Three more amazing quotes from Joss Whedon, beginning with this simple truth:
‘You can either watch TV, or you can make TV.’
This one goes out to all the would-be creators in the crowd. We know there are a lot of you.
Usually, to consumers of pop culture, actually writing something as brilliant as what you’ve seen or read seems like an impossible dream. It’s not.
All the time, regular people like you or me who have grown up writing and reading and watching and learning turn their passion into a craft, and they become writers. They become creators.
Anyone with talent, a good work ethic and, most importantly, tenaciousness, can succeed. And can means will, with the right mindset.
If you don’t succeed, try again. Try 100 more times. Try until you realize you’re no longer trying, you’re doing.
Q: ‘Why do you write strong female characters?’ A: ‘Because you’re still asking me that question.’
There is a fantastic article titled “I Hate Strong Female Characters” which should be required reading for anyone with a passing interest in this ongoing issue.
It outlines something very important: that there should be no such thing as a “strong female character.” There should just be “character” — strong or weak or rude or brave or shy or rich or smart or stupid.
Joss Whedon, being a feminist, understands this.
But Joss Whedon, being a feminist, is often expected to deliver the “strong female character” which, in a perfect world, should not exist.
He’s expected to provide role models, infallible feminist heroes. He’s expected to practice what he preaches.
And perhaps that’s a fair expectation. Certainly, Whedon has set the bar high with Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
And when fans were disappointed with Black Widow in Avengers: Age of Ultron, they had every right and reason to be.
But that doesn’t detract from the great work Joss Whedon has done. The great work he is still doing. No writer is perfect, but the writer who tries is the one who deserves our support and our encouragement.
‘Very occasionally, if you really pay attention, life doesn’t suck.’
Basically: remember to stop and smell the flowers.
It’s easy to get fixated on all the things you want to do and worry you never will, all the things that aren’t the way you want them to be.
But life, as a journey, is a miraculous thing. Like J.K. Rowling told a struggling fan, “The world is full of wonderful things you haven’t seen yet.”
As we established earlier: we’ve only got life. No more, no less. Let’s make it as un-sucky as possible.
What’s next for Joss Whedon?
Joss Whedon recently wrapped up work on Avengers: Age of Ultron, the successful sequel to Marvel’s The Avengers.
Related: Joss Whedon on Twitter exit: “You don’t change people’s minds through a tweet”
Having announced that he is done with Marvel (for the moment), fans of Whedon’s work are now eagerly awaiting news about his next project.
It has previously been suggested that Whedon might be circling one of the Star Wars anthology movies, or that he could potentially return to TV to create another masterpiece.
What would you like to see Joss Whedon do next?
We want to hear your thoughts on this topic!
Write a comment below or submit an article to Hypable.