About a month ago, Joss said that in the wake of the WW falling out, he was working on a draft of Goners he felt would be ready to give to the studio. I guess that happened.

[ edited by theonetruebix on 2007-05-27 00:22 ]

theonetruebix | May 27, 00:22 CET

See, TV? Joss loves you best. Better than all the other media.

Now if you'd just learn to commit.

ETA: Thank you, SaltyGoodness!

[ edited by Pointy on 2007-05-27 00:53 ]

Pointy | May 27, 00:44 CET

*bounces in joyful Goners anticipation*

Thanks, SaltyGoodness! When I first heard the topic was Reeves I thought "Hunh." but it makes a lot more sense in context.

At Comic Con last year he did say he was already polishing the script, I guess it was almost done when he turned back to it last month. I hope Mary loves it -- quick!

cabri | May 27, 01:00 CET

cabri, he was polishing back then, but last month he explained that as WW was heading towards a no-go, something clicked for him on Goners and he went to work on the draft he would submit.

theonetruebix | May 27, 01:03 CET

Darn I had no idea there were more whedonesque people in CT. I thought I was the only one. So I went alone. Sat alone in the front row. Oh well. - Mud

Turtle | May 27, 01:06 CET

I need video!

daylight | May 27, 01:19 CET

Thanks, SaltyGoodness.

This is a lovely report. Nice to know that Goners is progressing well too!

non sequitur | May 27, 01:27 CET

Yay! Awesome!

Goners!

Rock on, SaltyGoodness!

UnpluggedCrazy | May 27, 01:46 CET

Joss came to CT and I missed it???? Ahhh I can't believe it! :( But it looks like only Wesleyan people were allowed in...? That sucks.

fortunateizzi | May 27, 01:59 CET

I'm not a student there and I went. I contacted the staff and they said it was open to the public.

Turtle | May 27, 02:34 CET

I've always liked Keanu Reeves. He seems like a very kind, graceful person by all accounts.

When asked about the quality of television today he made a comment that "nothing on tv has ever been as good as Battlestar Galactica."

That makes me irrationally happy. Now I want to know what he thinks of the season ender (holy frak!)

However, while I love BSG in a way that defies reason and limits, in my opinion Whedon TV is still better. They really are apples and oranges, but if forced to choose, my desert island discs would be Buffy DVDs.

orphea | May 27, 02:38 CET

Great read! Thanks, SaltyGoodness!

TV is waiting for you, Joss. It misses you too. I want quality TV to be the majority NOT the minority :)

Harmalicious | May 27, 03:10 CET

Yup, apples and oranges, indeed, orphea, I need 'em all. My love for BSG is just a different flavor of obsession than is my love for BtVS, Firefly, and to a somewhat lesser extent, AtVS.

*stretches and breathes deeply*

And yes, it is a good day to be a Gonersesarianizite.

*waits by the phone for the call from Universal*

QuoterGal | May 27, 03:18 CET

You took your 18 month old nephew, SG?

Way to go- reelin' em' in young! ;-)

THERE'S your fanbase for 2025, Joss...

missb | May 27, 03:44 CET

I have to admit that, pre-BtVS, I had watched Speed almost obsessively during a terrible period of my life. I never understood why, but now it all makes sense -- it was Joss! And I understand from clients who've worked with Keanu Reeves, that he is indeed a very decent and intelligent chap.

Plus, a 12-issue miniseries of AtS comics? Yay!

I don't have the attention span to devote to Gonersian anticipation, not yet, not after all the wheelspinning for WW. So, nothing more about the tv procedural he mentioned not long ago?

punkinpuss | May 27, 04:03 CET

So it will be like a half a season of Angel S6? Works for me...Angel S6.5.

And I always liked Keanu too, even though I don't think he's a very good actor. He always seemed like a nice guy.

Rogue Slayer | May 27, 04:21 CET

Thanks, saltygoodness.

Now Turtle, if you were there all alone, you must have been less distracted than saltygoodness and should have some extra details to add.

Well?

;-)

newcj | May 27, 06:17 CET

Yeah yeah, Goners. I'm sure it will be fab. I'll be there with my Joss-love shining bright like a good little Whedonesquer.

Whatever. It's taking so damn long. I'm sick of hearing about it already and it isn't even near completion.

Gimme Joss and Elfquest. That frikkin' GN is so Whedon I can't stand it (No disrespect to the mighty Pinis intended!). Gimme Joss and B or A in a non-comic (read television) format.

Gimme Joss and HBO! A Deadwoodish (meaning artistic freedom and budget) show with a Joss-chosen story to tell? Be still my Hooplehead heart.

Gimme Joss and fucking SIMON PEGG! Please? In my lifetime? That collaboration would shake the shingles off the roof of the planet.

Wow. How cathartic. I feel so cleansed now. Not really. Not 'til the gimmes are real. At least one.

