jamangel]

Lol

[@HMF47]

I love how the psychiatrist knows his Batman lore, which makes his insights all the more interesting.

[@pmc8451]

Pretty sure he's just watched the clips and maybe read up a little bit before this video, he actually says at one point “the part of the story, that I’ve seen” suggesting he has only seen the clips shown. There is another one of these videos on another channel and it’s absolute shite because the psychiatrist is just a massive Batman fanboy and has lost all objectivity.

[@lawlietriver8869]

His insight into Joker was obviously wrong. If avoiding capture is like he said "knowing you are doing something wrong", then Anne Frank deserved to be caught. She was doing something wrong, thus needed to be caught. It is a simplistic and stupid way of seeing things.

[@ElijahsURL]

​@@lawlietriver8869 Well, no... he's not talking about Anne Frank. He's saying that Joker doing what he does and being mindful enough to avoid capture means that he knows what he's doing.

[@chrismiller271]

@JustGolden Not really. He's talking about the implications of the status que and how the outliers are better left not ignored or discarded by a system that's doesn't quite accommodate them but yet is concerned by them

[@lawlietriver8869]

@@chrismiller271 Good on you for understanding the spirit of what I said :) The other guy thought I was some literally taking about Anne Frank. Saying someone is avoiding capture becaue "they know they are doing something wrong" is just inherently wrong. Because that is factually not the case.

[@lemonace6695]

I always knew Scarecrow would have the best insights over his fellow inmates. Doctor Crane is one of the best on his fields - with or without his vilanous persona.

[@lemonace6695]

A small correcion though in the animated series Harley was a psychologist and was acting as one that's why she has a PhD and not an MD she later was changed into a psychiatrist

[@metroidhunter965]

This was part of his plea deal

[@YaburuRunyaru]

While I would’ve loved to hear a psychiatrist’s analysis of Scarecrow, I also love the implications of leaving him out.

[@will_5452]

Man, when he said Joker belongs in Blackgate. This dude knows his comics.

[@robhws]

He suspiciously left out the Scarecrow. 🤔

[@TheDon7117]

Dude I was literally thinking the same thing.

[@kevinluongo417]

He doesn’t wanna give himself away

[@MrZomBie775]

​@@kevinluongo417 I was gonna say, he'd be a perfect Jonathan Crane in a movie. Maybe Matt Reeves will cast him lol

[@ElijahsURL]

@@MrZomBie775 He's not an actor?

[@MrZomBie775]

@@ElijahsURL nobody's an actor, till they start acting.

[@vincentxu8217]

He's already one of the best live-action adaptations of Dr. Crane

[@angrytheclown801]

He could also pull off a younger Hugo Strange.

[@thegameknight8916]

Perhaps a version of either one that actually redeemed themselves?

[@Rat_Queen86]

He is! I love it!

[@killedpatrick]

No this is Dr Bender……Dr Mind Bender

[@luisz222]

He could pass for Clark Kent too.

[@mariodeabreu199]

Please, let's have a second run with Scarecrow, Poison Ivy, Deadshot, Firefly, Catwoman, Huntress, Bane, Killer Croc, Hush and Azrael. I know many of those never been at Arkham (and honestly never did the Penguin as well), but I think they worth the diagnosys.

[@mariacuellar6994]

Please add Jason Todd too!! I'm sure he has PTSD and depression.

[@cassidyho939]

I SECOND THIS

[@tfordham13]

Pen has gone to arkham tho

[@Sky._-]

@@mariacuellar6994jason todd would be so good

[@TheHiddenNarrative]

Would Deathstroke be considered crazy? He's one of Batman's greatest villains (his fighting equal in fact), but he comes off as a remorseless mercenary.

[@edchez4253]

He forgot to diagnose Batman

[@rodneymineweaser2504]

PTSD

[@geekelly000]

Was Batman an inmate at any point?

[@PettyPrinzeJr]

Would've been a cool surprise to do a break down on Batman himself since he's often considered to be just as broken as the criminals he puts away.

[@joshpetzoldt6344]

Agreed. In fact, this is a plot point in season 3 of Harley Quinn The Animated Series.

[@islandboy9381]

That often leads to the question if Batman was not there would Gotham have had so many insane supervillains?

[@michaelmitcheltree2120]

Look through a guy Dr. David Tians. KZbin channel on his review of The Batman

[@DIsturbios1234]

Surprise? Its the most common character to get broken down

[@beauwalker9820]

I believe Bruce Wayne AKA the Batman has depression, some form of PTSD, and similar to Harvey Dent a compulsion to be the Batman. Part of him desires to live a normal life, but also has a compulsion to be a hero, and fight crime, because of what happened to him as a child. In some ways, he's a traumatized child trapped in an adult's body, crying out for mommy and daddy.

[@TheJaslaf]

I loved the Paul Dini's writing of The Joker's interview tapes in The Arkham Asylum game because it showed that The Joker seemed to investigate different mental health disorders and would pretend to have a different mental health disorder per interview. He was essentially wasting the time of the Arkham professionals just so he could get attention.

[@yurifairy2969]

That was the Joker's real desire in the Arkham games: attention. It's why his greatest fear was being forgotten.

