Gaga Fan's Meltdown Over No 'Joker' Trailer Was a Gag

An enthusiastic Lady Gaga fan posted a joking video in which he pretended to have a complete fall apart when no trailer for "Joker: Folie à Deux" played at a New York IFC cinema. The performance was captured on video by a supposed "bystander," and quickly went viral - though not everyone got that it was a prank.

Such seemed to be the case with the report on the viral video that UK newspaper the Daily Mail published, in which the newspaper wrote a straight-up news story about the video, reporting that the clip showed 30-year-old YouTuber Ethan Silver raising a super-ruckus over the lack of a "Joker 2" preview.

The Mail reported that Silver "lost his cool when [the trailer] did not appear and his request for a refund was denied, swearing and threatening to call the police on box office staff."

The video was reportedly posted to GagaDaily but did not appear at that site's public-facing home page as of August 5. The Daily Mail filled in the action that unfolded on the video when Silver requested a refund.

"The aspiring Youtuber found himself on the other side of the lens as he lost his temper with the non-compliant box office staff," the Daily Mail narrated, quoting Silver as declaring, "If you don't give me a fucking refund, I swear to god," and complaining, "There's 30 minutes of trailers. I wanted the Joker, I wanted to see Lady Gaga in the Joker trailer."

The video, as described by the paper, culminates in Silver threatening, "I will call the police on you."

Silver elongated the gag with a post in which he addressed the situation, the Mail went on to relate.

"I sat through tons of trailers for nonsense films that no-one cares about, and it was annoying," Silver posted, according to the newspaper's account.

"I thought I was within my rights to get a refund," Silver went on to say, "and I asked very politely at the box office and then some random guy was filming me on the street."

Silver went on to riff some more, pointing to online criticism he said he had gotten due to the video.

"Lady Gaga says never read mean things people say about you," the fan posted plaintively, "but people are saying horrible things about me.

'They're saying I'm a crazy person," Silver went on to say; "I'm not a crazy person, everybody loves me."

Silver provided EDGE with a few more details, starting with his real name, Evan Schwartz.

"Ethan Silver is a made up name for the character I'm playing in the video and in the Daily Mail article," Schwartz explained. "The viral stunt was created to promote fundraising for a film about a delusional drug addict Lady Gaga fan I'm directing."

Going on to reveal more background details, Schwartz explained that he created the prank video, which reflects a moment from the film, in order to "get the character viral.

"The viral video was shot at IFC Center and the staff was in on it," Schwartz added.

Then the press got involved.

"When Daily Mail picked up on it I figured I would indeed troll them in classic 'Borat' fashion," Schwartz said. "They didn't seem to care to fact check which I find really funny. So, that article will be woven into the fiction of the film."

Gay Twitter responded with enthusiasm to the clip.

"This is iconic," one posted, while another exclaimed, "Holy fuck, a pleasure to watch this unfold".

"I CAN'T 🤣🤣🤣🤣," declared a third.

The Daily Mail addressed the clip's social media responses, as well.

"In fairness I was livid when mine didn't play the new trailer and played the teaser instead," the newspaper quoted one person as posting, before quoting someone else as offering: "Bros got his priorities straight."

The Mail noted that the movie is due out in October, and relayed that "Silver will be among its first viewers and is sure his heroine will not hold his loss of temper against him."

Said Schwarz, as Silver: "I think we will meet one day and laugh at it."

To see the video clip, follow this link.

And watch the latest "Joker: Folie à Deux" video, below.