;)

Willowy | May 27, 07:07 CET

You guys are all so sweet. I have so much more to share. It is 2:15 a.m. and I have to get up at 6 but I had to check in because I just got back from a big dance party for the Wes graduating class and you won't believe it but Joss was there dancing the night away. I had a chance to talk to him while dancing, it was super fun. I'm going to post more in the thread Simon linked, so click again...

SaltyGoodness | May 27, 07:19 CET

Erm, why not just post it HERE, since this is the thread that's on the front page?

theonetruebix | May 27, 07:39 CET

Lucky!

Not only to see Joss speak, or to talk to him briefly.
But to see the Man Himself DANCING!
Grr, aarg. Color me Jealous.

If only you had a camera phone.


Thanks for the highlights, SaltyGoodness!

Arabchick | May 27, 07:51 CET

Okay, bix..here goes...

So I'm back to my hotel room and ready to go to bed but have so much more to share...

From the seminar: Someone asked Joss what his ideal cast would be in any movie and he said if Daniel Day Lewis and Emma Thompson were in it, all would be well. love :)

Another question: someone asked about his time on Veronica Mars and what it was like to be on set on that show, and he said that VM was one of the most original, authentic, creative shows ever and he was proud to be on it, and he said that it was actually pretty hard work being an extra with only a few lines. He was super proud and happy that some people compared it to Buffy.

He was asked about his work on the Office, and he talked extensively about how it was a phenomenally different show in that the collaboration and dynamic interaction between the actors and writers is truly unusual. He said that several of the actors are actually writers that have been "forced" to act, and that the computers on set are actually working computers so that the actors forced to work in the background on scenes are actually able to do some real stuff online. He said that when they shoot, they say something like "Screens safe!" so that the actors have to put the Dunder Mifflin logo up and hide whatever they are doing on the computer. He said that Steve Carrell is truly the most talented and inspired improv actor that he's ever known because he's truly dedicated to the character and the show so he isn't just trying to get the best lines for himself, but rather he elevates every other character with his suggestions and work on the character. Many of the lines and jokes that his character makes are straight from Steve himself. Joss had a blast working on that show and it was a COMPLETE coincidence that the ep he worked on was one that had vampires. He was a little embarassed about that but then when they had the live bat on set he was smitten because the bat was adorable and called 'Gary". (I can relate as I find bats to be wildly charming :)

Joss talked a bit about the economics and culture of television and the ebb and flow of the industry and how Buffy was on at a time where people weren't paying attention (as opposed to Firefly.) He said that given the state of movies and TV right now, things will eventually (soon?) crash economically (the model of one movie-star making bazillions of dollars to carry a movie can't last) and perhaps the more real stories will be able to slip in like he did with Buffy.

He briefly mentioned that he had blogged recently about his passionate feelings about women's rights (sidebar: I really wanted to clap at this point but didn't want to draw attention to myself--I'm such a coward!) and he said it was a weird experience and he didn't know if he would ever blog again like that (I hope he doesn't feel that way because of the volume of commentary on this site; I found it very compelling and an important dialogue regardless of the different opinions and thoughts that emerged.)

I can't remember much more right now as I'm warmed with good red wine and exhausted after a long day and night of dancing and celebrating. I did have a sweet conversation with Joss on the dance floor and we touched on several subjects from how I first met him (showing him a potential shooting location for Serenity) to how he is the reason I stepped foot into my first comic book store EVER a few months ago and am really enjoying Buffy S8 (he said he is having a blast with it--and a big reason was because Dawn is a giant :) I had a chance to thank him for his blog on Dua Khalil. Really though, we were all there just having a great time dancing to a super fun band and celebrating Wes' graduation. My brother-in-law is very excited that his graduation year is the same as Joss' 20th year (so in the future they will always share a significant year.)

Anyway, gotta get to bed, just wanted to add some more...will probably double-post on the other comments page...

'night...

[ edited by SaltyGoodness on 2007-05-27 07:55 ]

[ edited by SaltyGoodness on 2007-05-27 07:58 ]

SaltyGoodness | May 27, 07:51 CET

Many thanks, SaltyGoodness, for the excellent reports...fun to read, and I hope we hear from more attendees...I'm so jealous. Yes, yes, tv is best. Goners this year? All good.

toast | May 27, 08:56 CET

Oh, thanks, SaltyGoodness - that's all pretty nifty-neato, and thanks for coming back so late in spite of being whooped. Love hearing the stuff about VM and The Office and Emma Thompson (who is an acting goddess - we finally rented Stranger Than Fiction, and she can almost make smoking look intelligent.)

Wonder why posting about Dua Khalil felt so weird and such - I hope the variety of comments weren't offputting, SaltyGoodness - but I really think not so much - he did say, "Let the debate continue."

Maybe it's just because he wants his efforts to be... well, motivating and igniting, not polarizing, and because of all the dust it kicked up, both here and all over the interwebs, I imagine he can't feel sure, and people have said some truly awful things, both about Joss and his position. I think it was frakking awesome, myself.

It surely did make some Eddies in the time-space continuum, though...

