It was not even necessary to launch the game to meet the controversy face to face: with just a trailer, ‘GTA VI‘ has been enough to meet its first bitter enemy. But it is not an association for the defense of children’s rights or anything like that, but a person who argues that they have copied his style. In the footage we were able to see, a man with tattoos all over his body appeared talking to the camera, who more than a few Twitter users recognized instantly.
The problem is society’s problem
Many immediately identified Lawrence Sullivan, an alternative model in his thirties who has a full face covered in tattoos and green hair. In fact, he calls himself the Florida Joker, as he is known on social networks since he went viral almost by chance 2017. In Rockstar have wanted to pay tribute to him but not too much. That is, they have not made the mistake of passing him as is to pixels, but have made up enough to his creation so that it can not be considered a crime.
Sullivan doesn’t feel the same way, and in a rather bad-ass video he uploaded to TikTok tells the developer that “we need to talk.” “You may have seen that character in GTA VI. They have that character with the tattoos on his face. You guys know who they were inspired by. Me. Just look at me.” The boy has “Joker” written on his forehead, an elongated smile tattooed and “Ha ha ha” written on his cheek, while the game character has “Impenitent” tattooed on his head.
So far, of course, Rockstar hasn’t responded (and may never do so): the trailer has become the most watched trailer in the history of video games and they don’t need extra publicity of any kind. It must be said that Sullivan is also not the most reliable person in the world: he has been arrested several times, the last one in 2022, and if he is looking for a collaboration with the game, in ‘GTA VI’ they should think twice. Maybe you don’t want the Florida Joker to be your public image, after all.
