Not too ago my friends at Geek Force declared, “Don’t Give Your Heroes Twitter!” after J.K. Rowling posted a ridiculous essay claiming that trans people are a threat to the female community at-large. Beyond Twitter, what this warning really means is: “Don’t over- hype your heroes,” and, “Don’t get overly invested in a franchise that will shatter your heart later in life”
I honestly thought that was the worst that could happen. But if 2020/2021 has taught us anything it is that there will always be something else waiting in the wings that says, “Hold my beer.”
Joss Whedon has entered the chat.
Ray Fisher and Charisma Carpenter were the first to come forward with concerns about Whedon’s behavior. Fisher’s most recent work with Whedon on the WB’s Justice League movie launched a full investigation into the director’s behavior. While Charisma recently came forward with her own experiences with Whedon that have punched a giant hole in the heart of the Buffy fandom.
Here’s some context. In 2017, Zack Snyder stepped down from his role as director of the highly anticipated Justice League. Warner Brothers tapped Whedon to complete the film, which wasn’t received well by some fans and critics. Fast forward to 2020: Ray Fisher, who played Cyborg in the Justice League film tweeted:
“Joss Whedon’s on-set treatment of the cast and the crew of Justice League was gross, abusive, unprofessional and completely unacceptable . . . “
Shortly after, Warner Brothers opened an investigation into the allegations.
More recently, Charisma Carpenter, who played Cordelia Chase in both of Whedon’s Buffy and Angel series, released a statement essentially backing up Fisher’s comments about Whedon’s onset behavior. In light of Carpenter’s statement the character of arc of Cordelia made more sense. Without getting into the whole thing, Cordelia wasn’t treated that great during her run on Angel. I remember being very confused, and struggling to understand the logic or motivation in what was happening with her character. It sucks to know that it was all motivated by off-screen nastiness.
In a roundabout kind of way, the J.K. Rowling situation was hard for me in a lot of ways. The Harry Potter books were some of the first novels I read as a young person. They influenced my love of the mystical and the magical. And they also made a space for the geeky, nerdy, and slightly non-normal, allowing us be a little weird. That was really refreshing feeling when I was in elementary school.
A few years later, I was introduced to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It is dark, it is magical, and it has a lead female kicking ass. All my boxes were checked.
Buffy had a lot of tropes earlier on that reflected the insecurity of growing up. In the Buffy series (for those unfamiliar) Buffy falls in love with Angel. Angel is a brooding Vampire with a soul, meaning he is one of the good guys.
Eventually, the two hook up. Unfortunately for Angel there is a prophecy that if he reaches a moment of true happiness (you can assume where this is going) he will lose his soul. After the two have sex, Angel turns on Buffy, rejecting her. If you’ve ever been romantically rejected, this scene will rip you apart.
It wasn’t until much later in life when I re-watched that episode and immediately turned it off. Buffy’s reaction to her spurned lover resonated so hard it hurt. That was part of the beauty of the show, that little moments like that (even though clearly based in the supernatural) could reflect our own sadness and hopes.
Much like the J.K. Rowling situation, I find myself confronted with the question: Can I still feel this way about a franchise whose creator has become a fandom polluter, exhibiting toxic behavior?
The unfortunate thing about the stain of Joss Whedon’s actions is that it taints everything he has touched and he’s done a lot. His IMDB entry includes Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, Doll House, The Astonishing X-Men, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along, Toy Story, and the first and second Marvel Avengers movies.
Even now as I write this, I can’t find a way out of this pit that Whedon has thrown us all in. The betrayal hurts and has undoubtedly damaged the many communities that have supported these franchises over the years.
So what now? Will I be able to watch Whedon’s creations and not feel uncomfortable? It took me 8+ years to listen to a Born Ruffians album because of how closely I connected it to my last unhealthy relationship, so I guess we’ll see.
