Joss Whedon's Questionable Statement
First of all, let me say that I have nothing against Joss Whedon. I think he's a brilliant guy and while not a fan, I've liked some of things he's done.
But this comment at his Comic Con panel was a bit jarring, when one fan noted all the strong lesbian characters that Whedon had written and asked if he'd ever consider writing for a strong out gay male character. (from After Elton http://www.afterelton.com/people/2011/07/joss-whedon-plans-on-writing-strong-gay-male-character)
"Yeah, totally." Whedon responded. "I've actually wanted to do a [comic] book, I have a particular one in mind. It's not on the front burner, but I do think it's about time. At some point you write enough lesbians and you begin to realize, 'This is just a guy! This isn't feminist. This is Cinemax!'"
Uhhhhhhhh. . . . Hmmmmmmmmm. How do I put this? What are you saying, Joss? That because one is having relations with another, one of them must by default be a guy? That she's just a guy with breasts? That . . ? I don't know where to go with this. Except that if it's how he really looks at it (in comedia veritas?) then, yeah, it is just Cinemax. Which really belittles what I thought he was doing. Which makes me sad. I really hope he was making a bad joke. I wonder how any lesbians in the audience who've admired and been inspired by his characters took it?
Do I think of my gay characters, or any good, well formed, skillfully written gay character as just a chick with a dick? Hell, no! Chicks with dicks and bros with breasts come out of Bad Writing by people who don't know what they are doing. I've read some of that shit. That's not how I ever felt about Whedon's lesbians or any of his characters.
I really hope it was just a bad joke.
But this comment at his Comic Con panel was a bit jarring, when one fan noted all the strong lesbian characters that Whedon had written and asked if he'd ever consider writing for a strong out gay male character. (from After Elton http://www.afterelton.com/people/2011/07/joss-whedon-plans-on-writing-strong-gay-male-character)
"Yeah, totally." Whedon responded. "I've actually wanted to do a [comic] book, I have a particular one in mind. It's not on the front burner, but I do think it's about time. At some point you write enough lesbians and you begin to realize, 'This is just a guy! This isn't feminist. This is Cinemax!'"
Uhhhhhhhh. . . . Hmmmmmmmmm. How do I put this? What are you saying, Joss? That because one is having relations with another, one of them must by default be a guy? That she's just a guy with breasts? That . . ? I don't know where to go with this. Except that if it's how he really looks at it (in comedia veritas?) then, yeah, it is just Cinemax. Which really belittles what I thought he was doing. Which makes me sad. I really hope he was making a bad joke. I wonder how any lesbians in the audience who've admired and been inspired by his characters took it?
Do I think of my gay characters, or any good, well formed, skillfully written gay character as just a chick with a dick? Hell, no! Chicks with dicks and bros with breasts come out of Bad Writing by people who don't know what they are doing. I've read some of that shit. That's not how I ever felt about Whedon's lesbians or any of his characters.
I really hope it was just a bad joke.
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