J is for Joss Whedon

In 2005, when I was 26, my life changed radically. I found myself single for the first time since I was
17, living alone, with a distinctly new outlook on life. After nearly 10 years in what was, in retrospect, a very controlling relationship, it was time to re-evaluate things, decide what I wanted from life and decide what the future held for me, independent of anyone else. For a very short while, I felt lost and alone, but surprisingly quickly, I realised how incredibly liberating this was. As a result I began to re-evaluate everything, from my previously vegan lifestyle (it is amazing how easy it is to justify going back to vegetarianism is when you have blue cheese again for the first time in 4 years) to what I wanted to watch, read and enjoy.

For years, so many friends, work-colleagues, academics and creative people I respected and admired had expounded on the merits of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. "It is so well-written" they would opine, "This Joss Whedon guy is a genius, and these characters are fantastically well-drawn", others would gush. I would nod politely, internally wondering what spell had been cast on so many people - people whose tastes co-incided closely with my own - when all I could see was a cheesy high-school drama with a ridiculous title and, I suspected, all the depth of Beverly Hills 90210. Of course, I'd never actually watched the series, but having seen, and hated, the 1992 film which I believed the series to be 'just like', I gave it a wide berth. 

The 'Scooby Gang' in the kind of 90210 shot
that had initially put me off giving Buffy a chance.

Cut to 2005, and my friend Craig brings up The Buffy Debate again. He cannot believe I haven't seen it and insists I give it a chance. In my new re-evaluative mood, I relent, and am very pleasantly surprised. We fly through season 1 fairly quickly as I discover that it is, indeed, a drama featuring teenage characters, who go to high-school. However, I also find, to my surprise that is it funny, clever and, despite being about a teenage girl who has been chosen to lead the battle against the vampire hoards, it is highly emotionally resonant. Show creator Joss Whedon had indeed, won me over - I had to admit.

Over the course of about 6 months, my main viewing becomes this fantastic series with its gutsy characters, carefully crafted relationships and best of all the narrative - this interwoven, richly-textured story that stops at all points on the passage from childhood to adulthood. It encompasses, amongst many other things; sexual awakening, familial relationships, bereavement, homosexuality, addiction, religion and of course the over-riding themes of responsibility, otherness and the growing pains of young adulthood. The more obvious metaphors of high-school being 'hell', a young woman fighting off demons and keeping secrets from those around her for their own protection are perhaps, plain to see.

The main premise is used to explore so many fascinating aspects of the human condition, and all with carefully constructed story arcs and great performances from the regular cast. The fact is that the programme I had dismissed as teen-drama tosh constantly surprised with episodes such as Hush, which featured 27 minutes without any dialogue, exploring the concept of a society without verbal communication. Never afraid to push the envelope episodes such as Once More With Feeling, an episode that happens entirely in the form of a musical or The Body which explored the devastating loss of a parent in a way that left its audience bereft, in many ways redefined the genre.

I went on to adore Firefly - the short-lived 'space-western' series created by Whedon. Once again, the beautifully drawn characters and their adventures drew me in quickly and made me care about their plight, with ease. Drawing on the best of the Western genre for tales of the treachery, survival and exploration in a pioneer culture, whilst blending in the tropes of sci-fi the series helped reflect human relationships through a different lens. The series, whilst cancelled early by a network disappointed that it hadn't immediately gained the mass audience appeal of Buffy, found a new cult status on DVD. The sales of this helped secure funding for a Whedon-penned and directed Firefly film, Serenity, in 2005. Having loved the series, I went to see Serenity at the cinema and was, again, blown away by the inspired plotting, engaging dialogue and wonderful style of the film. Again, Whedon's daring in snatching away from his audience some of the people they care about the most, without any of the usual conventions to indicate we will be losing someone, is both breathtaking and heartbreaking. 

Kick-ass Buffy

Much has been said about Whedon's ability to write strong female characters but it is important he be recognised for this, sadly, all too rare feature. Whilst it is easy to identify the ass-kicking vampire slayer Buffy, or Firefly's mechanic, Kaylee as pulling the switcheroo on defined gender roles, each of the female characters he has created are unique and surprising in their own ways. Take geeky Willow, who discovers not only her own true powers but her homosexuality throughout the story arc of Buffy or Anya, originally a 'vengeance demon' granting the wishes of wronged women, who has to learn how to be human. These are female characters whose individuality sing from the screen. Perhaps one of the most touching things about his writing for female characters is the way that he maintains their femininity without this diminishing

Fabulous Zoe and her adoring husband, Wash.

their ability to be powerful, intelligent and formidable. Firefly's Zoe is an affectionate wife, but this doesn't stop her being a fearsome, straight-talking renegade and Inara, quite literally schooled in 'womanly ways' as a companion, is a shrewd, sword-fighting business woman.

Whedon's mother, Lee Stearns, was a high-school teacher, credited with inspiring Jessica Neuwirth, founder of Equality Now, an organisation working for the protection of human rights for girls and women across the world. In 2006, Whedon was asked to speak at an Equality Now conference as an Honoree, for his part in the fight for gender equality. His speech, whilst highlighting how sad it is that he is so unusual in his dedication to writing strong roles for women, is highly inspiring.

“Equality is not a concept. It's not something we should be striving for. It's a necessity. Equality is like gravity. We need it to stand on this earth as men and women, and the misogyny that is in every culture is not a true part of the human condition. It is life out of balance, and that imbalance is sucking something out of the soul of every man and woman who's confronted with it. We need equality. Kinda now.” Joss Whedon, 2006. 

Whedon went on to create Angel, a spin-off from Buffy and Dollhouse, a sci-fi drama series which featured the actions of a shady corporation who use their abilities to implant skills and personality traits temporarily on individuals at the whim of their wealthy clients. 2008's, hilarious Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, was a 'musical tragicomedy in three acts' made specifically for internet distribution. Whedon's fans continued to enjoy his work and eulogise about his talent but the financial success, needed to gain backing from studios, still seemed to allude him.

2012 was an exciting year as it saw the release of horror film The 

2012's Avengers Assemble - just fantastic!

Cabin in the Woods, which he both wrote and produced, and the film adaptation of Marvel's Avengers, which he wrote and directed. Both films were fantastic - demonstrating once again, Whedon's ability to tell unique stories with depth and character. This time, however, the financial success to go with the adoration of his fans and, to date, Avengers is the third highest-grossing film of all time.

At present, Whedon is reported to be working on a TV show, again based on Marvel characters, currently titled Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and a sequel to the Avengers, due for release in 2015. I can't wait to see more of his work.