People Worth Knowing: Joss Whedon

This is part of a 2 week series called People Worth Knowing. We will be featuring great people throughout history that have had a great impact and changed the course of history. These are all people worth knowing, and their examples will lead us into a greater future.

Joss Whedon (1964–Present)

Do the creators of television shows wield enormous power in our modern world? If the average American truly watches an average of three hours of television a day, every day… are we really becoming slaves to the “idiot box?” Or is it possible for television show creators to use their power… for good?

You may not know Joss Whedon by name, but odds are good you know some of his work. Best known as the creator and head writer for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Joss has also created three other television shows: the Buffy spin-off Angel, the prematurely-cancelled Firefly, and the currently-running Dollhouse. The enormous response to his show Firefly led to a major motion picture spin-off, Serenity. Joss is also responsible for numerous comic book series, including a stint as the writer of Astonishing X-Men. And you may have seen his revolutionary internet video Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, which was just nominated for an Emmy.

Sure, Joss has created some shows that some people liked. So what? What makes Joss’ shows different from most of television is that he turns cultural stereotypes on their collective head in all of his works. The idea for Buffy came to him when he thought of a typical horror movie victim: a pretty blond cheerleader heading down a dark alley, followed by a monster. But in Joss’ head, the girl turns around and beats the ever-living crap out of the monster! The women in his works are never damsels in distress, but rather strong characters who rely on their own skills to get themselves out of sticky situations.

Despite having XY chromosomes, Joss is a staunch feminist who has worked with the non-profit Equality Now for many years to end violence and discrimination against women around the world. And Joss’ message of equality resonates enormously with his legendarily loyal fans. When Firefly was cancelled, DVD sales propelled it back onto the studio’s radar and the movie Serenity, based on the series, got the green light. Each year around Joss’ birthday, fans hold charity screenings of Serenity to raise money for Equality Now. Since the first “Can’t Stop the Serenity” screening in 2006, they’ve raised over $250,000.

But why? Why write (and fight for) shows and movies featuring strong female characters? No one can say it more eloquently (and humorously) than the man himself – he is a writer, after all! If you have a few spare minutes, watch his explanation: (RSS readers may have to visit the website to see the video.)
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYaczoJMRhs
Or, if you didn’t actually watch the video, the final lines of his speech sum it up quite well: “’So why do you write these strong female characters?’ Because you’re still asking me that question.” Equality, for Joss, is not something to strive for – it is something that simply exists, and the fact that we don’t recognize that yet is the flaw.

I come from a family of women, and it was Joss’ stories that brought us together when I was a teenager. Perhaps it’s a bit strange for women like us to look up to a man, and a television writer, as a champion of feminism. But if women were the only ones fighting for equality, how far would we really get?

Joss is my modern-day, pop culture hero. What do the people who make your favorite shows stand for?

[Photo by RavenU]