This article makes me very angry.

Yes, Joker and Harley’s relationship is abusive. Yes, there are fans who gloss over this fact or romanticize the abuse. Yes, all the cutesy aspects of their relationship—the pet names, the humor-laced antics, the fleeting displays of affection—in no way excuse Joker’s treatment of Harley. Although I am a fan of both characters, I believe it is extremely important that we acknowledge the abusive elements of their relationship and take great care not to condone, dismiss, or glamorize domestic violence.

What has me angry is that this headline proposes that Harley Quinn is responsible for promoting domestic violence. Why is the blame being placed on Harley when she is a victim and Joker is the abuser?

From the article:

I truly think a chunk of us female comic fans love having a character written about our crazy. We are all a little wild and Harley over exemplifies that in us. It is a female villain that is so extreme and broken, she shows us sides we fantasize to be and destructive sides that wards us away. So no, I believe we love Harley for so many more reasons than the violence the Joker bestows upon her.

While the author is correct that there is much more to Harley’s character than her relationship with Joker, labeling her as “broken” is incredibly insulting to both her and abuse victims in general. In Harley’s own words: "I know what you think of me. You think I’m just a doll. A doll that’s pink and light. A doll you can arrange any way you like. You’re wrong. Very wrong."

Harley is not an inanimate object who needs to be pieced together—Harley is a strong, capable, intelligent grown woman, and to infantilize her by suggesting otherwise purely because she has been abused is not only incorrect, but massively offensive.

That aside I cannot fully disagree with our commentators that she does promote it in some aspects and I am sure there are a very small number of fans that truly embodied her character on that level to accept violence from their partner (I would say younger more impressionable fans).

Again, Harley is being blamed for something that is not her fault. Why not call out Joker for promoting domestic violence? After all, he is the one who hits Harley. He is the one who emotionally manipulates her. He is the one who pushed her out of a window and nearly killed her. He is the abuser, but he is not being held responsible for his actions. Instead, the blame is shifted onto Harley and she is accused of promoting her own abuse while Joker himself is barely mentioned in the article.

This type of shaming mentality sickens me and has no place in either fandom and “real life” matters.