I re-watched all of BtVS in Lockdown 1.0 and spent many quarantine hours watching panel shows. The more I watched, the more I worried I was ruining the show for me (like an adult returning to Disney World, when your memories were made as a child)...
When I watched the Paleyfest 2008 panel,
this moment stuck out. I just couldn't help but notice how JM was almost sucking up to Joss? And then NB (or JM? But I think NB) said the "you didn't even write most of them" comment, which I thought was interesting - particularly the reactions from others!
JM has also said at Comic Cons that he would only work on another Buffyverse show if Joss was running it. It made me wonder if actors were scared to say anything different and accepted Joss was 'CEO' and therefore had to revere him in a way. And actually, when I think about any job in the professional world, people wouldn't criticise their previous employer to a new employer or indeed in any public space. People have to remain professional. Particularly in show business where, as someone here pointed out, actors are replaceable. I've worked for a few egotistical CEOs to whom we have to defer, smile and nod along, regardless of our true feelings...
I think back to Joey in 'Friends' having that fateful interview after which he was killed off from 'Days of Our Lives.' Watching / reading about BtVS Comic Cons, panel shows and behind the scenes going-ons, Kai Cole's article has disillusioned me somewhat with Joss.
*Controversial opinion* I have been thinking this since last summer, but didn't want to say, as I feared the backlash (which to me confirms why CC and others stayed quiet until there was/is strength in numbers) but... I don't think Joss is that much of a genius.
I never thought this at the time of watching, or when at uni, but in the last year, I have started to doubt that Joss
set out to make a feminist show. I think the premise of the show was indeed to have a girl walk down an alleyway, face up to a monster and kick its ass, as Joss said, but I think the original foundation was as simple as that. Plus, that the monsters would represent daily struggles in life. I think Joss liked the 'cute/hot geek' girl too, and wanted to popularise that archetype / trope (note the first actress cast as Willow) hence the unusual 2 female: 1 male line up. I think the show evolved to have a feminist message and many writers contributed to that.
Regarding when CC tried to tell Joss about her pregnancy, in an interview a while ago, it does seem like she tried to very early on -
.
If he did indeed ask, "Are you planning on keeping it?" then it would safe to assume it was < 12 weeks in, and most of the time employers are told at 3 months+?
With regards to MT, my first thought wasn't paedophilia. To me it sounds like he was quite unprofessional and bullying (perhaps with "jokey" comments) and people just had to awkwardly laugh along/tolerate it. As with many CEOs, often people feel they can't disagree/speak out until their financial stream is secured elsewhere. Obviously we don't know for sure, but my take is that MT's "not appropriate" is vague because the behaviour was just close to the bone and uncomfortable. Like an elderly granddad making 'old-fashioned' comments, to put it euphemistically.
I did regret going into the background of the show, behind its magic for me, and it did make me notice that SMG had distanced from the show, BUT, that said, I don't think it takes away from the series. I firmly believe that the actresses were on that show for the right reasons, because they believed in the empowering message it brought to fans. SMG said herself that a fan award meant more to her than any Grammy and I believe her words. The actors can talk about the work they did because they believed in it. And that can be separate from the workplace politics or how it is being ran. Much like we can be proud of the individual work we do in our jobs, even if we disagree with how elements are being governed from the top.
To me, BtVS is still a powerful show. I love the writing, the acting, the message and Joss' behaviour for me doesn't detract from that. I think if fans were to 'cancel it' it would be pulling away from something the actors and many writers, believed in and worked hard at. They still refer to it and are proud of it - and I hope they are still remunerated with royalties!!
