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Feminists Chase Avengers Director off Twitter
Joss Whedon is the screenwriter and director responsible for both Avengers blockbusters, as well as television favorites Firefly and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Unsurprisingly, Whedon is also an outspoken leftist who uses his Twitter feed to mock and ridicule conservatives. He thinks politicians who deny climate change should be denied penicillin, believes men should be denied the vote on “reproductive health,” and despises Justice Clarence Thomas and organized religion.
He certainly hates all the right people — so why are progressives mad at him? It seems one of his strong female characters isn’t quite strong enough for radical, third-wave feminists.
“Avengers: Age of Ultron” writer-director Joss Whedon has not been fired from the franchise, despite the rumors people may have seen on Twitter Monday. The rumors ignited after the Oscar-nominated director deactivated his Twitter account.
So why did he quit Twitter? After “Avengers: Age of Ultron” debuted in theaters Friday, some people harassed Whedon, since Black Widow (played by Scarlett Johansson) was portrayed as a “damsel in distress.” Naysayers labeled him a “hypocrite.”
Joss Whedon deleted his Twitter after being called out for being hypocrite. After calling other movies sexist, his turns out to be sexist.
— Piper (@fyzzgiggidy) May 4, 2015
@josswhedon So… was Black Widow being weak as a character “not your fault”, or are you simply a massive hypocrite?
— HammersmashZach (@ombranox) May 2, 2015
In The Daily Beast, Entertainment Reporter Jen Yamato’s headline was “The Avengers’ Black Widow Problem: How Marvel Slut-Shamed Their Most Badass Superheroine.” In “An Open Letter to Joss Whedon from a Disappointed Feminist Fan After Watching ‘Age of Ultron,'” Women and Hollywood reporter Sara Stewart mewled:
Again and again, you’ve paid lip service to the idea of fighting misogyny in the film industry — most recently, in the comic-book arena. “It’s a phenomenon in the industry that we call ‘stupid people,'” you’ve said. “There is genuine, recalcitrant, intractable sexism, and old-fashioned quiet misogyny that goes on. You hear ‘Oh, [female superheroes] don’t work because of these two bad ones that were made eight years ago’… there’s always an excuse.”
So what I want to know is, what’s your excuse?
For years Whedon has been lauded as one of the few Hollywood screenwriters who creates strong female characters. As a result, the “Whedonverse” has an uncommonly large female fan base despite serving male-dominated genres like fantasy, sci-fi, and horror. So he must be doubly shocked that it is feminists, not knuckle-dragging male Tea Partiers, who are demanding his scalp.
This blue-on-blue witch hunt doesn’t surprise those who have paid attention to leftism’s march through the institutions. Progressives have chased out most conservatives, but for their ideology to survive they must identify new victims and blame new oppressors. As I’ve said before, liberalism is eating itself and at the end of the day Joss Whedon is just another straight white male.
The Black Widow character is a strong female superhero who regularly beats up scions of the patriarchy, which is nice. But she doesn’t properly advance neo-feminist contempt for childbearing and male-female relationships. Strike them from the script, Joss, or we’ll excommunicate you for reactionary thoughtcrime and treason against the revolution.
The whole episode reminds me of a scene from Andy Garcia’s film about the communist takeover of Havana. In The Lost City, Garcia plays a club owner who desperately tries to modify his revue to please the new state censors:
“The saxophone is an instrument of the imperialists.” The modern left no doubt views this scene, nods their heads, and mutters, “good point.”
Published in Culture, Entertainment
I’m just waiting for Whedon to publicly grovel and say how ashamed he is at the people who are defending him.
In other words, the third Avengers film will feature a feminist theme.
Feminists are the coolest chicks around. I can’t think of someone I’d want to go to a pajama party more with than a raging, growling, and tweet-happy feminist.
Riot gggrrrrrlllls – unite! Or Assemble! Or Whatever!
Sigh.
No, I can’t muster much more than that.
Maybe Whedon can write a screenplay featuring a Dworkinesque heroine?
This is surprising and funny, because Firefly has libertarian themes running all through it. An evil corporation (is there any other kind?) controls a government which oppresses civil war veterans in space or something. If features young strong women characters with guns and hot bodies who aren’t afraid to use ’em. This was just a warm-up to his series Dollhouse, in which an evil corporation (is there any other kind?) programs really strong hot women to do evil things with guns, etc. without their consent or awareness. Perhaps all the “men should not be able to vote on reproductive issues” and other uber-liberal posturing is just an attempt to buy the sin of objectifying women the way a billionaire environmentalist buys pollution credits for his G5.
*******************SPOILER ALERT******************
There’s already plenty of diversity. The newest incarnation of the Avengers is an android, two women, two blacks, and a white guy.
Nevertheless, there’s still plenty of room for “improvement.” After all, no Middle-Easterners, no Asians, no Hispanics, and the white guy (Captain America) seems to be in charge.
These “Wymynn” did not watch the same movie I did. (It was awesome, by the way!!!!)
In related news, you cannot have social justice unless you are willing to murder people on a large scale.
Let’s cut to the chase: River Tam covers a multitude of sins.
Once you have given the world Summer Glau, life is just one long get out of jail free card.
This made me laugh.
My understanding was that one of his fellow screen writers was responsible for the libertarian themes, Whedon was keeping company with the right people. Pure luck on this one.
On the other hand, well those on the left always eat their own. That is simply the nature of things, what did he expect was going to happen? Genuflect all you like, that does not mean you will be spared reeducation camp. Being a boot licker will only carry you so far.
SPOILER:
*********************
Wait… Whedon is being shamed because Black Widow regrets having been forcibly sterilized as a teenager? I’m just… flabbergasted. These “feminists” are so unbelievably twisted and sick. There has to be a more descriptive moniker for them, but I fear it wouldn’t be CoC compliant.