[@TrashJack3000]

@@yurifairy2969 "You're afraid of being ashes. You're afraid of being forgotten. And you WILL be forgotten, Joker. Because of me." Easily one of Batman's best moments, as he ruthlessly tears down the hallucination-Joker within their shared mindscape, and one of the late, great Kevin Conroy's best moments as the voice of the Dark Knight, too.

[@Malkiore1]

You should look up a channel called The Imaginary Axes. He does a breakdown of the Joker that was just awesome where he explained through comic's and other series that the Joker was diagnosed by Harley when she worked with him as being Supersane which ment the biggest secret about the Joker and why he does what he does is because he knows he is in a comic book and none of the things he does really matters. Even shows how he breaks the 4th wall like Deadpool does and how even when cross over events happen and then everything is reset and it happens again where no one remembers what took place before the Joker does. Shows how when he took a dip in the lazarus pit it acually made him Sane and how when Martian Manhunter looked into his mind it made no sense because he probably saw the Joker thinking "We are all in a comic book so nothing matters and if I do something bad it is because I was written to do so". His break down is way better than I can explain but yea you should check it out.

[@pyropulseIXXI]

@@Malkiore1 That makes the Joker incredibly insane, not 'super sane.' IF someone went around doing Joker stuff in real life and justified it via 'knowing' we were in a comic book, then he would be the most insane person ever. These terrible analysis where the reader knows the truth and ascribes that to a character within a made up universe is so incredibly dumb, it is the same thing as making a logical error in a mathematical argument. It makes no sense. If you want a character in universe to 'know' they are in a comic, you'd have to write a higher power that literally erases stuff and pulls the character out so they can see the comic. The Joker just 'magically knowing' is just him being literally insane, just like someone in the real world 'knowing' this would be insane There is a reason 4th wall breaks are usually played for jokes. Also, a 4th wall break doesn't mean the character knows the actual truth, only in a play does that count, since they can literally interact with the audience. In every other media, it is either the character being insane or ...... written to act as if they do know, but don't

[@Blankisjustblank]

@@TrashJack3000 RIP the GOAT

[@Dk9776v]

This guy is the most psychiatristy looking psychiatrist I’ve ever seen. He was born for this career

[@Cuckoorex]

No doubt someone has mentioned it here already, but prior to the event that scarred Harvey Dent, his coin had identical faces. He told Rachel that he "makes his own luck". He had control. After the scarring event, both Harvey and the coin had been transformed by forces beyond Harvey's control. Perhaps he now looked to the coin as a symbol of his lack of certainty and control.

[@thisusernamewasnttakensomehow]

Plot twist: the reason Gotham’s inmates are insane is because this man just broke them all down.

[@hassanmasood186]

Their traits have been exposed

[@badfoody]

Batman doesn't kill because he's merciful. He doesn't kill because he wants them to feel more pain

[@leonarddement4900]

Insanity is a legal term. Not a mental term

[@MrWongWey]

@@leonarddement4900 It’s just a joke. Not something to be picked apart.

[@leonarddement4900]

@@MrWongWey um did I say it was a joke? And yes. You CAN pick apart this kind of thing in a discussion

[@spandanpoddar7195]

The fact that he has such in depth lore knowledge and then he has gone ahead and actually taken his time to diagnose these characters so accurately, specially when he breaks down the Joker. I have massive respect for this man, as a fellow fan and as someone who loves human psychology.

[@larisabobke6068]

He did this cause he is a Dr. Crane actually😅

[@MrTypicalPlayer]

In psychology you have to understand the character you are studying. He did the same thing for each character as he would’ve done for any client walking in his door.

[@thanatoast4389]

There’s a chance he could have used these characters for a study, or his dissertation as well.

[@haziqhakimi8994]

Well yeah I figured scarecrow would know a lot about his fellow villains

[@jakethompson2005]

I’m hoping that he’s actually a secret Batman nerd

[@MrsCSHarrison]

I love that he says he doesn't think Joker doesn't have any actual mental health issues, especially when Joker presents himself differently to each doctor that has tried to treat him at Arkham.

[@dagger1580]

Glad to see Dr Crane talking about his fellow inmates

[@DemianCorvus]

I love how this psychiatrist gets in character and says he sits with Mr. Freeze and stuff to diagnose. A true Batman fan right there. Mad respect.

[@waldoman7]

It's not in character, it's a thought exercise. He sits with Mr. Freeze in his head.

[@julianvenegas642]

Sounds even better

[@snakesonn3590]

are you normal?

[@deathraygonzo6339]

Joker: "Do I look like a man with a plan?" Yes, a man with a way too elaborate and complicated plan.

[@elijahlupe]

Dr. Bender seems to have such a deep, deep well of empathy for all these troubled people, despite them even being fictional. Makes sense why he's been so successful in his career

[@anodosarcade7355]

*therapist nods* “Thank you for your insight on your fellow housemates, Dr Crane. Very well thought out. But next time let’s talk about you, ok?”

