K o w continued from front flaP film/PHilosoPHy a l s to the politics of natural rights, the concept K i of radical evil, and Daoism. Some chapters a n focus on themes that are pertinent to specific d shows, such as consensual slavery in Dollhouse. Kr edited by dean a. kowalski and s. evan kreider e Others compare depictions of character id e types and subject matter in several series, r Every generation produces a counterculture looking at antiheroes in Buffy and Firefly or icon. Joss Whedon, creator of the long- prostitution in Dollhouse and Firefly. While running television series Buffy the Vampire many essays examine the shows through the “Focused on the philosophical musings evoked by Whedon and company’s rich televisual, filmic, Slayer, is famed for his subversive wit, rich writings of classical philosophers such as Plato, web, and comic book texts, this collection proves simultaneously accessible and substantive, while characters, and extraordinary plotlines. His Aristotle, Kant, and Locke, others connect the also confirming and extending a substantial body of work by the community of Whedon scholars. renown has only grown with subsequent Whedonverse to feminism and queer theory. Most commendably, the authors manage to teach readers—students, professors, and fans—just creations, including Angel, Firefly, Dollhouse, and the innovative online series Dr. Horrible’s as much about Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Sartre, and Nietzsche as about Malcolm Reynolds, the The difficult choices that Whedon’s characters Sing-Along Blog. Through premises as unusual spaceship Serenity, Cordelia Chase, Billy/Dr. Horrible, and Caroline Farrell/Echo.” confront in their chaotic worlds engage as a supernatural detective agency run by a audiences with a variety of philosophical —Tanya CoChran, coeditor of Investigating Firefly and vampire with a soul and a Western set in issues. The diverse essays in The Philosophy Serenity: Science Fiction on the Frontier outer space, Whedon constructs narratives of Joss Whedon not only explore the existential about characters forced to make relatable implications of Whedon’s plots and “Joss Whedon’s work isn’t merely a useful vehicle for teaching philosophy; it is philosophy. moral decisions under the most bizarre of characterizations but also illuminate their circumstances. His creative genius has caught The authors in this collection exploit this fact by using Whedon’s work to explicate major significance for fans and casual viewers alike. the attention of casual viewers, critics, and philosophical themes and by delving into the Whedonverse to find new answers to perennial academics alike. The Philosophy of Joss Whedon questions.” enters the “Whedonverse” and explores the —JaCob M. helD, editor of Dr. Seuss and Philosophy: Oh, the Thinks You Can Think! philosophical underpinnings of this cult favorite’s works. “A significant contribution to the popular culture and philosophy genre in focusing not on a single From epics such as Buffy and Angel to the show or movie but on the mastermind behind a number of creative works.” short-lived Firefly, Whedon has created a —sharon Kaye, editor of Lost and Philosophy: Think Together, Die Alone wide variety of imaginative scenarios. Perhaps because of their diversity, depth, and whimsy, Whedon’s stories are often the subject of media studies. Dean A. Kowalski and S. Dean a. KowalsKi, associate professor of Evan Kreider’s philosophical examination philosophy at the University of Wisconsin– of Whedon’s oeuvre is unique in its focus Waukesha, is editor of The Philosophy of The on the director, screenwriter, and producer’s X-Files and Steven Spielberg and Philosophy: We’re total philosophy rather than on his individual Gonna Need a Bigger Book. creations. The PhilosoPhy of PoPular CulTure s. evan KreiDer, associate professor of philosophy series ediTor: MarK T. Conard . . The contributing authors survey a broad array at the University of Wisconsin–Fox Valley, is a edited by dean a kowalski and s evan kreider The University Press of KentUcKy of topics, from the limits of personal freedom contributor to The Philosophy of The X-Files. Cover design by Carly Schnur foreword by tim minear Front cover image credits from left to right: Jerry Ohlinger’s Movie Material Store; Moviegoods; Moviegoods. KENTUCKY continued on back flaP THE PHILOSOPHY OF JOSS WHEDON Th e Philosophy of Popular Culture Th e books published in the Philosophy of Popular Culture series will illu- minate and explore philosophical themes and ideas that occur in popular culture. Th e goal of this series is to demonstrate how philosophical inquiry has been reinvigorated by increased scholarly interest in the intersection of popular culture and philosophy, as well as to explore through philosophical analysis beloved modes of entertainment, such as movies, TV shows, and