Yes and no. It’s also my understanding that Tim Minear was responsible for most of Firefly’s libertarianish themes, but it’s still an incredibly Whedony show.
Also, I refer folks to the Weekly Standard’s Jonathan V. Last’s two great pieces on Buffy. Like David Simon, Whedon may be a big Lefty — okay, he is a big Lefty — but he’s done some great work that gives conservatives a lot to chew on.
Stain killed a lot of good Communists…..any parallels?
All of the main Avengers are WHSM oppressors! War Machine is a token! AARRRGGH!
It is delightful to watch the left turn on their own, even in such trivial matters as this. The Black Widow does not exist! Get a damn life! Better yet, get that spirit of Gramsci exorcised from your personality. Not every single thing has to be infused with party politics.
Oh, and, Gabriel, now I have to see this darn movie.
And Whedon is just the latest faithful son of the revolution to discover that you can never be pure enough. I suppose I should be shaking my head and tut-tutting how sad it all is, but screw it, I’m all out of sympathy for him or those like him. I remember when he’d mock right-leaning fans on his forums for objecting to the latest character that suddenly turned gay, or yet another swipe at Christianity. I’m gonna fill this cup to the brim with some good ole’ fashioned schadenfreude, and enjoy sipping it while watching the latest round of the Oppression Olympics.
So, who wants to start a pool? Who’s the next liberal to be eaten alive by their own? And what will his/her sin be?
Rob Long often says something to the effect of, “all great stories are conservative.” There are a small number of literary themes that are repeatedly employed; the young man who redeems his people, David vs. Goliath, etc. Whether Whedon likes it or not, his stories work because they retell these age-old truths. He might switch David with River Tam, but she’s still fighting Goliath.
It is sorta funny to watch, as others have said, the “blue on blue witch hunts.” Whedon can’t avoid taking shots at conservatives and religious people so there is a bit of schadenfreude.
I read this post and the Twitchy post and it is a bit funny to watch the freakout. Avengers made its money and there isn’t much they can do. Whedon was leaving Marvel anyways.
But if I recall correctly, the backstory Whedon referenced is Black Widow canon in the comics, save the bit about kids (I don’t remember that part specifically). But it isn’t something Whedon “came up with.” It was already there, it’s just that few writers reference that, because Widow is normally not written that way in the comics, but after the Avengers movie a few writers tried to force that back in. But that’s not a Whedon thing. So it is hard for me to believe that any of the people complaining about Widow know the character.
Besides, Marvel comics is bending over backwards for “diversity” probably to the detriment of some of their stories and books.
You would have thought that Black Widow kicking her love interest off the side of a floating rock because she wanted the other guy would have earned him some feminist cred.
I’m shocked feminists are so angry. They’re usually such an easy-going crowd.
The real shocker of the Firefly story arc is how it ends in the film Serenity.
It’s mind-numbing how liberals can portray the logical consequences of their own philosophies without ever making the connection.
I’m a big fan of Whedon’s work. Loved Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Cabin in the Woods, Toy Story, Avengers…Heck, I’m one of the few fans of Dollhouse. Of course his politics are idiotic, but he’s a storyteller first. And I believe a good story usually has conservative and even Christian elements. Because ultimately, God’s story of love and redemption is where all good stories originated.
Don’t think JJ Abrahms hasn’t paid attention, and will say something about how he based the relationship between Chewie and Han on an old married couple, like, say La Cage aux Folles.
Well of course the real problem with female superheroes is that when one looks at the established comic franchises there aren’t that many really great female superheroes in existence. Since studios want pr-established brands they are really limited in their line up of heroines.
I think if one is counting there is only really one first class female superhero and that is Wonder Woman. There are several notable ones in teams like the X-Men but there they will always be diluted down because of the whole team dynamic.
As to Black Widow I must say I have seen the movie and I don’t know what they are complaining about. She is quite bad-ass throughout that whole movie. I don’t know when she is supposed to have betrayed femininity. Maybe when she was suffering from the hellish nightmares of the child abusing institution that created her, forced her to murder people and forcefully sterilized her as a young girl? What, can feminists not suffer from witchcraft induced PTSD? Or is the problem that she wasn’t reveling in her own sterility?
Loved the clip from The Lost City.
I’m tired being hated by limousine Leftists. I hope these Feminist Harpies chew him up and spew him out into the pile of Lefties who’ve said the wrong thing. Luckily, I hate dopey Comic Book movies so boycotting him is no loss to me.
Joss desserts.
Wow, I read those opinion pieces Jon linked, and feminists really will leave no stone unturned to find hidden mysoginistic messages in every piece of media. As a gamer, I’ve been bemoaning their crusade to ruin video games for the last couple of years, while simultaneously being fascinated by how many imagined offenses against women they can come up with out of nowhere. They really are the most creative of the perpetually aggrieved SJW crowd.
While watching the new Avengers movie (which I liked a lot), I actually thought another scene would raise feminists’ ire. [SPOILERS] When Hawkeye made his motivational speech to the Scarlet Witch, the term “mansplaining” popped into my head. I later laughed that that had even crossed my mind, since it shows that reading idiotic articles like that Women and Hollywood open letter is having an effect on me. I guess I’ve still got a lot to learn though, since the idea that it’s sexist to think that a woman might bemoan being forcibly sterilized never even entered my mind!
Michelle Obama not black enough?
Daily Kos taking advertising revenue?
Debbie Wasserman-Shultz guilty of “straight-hair shaming”?
I just wanted to say that I’m certainly offended because as far as I know Scarlett Johansson is neither black nor a widow. I mean what’s with that? Sheesh!