Joss Whedon hated every vampire show that came after his seminal work, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The reason, though it has some truth to it, will raise your eyebrow since it came from Whedon. The creator explained that the central female characters in works like Twilight and The Vampire Diaries had more of a passive role in their respective stories, unlike Buffy.
Whedon’s protagonist, played by Sarah Michelle Gellar, was not just at the center of Buffy‘s plot, but she was also instrumental in driving it. She is a descendant of the Vampire Slayers, who battle vampires, demons, and other forces of darkness.
While Whedon delivered strong female protagonists in his story, he was accused of dehumanizing the actresses in his series by creating toxic workplace environments. The allegations came from Buffy stars Charisma Carpenter, Amber Benson, and Michelle Trachtenberg, while Gellar lent these actresses her support and distanced herself from Whedon.
Why did Joss Whedon hate Twilight, despite its similarities in theme with Buffy?
Joss Whedon wrote the 1992 comedy vampire film Buffy the Vampire Slayer, where Kristy Swanson played the titular role. However, the film eventually took a different direction from what Whedon had originally intended. This prompted him to make the television series of the same name starring Sarah Michelle Gellar.
Buffy was one of the most influential TV series at the time, not just in the vampire genre. It was part of a wave of television series that featured strong female characters in the lead role. After the series wrapped, several other films and shows were developed in the same vein as Buffy.
The most prominent works in the genre that followed Buffy were Twilight and The Vampire Diaries. Whedon was asked about these hit works, and he wasn’t happy with them. During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, he shared that Buffy stood out in the way the story treated its female protagonist.
He bashed Twilight for how the central female character was made “completely passive” and unaware of what was going on around her. He was frustrated at how the female character was just there in the story to choose between the boys. He shared:
The Twilight thing, and a lot of these franchise attempts coming out, everything rests on what this girl will do, but she’s completely passive or not really knowing what the hell is going on. And that’s incredibly frustrating to me because a lot of what’s taken on the oeuvre of Buffy is actually a reaction against it. Everything is there except for the Buffy. A lot of things aimed at the younger kids is just Choosing Boyfriends: The Movie.
Whedon’s criticism of franchises like Twilight is on point, however, fans might find it hard to digest his viewpoint after the allegations against him. While Whedon was all for strong female characters in his stories, he allegedly didn’t treat his actresses like human beings on the set of the series.
Joss Whedon faced allegations of toxic workplace treatment from Buffy actresses
The problematic environment on Joss Whedon’s sets first surfaced when Ray Fisher came forward with allegations of unprofessional behavior from Whedon (via Variety). Gal Gadot later told LA Times that she didn’t have the best time working with Whedon on Justice League and added that she took it “to the higher-ups and they took care of it”.
More allegations against Whedon came to light in February 2021 when Buffy actress Charisma Carpenter alleged that Whedon “abused his power on numerous occasions” (via Variety). She shared that Whedon had called her “fat” during her pregnancy, mocked her religious faith, and repeatedly threatened to fire her.
Her co-stars, Amber Benson and Michelle Trachtenberg, wrote corroborating statements on social media. Benson shared, “Buffy was a toxic environment and it starts at the top. [Carpenter] is speaking truth”. Trachtenberg shared that there was a rule on set preventing Whedon from being in the same room alone with her.
Sarah Michelle Gellar and other cast members, including David Boreanaz, James Marsters, Anthony Stewart Head, Eliza Dushku, J. August Richards, and Amy Acker, voiced their support for the alleged victims. Whedon denied the claims and shared that he can be confrontational at times (via Vulture). He has since disappeared largely from films and television.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is now available for streaming on Hulu.
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