Disliking a character so much that . . .

I thought Pesci was funny in Goodfellas. He's a funny guy.

Actually, I have loved Pesci in everything he's done, including Goodfellas. But thanks for your advice on how me and my wife should think. It will influence us immensely, I'm sure.

Frankly that says more about you and your wife and your inability to accept that actors play a role. That's their job.

Yeah... I really don't seen how exactly is this an issue? I could understand when a celebrity does something despicable in his personal look (I can overlook and separate the artist from the art, but I respect other people's values)... but because of something scripted?

It's not messed up, it is how the human brain works ... maybe yours needs some fixing

Yes, it's their jobs. I can separate the person from the character.

Besides Phoenix, Robert DeNiro's role as a popular talk show host Murray Franklin somehow made you dislike him. The scenes were "live" tv:

Arthur as member of audience:
Arthur Fleck : I've been the man of the house for as long as I can remember. I take good care of my mother.
Murray Franklin : All that sacrifice, she must love you very much.
Arthur Fleck : She does. She always tells me to smile and put on a happy face. She says I was put here to spread joy and laughter.

Murray Franklin : [from trailer] All that sacrifice, she must love you very much.

Interview as Joker
Murray Franklin : And finally, in a world where everyone thinks they could do my job, we got this video tape from Pogo's Comedy Club right here in Gotham. Here's a guy who thinks if you just keep laughing, it'll somehow make you funny. Check out this joker. ''

Arthur Fleck : Knock knock.
Murray Franklin : Who's there?
Arthur Fleck : It's the police, ma'am! Your son's been hit by a drunk driver. He's dead!

Murray Franklin : I'm waiting for the punchline.
Arthur Fleck : There is no punchline.

Murray Franklin : Well, let me get this straight, you think that killing those guys is funny?
Arthur Fleck : I do. And I'm tired of pretending it's not.

Murray Franklin : Do I understand that you did this to start a movement? To become a symbol?
Arthur Fleck : Oh come on, Murray. Do I look like the kind of clown that could start a movement? I killed those guys because they were awful. Everybody is awful these days. It's enough to make everyone crazy.
Murray Franklin : Okay, so that's it? You're crazy, that's your defence for killing three young men?
Arthur Fleck : No. They couldn't carry a tune to save their lives.

Arthur Fleck : You're awful, Murray.
Murray Franklin : Me? I'm awful? How am I awful?
Arthur Fleck : Playing my video. Inviting me on the show. You just wanted to make fun of me. You're just like the rest of them!

...

Robert Blake was in that...? I musta missed him...

He was terrific as Mike Ehrmantrout. I didn't remember that he was in Beverly Hills Cop but he must have been much younger then.

Ha! Jonathon Banks. This was the same for me. He made a career playing sleazy lowlifes and scumbags early in his career to the point where I was sort of turned off whenever I saw him.

Breaking Bad though completely changed my attitude.

Michael Shannon is another actor that had the same effect. With his dead eyes and the fact he often played scumbags I was sort of repelled by him whenever I saw him. Then I watched him one night in a late night interview and he was hilarious... but he has this dead pan delivery that just underscores the hilarity of what he said.

Since then I've warmed up to him.

Oh, don't worry, I'll get over it. I thoroughly enjoyed Phoenix in other films, including Signs, Walk the Line, We Own the Night, and Gladiators, so I will be back. My wife even took a decade or two to get over Blake, and then liked (or at least watched) him in that show where he was a detective with some kind of bird.