QuoterGal | May 27, 08:58 CET

Wonderful work, SaltyGoodness, and, how hard do you rock for talking to Joss during the dance AND showing him a possible Serenity location! Great reports by SG, very interesting insights from Joss. Love this thread! And, er, yay Wesleyan! ;-)

billz | May 27, 09:16 CET

Emma Thompson (who is an acting goddess - we finally rented Stranger Than Fiction, and she can almost make smoking look intelligent.)

Quoted for truth. Her performance in Stranger Than Fiction is truly fantastic.

gossi | May 27, 12:21 CET

I CAN'T BELIEVE I forgot to tell you guys the best part of the dancefloor conversation! I told Joss that I had posted on Whedonesque about his talk and I told him my screen name (with a shhhh because my family and friends don't know that I do this ) and he ACTUALLY said "well, Hello, Salty goodness!" Ah, the silly fun, it made my night.

Bleary-eyed and off to graduation! :)

SaltyGoodness | May 27, 14:21 CET

Well, my post ended up on the wrong page. Here goes putting it here:

So much appreciation for the reports! Real live chances to hear Joss speak are rare and I hope I get the chance too one day. Again, many thanks from those of us who couldn't attend.

Joss, if you ever feel compelled to blog again as you did about Dua Khalil, please do. After I read your post, I chose a lecture on feminism for my international students and they spent four days working with the material and doing a little web research of their own. They found sites like Amnesty International with almost no help from me ("Google the term 'violence against women' if you're not sure where to start"), and statistics they found revealing unequal protection by courts and law enforcement were surprising to them. When you suggest your fans take action, they can and will in whatever way works for them.

ETA: And I KNEW my Keanu Reeves fascination wasn't silly fangurl stuff. Critics just don't get him, but some smart, intuitive folk do.

April | May 27, 14:23 CET

The Alumni's Dance of Joy?

The mind reels, then do-si-dos.

Many more additional thanks, SaltyGoodness.

Pointy | May 27, 14:38 CET

Salty Goodness, well done on graduation. Don't get eaten.

gossi | May 27, 14:42 CET

You guys are too sweet. It actually is not my graduation but my brother-in-laws. He is graduating with honors and we are so proud :) I told Joss last night that I was 30 and he said that was the most surprising thing I had said. very sweet :)

Billz, you are too kind. I don't rock, I've just been lucky. Going to the Hollywood premiere of Serenity was the very luckiest. What DID rock was the band last night. The next song after I spoke with Joss was "Livin' on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi--possibly one of the greatest songs to sing/dance to EVER. I was stunned that all the college kiddies knew all the words!

SaltyGoodness | May 27, 14:56 CET

Everybody knows the words to Livin' on a Prayer. Oh yes. It's ingrained into society like instinctive behaviour. Also, I clearly showed how much I'm paying attention attention today -- well done on graducation, SaltyGoodness's brother-in-law.

If Variety mention Goners any time soon, this means I'll have to update a website. With, like, useful content. That'll be a novelty.

I went to see "28 Weeks Later" (which, by the way, is a really superb horror film with much subtext and layers -- and dripping with tension from beginning to end) and they had a trailer for Captivity. It was the only trailer which failed to get an audible reaction from the audience.

[ edited by gossi on 2007-05-27 15:07 ]

gossi | May 27, 15:05 CET

I would love for Joss to have anothe weekly TV show. There are not enough words in the English language to express my delight if Joss would come back to series work.

Reddygirl | May 27, 16:22 CET

Ahoy, SaltyGoodness, thanks for all your ace reporter work there.

I'm really glad Joss brought up his blogging experience, and I also hope he isn't put off by the response (puts in another plug for the I am Dua Khalil blog), but what can you do? A blog by Joss cannot become an empty vacuum, it had to go somewhere and there it went ... brilliantly winging its way out into the world.

I'm still snickering about Gary the bat, but it's a good snicker because the visuals in my head from the episode crack my shit up. And very gratifying to hear what Joss thinks of Steve Carell. Truth to tell, while the 40-Year Old Virgin movie had some funny elements at times, I thought it was sort of beneath him and I don't hold out a lot of hope for this "Ark" movie, but we'll see.

Tonya J | May 27, 16:34 CET

Turtle: Oh, why did you have to say that? :P Now I'm kicking myself for not knowing Joss was 30 minutes away from me.

fortunateizzi | May 27, 17:12 CET

Adding my thanks to Salty Goodness for the report. I wonder what about blogging made Joss Whedon feel he might not want to do it again -- some of the responses or the act of blogging itself? I think it's great that he partied with the grad class -- and danced -- and revealed that there's a bat named Gary out there (sounds like an illustrated book -- "A Bat Named Gary," about a bat who wants to act on TV, despite the overwhelming odds). I wonder how much a bat can be trained to do? Good news about "Goners," "Angel" Season 6, and good to hear thoughts on Keanu Reeves, "Speed," Steve Carell, etc. Thanks again!

Shapenew | May 27, 17:49 CET

Eddies in the time-space continuum, though...

