Joss Whedon isn't the only person who made Buffy: Abuse allegations shouldn't take the show down

Slate

"For me, a longtime Buffy fan, these allegations feel different from other abuses of power by creators and producers revealed over the past few years, and I’ve been trying to figure out why," says Dan Kois of Charisma Carpenter's allegations that the Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel creator was abusive, cruel and created a toxic work environment. "I think it’s because at the height of my love for this show, I prized it not only for its wit and excitement but for its progressivism—for the way it shone like a beacon in the doldrums of turn-of-the-millennium TV, the kind of feminist story that no other series was even trying to tell. In a time when a woman writer could have never gotten this kind of show greenlit, we fans said to ourselves, at least there was Joss—an ally. He empowered his actresses and the women who wrote and produced on his show to tell a thrilling story of a strong, complex young woman who subverted the expectations of a sexist culture. (Whedon has not responded to requests for comment on the allegations.) It wasn’t just that we loved Buffy. We believed that, despite its flaws, the show, like its heroine, was a force for good. So it sucks extra hard to learn, from multiple women who were there, that the set wasn’t a particularly nurturing environment, and that actresses on the show felt cruelly treated by the very visionary whom we fans so thoroughly believed in." Kois says he and his wife recently fulfilled a dream of rewatching Buffy and Angel with their now-teenage daughters, and they all loved both shows and found that they held up. He adds: "To come to terms with Buffy, I think, it’s important for me to be more clear with myself about the circumstances and context of its creation. That it can no longer feel so revolutionary as it once did does not mean that it cannot be meaningful to those who discover it now; it’s just meaningful in different ways. And that its founder was not all that we once thought he was does not take away from the small miracle that is this moving, funny, and stirring show; it’s a testament to the many others who made their way through a difficult environment to ensure that the results would be moving, funny, and stirring."

ALSO:

• Firefly writer says Joss Whedon would laugh when he made female writers cry: "'Casually cruel' is a perfect way of describing Joss," tweeted Firefly writer Jose Molina. "He thought being mean was funny. Making female writers cry during a notes session was especially hysterical. He actually liked to boast about the time he made one writer cry twice in one meeting. #IStandWithCharismaCarpenter."
• Where are the white men calling out Whedon?: "It’s both sad and inspiring to see women standing with (Charisma) Carpenter and (Ray) Fisher," says Jessica Mason. Inspiring because of the bravery it takes to stand in solidarity with others calling out someone they say abused them, and sad because that abuse happened. But as the women stood with Carpenter and Fisher, there was a segment of those who have worked with Whedon that was noticeably silent: the white men who have benefited most from the Whedon brand and fandom. We have to ask ourselves: why is it almost always women and people of color who have to speak up about abuse and sexism? Why was the internet loudly clamoring to hear more from Sarah Michelle Gellar, but not Angel star David Boreanaz? While Aquaman’s Jason Momoa publicly expressed support for Fisher, the rest of the Justice League remains silent. Why are these white guys given the luxury of silence? Even more importantly, will they examine that the extent to which their privilege and gender may have protected them and allowed them to be ignorant?"
• Former Buffy showrunner Marti Noxon supports Charisma Carpenter and "the women of Buffy": "I would like to validate what the women of Buffy are saying and support them in telling their story. They deserve to be heard," she tweeted. "I understand where @AllCharisma, Amber, Michelle and all the women who have spoken out are coming from."
• Spike actor James Marsters is "heartbroken" over Carpenter's allegations, admits the Buffy set "was not without challenges": "While I will always be honored to have played the character of Spike, the Buffy set was not without challenges," he wrote on Facebook. "I do not support abuse of any kind, and am heartbroken to learn of the experiences of some of the cast. I send my love and support to all involved."