# Am I the only person in the world who has no idea who Josh Whedon is? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 5, 2005, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-has-no-idea-who-josh-whedon-is/324912 "2005-10-05T16:54:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-has-no-idea-who-josh-whedon-is/324912/1 "2005-10-05T16:54:38Z")
I kep seeing his name come up in threads and I gather he’s got something to do with that movie, _Serenity_ (which, from the trailers I’ve seen, looks like something you’d see on the Sci Fi Channel), but that’s like all I know. Who is this guy and where did he come from and why does he have a fan base already from one movie? Has he done something I should be familiar with? What DOES he do, for that matter? Is a director or a writer? An actor? help me out, here. I feel old and out of the loop. ---
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-has-no-idea-who-josh-whedon-is/324912/2 "2005-10-05T16:56:20Z")
[Joss Whedon](http://imdb.com/name/nm0923736/) Simples answer is that Buffy The Vampire Slayer (TV) is his claim to fame. ---
**Author:** ![Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f0a364/32.png) [@Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rube_E.Tewesday)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-has-no-idea-who-josh-whedon-is/324912/3 "2005-10-05T16:58:00Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > I kep seeing his name come up in threads and I gather he’s got something to do with that movie, _Serenity_ (which, from the trailers I’ve seen, looks like something you’d see on the Sci Fi Channel), but that’s like all I know. Who is this guy and where did he come from and why does he have a fan base already from one movie? Has he done something I should be familiar with? What DOES he do, for that matter? Is a director or a writer? An actor? help me out, here. I feel old and out of the loop. Wow – you’ve been an important part of the SDMB this long, and don’t know that Joss Whedon is the creator of _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_, probably the most beloved Doper show of all time? Just further evidence for my theory that there is no such thing as common knowledge. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-has-no-idea-who-josh-whedon-is/324912/4 "2005-10-05T16:58:26Z")
It’s JOSS, not Josh. He is the creator/writer/producer and director of several episodes of three much-loved TV shows: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, its spinoff Angel, and the sci-fi series Firefly. He most recently wrote, produced, and directed the movie Serenity, which is a continuation of Firefly. Before that, he was a successful writer for the sitcom Roseanne, and wrote several screenplays (occasionally getting credit, and occasionally being one of many anonymous “chefs”): his own Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie (which pales in comparison to the series), Toy Story, Speed, Twister, and Alien: Resurrection. He also writes the Astonishing X-Men comic book for Marvel Comics. ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-has-no-idea-who-josh-whedon-is/324912/5 "2005-10-05T16:59:10Z")
Before this “Firefly” thing ignited, I didn’t know who the fuck he was, either. Now that I know he’s the “Buffy” guy, my knowledge about him now exceeds my interest in learning more. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-has-no-idea-who-josh-whedon-is/324912/6 "2005-10-05T17:00:59Z")
“Am I the only person in the world who has no idea who Josh Whedon is?” Nope. And in learning who he is, I have to say, “Oh. Okay.” ---
**Author:** ![JerH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bb73d2/32.png) [@JerH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerH)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-has-no-idea-who-josh-whedon-is/324912/7 "2005-10-05T17:02:19Z")
I’m going to assume you’re being serious: Joss (note spelling) Whedon was the creator/head writer for _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_, _Angel_, and _Firefly_ (the TV series on which _Serenity_ is based). He was the director of _Serenity_, and is also slated to direct the forthcoming _Wonder Woman_ movie. Earlier in his career, he also did some movie script work, notably early versions of the scripts for _Toy Story_ and _X-Men_. He has a fairly large cult following, primarily from Buffy aficianados. Many of these folk seem to think that Whedon is the most brilliant writer ever. Personally, I believe he’s a writer who is great at creating interesting characters and character dynamics, and is pretty much incompetent at pacing a story or maintaining consistency. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-has-no-idea-who-josh-whedon-is/324912/8 "2005-10-05T17:03:44Z")
Ah…that whole Buffy thing. Now I get it. I’ve never seen that show but at least I know what it is. So that’s where the fanbase comes from. Thank you. Did he write the original Buffy movie or did he just create the series? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-has-no-idea-who-josh-whedon-is/324912/9 "2005-10-05T17:05:39Z")