music. Philosophical concepts will be made accessible to the general reader through examples in popular culture. Th is series seeks to publish both es- tablished and emerging scholars who will engage a major area of popular culture for philosophical interpretation and examine the philosophical underpinnings of its themes. Eschewing ephemeral trends of philosophi- cal and cultural theory, authors will establish and elaborate on connections between traditional philosophical ideas from important thinkers and the ever-expanding world of popular culture. SERIES EDITOR Mark T. Conard, Marymount Manhattan College, NY BOOKS IN THE SERIES Th e Philosophy of Stanley Kubrick, edited by Jerold J. Abrams Football and Philosophy, edited by Michael W. Austin Tennis and Philosophy, edited by David Baggett Th e Philosophy of the Coen Brothers, edited by Mark T. Conard Th e Philosophy of Film Noir, edited by Mark T. Conard Th e Philosophy of Martin Scorsese, edited by Mark T. Conard Th e Philosophy of Neo-Noir, edited by Mark T. Conard Th e Philosophy of Spike Lee, edited by Mark T. Conard Th e Philosophy of David Lynch, edited by William J. Devlin and Shai Biderman Th e Philosophy of Horror, edited by Th omas Fahy Th e Philosophy of Th e X-Files, edited by Dean A. Kowalski Steven Spielberg and Philosophy, edited by Dean A. Kowalski Th e Philosophy of Charlie Kaufman, edited by David LaRocca Th e Philosophy of the Western, edited by Jennifer L. McMahon and B. Steve Csaki Th e Philosophy of Science Fiction Film, edited by Steven M. Sanders Th e Philosophy of TV Noir, edited by Steven M. Sanders and Aeon J. Skoble Basketball and Philosophy, edited by Jerry L. Walls and Gregory Bassham Golf and Philosophy, edited by Andy Wible THE PHILOSOPHY OF JOSS WHEDON Edited by Dean A. Kowalski and S. Evan Kreider The University Press of Kentucky Copyright © 2011 by Th e University Press of Kentucky Scholarly publisher for the Commonwealth, serving Bellarmine University, Berea College, Centre College of Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky University, Th e Filson Historical Society, Georgetown College, Kentucky Historical Society, Kentucky State University, Morehead State University, Murray State University, Northern Kentucky University, Transylvania University, University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, and Western Kentucky University. All rights reserved. Editorial and Sales Offi ces: Th e University Press of Kentucky 663 South Limestone Street, Lexington, Kentucky 40508-4008 www.kentuckypress.com 15 14 13 12 11 5 4 3 2 1 Cataloging-in-Publication data is available from the Library of Congress. ISBN 978-0-8131-3419-2 (hardcover : alk. paper) Th is book is printed on acid-free paper meeting the requirements of the American National Standard for Permanence in Paper for Printed Library Materials. Manufactured in the United States of America. Member of the Association of American University Presses Contents Foreword by Tim Minear vii Introduction 1 Part 1. “You Can’t Take the Sky from Me”: Freedom and Its Limits Firefl y and Freedom 9 David Baggett “Just Get Us a Little Further”: Liberty and the Frontier in Firefl y and Serenity 24 Amy H. Sturgis Th e State of Nature and Social Contracts on Spaceship Serenity 39 Joseph J. Foy Dollhouse and Consensual Slavery 55 S. Evan Kreider Part 2. “Live as Th ough the World Were as It Should Be”: Ethics and Virtue Plato, Aristotle, and Joss on Being Horrible 71 Dean A. Kowalski Aristotle, Kant, Spike, and Jayne: Ethics and Character in the Whedonverse 88 Jason D. Grinnell vi Contents Companions, Dolls, and Whores: Joss Whedon on Sex and Prostitution 103 Tait Szabo Fashioning Feminism: Whedon, Women, and Wardrobe 117 Patricia Brace Heroes and Villains: Morality, the Will to Power, and the Overman in the Work of Joss Whedon 133 Gary Heba with Robin Murphy Part 3. “I’m All of Th em, but None of Th em Is Me”: Th e Human Condition Seeking Authenticity in the Whedonverse 151 Joseph J. Foy and Dean A. Kowalski “Look What Free Will Has Gotten You”: Isolation, Individuality, and Choice in Angel 168 Susanne E. Foster and James B. South Aiming to Misbehave at the Boundary between the Human and the Machine: Th e Queer Steampunk Ecology of Joss Whedon’s Firefl y and Serenity 182 Lisa Hager Shepherd Book, Malcolm Reynolds, and the Dao of Firefl y 194 Roger P. Ebertz Acknowledgments 208 Appendix: A History of the Whedonverse 211 List of Contributors 223 Index 227 Foreword Tim Minear Recently an interviewer asked me if I was aware I was being “studied in universities.” One imagines oneself in a petri dish. She was, of course, refer- ring to work in which I had been involved over the years. Specifi cally, what is known as “Th e Whedonverse”—the universe comprising the creations of Joss Whedon. Th e matter and energy that make up this ’verse include movies, comic books, television