Comic Rantings from a Hateful Bitch.

[fenderlove]

F-list, I apologize for yet another comic-related thing to fill up with your page with woe and angst, but I want to rant too. Everyone else is getting to have so much fun with it! Yeah, I'm fairly hateful about the S8 comics. I've actually read 'em though I refuse to buy them because why should I pay good money for something that I'm just going to mock? The one positive thing that you will ever hear me say about Joss Whedon is that he does have a small bit of integrity in that he tells the story he wants to tell and fuck everyone else. Trouble is he's still a wanker.


The only problem is that he's a trope of himself and spiraled down into near parody of badness. I don't believe Joss panders to any one set group of fans 'cause I believe that he couldn't give a flying fig because he's got a pretty hardcore fanbase that's hard to shake. I mean, you throw massive amounts of unnecessary character deaths/resurrections, rapes/attempted rapes/sexual assaults/forced prostitution, faux!feminism masquerading as the genuine article, and enough plotholes to sink a Winnebago, and the fans don't go away. Even the ones who are severely disappointed don't go away. There's something to be said for that, I suppose. He gives you glimpses of the things you once enjoyed about his programs only to take them away or to twist them into an unrecognizable tangled mess of stinking offal. I wish I could bond with him over a shared sense of sadism (I do enjoy causing a bit of pain), but I fear he's far more deranged than I. I don't ship, and his need to stir up a shit-storm at random is just so played that it annoys the frak out of me. In a way, how freeing it must be to Joss Whedon. To have the kind of following to fund what he wants to do, to have the pull to get the deals that allow he to have total artistic freedom, yet he can't seem to help but joss everyone. It'd be laughable if it wasn't pathetic... Oh, wait, it's still laughable. The only explanation for why BtVS and Ats were originally so compelling was just a magical happenstance of other writers and directors and actors that came together in perfect harmony to create a lasting story with compelling characters that withstands the years. A fluke, perhaps? There are definitely times I wonder.

Also, Scott Allie is a douche and a bully. Jack Kirby should rise from the grave and beat the daylights out of that man for being such a sad martyred sack of old oats. He's like the Felix the Cat of stupid parlor pander. "Oh, I accidentally posted this... Oh, you weren't supposed to see that!" pulling the same kind of crap that would get even a high-up-than-intern employee fired. I've lost all respect for Dark Horse though I honestly cannot say that I was that impressed with much of their titles (though hats off to them for breaking through the Big Two to get closer to the top of the heap and opening the doors to other smaller labels). Comics are taking such a major leap backwards, and I blame the massive amounts of franchise comics struggling to tease out even five more points out between a built-in audience that may not exist and an audience of already comic-buyers, praying that this quarter will be better than the last. This isn't the Modern Age of Comics; welcome to the Brass Age, baby.

Comments

[angearia.livejournal.com]

The only explanation for why BtVS and Ats were originally so compelling was just a magical happenstance of other writers and directors and actors that came together in perfect harmony to create a lasting story with compelling characters that withstands the years. A fluke, perhaps? There are definitely times I wonder.

Well, yes of course. That's the creative process and the beauty of collaboration. Of which he's a part of and certainly not a bad part so...

The (implied?) argument for the shows being good despite Joss' influence doesn't make sense, imo, but I think I'm not the target audience for your rant. :P

Oh, fandom. We're all so dramatic. :D

*uses bitch icon*

[fenderlove.livejournal.com]

I'm not not including Joss in the process nor was I trying to imply that the show was good in spite of him. There were just other writers and creative types involved in his shows that wrote the good majority of episodes. However, I do take offense to those that would like to dump all of the good and none of the bad on one sole person and vice versa when it comes to a television program or film. Dollhouse and Firefly had just as large of a creative team as BtVS and Angel, but (and this is totally my opinion) they just weren't as compelling. Dr. Horrible was good until the third act in which it turned into a cliche. I think Joss has some good ideas, but when left to his own devices he falls into the contrivances and tropes and then falls through his own plotholes. ...And Crying-at-the-drop-of-a-hat!Buffy makes me physically ill.

I don't have target audiences; I'll leave that to Allie to try and sort out.

[angearia.livejournal.com]

Who's "dump[ing] all of the good and none of the bad on one sole person and vice versa"? Just, I really never come across that on LJ. Or even on forums. It's far more likely to read criticism about Joss imo. Though it might just be our own perspectives being flipped, so we notice different things.

think Joss has some good ideas, but when left to his own devices he falls into the contrivances and tropes and then falls through his own plotholes.

I agree with that, true. He does start to repeat ideas and that's very frustrating to me.

...And Crying-at-the-drop-of-a-hat!Buffy makes me physically ill.

LOL. I'm not even touching that one. The ways in which I disagree could fill a thesis paper. :P

[fenderlove.livejournal.com]

Just, I really never come across that on LJ. Or even on forums. It's far more likely to read criticism about Joss imo.
Oh, if only I could dig up the wank from the old FanForums. It was EPIC. There are a lot of people, including Joss himself, who want to pass the blame around about how the original Buffy flopped. Joss never takes any of the blame himself nor does anyone who defends his "honor" even stop and think that perhaps the story was just a tad weak to begin with (I personally have a soft spot for the film). It's the same thing with some of his other work. Toy Story = Commercially successful. Joss is a genius even though four other writers worked on that with him. Alien Resurrection = Neither commercially nor critically successful. It's not Joss's fault! It's the director's! In reality, there's enough praise and blame to go around; none of which means a damn thing.

The ways in which I disagree could fill a thesis paper. :P
That's glorious. Strong opinions are always such fun. I like "Oh, no, she's crying again" drinking game I created. Too bad I'm allergic to alcohol or I'd be blitzed. I'll stick to the conclusion that Buffy either needs an anti-depressant or she's pregnant... or she's got some sort of disease that makes grey paint leak from all her orifices.