Today an average looking guy on the other side of the country is turning 42 and I couldn't be happier about it. Why am I celebrating the birthday of a man I've never met? Joss Whedon has had a remarkable influence on my life just by doing what he believes in and loves for years. He is responsible for my evolution as a fangirl.
It started in 1992 when I was about 12 years old, very shy, and decidedly geeky. There was a movie that was fun and witty and, best of all, it showed a girl kicking butt. Buffy the Vampire Slayer was my introduction to the ideas of Joss. If it had stopped there, I might not even remember his name today; but that's the thing about Joss, he keeps trying for bigger and better things.
A few years later, I got very excited when I heard that a show entitled "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" was going to be on TV. I made sure all my friends were going to watch the premiere, so we could talk about it in school the next day. I was part of an online discussion group that ranted and raved about the show. There was a heated discussion about whether Angel would turn out to be a vampire, a werewolf, or something else. All of us positing theories based on the nuances of certain lines of dialogue.
That's when my like of the show, turned into full on love. And I'm not talking about crushing on the likes of David Boreanaz and James Marsters (although thank you Joss for casting such "salty goodness"). I'm talking about having the ability to give into a fantasy for an hour every week, and letting it influence me.
It started out small. I stopped wearing quite so much oversized flannel and washed out jeans. I bought myself a pair of knee-high black patent leather boots (I dubbed them my "Buffy boots") and wore them with cute skirts and eye shadow that matched my outfits. I started to throw around "Buffy speak" in everyday conversation and added "-age" to certain words. I collected a few choice cross necklaces.
Even though I was still kind of shy and self-conscious I tried being braver: I spoke up a little more in class, I tried something new even though I was scared, I threw out a sarcastic remark when somebody was picking on me. The results were mixed and it wasn't all because of one TV show, but the influence was there.
Joss, like the champion he is, stuck with me over the years. I really began to care about what was happening with these characters. I felt for Buffy and the gang when they were troubled, I cried when Buffy had to kill Angel to save the world, and I cheered them on when they kicked demon butt (especially Xander). I tuned in to the spin-off "Angel" to see where the new stories could take me.
Then I left home for college and beyond and didn't have access to a TV for months at a time. I set the VCR at my parents' house and hoped for the best. At first I wasn't sure it was worth the effort, but whenever I started watching an episode it felt like I was getting to hang out with old friends again. Eventually the system fell through and I started losing track of what was going on in the Buffyverse, save a few reruns I caught randomly.
I should have known Joss would sneak back into my life, but it caught me by surprise. I was at a video store one night and I saw "Firefly" sitting on the shelf. I had heard about the show and knew Joss had done it, but without regular access to a TV I had missed its short run. I rented all four DVDs and spent the next three days watching episodes whenever I wasn't at school or work.
"Firefly" is epic and excellent. I joined in the growing legions of fans, called Browncoats, that were screaming: "Why did this show get cancelled?" I bought the DVD, showed it to my friends, and then they bought it and showed it to their friends. Then I heard something that made my little heart sing, Joss was making a movie as a continuation of "Firefly". It was named after the ship, Serenity.
I hunted and begged to get tickets to one of the pre-screenings and after two failed attempts I finally succeeded and was sitting in a theatre with other fans. Before the movie there was a message from Joss to his fans. His voice was heartfelt and full of a certain gravity. In his speech were these words, which have become a rallying cry for fans everywhere, "We have done the impossible, and that makes us mighty." I almost cried I was so touched. In fact, I kind of teared up just typing that phrase. Just get the Serenity DVD, it's one of the special features, and you'll see what I mean.
That's what Joss does. He touches people with his stories. He engenders an almost unreasonable amount of love and admiration from his fans. There is even a documentary being made about how fans helped Serenity get made, called Done The Impossible. Fans everywhere support him with shirts, websites, and even songs that are a tribute to the man they call Joss. Joss Whedon is probably responsible for me meeting a certain number of my friends through fandoms and websites for Browncoats.
This weekend, all around the country, fans have come together to support the movie Serenity by holding charity screenings to benefit Equality Now. It's a great birthday gift for Joss and it's how I will be celebrating. Recently Joss was honored by Equality Now and asked to give a speech. With his humor and heartfelt gravity he answered the question, "Why do you write such strong women characters?"
This year I bought the complete Chosen collection of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", all seven seasons. I finally saw all that I missed and how it all ended. I realized that I really did miss Buffy and empathized with her struggle with life. She went to emotional places that many adults go through, realistic places with flawed relationships that are entirely messed up. The show is a continuous comfort and I pop in the musical episode anytime I'm feeling down. Sometimes I smile just remembering the question, "What would Buffy Do?" and part of me hopes that some characters will not fade away and still have more stories to tell.
Thank you Joss. Thank you for creating characters and stories that allow me to fall and fall deep. Thank you for showing how people can surprise you again and again. Thank you for being realistic enough to admit that life is hard and sometimes the choices you are given suck. Thank you for being creative enough to come up with new choices. Thank you for having the courage to kill to make great stories, and having the mercy to redeem lost souls.
I'm just one girl, but I'm not the only one who admires and respects Joss Whedon. I'm not the only one who wants to thank him. I sincerely hope he can fathom how he has touched so many lives so deeply. Happy Birthday Joss, here's hoping for many more years with you in my life.