What's he doing in there?

theonetruebix | May 27, 18:29 CET

Way to go, SaltyGoodness, with the reporting even while sleepy, but mostly for being able to talk to Joss without stuttering, and to Joss for his usual quick-wittedness. Did he sound like Cordelia when he said your name?? ;)

eta, Funny, b!x! ... speaking of quick-wittedness.

[ edited by samatwitch on 2007-05-27 18:35 ]

samatwitch | May 27, 18:33 CET

Nice nice nice to hear all this. Turtle, I want to hear your report too!

Lioness | May 27, 20:36 CET

I just posted this in the other thread before seeing it should be mentioned here - tired from only 4 hours of sleep. Here it is for those interested.

***

Being another Whedonesquer at the panel, I second what SaltyGoodness said. (SaltyGoodness - I was in the second row center in the last seat on house right.)

The Keanu panel was very interesting. I think we all were surprised by how Joss took a topic - which in some ways we were all expecting to be a joke - and created some interesting insights - both about Keanu as an actor and as an example being the type of person who can have a positive influence on the Hollywood machine. By looking at how Keanu embodies a sense of “otherness” (not stereotypically male, having a feminine aspect to his presence, having different intonation, speech patterns, and physicality from what you would normally expect from a Hollywood Action Star), you start to see that it allows people to identify and connect with him as an “everyman” – which is why he is so successful in his performance as Neo in the Matrix. Joss also commended Keanu for his sense of integrity - as a movie star not running after fame, but willing to choose projects that he wants to do, that he believes in. The Hollywood culture is built by those who work in the industry as part of it. The Importance of Being Keanu is that if more people in the industry were thoughtful about their work as an artist, their integrity as a person, their substance as storytellers – rather than chasing fame or that next mega-blockbuster movie – the culture of the Hollywood industry could change for the better. (At least that was my take from it)

Joss was incredibly kind and friendly, staying after the panel to sign autographs and talk with people. I did not know him while I was at Wes, but (setting aside my Whedonesque admiration aside) through seeing his genuine kindness and the sincere interest he took while talking with people, he is the kind of person I’d want for a friend – which only makes me admire him more.

I’d write more, but I’m a bit exhausted from staying up until 3:30 am – due to Joss unexpectedly dropping by my co-ed literary society at 1:30 am and spurring an impromptu dance party from great 80’s dance music off of his ipod. Let’s just say that there were great dances of Joy!

Zannadoo | May 27, 21:50 CET

Zannadoo, you must have been literally right in front of me, or just one row in between us. Darn. I cant wait to hear your report when you have time!

I just want to say that I don't think his comment about blogging was a serious thing, I probably made it sound that way but it was truly just a very small comment. I didn't get the impression that anything that happened on this site was negative for him, he just said that blogging was a weird experience. I get the impression that he has a high regard for this site and those who participate in it, so I am sorry if my note above made it seem otherwise.

SaltyGoodness | May 27, 22:25 CET

SaltyGoodness and Zannadoo - thanks so much for the fun stories! And OMG, Salty - he quoted THE LINE! BWWWAAAAHHH!

Zannadoo - Joss crashed your literary society party.....he would! Cuz he's livin' on a prayer like bon jovi. Word!

Harmalicious | May 27, 22:48 CET

Excellent report (or part thereof?) Zannadoo!

Pointy | May 27, 23:51 CET

Being a Whedonesque member is like being in Fight Club. You can't tell anybody in the same room. (Except Tyler Joss).

gossi | May 28, 00:07 CET

The first rule of Whedonesque is, you do not talk about about Whedonesque. The second rule of Whedonesque is, YOU DO NOT TALK ABOUT Wh… wait, I… got that wrong.

The second rule is, no smoking.

williamthebloody1880 | May 28, 02:13 CET

fortunateizzi I'm sorry. I thought everyone knew. If I had known you were from CT like me I would have emailed you and we could have met up or something :(

sorry.

And Lioness, I posted my comments on goners. (I'm Mudblood77)

Turtle | May 28, 02:31 CET

"The second rule is, no smoking."

Wait, I thought we could smoke, as long as we don't burst into flames. ?

Succatash | May 28, 04:18 CET

So, hey. This thread is all LIES! LIES! Except for the stuff people wrote. In their posts, that all happened. And huge props to Zannadoo and a certain co-ed literary society... when the band fled my friends were dangerously close to crashing and I still needed to dance -- rushed in with my pod and damn if these guys didn't create a party out of nothing. It was like Stone Soup. A lotta Fallout Boy, a lotta 80's, one My Chem and out the door. Crazy with the fun already.

As for blog-weirdness, I can clear that up. The responses (and yes, I read them all) were extremely cool and varied and inspiring. What I said was that blogging was weird for me as a writer 'cause the moment you do it, take a stand and say 'this is me', you feel everything you do will be judged according to that. It's not the same as putting out an artistic statement and then explaining it. It freezes you slightly, thinking about other people's judgement and expectations, thinking about your responsibility to be true to what you've blogged. Which are two things that should not come first when you're creating a story, or you stop making fiction and start making propaganda. That's why I usually like to stay behind the art. But I certainly have no regrets about saying my piece. Just an interesting side-effect.

