What Joss Whedon Means to Me

[tjaman]

On this week's episode of "Who Wants to Be a Superhero?"

SPOILER: Click to show

the winner of the contest, Matthew (creator of "Feedback," the newest superhero in the Darkhorse comic lineup),

opened up to executive producer and comic book legend Stan Lee about how his character, "The Amazing Spider-Man," served as a positive male role model for him after his father's suicide.

I thought, y'know, it'd be really cool to talk about what Joss and his various creations have meant to me in my life.

After all, I just started watching these things three years ago. That's more than three decades of my life where I haven't really even been aware of Joss Whedon.

But as I've become more aware of him, I want to talk a little bit about why I've been so drawn to his work and his characters.

So let's use a little space on this board to share our own experiences of this man and his art. Even if he never becomes aware of it, it doesn't diminish the value of his contributions to our culture and ... well, dammit, I just want to hear what other people have to say, too.

So I give you: "What Joss Whedon Means to Me."

[tjaman]

As I said, I just started watching these things about three years ago, which translates to less than a tenth of my life where I've even been aware of Joss Whedon. But as I've become more aware of him, I want to talk a little bit about why I've been so drawn to his work and his characters:

They're superheroes as much in spite of themselves as they are because of their superpowers. The vapid cheerleader. The shrinking nerd. The klutzy goofball. The jaded Resistance officer. The unfocused vigilante with the extremely dark past. The morally ambiguous mercenary. The angry streetfighter. The superficial actress. The drunken wastrel.

These people had as much reason as not to ignore any grand plans Destiny might have had in store for them -- either much better gigs or sinking beneath the sheer force of ennui. They could've been perfectly content moiling in obscurity but they took on the work of their worlds and did their best.

They failed occasionally. Buffy got her ass handed to her when she went up against the Master the first time. She was a dent in the wall when Glory finished with her in their first confrontation. Angel could probably have avoided a thrall-throwing maggot demon if he'd have simply opened up about his obsessive Darla dreams before they carried him to a moment of perfect despair, and a lot more people would still be alive if L.A. hadn't become a vampfest in the Rain of Fire and the rising of Jasmine. But they kept fighting. They didn't let their past defeats paralyze them. They took the situations they were in and made the best of them.

They triumphed over adversity. After experiencing the entire pain of all the world in "To Shoop in L.A.," Cordy could've said "Heck with this" and given up. Wesley could've thrown up his hands in S4, ignored Angel Investigations and gone completely dark. Gunn could've let his breakup with Fred translate into leaving the mission as well. Buffy could've let bad experiences with Angel and Parker define her for the rest of the series, but she didn't. She kept opening herself to love. They kept trying to reconnect. They drew on sometimes entirely tapped emotional reserves and pressed onward.

Joss has drawn characters with beautifully nuanced relationships to personal empowerment and mission. His work inspires me to keep writing, to keep believing that things can get better, even when it looks like they're only going to continue to get worse. To keep moving forward despite sometimes very bleak-looking times and trudging, plodding, otherwise progressless effort.

My love of his work has put me in touch with such a multifaceted and beautifully brilliant set of minds and hearts I'd otherwise be entirely unaware of. Ever since my sister loaned me her copy of Buffy S2 in February of 2003 -- after my parents bought me a DVD player for Christmas of 2002 -- and I tuned in to FX everyday to watch the series in its entirety in syndication, and Angel on TNT as well -- and ever since I logged on at TVTOME in October of 2003 to talk about "Angel" S5 and the other Angel episodes as I watched them -- this group has been amazingly supportive. I've met people I will consider close friends for the rest of my life and who have changed my life in so many countless, positive ways. I've seen things I'd never have seen and learned things I'd never have learned.

And on some level -- some very important level -- I can thank Joss for that, for creating shows and characters that may not be universally appreciated, but which stand as universal truths, and will continue to inspire me and others for generations to come.

And that's what Joss Whedon means to me.

[GreatMuppetyNick]

Thanks for spoiling the finale of Who Wants to be a Superhero to me.

I remember a couple of years back, I was watching some movie or another. I can't remember it's name, except it's some action adventure movie where this guy and girl was supposed to save the world from some evil or another.

What do I remember was my frustration at the female character, who was constantly simpering and always depending on the guy to save the day. Everytime line she said was so cliched and so reactionary to what they guy says or do. It's like not having a mind of her own.

I don't remember ever being that frustrated with that type of characters before. I mean, I knew they weren't realistic, but never before that have I had an urge to throw something at the tv.

Also, I've also gotten a lot less patience with movies and TV shows in general. Shows like Smallville now irratate the hell out of me, what with their clumsy deux ex machina, stereotype characterization and reset buttons at the end of every episode. I don't think I minded as much before.

All this, I lay at the feet of Joss. I guess that's what he means to me.

IE., He spoiled TV for me, the Bastard!

[tjaman]

Sorry Nick. I wasn't aware that anyone who paid any attention at all to comic books could avoid that info, since I was sure it basically went out on all channels with Thursday's announcement. My bad.

[GreatMuppetyNick]

I knew i was missing a smilie somewhere.

As spoilers go, it's not exactly in the same category as the Leaf on the Wind thing.