Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
Do Not Ever Trust a “Male Feminist” Around Women: Reason 2001.
Charisma Carpenter is a television actress famous for her performance as Cordelia Chase in Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel. Two shows which many of you may not have seen, but in Ireland for me were the highlights of my young teen experience. Both shows were focused on the drama of the supernatural mixed in with the problems of coming of age for Buffy, and seeking redemption in Angel. The teenage boy in me loved Buffy, and the Catholic in me was drawn to Angel for the story. To this day I have fond memories of both shows.
Both of these shows were developed by Joss Whedon, who is both a creator of tv shows, film director, producer and comic writer. Whedon prides himself on his “male feminism” and his “secular humanism” vision and beliefs, and both make appearances in both shows however you can also see them come across in Charisma’s instagram post and not in a nice way.
Long story short Whedon fired Carpenter from Angel for the crime of getting pregnant. Not only that he mocked her for her weight gain in front of her cast mates. He then privately if we believe Charisma, and I do, asked her was she going to allow the child to be born. He’s a male feminist alright, he supports abortion on demand 100%. Raging at her for deciding to keep the baby, then the creme de la creme, he belittles her for her new found interest in religion, mocking her Catholicism and her Rosary tattoo which he found awful. Whedon has never shied away from hitting religion, but his form of secular humanism (the modern progressive lefts religion) cannot but mock the Christian religion. Incidentally Charisma is a pro choice Christian, (ew) but nobody deserves this.
Suffice to say Charisma decided to come out today after years of downplaying the story. She was motivated in part by the reality that another actor would lose work for standing up against Whedon. She has talked about her relationship with Joss before on the fan convention shows but tonight decided enough was enough. Good for her. I wonder though will the media focus on the anti religious aspect of Whedons bigoted remarks. God bless her for coming forward though
Published in General
At that point, I was thinking that that has only happened in every office I have ever worked in.
Sometimes you resign. Sometimes you reciprocate. Sometimes you bear it. If it was directed at me, it was usually one of the first two.
But the rest? What she had to put up with in regards to her faith and her pregnancy? That was utterly out of line. That is the kind of thing that you escalate to higher-ups in the organization, or have a lawyer do it.
It sounds like Mr. Whedon doesn’t work and play well with others.
She seems like she be the type who breeds. Often, actors are good looking and talented at playing pretend but lack any other redeeming qualities. I got a good feeling about her though.
Saw both, and loved her character.
I always thought JW was one of the good guys. But I have no reason to think that, other than I liked his shows and sense of humor.
The celebrity culture is a tough nut to crack, to feel confident that you know these people. You don’t. Their very bread and butter is the manipulation of their public image. You never know who might be a colossal dick.
You all should google the article written by his ex wife too.
She had the law on her side. She should have quit and sued him for harassment, then written a tell-all article in any one of the Hollywood magazines. She would have been paid handsomely for the article and publicized his awful behavior.
I enjoyed Buffy back in the day but always thought the obvious avoidance of Christianity showed its lack of depth. If you’re going to be running around with crucifixes in every episode you might at least acknowledge what they are.
He sounds like a very sick person and good for her for speaking up. Maybe more will come forward too.
The male feminist gig is a dodge. It’s like buying carbon offset credits. Credit for good works without altering one’s behavior.
I was a big fan of Buffy and Angel. I was quite frustrated with how the character of Cordy was handled on Angel, inexplicably turning her evil and killing her off. It makes more sense now. Sad sense.
None of this report strikes me as significant. It sounds like Whedon is tough and demanding. Good employers often are.
“[P]assive-aggressive threats to fire me”? Give me a break. Employers need to be able to threaten to fire employees, if they don’t think that the employees are doing a good job.
The complaints about the pregnancy strike me as unrealistic. You have a sexy young actress cast in a role, and then she becomes pregnant, and no longer fits the character. That is a problem in a series. Some shows can work it in by having the character become pregnant, but that’s a deviation from the planned plot.
About the tattoo. I don’t know where she has the tattoo. An actor or actress having a tattoo creates a problem, if the tattoo is visible and inconsistent with the character being played.
Some people are jerks, and sometimes this is quite useful in getting a difficult job done. Deal with it like a grown-up.
I’ve heard that Gene Kelly was quite a jerk, too. Very demanding. If true, this could explain why his movies are so amazing.
I wish I could put more than one like on this. I’ve always been a little worried I might be the only person in the world who had this thought (at least, I’ve never seen it anywhere else). Thanks for bringing it up!
I had the same thoughts. Buffy refused to do God but happily used the weapons of God against the forces of darkness.
Angel in a show built on an Irish vampire with a soul who seeks redemption for his crimes. No Catholicism at all barr in season one and even then it was of the exorcism type. Instead in a ghastly epiphany episode yes using Christians term without true meaning Angel decides based on some psuedo humanist way to again help people after losing his way.
There have been other anti religion bits thrown in but I looked the other way as shows were great and it didn’t directly mock God.
Buffy in latter seasons tho did get very pc liberal.
When I saw that someone was “breaking her silence” and making allegations against Whedon, I must say I thought I’d read about something much worse. Carpenter alleges, credibly, that he was a jerk. His wife’s accusations also amount to “he’s a great, big jerk.” I believe them. It’s just that being a jerk is not uncommon, especially, I imagine, in Hollywood. Certainly not worth all this breathless coverage.
At least it was more entertaining than that awful Charmed.
Later seasons were mostly about lesbians from I can remember.
Middle aged male feminist writing extensively about teenage lesbians…I think there might be a word to describe that person.
This is a great observation. Like I said above, you never know who is a total dick, who is merely demanding, who is sweet but misunderstood, who is anything in the Celebrity Culture.
Or in any other culture, really. We sit out here hearing and then commenting on the actions of people we don’t know, and most of whom I for one don’t miss knowing about. They’re people in the lives of their people; I and you have enough people in our own lives to be judgemental about.
I wonder if life was better back when actors and artists were marginal characters in our daily lives, generally disreputable and godless, but titillating enough to earn a few coins tossed their way?
NO! Life is definitely better today, in almost every way! Ground, meet kiss kiss kiss kiss kiss.
But actors and their problems? Hmm. It seems like a business inherently fraught with a bunch of morally compromisable situations.
Like lawyers. And politicians. And . . . .