So no worries. Just a lovely reunion full of smart people who know how to dance. And so to bed. -j.

"We have a plan!"

"Are you... Cylons?"

joss | May 28, 04:31 CET

So, this is irrelevant, and really ought not to be the comment after Joss', and I know it's spelled differently, but every time I read "Zannadoo" all I can see is Olivia Newton John on roller skates.

[ edited by theonetruebix on 2007-05-28 04:44 ]

theonetruebix | May 28, 04:43 CET

Oh, I don't think you're the only one.

Even more irrelevant, I'm watching V for Vendetta on HBO, my 2nd viewing, and I was wondering if joss ever saw it and what he thought.

Tonya J | May 28, 04:54 CET

Zannadoo, thanks for your report also.

Joss, in case you're reading this, thanks for explaining about the blogging thing and for blogging in the first place. Wouldn't want to tell you what to do about blogging (especially in case it turns out you and Nathan Fillion are the same person after all), but regarding what you posted on Whedonesque about Dua Khalil, for you as an artist to make something that was against the spirit of what you wrote as an individual, it would have to be something that could be construed as supporting the notion of beating women to death for doing something their families didn't like. While I admit I am sometimes a dummy about subtext, I'm pretty sure nothing in your work so far has that message in it :) To make a comparison, I don't think anybody expects Guillermo Del Toro to make a reference to Spain under Franco one way or the other in "Hellboy 2." I think a lot of us would be surprised (and maybe dismayed) if he ever made a movie suggesting that Spain staying Fascist after WWII was a good thing, but I think his reasons for not doing that are that it's not something he'd ever want to say, not because he's afraid it will contradict what he said. Being an artist with your gifts is an amazing thing, but it doesn't mean you have to sacrifice the right that pretty much everybody with access to the Internet or even pencil and paper enjoys: to sometimes express thoughts on what's going on in the world directly without a story's metaphor or narrative. Doesn't mean you ever need to blog again if you don't feel like it (though I certainly hope you do), but you've got the same right to speak out that the rest of us mostly less articulate folks exercise frequently :)

Shapenew | May 28, 05:44 CET

Yea, more reports! Thanks again Saltygoodness, it sounds like you had a special time. That is excellent.

Zannadoo and Joss, go party aniimals! Thanks for the reports.

Crashing a co-ed literary society party at 1:30 in the morning to dance into the night would seem so bizarre to the people I deal with every day. This is why I need Whedonesque, to remind me that I'm not alone out here. ...that is also why I need to change careers. ;-)

newcj | May 28, 06:31 CET

You're definitely not alone, newcj! Crashing a coed literary society party and rockin' to the 80s seems like the epitome of COOL in my book. My book is a little nerdy, though. ;)

orphea | May 28, 07:22 CET

Joss Whedon: Musical Jukebox.

gossi | May 28, 08:05 CET

A million thanks to SaltyGoodness and Zannadoo for the extremely envy provoking reports. And to you Joss, you iPod wielding, literary society crashing party animal. Most especially for validating my Keanu Reeves love and once again, my irrational Battlestar Galactia obsession.

Shey | May 28, 08:08 CET

Aren't all jukeboxes musical? Maybe "Mobile Jukebox". Or "Strolling Jukebox", like ye olde strolling minstrels of yore.

cabri | May 28, 08:08 CET

Now that Joss has broken his blog-ginity, it's time for the next big move.

Joss's 80's Party Podcast! Coming Soon...


We wish.

missb | May 28, 13:29 CET

That sounds incredibly awesome.

UnpluggedCrazy | May 28, 15:16 CET

All I can say is that Saturday was my best fan girl day ever!

At the panel, there was a quite a contingent of members and alums from my co-ed literary society in attendance. We are a group of intelligent, diverse, driven, geeks of one interest or another. While talking and signing stuff for some members after the panel, Joss asked what we were doing that night at the house and said that he might come by. We were flattered that he asked - but didn't set our hopes too high that we would actually see him.

Later that evening, he walked up to the porch and joined us for a while. His friends had gone off into another dorm and then never quite returned – so he came on over to our house. He ended up staying for about 30 minutes, hanging out in our music room, sitting in a wicker rocking chair with the rest of us sitting on couches, tables and chairs – answering our questions, discussing his reactions to the Captivity billboard and trailer, his recent blogging experience and the resulting weirdness, whether other internet entertainment distribution strategies such as U-tube and ‘direct to ipod’ video have developed enough to become a real alternate to the television and movie distribution channels.

[Thank you, Joss, for writing about the blog-weirdness. I wanted to bring it up here - but then I felt weird about bring up something you talked about in a casual non-panel setting. I occasionally direct theatre - and I thought about the impact of what if all of the theatre critics who came and criticized my shows, started following me around the internet, leveling the same scrutiny upon everything I happened to post and holding it in perpetuity for everything I have ever done or will do. What an odd disconcerting feeling.]

