Do you play Shithead with jokers?
Verdict: the official game uses no jokers, and the recommended advanced game adds one or two that reverse the direction of play. A joker can be played on anything. Some tables use jokers as a forced pickup instead, which we acknowledge the way one acknowledges a dog that bites.
Reverse jokers
Adding jokers-as-reverse turns a polite clockwise procession into something more feral. The player who was smugly feeding rubbish to their left neighbour suddenly finds the traffic coming the other way. Two jokers in a five-player game is about the right amount of chaos.
Pickup jokers
The joker-as-pickup makes the card a weapon rather than a steering wheel. It's decisive, it's cruel, and games featuring it tend to be shorter and louder.
Our ruling
Learn the game clean, then add reverse jokers when your table is ready. Both versions are house rules.