[@Sai4651]

Regarding Heath Ledger's Joker specifically, there's a theory that he's a war veteran who's angry and that's the motivation behind his actions. Think about it; the scars, the knowledge with explosives, the understanding on how to use certain weapons, his knowledge on interrogation, his tendency to go after government officials, and his desire to prove that people are inherently bad. Remember when Gordon said there was no record of him ever existing, it's possible that he could be apart of some special war task force that had their records completely destroyed.

[@livingashtree1942]

🤔 interesting...

[@chrisfortin]

I heard that but specifically military intelligence

[@I_am_N0body]

"Life is a stage" and no one will ever "exist" until there is a "Grand Entrance"! Why be a "anybody"; or a "nobody" when it is possible to a "somebody"?

[@kiernanmooney6210]

I actually LOVE this theory just because it makes so much sense, and you get a little taste of what this man’s inner life must be. Like- EVERY person has an inner logic, right? No one is truly an enigma. So it’s fun to put those together because it makes ABSOLUTE SENSE that he was a soldier or an operative of some kind. I love it! Great theory!

[@gustaf3811]

@@kiernanmooney6210 It's interesting first because of what tragedy Ledgers Joker had to experience in order to get that world view. Maybe he saw him and his friends killing and eating each other in order to survive which would completely change his outlook on life. Now maybe he has polarized thinking patterns/black and white thinking that makes him realize everyone is a monster deep down which what motivates him and makes him more antisocial. That would be quite interesting to see a movie about to be honest.

[@jamesgreen9712]

I like the way he breaks down Joker. Many people like to think that what makes Joker a good villain is that he is completely deranged and insane therefore unpredictable which may be true to some of his versions. The way I always like looking at it was that Joker is very cunning and smart, he clearly understands himself and he wants people to think he is criminally insane as a scheme for him to be where he exactly wants to be (Arkham that is), he is an agent of chaos but he is the guy running the chaos not living his life chaotically but rather creating a playground for him to be free to do whatever he plans to do, which is really genius if you think about it. So in other words, appearing insane to people and creating chaos is his vision and plan but not his end goal

[@ShadowDeist]

he's The clown prince of crime for a reason

[@wholethedogsout880]

also appearing insane could be a way for him to avoid getting the death penalty in the batman universe

[@hcrazii]

reminds me of how everyone loved the genius of norm macdonald "Norm is the smartest guy in the room pretending to be the dumbest."

[@saiyoice]

if you think he is off his rocker and not fully aware you have made a grave mistake when it comes to the joker.

[@vsjunior3517]

joker in dark knight trilogy,.... there's possibility that he got the elite military background, a retirement but most possibly a discharge. he got no job, so hes bored. and one day, batman show up saving gotham city. so he decided to be the bat villains

[@IlluminatiJones]

I always found Mr. Freeze to be a great metaphor for agoraphobia and how even though you may want to interact with the outside world you feel intrinsically unable to.

[@elliottbennett7298]

the part about Mr. Freeze and complicated grief really made me pause bc i also experience it and to hear someone talk about it with so much compassion and acknowledge how terrible it is really meant a lot to me. i would really give anything in the world to be free of it for just one day

[@thepubknight6144]

Viktor even helps Batman throughout the comics His whole goal is to cure his wife

[@LilMally243]

I appreciate him talking about Freeze. I always thought of him as the most relatable villain. He's any of us on our worst day. The simple desire of love, blocked by the limits of what is possible.

[@angrytheclown801]

Really, Freeze turned good could be aspirational. Who wouldn't want to love someone that deeply? Unfortunately his situation makes it unhealthy, but feeling such a deep love that rocks the soul could be transforming even without the ice cubes.

[@wholethedogsout880]

Imo he’s the type of villain/antagonist who should be brief. His situation should be concluded quickly unlike joker who’s basically a career villain.

[@thepubknight6144]

​​​@@angrytheclown801 he's actually helped batman a few times with ice powered villians like Frost and Capt Cold in the comics He does in the Arkham games too

[@angrytheclown801]

@@thepubknight6144 I am fully aware. However, he always falls back like a junkie.

[@emoclowngirl]

@@thepubknight6144the interactions between him and Batman in Arkham city is what made me love him. Batman understands the love, but he can’t let Victor just hurt and cause destruction to find the solution. this as well as Hugo’s interrogation making Victor probably feel like absolute dogshit

[@aboutfacetheatreblog]

Wow. Dr. Bender looks like he lives in Gotham, and he obviously knows a good bit about all the villains' backstories. Anyone else get that vibe? Even his name fits. Very cool.

[@johndanvers2379]

Kind of interesting how the one villain he doesn't mention is Scarecrow lol

[@aboutfacetheatreblog]

@@johndanvers2379 LOL completely. We're on to you, "Dr. Bender"!

[@ATFZero]

He does say here a lot in the video. He's the real Hugo Strange. EVERYONE, BATMAN IS REAL!!!!! Or Gotham is at least.

[@TPDManiacXC626]

@@ATFZero Next thing we know, he’s going to be put in charge of operating Arkham City!

[@ATFZero]

@TPDManiacXC626 yes he will

[@theoutlawking9123]

Thank You Doc, I have been saying for YEARS that Joker is not crazy, he just wants people to think that he is. Because a truly crazy or mentally ill person could never come up with the ingenius schemes and plans that he does, he's got everybody fooled, Batman included. Also, how ironic that of all of Bruces rogues, the one who was thought to be the most insane is actually the Most Sane, unreal.