At one point as we were all talking, another undergrad came dashing into the room, full of urgency and excitement, declaring, “We have a plan!” (Which at reunion is usually how hijinxs get started)

Another member across the room replied, “Are you Cylons?” At which point, the entire room erupted in laughter.

Then Joss graciously exited, needing to get back to his friends at the main tent party.

Later at 1:30 am in the morning, he returned. I was outside at the bottom of the steps talking with friends when he came up the path. “I need to talk to someone about something,” he said. Unable to resist, I stepped up and said, “Ok, what is it?”

“I need to make a dance party happen.”

Picking my jaw off the ground, “Ok, what do you need?”

“I’ve got the music,” he said as he pulled out his ipod, “I just need a sound system and a darkened room. I have some friends who will come over if I can make this happen.”

So I gathered some of the undergrads and alums who were around and together, within 10 minutes, we had our sound system reassembled, the lights dimmed, and about twenty people dancing in the living room. The dancing lasted until past 3 am in the morning.

It was an amazing night that I will never forget. Thanks!

[ edited by Zannadoo on 2007-05-28 17:37 ]

Zannadoo | May 28, 17:26 CET

This whole thread is very celebratory, and feels good to me on this... a celebratory kindof day for me.

The whole thing made me smile, for if my life has some sortof guiding mythologies - and it does - Stone Soup would be one of 'em.

And now the afore-mentioned "blog weirdness" makes sense. It must get even weirder in this Interwebs Era, when the things you say go all memic, travel throughout the known universe at the speed of light and are preserved - however garbled - in perpetuity. Yet I think almost everything Joss wrote in his 5/20 blog could have been philosophically extrapolated from his work - if that makes sense - so it's all good...

And just 'cause I think we should all be aware, on this BLOG, only {SPOILERS} theonetruebix and Pointy are actually known to be Cylons...

[ edited by QuoterGal on 2007-05-28 19:29 ]

QuoterGal | May 28, 17:46 CET

Thanks Saltygoodness and Zannadoo.

Just one thing about the Angel comic. If it's set after Not Fade Away......and it's not Season 6.....then what is it? lol

Im thinking of it as Season 6 anyway:)

angeliclestat | May 28, 17:54 CET

And just 'cause I think we should all be aware, on this BLOG, only theonetruebix and Pointy are actually known to be Cylons...

Spoilers! Spoilers!

theonetruebix | May 28, 18:38 CET

Thanks for the reports, Saltygoodness and Zannadoo. Sounds like a fun time was had by all. :)

Ameer | May 28, 19:23 CET

And just 'cause I think we should all be aware, on this BLOG, only theonetruebix and Pointy are actually known to be Cylons...

Spoilers! Spoilers!

I've got to figure out a way to get caught up/started on BSG. (That is BSG, right? I'm always so behind the times.)

"It freezes you slightly, thinking about other people's judgement and expectations, thinking about your responsibility to be true to what you've blogged. Which are two things that should not come first when you're creating a story, or you stop making fiction and start making propaganda."

Yes. That is why I love Joss's fiction. It is not propaganda, it is about humanity good and bad. That is why when I read people being upset because characters are not ideal examples of whatever, or that they did not get punished appropriately, I feel like they totally missed the point of what it is supposed to be, art. Oops, downer. Don't want to pull down the thread.

So thanks Zannadoo for coming back with more info. Fantastic!

Who else from here was there. Even if your reports are not as amazing as the ones above, that does not mean you are off the hook we don't want to hear them. Come on, give. :-D

[ edited by newcj on 2007-05-28 19:39 ]

newcj | May 28, 19:29 CET

Zannadoo, sounds like much fun was had. I'm actually jealous as although I've done the dancing thing with Joss there wasn't much in the way of talking as a) music and b) free bar leads to slurry speech Kevin. So, you gals got a bit of both and a fun night to boot. So, being the professional person I am, I squee inside.

I unofficially name this the Whedonesque Happy Thread. Well, it made me perfectly happy, anyway. Now I go kill people... I mean, make tea.

By the way, Goners. I'm excited to see what it's about (in an actual plot sense). Like, a lot. I know you've said it was a story which poured out of you, Joss (at least I think you did), and it's been years since I've seen that in live action form.

gossi | May 28, 19:30 CET

Dang it. I missed the whole last season of BSG and feel I'm missing out on a really funny joke.

Love's Bitch | May 28, 19:30 CET

This thread is most mirthful. I'm not just saying that because of my programming.

Pointy | May 28, 20:02 CET

newcj - The miniseries, Season 1, 2.0 and 2.5 are all out on DVD. The third season can be downloaded, legally (individual episodes on iTunes) or not. Who knows, maybe it'll be out on DVD by the time you get to that point.

Love's bitch - You don't need the third season to get his joke (Though you do need the third season. For other reasons!). Joss's joke has to do with the intro to every BSG episode where the premise of the show is printed in subtitles before the main titles run: "The Cylons were created by Man. They Rebelled. They Evolved. There are many copies. And they have a Plan." I don't know about you but after the first few episodes, I started giggling at them. It's also one of those preshow rituals -- I have to recite them aloud with whoever is watching with me. Naturally, the last line must be delivered with extra gravitas.

