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Acton Line podcast: The morality of ‘Joker’; How Clarence Thomas is changing SCOTUS
Acton Line podcast: The morality of ‘Joker’; How Clarence Thomas is changing SCOTUS
Feb 1, 2026 2:38 AM

The new super villain drama ‘Joker’ has shattered box office records and gained much controversial media attention along the way. Set to top $900 million worldwide, the dark film from director Todd Phillips and actor Joaquin Phoenix is already being heralded as the biggest R-rated movie ever. So why has ‘Joker’ been such a hit? Christian Toto, award winning movie critic and editor at Hollywood in Toto, breaks it down, explaining how the film touches on themes like mental illness, morality and even empathy. After that, Myron Magnet, editor at large at City Journal, joins the show to talk about his newest book, “Clarence Thomas and the Lost Constitution,” which explores the life of Justice Thomas and how the Justice’s approach to the Constitution is changing the Supreme Court.

Check out additional resources for this episode:

Learn more about Hollywood in Toto

‘Joker’ Will Top $900 Million As Biggest R-Rated Film In History

Joker breaks October box office record with $93.5 million opening weekend

Did the media’s war on ‘Joker,’ Todd Phillips, backfire?

Critic v. critic: ‘Joker’

Buy: “Clarence Thomas and the Lost Constitution”

The Education of Clarence Thomas

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