A Conversation with Joss Whedon
Aug. 29th, 2010 06:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
erilynJust got back from attending this at the Opera House with my sister (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
mel_b_angel, I think I saw you about 5 rows in front of us?), and it was awesome.
1 part Joss rambling, inspired by the "usual litany" of questions he always gets (why do you write strong female characters? etc which ended up being exploration of Joss's childhood and his fears and issues, but twas interesting look at his dark place and where he writes from), 1 part Q&A with Wil Anderson (who I've never thought much about one way or another, but he was very good, and I think it was his Best Day Ever, as he had tickets to attend even before being asked to host it, he and Joss discussed Dick and Balls, the potential superhero comic, with Joss impersonating Balls, and the afternoon ended with Joss hugging Wil with his legs wrapped around Wil's waist, plus, they'd had lunch together too), and 1 part questions from the audience (cue ominous music of DOOM! or at least CRINGE!) [1]
But it was the best collection of questions I've ever heard from a nerd crowd, with a low percentage of cringe. A great moment was one person asking whether Joss would accept any of the blame/credit for the current rash of vampire-themed shows/books/movies (him: "no, that's Anne Rice's fault! She's the one who made them modern romantic. hey, I read Interview With the Vampire when I was 15, and it changed some shit. Unless the shows are good, in which case, it's all me), and then the next person to speak was named Bella (unfortunately, her question/ramble was one of the few cringey moments, but Wil Anderson got to impersonate Tony Jones, so that was a plus).
Stuff I can remember (this is not necessarily the highlights, just random stuff that has stuck):
* flashy entrance where he came out from behind curtains with smoke and lightshow as Buffy theme played, and he's like "nothing I can say can live up to that! you need heavy metal or wrestling...maybe we can get to them both by the end".
* Touched on some interesting stuff about his fans as cult, and how that's used to marginalise, wish he'd spent more time on it.
* "When I was speaking to Stephen Sondheim" *bends over and pretends to pick something up* "oh look, a name, did someone drop this?"
* Talked about first experience (at Comic Con, after season 1 of Buffy) where he realised fans were getting so into the show, and how they all wanted him to "say it". And he's like "say what?...grrrr argggh" :D
* Joss loves fanfic - he thinks its the greatest compliment ever that people are so immersed in your creation. Wil Anderson was the one who brought it up, and was trying to phrase it delicately about the content of some stories, and Joss was like "people are writing porn", and said he couldn't throw stones, have people seen season 6 of Buffy? Also, he'd already gone into his complicated relationship with his avatars, the superpowered female character that he keeps writing about.
* His greatest regret was that they couldn't get Amber back for the season 7 arc he had planned where Tara would come back to life. But he knows Kennedy is one of the most popular characters he's ever created (and then he asked if he could hide behind the couch).
* His thoughts on Twilight: [Kristen Stewart] just make out with Dakota Fanning again already like in The Replacements! And allegedly has not seen the fan-made video where Buffy stakes Edward.
My favourite fan sighting was the ten year old boy (in Buffy shirt) and eight year old girl asking usher for directions to Joss Whedon (ages might be wrong, I'm terrible at it). Hope they're used to bad language!
I would like to punch everyone who was using flash photography in the complete dark - it's not a rock concert, that was really fucking annoying, and they did say no recording devices, so be fucking discreet if you're breaking the rules.
[1] That is possibly the worst sentence ever written and I apologise.
mel_b_angel, I think I saw you about 5 rows in front of us?), and it was awesome.1 part Joss rambling, inspired by the "usual litany" of questions he always gets (why do you write strong female characters? etc which ended up being exploration of Joss's childhood and his fears and issues, but twas interesting look at his dark place and where he writes from), 1 part Q&A with Wil Anderson (who I've never thought much about one way or another, but he was very good, and I think it was his Best Day Ever, as he had tickets to attend even before being asked to host it, he and Joss discussed Dick and Balls, the potential superhero comic, with Joss impersonating Balls, and the afternoon ended with Joss hugging Wil with his legs wrapped around Wil's waist, plus, they'd had lunch together too), and 1 part questions from the audience (cue ominous music of DOOM! or at least CRINGE!) [1]
But it was the best collection of questions I've ever heard from a nerd crowd, with a low percentage of cringe. A great moment was one person asking whether Joss would accept any of the blame/credit for the current rash of vampire-themed shows/books/movies (him: "no, that's Anne Rice's fault! She's the one who made them modern romantic. hey, I read Interview With the Vampire when I was 15, and it changed some shit. Unless the shows are good, in which case, it's all me), and then the next person to speak was named Bella (unfortunately, her question/ramble was one of the few cringey moments, but Wil Anderson got to impersonate Tony Jones, so that was a plus).