(Do y'all have these little pre-show rituals? Some friends have admitted to this, too. In my house there is a Buffy theme snuggle-kungfu I do with my S.O. A campy CSI interpretive dance that involves me and my partner miming along to "whooooo are you, whooo, who, whoooo, who." The drums in the BSG theme get head banging and air/thigh drums.)

[ edited by orphea on 2007-05-28 20:26 ]

orphea | May 28, 20:18 CET

My only pre-show ritual is making sure I go to the bathroom before the show starts.

theonetruebix | May 28, 20:44 CET

Me, too, b!x! Sounds like you had a great time, Zannadoo. It's always so much fun to hear about Joss enjoying non-planned visits with fans.

samatwitch | May 28, 21:15 CET

Remember to do up your fly, theonetruebix.

gossi | May 28, 22:31 CET

Does weird David Caruso impressions count as pre-show rituals?

[ edited by Numfar PTB on 2007-05-28 22:44 ]

Numfar PTB | May 28, 22:43 CET

Remember to do up your fly, theonetruebix.

I only have that problem when emceeing charity Serenity screenings.

theonetruebix | May 28, 22:44 CET

orphea, I only got into BSG this winter after my sister insisted I borrow her dvds (I missed the series before due to not having cable), so after the first dozen episodes of my marathon I fast-forwarded the intro so I could get back to the story. I suppose that's my pre-show ritual. lol.

I do get the joke now. Thanks!

Love's Bitch | May 28, 22:53 CET

I get the joke too now. Thanks.

newcj | May 29, 12:54 CET

Long time listener, first time caller.

This was the single greatest 24-hour period of. my. life. Bear in mind that I was slightly feverish (literally - turns out, I may have strep) and was woken from my much-needed slumber.

"I don't know if I should wake you, but you'd probably want to know: Joss Whedon is dancing in the living room."

Hence, for the following 30-60 minutes, between songs, I would rush to the nearest member of the above-eluded-to co-ed literary society and say, "Make him go home! On principle, I cannot go to bed until Joss Whedon leaves."

I deeply hope I am not the only one who has this logic.

pepe | May 29, 15:23 CET

pepe, so how and when did you decide that your illness had not gotten so bad that it was inducing surreal hallucinations?

newcj | May 29, 15:33 CET

Welcome to Whedonesque, pepe! I hope you are feeling better - I was worried about you on the dance floor, afraid that you were going to collapse but also understanding why you were staying up.

Pepe directed OMWF at Wes several years ago in the student theatre and I was lucky to see a video of it at reunion a few years back.

I'm still sad that we didn't convince Joss to play some of the Sondheim he has on his ipod. It might have led to a sing along of grand proportions.

Zannadoo | May 29, 15:41 CET

Wait. Are you saying there was dancing but there wasn't a Stephen Sondheim sing-along?

Note to self: Cylons plan LAME parties.

Lady Brick | May 29, 19:11 CET

I apologize for asking, but feel compelled: at this shindig, did anyone do the Dance of Joy?

Shapenew | May 29, 19:13 CET

newcj: It crossed my mind. Could this all be some glorious delusion, in the vein of The Red Shoes? (Janeane Basinger, head of Wesleyan's Film Studies Department, compared Joss' need to tell stories to HC Andersen's story.) But, I decided that, no, it was not a dream, for, a) I am far less sweaty in my dreams and b) no tapdancing lobsters.

Zannadoo: I feel much better now. By the bye, it's bacterial tonsilitis. But, since I didn't actually lick anyone this past weekend, hopefully, the infection stays isolated to Patient Me.

Shapenew: You know, we did ask Joss to do the Dance of Joy, but he said he just doesn't really remember it.

pepe | May 29, 21:09 CET

pepe, speaking of strep, I seem to have some strain of it myself and no way could I teach today or tomorrow. You know, voice not working, pain with every swallow, etc. Oh yeah, can't stand for any length of time and all that.

Were Joss to make it to my school for anything, you can believe I'd have to be completely unconscious not to go. I'd just get a surgical mask and crawl my way to his location. Seriously. Ok, so the surgical mask might scare people. Edit: Crawl my way there and slump over in a corner.

April | May 30, 01:29 CET

Actually, orphea, you are not alone. What I do during that particular CSI intro is make my dachshund's favorite toy do a spirited dance to the music. All the while, Digger's eyes start to whirl madly with barely contained anticipa
tion, waiting for the final release when I throw the toy at the ending "you-oo-oooh"

Congrats (and thanks for the reports!) to those who were lucky enough to hang with JW. So. Very. Cool.

m'cookies actual | May 30, 03:34 CET

I seriously didn't think about other people having these silly little opening rituals for BSG and other shows. Mr. QuoterGal and I act out the opening phrases of BSG in a kindof combination of The Supremes, kabuki and sign language - our interpretations vary with our moods. We sing painful harmonies with the eerie chorus part of the opening. And we drum on the table (or each other) and look away from the screen into each other's eyes when the drumming/spoiler moments are playing.