[@yuen4817]

Cannot wait for the next one GQ, please keep bringing back Scarecrow 🙏🏽 his insight to mental health is very informative.

[@jasontodd9]

Mr Freeze doesn't have mental illness, but I always assumed that he winds up in Arkham (some writers do put him in Blackgate or Belle Reve) because Arkham is generally better equipped and better funded to handle and incarcerate an individual who cannot live outside of a sub-zero environment.

[@Rocket1377]

Correct. Bruce Wayne helps fund Arkham, because he feels responsible for putting so many of the patients in there, and wants them to be cured. So the facilities are state of the art.

[@maldetete431]

Of all the villains, Mr. Freeze is the one I feel for the most. I mean, the guy lost his wife.

[@newcamomile]

That's also why Ivy and Croc go there.

[@vksasdgaming9472]

Arkham is better at handling his special needs. He definitely has some milder form of mental issue. Perhaps high-functioning autism seeing how obsessed he is about Nora. Even without his physical ailment he knows he can't find anyone else so he clings on to her.

[@victors.k.p.5282]

Gotta love those GQ breakdowns, courtesy of The Riddler.

[@stormtempterf8058]

The guy is Crane, before he created the Scarecrow fear gas.

[@stuartgoodwincaptainstuspa5002]

not the only one thinking this lol

[@thefacelessquestion3333]

@@stormtempterf8058 My thoughts exactly.

[@kailoid8779]

I was looking forward to scarecrow’s obsession with fear, or the way croc slowly became more animalistic after years of being treated like a monster because of his condition.

[@ShadowyFox_86]

Mr. Freeze has always had my sympathies. It's a lonely life that he can never escape unless he dies. He can't save the woman he loves, and he can't save himself.

[@DreamBelief]

I like that he touched on how needing support or struggling with something doesn't mean you have a mental illness. I wish he'd spoken about that a little more. It's something the world needs to learn. Being sad about something, stressed etc doesn't mean you have depression or an anxiety disorder

[@georgecostanza712]

Lol, thanks doc.

[@davidvarela3449]

The only villain I geniunely feel bad for is Mr. Freeze, his motivations are human and selfless, although it means freezing the world over.

[@EinDose]

Out of Batman's lineup, yeah, he's the extremely relatable and technically 'well' one; he's basically just been screwed over by life, and while he's not really reacting WELL he's reacting UNDERSTANDABLY. As much as I know it's not really a good approach as far as empathy for mental disorders, a lot of Batman's villains are just so outside of normal thinking that they're not relatable, but Mr. Freeze is. Some versions of the Riddler get there for me too, where it feels like the riddles are the only way he really knows to reach out to others; there's a relatable, human guy in there, but the only way he can bring himself to communicate does him more harm than good.

[@darragh4912]

@@EinDose Two Face I would argue deserves some sympathy, he was already mentally ill then pushed to his breaking point by becoming permanently disfigured

[@Annabellethedoll666]

What about Harley?

[@abitsourrrrsorry4885]

@@Annabellethedoll666 exactly my question. But honestly I don't expect a dude would be able to see Harley in the same vein as Mr. Freeze lol

[@angrytheclown801]

@@abitsourrrrsorry4885 Well, there's a world of distance between "I do everything for the only person that still gives me humanity and means anything anymore to my cold dead heart!" And "I was brainwashed and abused to love a man, but even without him I do horrible things for the wacky times!" I mean I get it on her behavior, but Mr Freeze has that poetic depth she lacks, and most us guys want to love someone that deeply at least once.

[@youngkyekim]

It only takes one bad day for this guy to become Scarecrow

[@bandigustin1038]

It really feels like he's a true psychiatrist on the comics evaluating all these people, specially when he talks about Freeze and Joker. Keep bringing him back!

[@RabblesTheBinx]

I love that this guy knows enough about comics to name drop Blackgate. Really shows that he's not relying on these individual short clips in his assessments.

[@chrisnichols9014]

He probably even reads Batman comics. The average person doesn't even know what Blackgate is in DC.

[@ghartman56]

As a Batman fan with a background in psychology, Dr. Bender is so satisfying to listen to and this video really hit the nail on the head. The way he went through the different diagnosis possibilities reminded me of some of my best professors. Would love to see him back on!

[@despacitodaniel801]

Don't all psychologists sound like that

[@ghartman56]

@@despacitodaniel801 You'd be amazed at how poorly some psychologists connect to the world or people around them, though of course there are lots of great ones!

[@asha_vere]

Mr. Freeze is the perfect example of a villain being made, not born as a villain.

[@rebeccac.l.5601]

Now do Scarecrow, Killer Croc, Rhas Al Ghoul, and Bane! I would love to see a breakdown on those characters. Thanks for this one though, it was great!

[@midnighthaven]

And Poison Ivy, Hugo Strange and Calendar Man too

[@prashikshegaonkar5357]

The Ventriloquist is actually a very underrated Batman Villain.

[@stanleyteriaca2184]

True. True. Same as Professor Pyg.

