Joss Whedon

Dear Joss,

When posed with the challenge of writing a letter to the legendary Joss Whedon, I immediately became stricken with anxiety. What could I say that wouldn’t make me sound like a babbling, moronic fangirl? I’ve come to the conclusion that there is nothing. I am what I am - a complete geek totally obsessed and in love with your media creations. So I ask, Mr. Whedon that you are patient with me and not make clucking noises with your tongue as you realize how incompetently I use the English language.

I am a late bloomer to your intricate universe. I’ve never been exposed to the world of sci-fi. Sure I saw “The Ewok Adventure” as a child like every other 20-something but it never went beyond the superficial fun fluff feeling. All of that changed two years ago when a girl came to work at my office that wore her Joss love loud and proud. I never imagined that I would be pulled into this realm of fantasy so intensely that all other brain functions would shut down completely. Looking back, I guess I should have had some inkling. I do, in fact, have that obsessive personality type. It’s what kept me the center of many-a jokes during high school as I fiercely told everyone my Elvis Presley t-shirts were awesome. And I was the child in the family that “escaped” into fantasies involving movie characters (one of which involved me being asked to sing at the wedding of Danny Zuko and Sandy Olsen but that’s a whole ‘nother story.) But as life has proven, we often know so little of ourselves.

So on this ordinary day at work two years ago, I was talking to one of my girlfriends and said, “I was flipping through the channels last night and there was this strange show on with puppets.” The new girl squealed loudly and with excited eyes inquired, “You watch Angel?” I replied, “No. I didn’t even know what it was.” She stated, “Oh. I love Angel. I’ve always watched it because it’s a spin-off of Buffy.”

Buffy. There it was. With that single word, my life would change.

I recalled then that I had seen an episode here and there in re-runs, particularly an episode in which Buffy’s mother died. At those times, I had thought, “This is pretty good.” But for whatever reason - just never happened to catch them again. As I got to know this co-worker better she began discussing her love of the Buffyverse more frequently. And then, she brought me her dvds. From the moment my husband and I turned on “Welcome To The Hellmouth” we knew we had found something extraordinary. We blew, in a matter of weeks, through all seven seasons of Buffy and then proceeded directly into Angel and lastly, Firefly. We were crazy for them - even blowing off family and friends because we HAD to watch them. It was to our advantage to discover them on dvd so that we could watch them chronologically and commercial free.

And that leads me back to where this letter began. With the challenge to write to you, Mr. Whedon and convey my feelings for your world. I’m sure what I have to say has been said to you a thousand times by fans around the globe. However, I do hope that you will indulge me because for me, these feelings are unique and profound and if I don’t express them - I just might implode. And that would be yucky.

Your shows did something for me that no television production or movie has ever done. It opened my eyes to writing. I mean who knew someone actually writes that stuff? I began paying attention to dialogue, tone, symbolism and innuendos in ways I never had before. I now notice different styles from different writers and am able to see the structure of a show as well as recognize “callbacks”. You’ve taught me as well as entertained me. Thank you for that.

The artistry of dream or flashback sequences in your shows has been a thing of awe to me. Particularly, “Restless” and “Out of Gas”. These prove that television media can be created on the same impact level as cinema and you don’t have to settle for run of the mill scenarios and laugh tracks. These episodes evoke an emotional response in me like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. They make me feel like an artist myself, just from watching them and “getting” them. Sounds crazy I know. But it’s true.

One reason that I have stopped watching other shows in the past is because of the way a character can be completely forgotten once they’ve left the show. The continuity on your shows thrills me. Not only is a character not forgotten when they’re not on-screen, but they are often talked about by either a joke or the impact they had on other characters. I had invested so much love and energy into the romance between Buffy and Angel that had he not been discussed at all on Buffy after his departure, I would have felt cheated and hurt. As it was, I was indulged completely.

Musicals have always been a big part of my life. If I couldn’t express myself in song, I don’t know what kind of person I would be. The romance, energy and excitement that come to me from musical films and plays are necessary to my being. The uniqueness of “Once More With Feeling” immediately captivated me. I was touched so deeply by Buffy’s sense of tragedy in this episode. I now have a cd in my collection that I can’t live without and that I often quote from.

Every person has a character on their favorite shows that they most identify with. I love so many of the characters in all of your shows, but Buffy has a special place in my heart. When she cried, I cried. When she laughed, I laughed. When her heart broke, mine did too. I felt I knew her as a real human being. I understand her daddy issues and how she felt for Angel. I understand her often-pouty nature with the stress of responsibility that she has. No character has ever made me love them more.

Except perhaps her and Angel together. This romance hit me like a Mac truck. I remember thinking in “Welcome To The Hellmouth” “Hmm...he’s okay I guess.” But as the show progressed the chemistry between these two characters completely engulfed me. I couldn’t stop thinking of them. As I washed my hair I thought of scenes that stopped my heart. As I folded laundry I thought about the butterflies I got when watching them in a romantic scene. When they danced together at “Prom” I cried for three hours. My body was literally racked with sobs. For a person with a romantic nature like myself, this romance has been the quintessential fairytale. My life has been forever changed by the relationship of Buffy and Angel. In internet terms, they are my “OTP”.

I also can thank you Mr. Whedon for the many friends I have made because of your shows. I have met the most wonderful people online and in person that share a common bond of fanaticism. Whether they are Browncoats or Angel-addicts makes no difference. There is one word we all know: Whedon.

Thank you for writing your shows in a mature level. It’s so cool that I have a bumper sticker that says “I Trust Joss” and a 60-year-old man says to me in the supermarket parking lot, “I get your sticker.” It crosses boundaries set up by society and that makes people feel free.

So as it stands I have a collection of dvds from three television shows that I watch incessantly for inspiration, entertainment and comfort. Thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my geeky heart. And as long as you promise to keep entertaining, I promise to keep randomly spouting to people in Wal-Mart, “Can’t stop the signal!”

Always,

Crystal, SC