Hah! I'd prolly say that, too.

I submit that large numbers of whedonesquers should learn by heart both the choral part of the BSG opening, as well as the "Dances of Joy and Honor" so that at any given Whedon'verse-related event that Joss attends, he can be greeted by stirring choral renditions and intricate precision Numfar dancing performed by at least 50-100 highly-talented fans.

Think how annoying inspiring that could be for Joss...

[ edited by QuoterGal on 2007-05-30 05:57 ]

QuoterGal | May 30, 05:56 CET

M'cookies and QuoterGal: Heee! We are of the same tribe!

I once experimented with a little """""ballet""""" to the eerie other-language crooning on the BSG theme. Didn't catch on, probably due to the merciless mocking it got from my S.O. But that singing lady just begs for a singalong, doesn't she?

orphea | May 30, 07:54 CET

Think how annoying inspiring that could be for Joss...

Or utterly terrifying? ;)

orphea | May 30, 08:04 CET

Loving the "Whedonesque Happy Thread" gossi totally agree with you there. It's just so cool that people could experience this, some of the talks sound really interesting too. Great reports from all involved.
I am constantly being reminded why i love Whedonesque, there are people out there like me! BSG jokes (woo hoo) and pre show rituals and all.
Right now i couldn't think of anything cooler than a late night/early morning impromptu dance party with Joss and fellow Whedonesquers, so awesome. Sounds like an interesting event, and good times.
(Side note, now whenever a situation calls for some excitement i shall be compelled to stand and announce "I need to make a dance party happen".) Really that could be a superhero catch phrase or something. Now picturing a masked hero, hands on hips cape flailing in the wind, after just preventing some major catastrophe making such a declaration. All thoughts of impending doom are forgotten, lights flash and music blares as if from no where. Surrounding people/survivors? bust out dance moves and generally party on. SuperJoss making the world safe one dance party at a time. (What? it could happen)

broodyangelcakes | May 30, 08:07 CET

Wow, what fun, Zanadoo and Pepe! Thanks for the awesome reports. I was surprised and bummed when the band left, it was way too early and the dance party was in full-swing. Glad Joss was able to continue it with you guys! Thanks for explaining the Cylons quote, what a hilarious moment that must have been. Hope you feel better Pepe...

Gossi, your fight club reference made me laugh....because it is so true! Whenever I'm at Comic Con I'm always wondering if anyone around me is a whedonesquer who I've "read." I don't post much though, so I don't expect anyone would recognize me.

More about Joss' panel:

As for the Angel comic he said that it was not Season 6 but rather just 12 issues set post-NFA so if you don't like the story "you can just pretend it didn't happen and write your own. This is what fanfic is for!"

Another thing that I remembered was a rather long-winded question/comment that someone posed explaining how movies like Pirates of the Carribbean are metaphors for the way TV and movie writers are trying to make movies like pirates (rebellious, etc.), (don't ask????) so Joss said "but not Pirates movies!" which I loved because I thought I was the only one in the world who is not in love with the pirates movies.

SaltyGoodness | May 30, 14:25 CET

Oh, and I absolutely love your descriptions of your tv show theme-song rituals, Orphea, QuoterGal, and M'cookies! I don't really do that so much now that I watch everything on Tivo. I don't fast-forward through the BSG theme song but do through most of them. I did have a little dance to the Wonderfalls theme song and it is still the one show on DVD that I can't ever FF through the theme song :)

SaltyGoodness | May 30, 14:29 CET

broodyangelcakes:


Or a really cool way to talk about Fight Club Whedonesque, without actually talking about Whedonesque.

Love's Bitch | May 31, 23:03 CET

The lovely thing about Whedonesque Happy threads is that they can lift the spirits of those reading them. We don't even have to participate.
I'm interested in knowing how many of us still sit through the full credits of Buffy/Angel/Firefly? I don't know why I do, but I can't skip them.

Lioness | June 02, 06:30 CET

You mean the openings, Lioness? If so, I do, I can't skip 'em either. They're mood-setting, I like the music of all of 'em, I'm interested in who does what, and somehow it feels too abrupt to go right from the prologue into the first chapter. Can't skip BSG openings, either, and a few other shows I watch on DVD - gotta watch Wonderfalls and Dead Like Me openings, too.

I got so I could skip VM openings - after watching a few shows, the music gets on my nerves... mostly 'cause it goes right into my brain-pan and sets up housekeeping and stays there...

QuoterGal | June 02, 07:02 CET

I never skip the lead-ins. So we are admitting here that after all this time, we still watch the jossverse DVD's regularly enough to ask this question? :)

Shey | June 03, 11:45 CET

I:
(a) Must watch each Buffy credits sequence and
(b) Recall each show moment I recognize.

Pointy | June 03, 18:57 CET