[@Malkiore1]

Same goes for The Clock King. I always liked him and people act like he was a one off Villain but he was actually in 3 episodes I believe which is about the same amount of time Villains like Clayface and Croc got. He did miss Scarecrow and Killer Croc now that I mention it because they were in Arkham but others like Clayface, The Clock King and Catwoman were never in Arkham to my knowledge.

[@stanleyteriaca2184]

@@Malkiore1 I believe it is the fact that the Clock King was never truly a Batman villain. Instead he is more know as an Atom and Green Arrow villain. That doesn't mean that the Clock King was bad. We were never going to get an Green Arrow the Animated Series after all.

[@NUCLEARDASH]

Scarface

[@DrLynch2009]

Used to be really big.

[@anubis8840]

I would love to see a breakdown of the whole bat family

[@springtrap2135]

that might breakdown into an hour long video with jason todd alone

[@anubis8840]

@springtrap 213 i was thinking that

[@brandonfj5811]

@@anubis8840 Well also mostly likely Bruce too

[@jbshiva865]

Bruce, Damien, and Jason would need their own videos.

[@sykamoreva9803]

@@jbshiva865 Surprised more people haven't mentioned Damien - kid spent the first eight years of his life training to kill only to be dumped on his dad who doesn't kill no matter what. Certainly can't be an easy mental transition...

[@AaronTheStupidFace]

Love the theory that Joker has no mental illness. Such an interesting take on his character. Just someone who wants to cause chaos in the world through anarchy. Love it.

[@d4n737]

Interestingly, the Doll representing Scarface's personality is not just a figment of Ventri's mind. The doll, as corfirmed as Zatanna is magical and basically provokes DID in a person, forming a nexus of their negative emotions and manifesting them in the doll.

[@JohnSmith-yd5wq]

That's a stupid rewrite.

[@Prince_Luci]

@@JohnSmith-yd5wqagreed

[@SauceDawg]

I genuinely hope GQ continues to bring on Dr. Bender for more break down videos. His knowledge is astounding and the insights he presents and explains even helps me to try and better understand people in my own life.

[@ATFZero]

Yes. I agree he's also easy to understand

[@Jearbearjenkins]

He’s got his own channel if you want to watch more of him

[@RicardoB488]

Psychology is subjective, not concrete!! psychology is mostly opinions. nobody knows why we do the things we do!

[@finnrater4812]

@@RicardoB488I mean it’s definitely very subjective in a lot of areas but there are still a lot of things scientifically proven when it comes to psychology

[@juniorcellx]

No

[@JohnyScissors]

Feels like this guy did his proper homework on these characters and he's not just experiencing them through the shown clips

[@Djorgal]

Yeah, he knows his stuff. Off hand mention that the Joker belongs in Blackgate penitentiary shows in universe knowledge.

[@chrisnichols9014]

He sounds like an actual Batman fan. He probably reads Batman comics too.

[@xpeter1000]

I think it’s ironic that they didn’t include scarecrow because the entire video I was thinking how much he reminded me of Johnathan crane

[@user-mz1fe3yj7e]

Watching this as a doctor and an aspiring psychiatrist I love that he has done his research on these characters, truly a psychiatrist move lol. Because usually when we see experts react, they just watch these 3 minute clips and that's all they know about what they're reacting to, this man cares about content.

[@Bababooey95]

This guy is flat out awesome

[@arnob1711]

He could be the riddler

[@EGRJ]

Including his look.

[@omarcogle1965]

@@arnob1711 He could be the Riddler reformed

[@henreymichelson]

He’s a psychiatrist he would be the scarecrow

[@NotBot0251]

I think he's insane

[@donttuga9310]

As far as Joker's motivation goes, in the storyline "The Killing Joke" he has a whole monolog where he admits he knows he's an evil person, that life itself it just a huge joke, and that all it takes is one bad day for someone, or even the whole world, to give into lunacy. In part of it he even calls out Batman as having given in to lunacy, "You had a bad day once. Am I right? I know I am. You had a bad day, and everything changed! Why else would you dress up as a flying rat? You had a bad day, and it drove you as crazy as everybody else! Only you won't admit it!"

[@cana1526]

Joker is the most sane man in Arkham. Wickedly intelligent.

[@AndrewSunada]

I appreciate the compassion he engages the subject with. The problem is that he runs over characters in a sweeping nature demonstrates only a very surface level understanding of each if the villains.

[@AndrewSunada]

Also, the only villain that's just a bad person and is actually not some level of insane or mental illness is the penguin.

[@WTTuck]

For as long as I can remember, I tend to look at Mr. Freeze as more of a victim of his circumstance rather than a flat out villain. I'd have to agree with the assessment here, that his hatred and anger are symptoms of his intense sadness; tools to him cope. Tragic really.

[@lightborn9071]

Everyone could have become like this when their 'heart' was forcibly frozen

[@cromtuiseagain]

The stoic seriousness in the doctor's face while breaking down these fictional villains just makes me respect him more.

