November 09, 2005
The Circle Is Now Complete
Last evening, I finished off the Firefly series. The program only got stronger and stronger as characters and plotlines developed - it was both gratifying and painful to watch, gratifying because it was so well done and painful because I knew there was no more to come. This is definitely a buy-worthy DVD set.
I even went so far as to watch the extra bits. It was only then that I realized that the occasional outbursts of the crew were not alien-speak gobbledy-gook, but Mandarin Chinese. Somehow, I had missed the premise that the Firefly future world was built on the remnants of a clash between China and the West. It was also then that I suddenly realized that everybody in the show was human, and, if I understand the bit at the beginning of "The Message", humans had never yet come in contact with any kind of alien species. I can't think of a single other sci-fi show off the top of my head where this is the case, that Man still remains alone in the Universe.
That's a pretty, well, Biblical way of looking at things. And speaking of that, I have also been impressed that Shepherd Book (who hasn't really changed his hair since his Detective Harris days), is neither an incompetent boob nor a fire-breathing zealot, but at the same time also isn't a whatever-turns-you-on kinda guy.
And speaking of that, I was also mulling the whole story of Inara. There's nothing new about legalized prostitution in sci-fi, but what I like here (well, aside from the switch-hitting) is not only the fact that Mal doesn't approve of it, but that Inara herself - for all her justification and pseudo-mysticism - plainly has periods of doubt about what she does.
So the whole thing has got me wondering - is this Joss Whedon guy some kind of stealth conservative?
UPDATE: Just to clarify, I don't mean "conservative" in the political sense. I mean that, despite its setting in the the space equivalent of the Wild West, there is a definite morality at play - Right and Wrong exist, religion is treated with respect, marriage (Wash and Zoe) is celebrated, this sort of thing. You can hold these values and still come down all over the place on the political spectrum.
So the whole thing has got me wondering - is this Joss Whedon guy some kind of stealth conservative?
No. In fact, I believe he was involved with some public effort in favor of the Kerry campaign last election season. Politically correct liberal themes can be glimpsed throughout a bunch of his shows, though he puts self-determination (also "family") above all else, which makes him a libertarian-leaner. That being said, I'm not sure that being liberal or libertarian means that you endorse or can't see the potential consequences of completely libertine behavior. Some people are nuanced like that.
And on an unrelated, shocking note, you and I finally agree on the quality of a public work of fiction, but I think that's just because this is the first thing you've actually ever liked.
Posted by: Bill from INDC at November 9, 2005 01:01 PMYeah, Bill's right regarding Whedon's political leanings. But you're also right that the show and movie have a decidedly libertarian slant, and I was equally pleased with the sympathetic portrayal of Book.
Posted by: Brian B at November 9, 2005 01:04 PM//So the whole thing has got me wondering - is this Joss Whedon guy some kind of stealth conservative?//
I dunno - I do think he's a gifted storyteller though, which makes it hard to pigeonhole him.
//this is the first thing you've actually ever liked.//
Hahahaha. So true.
Nuh-uuuh!
Posted by: Robbo the LB at November 9, 2005 01:10 PMGASP! Liberals can have nuanced opinions????
One of my favorite recurring themes in Whedon's TV shows is how much the good guy/girl struggles between moral decisions with bad outcomes vs. corrupted actions with good outcomes. Firefly did a good job with that, Angel a great one.
Posted by: LB buddy at November 9, 2005 01:56 PMMy favorite Sci-fi writer, William Gibson, is a liberal -- a crazy left liberal -- and his blog, for me, is unreadable. But you have a hard time seeing him as a liberal when you read him. Some things transcend politics, ands usually, all of them are good.
Posted by: The Colossus at November 9, 2005 03:00 PMWelcome to, as some would call it, the "Whedon Death Cult." I mean, as far as I know, you only like one of his shows and all, but you liked Firefly, and may even be willing to defend it against its detractors, so that makes you an insane Whedonite!
This according to some Firefly bashers.
Oh, and Kaylee is teh |-|0+5!!11!
Posted by: TheRoyalFamily at November 9, 2005 03:36 PMSome blogger--"The Spoons Experience," I think--wrote a piece last year on how "Buffy" could be taken as a paradigm of modern international relations, with Buffy as the US and the Watchers' Council as the UN. Whedon was a strong Kerry supporter, which kind of sucks, but it's interesting that his projects are so congenial to the conservative point of view.
Incidentally, Sarah Michelle Gellar is a Republican.
Posted by: utron at November 9, 2005 04:30 PMYou mean Buffy "The 'S' is silent"?
Posted by: Brian B at November 9, 2005 05:55 PMNext up, I strongly recommend tracking down the "Keen Eddie" series. Like "Firefly" it was a radical departure in standard TV fare that Fox gave absolutly no chance to earn an audience. I'm here in the DC area, let me know and I will loan you my copy.
Posted by: Mike at November 10, 2005 03:49 PM
