Monday, March 17, 2008

Joss Whedon Explains It All

Feminism is a tricky thing for guys to really understand. It sucks, but it's true. We're raised a certain way. Or, more accurately, a lot of certain ways. A lot of guys are raised to be flat-out morons. Some are raised to be enlightened and understanding. Then there are guys like me, who are still trying to work out when it's okay to hold a door for a lady, so we're just kind of screwed from the get-go.

So thank god for Joss Whedon.

In addition to being an absolutely awesome writer and show-runner, he is also probably the most visible male feminist I know of (keep in mind, my focus is usually on TV, so I don't look terribly far). Every time I hear him speak, I Get It, just a little bit more.

It is in this spirit that I offer his 2006 Equality Now acceptance speech. Where he was introduced by Meryl Streep. So...damn. Good for you, man.

Anyway, it is in this speech that he offers so many answers on Why He Writes These Strong Women Types that it's like a crash-course in feminist theory for lunk-headed men like me.




Goddamn it, I hope "Dollhouse" doesn't get cancelled quickly.

3 comments:

MidshipmanX said...

Interesting they mentioned Wonder Woman. Joss would have done such a great job with it. Too bad it didn't work out.

Brent said...

Nice choice of topic! I've recently discovered in the history of feminism that I would be a third-wave feminist.

FoodandLoathing said...

You can still be a third wave feminist is you want, brent -- that's the one we're still in.
I'm a feminist, but the seriousness with which Joss talked about how important equality is actually rubbed me the wrong way a little. I mean, I agree with him, and if we were still in the SECOND wave, I'd probably say that equality between the sexes was the most important and essential political goal. But now? Man, we're facing world destruction. Corporations wield enormous power over our government. We are burning through every resource we have to make our economy run -- and we'll fight endless wars to continue fueling that economy. Buffy the Vampire couldn't save us. Equality would, frankly, be icing on the cake of survival.