[@Alpharelic]

Maxie Zeus was definetely a good choice here. I liked how he was recognising the different villains as Gods

[@glenmcinnes4824]

Depending on the version Quinn is a Psychologist or a Psychiatrist, in the original BTAS she was a Psychiatric Intern working on her Psychology P.H.D., so a Double Degree. during the course of the "Mad Love" story she finished her internship and literally wrote the book on the Joker earning her P.H.D., but after she had her thesis suppressed when she went super-villain, they pulled her Medical and therapists licenses. there was a story where they tried to revoke her P.H.D. didn't happen the first couple of times but they eventually did. Dr. Crane (the Scarecrow) one of the worlds leading Nuro-chemists and Psycho-pharmacologists tried to have her switch one or both of her degrees to his program when she finished her masters, that was before he went full super-villain. Harley as a Teen was an Olympic level Gymnast, she would regularly dominate a girl who would go on to be a multi-discipline Silver medalist (at both the Olympics and Worlds) for Team USA. only Harley's dad had her throw a competition that was part of Olympic selection as part of a Match Fixing Scam.

[@maank2146]

Also to note. Very early versions of Harley actually implied that she was only able to get that far because of her looks or that she outright slept her way to the position. But when she entered the comic mainstream and became more popular this was mostly completly disregarded and she became much more competent and inteligent because of the somewhat unfortunate implications of the first version and because it works better for her story because it adds some more tragedy to her character and also showcases how manipulative the Joker is.

[@glenmcinnes4824]

@@maank2146 in an Interview back in the day some of the BTAS crew that I think included Dini said when asked about the Double Degree thing that if she was only going M.D. or P.H.D. she could have bean at the top of her class, but she overextended herself so had to get creative to get assignment extensions and favorable grades.

[@girlirl]

This doctor looks like the kind of psychiatrist who winds up becoming a villain.

[@ShadowFalcon]

He also looks like he's a fez short of needing a police phone box :P

[@Phanthief95]

So in other words, Harley Quinn, Scarecrow, & Hugo Strange.

[@Rat_Queen86]

He is giving off real Scarecrow vibes to me lol

[@Veldazandtea]

We're all villains in someone elses story.

[@jackservans6906]

My head canon has always been that there’s some legal loophole in Gotham law that makes the insanity plea extraordinarily easy to argue, letting more or less sane criminals into mental health facilities. This results in Arkham being built and maintained like a prison due to the nature of its inmates.

[@tfordham13]

The reason is most are super villains with powers or ties with people who can break them out and arkham while old has bee modified to hold them and it ended up as a dumping ground for the villaind

[@luisz222]

The only villain in Gotham who usually doesn’t go to Arkham is the Penguin. He has an immense inferiority complex and tries to compensate for that with his power. However he still wouldn’t qualify as mentally ill so no Arkham. I think in-universe it would be hard for oswald to plea for insanity as it would be like Falcone or Maroni pleaing for insanity. They’re just regular people, while granted they do not care much if the hurt or kill people.

[@freddiefisher9506]

That's not really a headcanon, it's explicitly how the Mob functions in the Pre-Batman era of Gotham.

[@andynystrom1519]

I'd love to hear his take on the Gotham versions. The Penguin in Gotham had a friendlier relationship with his father and seems to have different motivations, while Zsasz is someone who can be quite sociable if you ignore his homicidal tendencies. And the Riddler seems motivated in part by the police force not taking him seriously while he was employed there.

[@randomfandomfan5080]

And the "joker" interpretations are different too. Jerome is unhinged and Jeremiah is not.

[@futurestoryteller]

That would be interesting, because his analysis usually focuses on well written depictions of these characters. So it would be interesting to see how realistic the depictions are when the writers are the ones with mental deficiency. I kid, I kid (I do not) I can't say they have a complete misunderstanding of the villains though. While I am not a psychiatrist most versions of Riddler are narcissistic and becoming a homicidal lunatic because you think your co-workers don't take you seriously seems pretty consistent with narcissism. Pretty over the top, but I suppose people have killed for less.

[@randomfandomfan5080]

@@futurestoryteller Don't forget that in Gotham, Edward has DID. Riddler and Edward Nygma are two entirely different people. Ed fronts more at the beginning and Riddler at the end.

[@deadlvrs]

@@futurestoryteller The Penguin, Riddler, and Valeskas were well-written, though. Gotham has a lot of faults, but those four villains were the only thing saving that show in some parts, lol.

[@futurestoryteller]

@@deadlvrs I don't even agree with that, lol, althought the performances were pretty good for those guys, so maybe that's why you feel that way, imo.

[@hazardousmike4862]

“Sometimes I see people who don’t have a diagnosis, they just need some support” Please excuse me, I need to go and have an emotion in private

[@alikutul]

As a psych student and an avid Batman fan, this has just become my favorite video on youtube.

[@zenseijay2428]

Nice. 4th year Psych PhD. Very cool video. I hope your degree goes swimmingly. I'll see you at the top.

[@kennethpeterson7524]

Very suspicious he didn't diagnose Scarecrow. Almost as if he IS the Scarecrow in disguise! But great analysis, love that he has some background info on the characters. And yes, Gotham is corrupt. And Arkham Asylum is probably cursed. The guy who built it spent years torturing and killing patients.

