Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon Dr. David Lavery Fall 2014 PH 308, M “We’d Do the Weird Stuff”: The Naughty Joss Whedon

“We’d do the weird stuff”: Joss Whedon’s Naughty Side “We’d do the weird stuff”: Joss Whedon’s Naughty Side Thanks to Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon

“We'd do the weird stuff” Bowdlerizing Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon

“We’d do the weird stuff”: Joss Whedon’s Naughty Side Rated: XXX Legend of Deceny Rating: Go Directly to Hell “We’d do the weird stuff”: Joss Whedon’s Naughty Side Rated: XXX Legend of Deceny Rating: Go Directly to Hell The Pledge of the Legion of Decency “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. I condemn all indecent and immoral motion pictures, and those which glorify crime or criminals. I promise to do all that I can to strengthen public opinion against the production of indecent and immoral films, and to unite with all who protest against them. I acknowledge my obligation to form a right conscience about pictures that are dangerous to my moral life. I pledge myself to remain away from them. I promise, further, to stay away altogether from places of amusement which show them as a matter of policy.” Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon “We'd do the weird stuff” Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon

WILLOW: Buffy! Oh god. BUFFY: Come on. (Buffy helps her up and through the curtain. They're in a Sunnydale High classroom.) BUFFY: Stay low. What did it look like? WILLOW: I don't know. I--I don't know what's after me. BUFFY: Well, you must have done something. WILLOW: No. I never do anything. I'm very seldom naughty. “Restless” (4.22) Very Often Naughty “We'd do the weird stuff” Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon

Dealing with Censors  Self-Censorship  Declining Numbers  Gaming the Refs (Larry David— right)  Outwitting the Gatekeeeper “We'd do the weird stuff” Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon

“We'd do the weird stuff” Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon

“We'd do the weird stuff” Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon

“We'd do the weird stuff” Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon

“We'd do the weird stuff” David Franken: Programmer for Australia's Seven Network for twenty five years Buffy: Not a Teen Drama Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon

A Tour of the Naughty Whedonverse “We'd do the weird stuff” Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon

British Profanity wanker bugger bint shag sod ponce bollocks “We'd do the weird stuff” Giles: We few, we happy few. Spike: We band of buggered (“The Gift,” 5.22) SPIKE: Oh, poor Watcher. Did your life pass before your eyes? Cuppa tea, cuppa tea, almost got shagged, cuppa tea? (”Bargaining,” Part 1, 6.1) Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon

“We'd do the weird stuff” wanker: someone who engages in perpetual masturbation bugger: to engage in “sodomy” bint: roughly equivalent to “bitch” shag: have sex with sod: frak ponce: a pejorative term for gay bollocks: testicles British Profanity Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon

In “Amends” (3.10), Buffy finds her mother putting up the family Christmas tree. When Joyce asks for quite natural decorating advice—“So, angel's on top again?”—Buffy, her mind on a different kind of Angel, is startled by the question and suggests going with a star instead. “We'd do the weird stuff” Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon

FAITH: Hold me. (uses him for leverage while popping her shoulder back in) That's better. She got me really wound up. A fight like that and... no kill... I'm about ready to pop. XANDER: (nervously) Really? Pop?! FAITH: (smiles sexily) You up for it? “We'd do the weird stuff” XANDER: (nods) Oh, I'm up. I'm suddenly *very* up. It's just, um... I've never been up with people before. FAITH: Just relax... And take your pants off. XANDER: Those two concepts are antithetical. FAITH: Don't worry. I'll steer you around the curves. XANDER: Did I mention that I'm having a very strange night? “The Zeppo” (3.13) Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon

In “The Zeppo” (3.13) XANDER: (nods) Oh, I'm up. I'm suddenly *very* up. It's just, um... I've never been up with people before. FAITH: Just relax... And take your pants off. XANDER: Those two concepts are antithetical. FAITH: Don't worry. I'll steer you around the curves. XANDER: Did I mention that I'm having a very strange night? “We'd do the weird stuff” Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon

In “The Freshman” (4.1), the first episode of Buffy’s college years, Willow enthuses about the academic possibilities of university life: It's just in High School, knowledge was pretty much frowned upon. You really had to work to learn anything. But here, the energy, the collective intelligence, it's like this force, this penetrating force, and I can just feel my mind opening up—you know?—and letting this place thrust into and spurt knowledge into... that sentence ended up in a different place than it started out in. [Read by Tori Warenik] “We'd do the weird stuff” Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon

In Season Four’s Emmy-nominated “Hush” (4.10), Xander mistakes Buffy’s pantomimed staking of The Gentlemen until she adds an actual stake to the demonstration. “We'd do the weird stuff” Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon

