The Hardcore Overdogs: A Fool's Errand: Trying to Trace the "Joker" Archetype in Hardcore Techno Culture

"One two three
A little fool I want to be" (Yello - You Gotta Say Yes to Another Excess, 1983)

Thunderdome had many iconic artworks. Apart from "The Vampire's Kiss" [1] on the first one and "The one with the dog", another fan favorite is Thunderdome XIII - "The Joke's On You" - with the Joker on the cover.
And indeed, the archetype of the fool appears in many Hardcore productions, releases, and imagery.
So let's do some further examination of this peculiar archetype.

1.

Western culture - and every other culture - loves the fool. Jester, Jokers, Harlequins, Pierrots and Columbines are ubiquitous. They appear in books, movies, comics, poems, paintings.
People like Batman's Joker or Harley Quinn are among the most popular contemporary cultural icons.

Why is the fool so appealing? What explains this ever-presence?

The fool is everything and nothing. The fool is outside all rules, rationality, logic and reason.
He is insignificant and a nobody, but can bring down gods and masters.
No attribute does fully describe him, yet he can take hold of any attribute.
He is the object of ridicule and mockery by everyone else, yet seems to possess more power than anyone else.
The fool is willing to forfeit all the world's riches and opportunities [2] yet he still can be serene and fulfilled.

The fool is outside concepts like morality, ethics, lawfulness; yet as he is outside these, he neither seems to directly *harm* these concepts.

The jester always has the last laugh[3]. You might outrun Death in Samarra[4], but the fool will appear when you least expect it.

In card games, the fool card, aka the joker, has no value in itself but can gain the value of any other card.
It is outside the designations and definitions of all other cards (it doesn't belong to a suit or rank etc.) yet it is able to trump all other cards.
"Sensible" players remove the jokers from the deck before the game (such as in poker tournaments).

But even beyond games of cards [5].
In the most dire and hopeless situations, playing the fool's card is often the only way out.

In the "infinity war" saga of movies, after all the plans of all the gods and all the geniuses have failed, following the idiotic plan of a fool leads to resolution and success.
In "Independence Day" - the prime blockbuster movie of the 1990s - a foolish drunkard saves the entire human race. Again, this happens after all the presidents, leaders, genius scientists have failed with their very clever plans.
In the third part of the Indiana Jones movie franchise, Henry Jones Jr. saves himself by *not* reaching for the Holy Grail. And only a fool would be willing to let go of the grail (which is the most sacred object of Christian belief).

Pick any famous movie or cult movie, and in 99% of cases you can be sure that the resolution is brought about by an act of utter foolery. And / or that our Heroes decide "Damn it, all other plans have failed, now we will do something really stupid as a last desperate measure" (and they will succeed with it).

In the world of high literature, Dante Alighieri declared the entirety of creation to be a "Divine Comedy".
And in the world of high fantasy literature, J.R.R, Tolkien declared the foolish Gollum to be worthy of being the savior of all - instead of any high elves or white wizards.

2.

"Scaramouche, Scaramouche,
will you do the Fandango?" (Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody, 1975)

We have seen that "The Fool" is a favorite subject in both high-brow and low culture.
Yet it also connects with Hardcore Techno in a more direct way.

Hardcore, Gabber, Speedcore etc. is often seen as completely insane by the general population - music for madmen.
And indeed, Hardcore folk "go insane" on the dancefloor and went mad to the beats.

Watching a Hardcore dancefloor at full power makes you think that everyone involved is having a temporary lapse of reason [6], including the DJ.

Beyond metaphor, on a physical, chemical level; the strobes, the fog, the volume, the lack of fluids, the lack of food, the caffeine (and maybe other substances - but please stay away from these!), the endless dancing and being awake for 1 day or more
really
does
inhibit
your
ability to reason
and
w
a
r
p
s
your sense of time
space
logic
and everything
else
as
well
at least temporarily.

Hardcore-Heads did foolish things for their music, like getting kicked out of school, their family's home, their happy relationships, and their future prospects because they stuck with their music taste.

Traveling to another continent, then waking up the next day, lying in a field next to a few windmills, not knowing where you are or what happened.

Going to your first underground rave at a teenage age, not knowing if you are having a good time or will be clubbed to death [7] by the maniacs.

feeling happy and content, at peace and in love with everything, because you are listening to angry hardcore music at full volume - even when your life is complete shit, you are in a downward spiral [8] and there is seemingly no way out [9].

But, the hardcore creatures are not violent destructive "mad men".

They are benevolent Jokers and Harley Quinns in tracksuits (with less makeup on their faces, but still with colorful hair).

So, in summary:

Hardcore is the most foolish and most insane form of electronic music.
And it will stay this way for a long time.