[@birchouse]

Glad he tackled the "mad love" aspect of Joker/Harley. DC is getting better, but for a while, they really doubled down on this "crazy" relationship

[@righteousrawb7225]

Nothing wrong with a crazy relationship

[@birchouse]

@@righteousrawb7225 ain't crazy mate. Abusive. DC marketed it as "crazy"

[@reelgesh51]

​@@birchouse understandably nothing wrong with portraying an abusive relationship between characters we know would both accept that relationship or abuse it

[@birchouse]

@re el gesh nothing wrong with portraying it, but DC had a period where they marketed and profited off it (his and hers Harley and Joker merch), and that is problematic.

[@reelgesh51]

Oh, didn't realise it was marketed like that - quick google search shows some T shirts that don't look harmful to me - just a gimmick But if they ran a campagna to try to portray the relationship as normal I can see how that has issues - I'll retract my statements though as I'm quite ignorant of the marketing - thank you for informing me :)

[@julianhermanubis6800]

I love this video. He knows the fictional world of Batman well, and he also treats it with professional regimen. And he actually made the Mad Hatter interesting and creepy.

[@h-b9790]

I would like to see more parts covering other villains like firefly, baby doll, Professor pyg, killer croc, and scarecrow to name a few. Really enjoyed the breakdown as both an MD and a Batman fan.

[@ippokratismargiouklas2791]

Bane and definitely hush too

[@qwertyzillaofficial2969]

Scarecrow’s already in the video

[@alexsummers9140]

Why no Scarecrow??? Because he IS the scarecrow!

[@dcmastermindfirst9418]

Scarecrow is a chemist. Not a psychologist. Do some research

[@Strangeminds38]

@@dcmastermindfirst9418 No, i'm pretty sure he is a psychologist at arkham asylum in some versions.

[@JacobSparks23]

@@dcmastermindfirst9418 Scarecrow is a psichiatrist

[@marlo176]

@@dcmastermindfirst9418 he's also a psychology professor in the animated series

[@albnoel]

Why does he look like a batman villain?

[@Keysupersam798]

Because a lot of Batman's villains are doctors or psychiatrist

[@arnob1711]

He looks like riddler

[@JoaoPedro-hb3ms]

He is scarecrow

[@pizzalock1760]

He's the tutorial boss Bruce went through as a kid

[@syafiqjabar]

If he grows facial hair and goes bald, get out of there.

[@seraphim2001]

I definitely agree with the Mr. Freeze analysis. He's always come across to me as one of the more sane villains. He just wants to get his wife back and knows clearly what he's doing. He's just stubbornly refusing any support, mostly since his wife was almost killed because he was backstabbed by his partner (at least in the animated show, iirc)

[@DerrickBarrows]

Mr Freeze is the most tragic villain in comic book history in my personal opinion. The animated series introduction of him stuck in me like very few things in media.

[@nathank2289]

And even when he finally cures her he still stays away for her happiness

[@piotrkowalski3869]

The fact this guy could easily be The Riddler adds so much to this.

[@Phanthief95]

2:19 I would also say for Two-Face that in some versions (like the Batman Arkham version) he has Dissociative Identity Disorder, where in one moment he’s the good & honorable Harvey Dent & the villainous & murderous Two-Face on the other. His obsession with flipping his coin also helps deciding which of the two personalities comes out.

[@osmanyousif7849]

In the comics, his disorder was due to his abusive father who always flipped a coin. The coin is meant to represent that despite him gone now, he still has his father in him, within flipping the coin.

[@vonwaldauer5619]

Yep, and DID is also very much part of his character in Batman The Animated Series. It really gets into it, especially in the episode "Two-Face Part I." His alter also has a name (Big Bad Harv), who is the one who talks in that signature growly voice, and when Dent takes on the name Two-Face after his disfigurement, this is the alter fronting most of the time. In BTAS, Dent definitely appears to have both DID and OCD.

[@wholethedogsout880]

Comic accurate!

[@SOBEKCrocodileGod]

Something interesting about the Mad Hatter related to his hat obsession, is that in one comic (it might’ve been one of the Secret Six comics), Mad Hatter saw an attractive nude woman and felt no arousal whatsoever until she put a hat on.

[@lucasimmons075]

Just like the Steely Dan song Fez. "I'm never gonna do it without a fez on"

[@KingNerdius]

I absolutely love any video with Dr. Eric Bender, his breakdowns are always fascinating

[@katerinschmidt4121]

Go to his channel then ❤️

[@Spider_Bai2524]

7:04 7:11 He didn't ruined it, instead he makes it more interesting, I love this guy.

[@MaximumP0tential]

He makes the characters sound so real.

[@wholethedogsout880]

right?

[@SilverShadow02]

Batman is the most realistic hero so naturally his stories and the people in them are more grounded and true to life.

[@captainmercy87]

I love the line about not having an MD! That was great. 😂

[@jasontodd9]

That was just bad writing on the part of Christina Hodson who wrote Birds of Prey. Harleen had an MD in other media.

[@captainmercy87]

@@jasontodd9 ok my man. I think based on your comment, I should tell you to eff off. Also, don’t be anti women. It makes you look like a giant loser.

[@wholethedogsout880]

Birds of prey was a terrible example to use in the first place

[@swimmingmide]

DID was offically named in 1994 in the DSM-IV. The Batman episode aired in 1993 so at the time Batman was not wrong since DSM-III used the term or something very similar at the time.