series, and now web series. In the case of Firefl y, literally a ’verse within the ’verse. In the case of the Buff y musical and Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, music. Songs. Th ree-minute dramatic units crammed with character information that help tell the larger story. Verse and chorus within the ’verse. For my part, of the four network television series that constitute a par- ticular constellation of the Whedonverse, I was intimately involved with three of them: Angel, Firefl y, and Dollhouse. Here’s the thing you need to know about making a television series—it’s chaos. Beyond the puzzle of simply trying to make one story track, you’re trying to make twenty-two stories track. Track with themselves and with each other. Twenty-two hours of story. Roughly the equivalent of ten feature fi lms. Obviously for an endeavor this complex, one must never begin before mapping out with absolute precision every detail. Except, that’s never how it works. You fi ll in the map aft erward. At best, you’re starting with some landmarks and orange cones to guide the way. You think you’re going to fi nd a route to the West Indies and end up somewhere in Santa Monica. Or Pylea, for that matter. Th e “process” looks something like this: While you’re fi guring out the story that’s inevitably late, you’re rewriting the one that’s shooting; while you’re rewriting the one that’s shooting—and prepping the one you still vii viii Foreword haven’t fi gured out—you’re editing (and oft en rewriting) the one you just shot; while you’re editing the one you just shot, you’re doing the FX and sound mix of the one you just locked. At every step of the process, you’re getting notes from the producers and the other writers (this is known as “collaboration”) and notes from the studio and network (this is known as “interference”). In the years when we were making both Buff y and Angel, it was not only about making the short- and long-term narratives on one show work; we always had to take into account what the guys on the other show were do- ing. Sometimes this meant nixing a promising episode idea because it was too similar to what was happening on the sister show that week. On other occasions, that overlap was embraced as a happy confl uence of events and a crossover might result. I think now specifi cally of “Fool for Love”/“Darla.” I had sought out Joss on the Buff y set to pitch episode seven of season two of Angel. I would be directing an episode for the fi rst time, and I wanted to explore Darla’s backstory in fl ashback. I fi gured something simple for my fi rst time—the Boxer Rebellion on a TV budget. When I approached Joss with this idea, he said he liked it, but unfortunately Buff y was going to be doing Spike’s backstory that very night. Some of that backstory would cross with Angel/Darla’s backstory. A comic beat. A shared double-take. A “two-hour Buff y/Angel event” was born. During year four of Angel and the last years of Buff y, Joss and I were also busy launching Firefl y. For a time, there were always three stories be- ing broken, three episodes being prepped, three episodes being shot, three episodes in postproduction. All at once. It was, in a word, nuts. But out of such smashing and bashing and chaos, universes are born. Even ordered universes. Universes in which one might fi nd coherent strains of philosophical thought. Th e hidden hand of the Creator. Th e Creator’s voice. To be sure, in television as in other collaborative art forms there may be multiple voices. But in really good television there’s a single voice, a single vision. Th e rest of us are trying our best to do that cat’s act. Funny fact. Aft er my fi rst year at Mutant Enemy, people started to notice that Joss, David Greenwalt, and yours truly all had a similar way of speaking. We’d all aff ected the same weird cadence—possibly unnatural to all of us, as no one could quite remember how it started. I retain some of that aff ectation to this day. Years later, I was making a show called Th e Inside. As it happened, we were shooting on the old Buff y stages. My offi ce had been Joss’s offi ce back when Mutant Enemy was headquartered there. One day Joss came to Foreword ix visit me. An assistant in the offi ce had no idea who Joss was. Aft er Joss left , this assistant remarked, “Who was that guy? He talks just like Tim.” Th e voice of the Whedonverse is distinctly Joss’s voice. Th e ideas that run through its various incarnations are refl ections of his conscious and unconscious thought. Art is a way to work out ideas and problems. Of bringing order to chaos. Th rough chaos. Oft en while doing a funny voice. What follows are the works of other writers putting our ’verse into some kind of order. Occasionally with a funny voice. And I, for one, thank them for it. Surrounded by the chaos of my desk in Los Feliz, California— Tim Minear