Stuff I can remember (this is not necessarily the highlights, just random stuff that has stuck):
* flashy entrance where he came out from behind curtains with smoke and lightshow as Buffy theme played, and he's like "nothing I can say can live up to that! you need heavy metal or wrestling...maybe we can get to them both by the end".
* Touched on some interesting stuff about his fans as cult, and how that's used to marginalise, wish he'd spent more time on it.
* "When I was speaking to Stephen Sondheim" *bends over and pretends to pick something up* "oh look, a name, did someone drop this?"
* Talked about first experience (at Comic Con, after season 1 of Buffy) where he realised fans were getting so into the show, and how they all wanted him to "say it". And he's like "say what?...grrrr argggh" :D
* Joss loves fanfic - he thinks its the greatest compliment ever that people are so immersed in your creation. Wil Anderson was the one who brought it up, and was trying to phrase it delicately about the content of some stories, and Joss was like "people are writing porn", and said he couldn't throw stones, have people seen season 6 of Buffy? Also, he'd already gone into his complicated relationship with his avatars, the superpowered female character that he keeps writing about.
* His greatest regret was that they couldn't get Amber back for the season 7 arc he had planned where Tara would come back to life. But he knows Kennedy is one of the most popular characters he's ever created (and then he asked if he could hide behind the couch).
* His thoughts on Twilight: [Kristen Stewart] just make out with Dakota Fanning again already like in The Replacements! And allegedly has not seen the fan-made video where Buffy stakes Edward.
My favourite fan sighting was the ten year old boy (in Buffy shirt) and eight year old girl asking usher for directions to Joss Whedon (ages might be wrong, I'm terrible at it). Hope they're used to bad language!
I would like to punch everyone who was using flash photography in the complete dark - it's not a rock concert, that was really fucking annoying, and they did say no recording devices, so be fucking discreet if you're breaking the rules.
[1] That is possibly the worst sentence ever written and I apologise.
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Date: 2010-08-29 09:17 am (UTC)I loved Joss' jump hug with Will at the end.
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Date: 2010-08-29 10:18 am (UTC)It was an awesome session (and bravo to the majority of fans who asked questions).
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Date: 2010-08-29 09:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-29 10:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-29 09:51 am (UTC)I think it was one of the most awesome talks I've been to.
Agree with the bit about the flashers, and it's all such a waste of time because flash photography from a distance in a darkened theatre *won't turn out! People!*
Yeah, recording devices and discreetness - like the person holding up their iPhone a few rows in front of me. We could ALL see you were recording!
I had lunch in the Green Room with a friend who was with me before the show. We were just finishing up when who should walk past, not ten feet away... but the man himself!! And no, I didn't get all fan-girl and yell out to him or anything. Some rules I can't break. LOL.
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Date: 2010-08-29 10:24 am (UTC)We were in Circle row J - alas, we didn't get there til after 2:30, cause I was at work for the day and my sister had been out with a friend, so I hadn't tried to meet up with anyone :)
And your restraint is very very admirable!
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Date: 2010-08-29 10:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-29 12:18 pm (UTC)hey, when we saw Stephen Fry, there were fireworks at about 6pm just off the Opera House, I was wondering if you knew what they were for?
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Date: 2010-08-29 10:27 am (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2010-08-29 12:09 pm (UTC)damm, sorry i missed you bebe! and my lord, wasnt it just a fun ol afternoon?? :)
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Date: 2010-08-29 12:13 pm (UTC)It was an awesome awesome event, so glad I got to go (and that my sister really enjoyed it, cause I forgot to tell her about the Stephen Fry evening, whoops).
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Date: 2010-08-29 12:21 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2010-09-06 11:18 am (UTC)Also awesome is that I will see you in three and a half weeks! \o/