Joss Whedon’s frequent return to themes about mental illness is one I’ve remarked on, as has my colleague Anna. His explorations of mental illness have not always been terribly nuanced or complex, and it’s notable that he keeps coming back to some core themes. Charitable readings might suggest that he’s exploring social justice issues and […]
Tag: Firefly
Death, Dying and Grief in Pop Culture
Pop culture provides us with many insights and views into human experiences; one of the things I adore about it as a medium is the ability to explore the human condition from so many perspectives. And, in television, to return to recurrent themes that are important to the creators or characters. In the summer, I […]
What Is It About Joss Whedon?
I think it’s been pretty clearly established that I’m a fan of Joss Whedon’s work; why else would I devote so much time to shredding it? (I critique because I care.) And I interact with a lot of Joss fans who are in the same boat I’m in; we like his work a lot, or […]
Whedon’s Brunettes
Can we discuss, for a moment, Joss Whedon’s obsession with disturbed brunettes who wander around barefoot? I’m not actually asking for permission here, that’s a rhetorical question which is designed to establish the theme of this post, which is, as you may have guessed, Whedon’s obsession with disturbed brunettes who wander around barefoot. It really […]
Feminism and Joss Whedon: Misogynist Villains in the Whedonverse
(The earlier entries in this series are “Is Joss Whedon a Feminist? The Women of Firefly/Serenity,” “Is Joss Whedon a Feminist? Buffy and Female Empowerment,” and “Joss Whedon and Feminism: The Demon Women and Slayers of Buffy.” They are not required reading, although please note that these posts are very, very, very long, so you […]
Is Joss Whedon a Feminist? The Women of Firefly/Serenity
Part one in an ongoing, and probably protracted, series. I ask this question because I am legitimately looking for an answer: is Joss Whedon’s work feminist? He calls himself a feminist, and many other people do, but others have raised some very valid critiques of the way in which Joss handles female characters, and whether […]