Later, Anya shows her appreciation for Xander’s “bravery” against Spike by inserting her right index finger in and out of the circle formed by her left thumb and index finger. “We'd do the weird stuff” Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon

In “Who Are You” (4.16), Faith-in-Buffy encounters the Vampire Spike, whom she has never met, who picks a verbal fight with his nemesis—and looses badly: “We'd do the weird stuff” Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon

Spike: You know why I really hate you, Summers? Faith: (cheerfully) 'Cause I'm a stuck-up tight-ass with no sense of fun? Spike: Well... Yeah, that covers a lot of it. Faith: 'Cause I could do anything I want, and instead I choose to pout and whine and feel the burden of Slayerness? I mean, I could be rich. I could be famous. I could have anything. Anyone. Even you, Spike. I could ride you at a gallop until your legs buckled and your eyes rolled up. I've got muscles you've never even dreamed of. I could squeeze you until you pop like warm champagne and you'd beg me to hurt you just a little bit more. And you know why I don't? Because it's wrong. “We'd do the weird stuff” Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon

In the same episode, Faith-in Buffy deduces, in conversation with Tara, that Willow is now gay, So Willow's not driving stick anymore. Who would have thought? I guess you never really know someone until you've been inside their skin. [Read by Sara Hays] “We'd do the weird stuff” Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon

In the same season’s “Restless” (4.22), Xander and Oz talk to their witch friend (and Oz’s former lover) and about her new love Tara: Xander: So whatcha been doin'? Doing spells? (To Oz) She does spells with Tara. Oz: Yeah, I heard about that. Willow: (anxious) I'm gonna be late. (Walks off) Xander: Sometimes I think about two women doing a spell... and then I do a spell by myself. (Oz looks at him. Xander looks at Oz, then quickly away.) [Read by Tom Cruz (Xander), Luke Patton (Oz), Tiffany Schock (Willow) “We'd do the weird stuff” Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon

In “Family” (5.6) Spike baits the Slayer to “Come and get it,” and she responds “I’m coming right now”—all of which turns out to be the vampire’s fantasizing while he has sex with Harmony. “We'd do the weird stuff” Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon

In “The Gift” (5.22), Spike answers Xander’s question why dark rituals always involve blood: 'Cause it's always gotta be blood. Blood is life, lackbrain. Why do you think we eat it? It's what keeps you going, makes you warm, makes you hard, makes you other than dead. [Read by Dan Copp] “We'd do the weird stuff” Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon

In the famous musical episode of Buffy, Season Six’s “Once More with Feeling” (6.7), Tara levitates from her bed in response to Willow’s out-of- frame ministrations as she sings “You make me complete. You make me com...” “We'd do the weird stuff” Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon

In “Smashed” (6.9), Spike and Buffy’s torrid hate sex literally brings the house down. “We'd do the weird stuff” Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon

And in “Gone” (6.11) an invisible Buffy is very busy both beneath the sheets... “We'd do the weird stuff” Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon

... and below the frame. “We'd do the weird stuff” Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon

In the teaser of “Chosen” (7.22), the final, 144 th episode of Buffy, the Slayer and Caleb, The First’s chief minion, do battle, a clash continued from “End of Days” the previous week. Facing Buffy as she wields her magic scythe, he taunts her that “she doesn’t have the...” to battle him (the last word inaudible/censored). She responds by slicing him in two— from the groin up. “Who does these days,” she quips in classic Slayer style, referring, of course, to the “balls” Caleb had been unable to pronounce. “I've always been amazed with how Buffy fought,” Xander observes in “Anne” (3.1), “but... in a way, I feel like we took her punning for granted.” “We'd do the weird stuff” Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon

Moments later in “Chosen,” Buffy tries to explain to Angel her growth— and her unfinishedness—with a baking metaphor: Because—OK, I'm cookie dough. I'm not done baking. I'm not finished becoming whoever the hell it is I'm gonna turn out to be. I make it through this, and the next thing, and the next thing, and maybe one day I turn around and realize I'm ready. I'm cookies. And then, you know, if I want someone to eat— (eyes go wide as she catches herself) or enjoy warm, delicious cookie me, then... that's fine. That'll be then. When I'm done. [Read by Sarah Gray-Panesi] “We'd do the weird stuff” Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon

In the same episode, Willow worries aloud about the “Beacoup d’mojo” she is being asked to perform (transferring the power of The Slayer to all potential slayers everywhere), and 16 year old Dawn is a bit slow to fathom her metaphor: Willow: Whoa, hey! Not to poop on the party here but I’m the guy who’s going to have to pull this thing off.... This goes beyond anything I’ve ever done. It’s a total loss of control and not in a nice, wholesome, “my girlfriend has a pierced tongue” kind of way. Buffy: I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t think you could do it. Willow: I’m not sure that I’m stable enough.... Dawn: (realizes) Oh! Pierced tongue! “We'd do the weird stuff” Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon

In the first episode of Angel (“City of,” 1.1), Doyle refers to newly employed Cordelia as a “stiffener.” “We'd do the weird stuff” Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon

In “Waiting in the Wings,” Cordelia and Angel, under the spell of the magic theatre, kiss and almost make love. When Cordelia comments that “it's a good thing it wears off right away," Angel readily agrees, while at the same time removing his tux jacket and strategically placing it over his genitals. “We'd do the weird stuff” Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon

In “Spin the Bottle,” a Season Four episode of Angel (4.6) in which Lorne’s magic spell goes awry causes all the members of Angel Investigations to revert to their teen selves, we find this exchange between Cordelia and Wesley as he introduces himself: Wesley: It's Wesley, thank you. Wyndham-Pryce. (grabs his lapels, puffs up with pride) I am from the Watcher's Academy in southern Hampshire. In fact, I happen to be head boy. Cordelia: Gee, I wonder how you earned that nickname. Wesley: A lot of effort, I don't mind saying. [Read by Luke Patton (Wesley), Lisa Jass (Cordelia)] “We'd do the weird stuff” Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon

Later in the same episode, wooden stakes, fitted before Wesley and the others lose their memory, inadvertently, embarrassingly erupt from his sleeves. “We'd do the weird stuff” Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon

In “Serenity,” Firefly’s intended first episode, Jayne, after being castigated by Mal for his remark that Kaylee wishes Simon was a gynecologist, responds “Just because Kaylee gets herself all lubed up over...” before the Captain silences him and banishes him from the table. “We'd do the weird stuff” Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon

In “Our Mrs. Reynolds,” after Jayne seeks to trade Vera, his prized weapon, for Mal’s unsought “bride” Saffron, the Captain rejects his offer and send him to his room with “Go play with your rainstick.” Moments later Mal tells “a naked and all articulate” Saffron that “it’s been a while... a long damn while since anybody but me took a hold a’ my plow.” “We'd do the weird stuff” Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon

In Serenity, we listen to the following exchange: Zoë: Cap'n didn't make 'em fugitives. Kaylee: But he coulda made 'em family! 'Steada keepin' Simon from seein' I was there. And I carried such a torch, and we coulda... Goin' on a year now I ain't had nothin' twixt my nethers weren't run on batteries! Mal: [shocked] Oh, God! I can't know that! Jayne: I could stand to hear a little more. Read by Lisa Jass ( Zoë), Cori Mathis (Kaylee), Tom Cruz (Mal), Dan Copp (Jayne) “We'd do the weird stuff” Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon

KAYLEE: Oh, I didn't plan on going out like this. I think we did right, but... SIMON: I never planned... anything. I just wanted to keep River safe. Spent so much time on Serenity trying to find us a home I never realized I already had. She looks at him with soft surprise. SIMON: My one true regret in all this is never being with you. KAYLEE: With me? You mean to say, as, sex? SIMON: (smiles) I mean to say. “We'd do the weird stuff” Kaylee snaps her cartridge home with way more precision than we might expect from her, takes steady aim at the door. KAYLEE: Hell with this. I'm gonna live. [Read by Sara Hays (Kaylee), Dan Copp (Simon)] Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon

Dr. Horrible: Well, this is great. I wish I could stay and chit-chat. Captain Hammer: Well it sure was nice to meet you… Doctor… You got a little crush, don’t you Doc? Well that’s gonna make this hard to hear. See, later I’m gonna take little Penny back to my place, show her the Command Center, Hammer Cycle, maybe even the Ham-Jet. You think she likes me now? I’m gonna give Penny the night of her life. Just because you want her, and I get what you want. See, Penny’s giving it up. She’s givin it up hard, cause she’s with Captain Hammer. and THESE are not the hammer. “We'd do the weird stuff” Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon

In Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, Captain Hammer sings of his “love” for new girlfriend Penny: This is so nice I just might sleep with the same girl twice They say it's better the second time They say you get to do the weird stuff From left of the frame his stalkerish fans, two females, one male, pop in to announce, hopefully, “We'd do the weird stuff.” “We'd do the weird stuff” Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon 1:08 in Special Topics in Film Studies: Joss Whedon