Joss Whedon and BtVS
Aug. 30th, 2017 05:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shapinglightI'm going to write a short review of the latest Buffy comic, but before I do, just wanted to say a few words about the Joss Whedon thing.
It all blew up while I was away last week (I was only home for one night in the entire week when the house wasn't full of visitors) so I missed the initial furore (if there was one), but I'm all caught up now, have read what Joss's ex-wife had to say, and the letter that Joss apparently wrote her. He says there are inaccuracies in her account but won't say what they are out of 'respect' for her and their children (how magnanimous of him), but it's notable that no one has stepped up to defend him, which suggests to me her account is more or less truthful, whatever he claims.
I can't say it's particularly a surprise to me to learn that a man who finds himself in quite a powerful position in the entertainment industry, would take advantage of it by being serially unfaithful to his wife, just because he can. I'm sure it happens all the time. So :shrug: really.
On the other hand, it does cast his fetishisation of a particular physical type of young woman in an even ickier light, and the fact that in his letter he puts the blame for his unfaithfulness on 'aggressive, needy' young actresses leaves a bad taste in the mouth - though again, he's hardly the first man to do that when caught out.
But it's the hypocrisy that burns most of all, of course - the fact that he let himself be patted on the back and lauded as a feminist while all this was going on. Easier to lap up the praise than to stick up his hand and admit his actions haven't always matched his words, but still...
Yeah, I do feel a bit let down.
Though not surprised, as I said, and, when it comes to BtVS the show, completely and totally :shrug: about it. Learning that Joss is a cheat and a hypocrite doesn't affect my love of what I'm certain will always be his greatest (and his only great) creation. BtVS isn't perfect - not by any means - but it's a wonderful TV show and a seminal piece of pop culture that has helped change the way women are depicted on TV.
So, thanks for that, Joss, and all the many others involved in making BtVS what it was. I quite enjoyed AtS as well. The rest of Joss's output, not so much.
Which is not to say I might not like something he does in the future (though I'm pretty certain I won't like it as much as BtVS). After all, if we required everyone whose job it is to entertain us to live pure, moral existences we'd probably have nothing to watch at all.
I do quite like the current run of Buffy comics, have to say, but they seem to have very little to do with Joss any more, which is fine by me, and probably why season 10 handled the fall-out from the Seeing Red attempted rape so much better than Joss ever did. Also, this business with Joss has helped me decide to do something that I really should have done before, which is to delete most of my BtVS icons. I'm terribly fond of them, which is why I haven't done it before, but apart from comics reviews I don't talk about the show that much any more and I could do with more icon space both here and on LJ. I've created a special folder for them, so if I change my mind I can always upload them again.
It all blew up while I was away last week (I was only home for one night in the entire week when the house wasn't full of visitors) so I missed the initial furore (if there was one), but I'm all caught up now, have read what Joss's ex-wife had to say, and the letter that Joss apparently wrote her. He says there are inaccuracies in her account but won't say what they are out of 'respect' for her and their children (how magnanimous of him), but it's notable that no one has stepped up to defend him, which suggests to me her account is more or less truthful, whatever he claims.
I can't say it's particularly a surprise to me to learn that a man who finds himself in quite a powerful position in the entertainment industry, would take advantage of it by being serially unfaithful to his wife, just because he can. I'm sure it happens all the time. So :shrug: really.
On the other hand, it does cast his fetishisation of a particular physical type of young woman in an even ickier light, and the fact that in his letter he puts the blame for his unfaithfulness on 'aggressive, needy' young actresses leaves a bad taste in the mouth - though again, he's hardly the first man to do that when caught out.
But it's the hypocrisy that burns most of all, of course - the fact that he let himself be patted on the back and lauded as a feminist while all this was going on. Easier to lap up the praise than to stick up his hand and admit his actions haven't always matched his words, but still...
Yeah, I do feel a bit let down.
Though not surprised, as I said, and, when it comes to BtVS the show, completely and totally :shrug: about it. Learning that Joss is a cheat and a hypocrite doesn't affect my love of what I'm certain will always be his greatest (and his only great) creation. BtVS isn't perfect - not by any means - but it's a wonderful TV show and a seminal piece of pop culture that has helped change the way women are depicted on TV.
So, thanks for that, Joss, and all the many others involved in making BtVS what it was. I quite enjoyed AtS as well. The rest of Joss's output, not so much.
Which is not to say I might not like something he does in the future (though I'm pretty certain I won't like it as much as BtVS). After all, if we required everyone whose job it is to entertain us to live pure, moral existences we'd probably have nothing to watch at all.
I do quite like the current run of Buffy comics, have to say, but they seem to have very little to do with Joss any more, which is fine by me, and probably why season 10 handled the fall-out from the Seeing Red attempted rape so much better than Joss ever did. Also, this business with Joss has helped me decide to do something that I really should have done before, which is to delete most of my BtVS icons. I'm terribly fond of them, which is why I haven't done it before, but apart from comics reviews I don't talk about the show that much any more and I could do with more icon space both here and on LJ. I've created a special folder for them, so if I change my mind I can always upload them again.
no subject
Date: 2017-08-30 08:43 pm (UTC)These days I think the problem is as much finding icons one wants as having space for them -- there are so many different fandoms and fewer people making them.
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Date: 2017-08-30 09:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-09-01 02:10 am (UTC)Agree with the above. Although, where did you find the letter? (Only saw his wife's blog.) I can separate the creator from the creation, particularly since it was a collaboration. (David Greenwalt was apparently equally skeevy.) So, ahem, creators from the creation. And agree, BTVS and ATS, I enjoyed, not so much the other creations which I had issues with.
I have the same issue with icons. I need to delete my Doctor Who, BSG and OUAT icons and find new ones. But they are hard to find and I hate making them.
no subject
Date: 2017-09-03 04:15 pm (UTC)Well, one issue did. And rather well, I thought.
Although, where did you find the letter? (Only saw his wife's blog.)
She quoted the letter in her blog post.
It is much harder to find icons these days. There are still a few good makers about, but unfortunately for the most part they don't seem to be fans of things I'm a fan of.
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Date: 2017-09-03 06:24 pm (UTC)Ah, thanks for the clarification, wasn't sure if you referring to the bits of the letter quoted in his wife's blog or...
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Date: 2017-09-03 08:48 pm (UTC)I liked Firefly a lot, actually.
season 10 handled the fall-out from the Seeing Red attempted rape so much better than Joss ever did
What did it do? I haven't read any of the comics, I just can't deal with the format.
no subject
Date: 2017-09-05 04:21 pm (UTC)On the whole, I try to know as little as possible about the personal lives of the actors etc in shows I like, but sometimes it just seeps through. And of course most of them haven't claimed to be feminists, or whatever.
What did it do? I haven't read any of the comics, I just can't deal with the format.
It'll probably sound rubbish if I just describe it, but here goes. Buffy has to deal with a case involving a succubus - a male demon who has cast a spell on a woman to make her have sex with him, so rape really, and certain things that happen give her flashbacks to the attempted rape. She and Spike work through it, during which she points out to him that what happened is about her, not him, and if he wants to help he should shut up and listen. He agrees.
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Date: 2017-09-11 05:40 am (UTC)I still wonder how much Joss had to do with that sixth season. I remember the fandom blaming Marti Noxon for everything, but in hindsight, that may have been more internalized fannish misogyny again. Seeing how people do the same on current shows, this seems the likelier explanation.
no subject
Date: 2017-09-19 10:12 pm (UTC)