[@theolast9727]

Batman said "multiple personality SYNDROME disorder". Not "multiple personality disorder"

[@sniperpanda2965]

@@theolast9727 syndrome was used interchangeably. normally it was left out but syndrome is still correct.

[@LoveHandle4890]

The Joker is a complex yet amazing villain.

[@oscarjenkins7505]

I love that the joker has no powers or real reason to be the way he is, he started as a normal guy and that makes him a lot scarier imo, it makes him feel a lot more realistic and almost as if the joker could be a thing in real life. Joaquin Phoenix showed this really well in Joker.

[@aryan7767]

Nah. I find joker fun cause he is one of the most versatile villains. He can be fun, charismatic, ruthless, creepy, scary, mysterious, etc. also, his character is a jester, a clown. So it allows actors and voice actors and writers to go all out which is fun

[@sebastiansoto9451]

@@aryan7767 who are you disagreeing with?

[@dcmastermindfirst9418]

The greatest villian. Ever.

[@moonwhooper]

Not saying he's bad but He ain't complex

[@Neutral_Tired]

Depending on the version of Harley Quinn, she is sometimes shown to have psychosis, primarily in the form of hallucination, I don't remember her having much in the way of delusion

[@partsparis]

Stockholm syndrome

[@versusvideo]

This guy knows his Batman lore. Kudos to him and GQ for taking a deep dive in it.

[@scottwilliams846]

Mr Freeze is one of those villains that just needs a friend. A genuine friend who likes him for who he is.

[@wilelloco5041]

I do agree for the most part with the Two-Face Breakdown. He does show this compulsion as a result of an obsession but it's hard to tell what's the actual obsession is about. Dent's coin has two heads and no tail, so maybe instead of an obsession with clarity he has an obsession with murder but the part inside him that is Harvey feels bad about it, generating anxiety and causing the coin flip compulsion as a stress releasing reaction because reducing this decision to a coin flip makes it more bearable but is also guaranteed to be what Two-Face wants

[@wholethedogsout880]

Exactly! Harvey doesn’t want to kill or hurt but two face/big bad harv does

[@Dainon86]

This is a wonderful and entertaining way to educate people about mental health disorders and the like. And Dr. Bender really shows his professionalism by being so informed about each of these characters. Love it.

[@chetmcgovern9985]

Somehow I get the feeling that Dr. Bender here is secretly a dork like us. He hints at knowledge that I don't think an ordinary guest would show. I also noted that he didn't cover HIMSELF as Dr. Crane...how clever

[@rararokul1254]

RIP Health Ledger

[@juliannewarren5466]

Seeing Dr. Bender is always a treat to listen to. Keep having him on, GQ.

[@calebmaybin6896]

Penguin has a Napoleonic Complex, the little man who wants to be big: his hat makes him taller, his umbrella extended and fat body help him take up more space, his monocle helps him stand out, runs for mayor just to have more power, etc.

[@wholethedogsout880]

VERY TRUE. In the case of the Batman (2022)’s penguin (who’s very tall) I think instead of a napoleon complex he has an inferiority complex and craves power

[@spidertrooperstudios8739]

Well technically napoleon was above average height for the time, but yeah I think you’ve described him perfectly

[@Atesjb]

Great to see that Edward Nygma himself has the self awareness to make this video!

[@yigasorex894]

Fantastic breakdown but let's talk about the drip on this psychiatrist.. sharp!!!!

[@jakubrogala3433]

I actually would love to hear his opinion on Joker having a mental breakdown as it has been shown in Killing Joke. But to be completely honest, the Joker in the movies (maybe except the last one) is more of a very self-aware killer who uses theatrics (like Batman) to fool everyone about his mental state. The theory of him, acting insane just to be put in Arkham rather than Blackgate to make his escape easier is one of the most brilliant things I've ever heard about this character.

[@koshile3794]

Man this was awesome, loved every minute of it.

[@j.solano]

I mean... those glasses alone are super dope!

[@danielschmidt7153]

I've been WAITING for this moment, these are the best GQ videos

[@aceofaces0007]

If I recall correctly, DeVito's Penguin is really an outlier to most representations of Penguin. Most of the time, Penguin is just a mobster without the deformities that DeVito's Penguin has, and regularly gets incarcerated in Blackgate because he doesn't have a mental illness.

[@thepubknight6144]

True he's a mobster who took the nickname he got bullied as a kid to own it as a mob boss

[@Emily_M.]

"Would you like to see my mask? I use it in my experiments. Now, probably not very frightening to a guy like you, but these crazies, they can't stand it".

[@misteral9045]

I really like this guy because he doesn't hesitate to say that it appears like there are no mental or personality issues present, this person just needs support. Way too many people, professionals included, quickly jump on some kind of diagnosis as a way to analyze a person rather than taking in their story as a whole. Sane or otherwise mentally healthy people do bad things or have problems too. As the psychologist keeps pointing out, mental illness is rarely the cause of violence or other destructive behavior.

[@aaronh9653]

The idea of Joker not actually having any mental illness at all is very interesting