He wrote the original movie, but didn’t have a lot of creative control over it, and was never pleased with the final product. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-has-no-idea-who-josh-whedon-is/324912/10 "2005-10-05T17:06:16Z")
He came up with the concept of the movie. After that, it got out of his hands. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-has-no-idea-who-josh-whedon-is/324912/11 "2005-10-05T17:09:43Z")
I thought maybe he was a character on _Buffy._ My reaction is about the same as **Hentor** ’s. ---
**Author:** ![Amaranta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Amaranta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amaranta)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-has-no-idea-who-josh-whedon-is/324912/12 "2005-10-05T17:12:05Z")
> [@Loopydude](#): > > Before this “Firefly” thing ignited, I didn’t know who the fuck he was, either. Now that I know he’s the “Buffy” guy, my knowledge about him now exceeds my interest in learning more. Precisely my thoughts. Though apparently this says very, very bad things about us. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-has-no-idea-who-josh-whedon-is/324912/13 "2005-10-05T17:18:11Z")
> [@amaranta](#): > > Precisely my thoughts. Though apparently this says very, very bad things about us. Yes. Yes it does. 😃 Don’t sweat it (as if you would anyway). I feel the same way about anime, circumcision, or any number of other things the board obsesses about. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-has-no-idea-who-josh-whedon-is/324912/14 "2005-10-05T17:20:39Z")
> [@JerH](#): > > Personally, I believe he’s a writer who is great at creating interesting characters and character dynamics, and is pretty much incompetent at pacing a story or maintaining consistency. I’ve never seen his work but it’s probably noteworthy that what you cite as his strengths are probably the most important elements in a successful television series, where individual stories and an overriding arc aren’t as important as the characters and their intertactions. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-has-no-idea-who-josh-whedon-is/324912/15 "2005-10-05T17:31:54Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > He wrote the original movie, but didn’t have a lot of creative control over it, and was never pleased with the final product. That’s where ol’ Joss and I differ. Once you’ve seen vampire Peewee take fifteen minutes to die (if he isn’t _still_ at it), you don’t need any more story about a vampire-hunting cheerleader. A live-action version of _Kim Possible_ might have been just the vehicle for Ms. Gellar. ---
**Author:** ![RancidYakButterTeaParty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/53a042/32.png) [@RancidYakButterTeaParty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RancidYakButterTeaParty)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-has-no-idea-who-josh-whedon-is/324912/16 "2005-10-05T17:36:45Z")
I’ve never heard of him. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-has-no-idea-who-josh-whedon-is/324912/17 "2005-10-05T17:37:40Z")
Oh, Whedon’s next project, post-Serenity, is to write and direct a major movie adaptation of Wonder Woman. With Joss’ history writing strong female superheroines and love of comic books, everyone expects good things from him, rather than another mockery like Catwoman or Elektra. And despite a comic book pedigree dating back to 1940 and a '70s TV series starring the gorgeous Lynda Carter, Wonder Woman is pretty much a blank slate that Whedon can “reimagine” to make her cool and relevant for modern times. No actress has been cast yet, but the strongest rumors keep mentioning Charisma Carpenter, Monica Bellucci, and Morena Baccarin. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-has-no-idea-who-josh-whedon-is/324912/18 "2005-10-05T17:49:10Z")
Don’t you mean John Sweden? ---
**Author:** ![VenusProbe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e495f1/32.png) [@VenusProbe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VenusProbe)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-has-no-idea-who-josh-whedon-is/324912/19 "2005-10-05T17:53:46Z")
You are not the only one, before reading this thread I didn’t know who this Josh/Joss Whedon person is. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-has-no-idea-who-josh-whedon-is/324912/20 "2005-10-05T17:59:20Z")
> [@Loopydude](#): > > Before this “Firefly” thing ignited, I didn’t know who the fuck he was, either. Now that I know he’s the “Buffy” guy, my knowledge about him now exceeds my interest in learning more. Well thank Christ you checked in with this very important observation. I know I’ll sleep easier. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-has-no-idea-who-josh-whedon-is/324912.md?page=2)