I agree - I really am tired of all the SMG bashing. As far as I can tell she really hasn't done anything to deserve this sort of treatment.

Interesting what the writer said about Joss having a teaser to show while the Batman Begins people, who had been filming longer, had nothing. Joss is so on top of things. He always impresses. I wish I could have attended this event!

[ edited by Passion on 2004-07-29 15:24 ]

Passion | July 29, 17:22 CET

It did say "poking fun at the audience" which it was and richly deserved. I have no idea why someone who would ask that question in the first place would completely mangle Whedon's name.

prufrock | July 29, 17:25 CET

If I was in a crowd of 6500 people, putting forward a question to a person who is my favourite ever actress I might mangle the entire sentence. Heck, I would be speaking in tongues at that stage.

And regards the SMG bashing, bored to tears with it. Anyone tries here, they get a spanking or booted or both.

Simon | July 29, 17:29 CET

How does this make SMG look bad? I think it makes her look good. They said 'snarkiest duo'. That sounds like coolest duo to me.

Caroline | July 29, 17:30 CET

Was this a bash of SMG? She is doing so well post-BUFFY, that I don't understand where all the bashing comes from. Her fans obviously love her, or they wouldn't continue to follow her career. And, come on guys. She's human. Why would everyone be bitter that she would want to have a career and variety, rather than play one role her entire life? She didn't want to become the female version of Adam West, I'm sure.

toontimer | July 29, 17:32 CET

I don't think I would ever be nervous enough to think Whedon's first name was "Josh". The simpler explanation is that the person just didn't know it and would have been better off asking another question.

And I agree with Caroline, "snarky" is not an insult. It means the person has a sense of humor.

prufrock | July 29, 17:35 CET

When one guy asked if Gellar would work with "Josh Whedlon" again, she replied that she would answer that question if he got the name right.

All the other reports of this incident that I've seen are quite clear about the questioner being female. Makes you wonder if the TV Guide writer was even present at the event, or is just further mangling a second-hand story.

[ edited by bovik on 2004-07-29 15:46 ]

bovik | July 29, 17:45 CET

Regardless of the wording of the article this is a prime example of how these things start. Sarah lovers will step in to defend her and Sarah bashers will use this against her.

I absolutely adore the girl but at the same time i don't pretend that she is perfect or defend her if she says something that, how can i put it, could have been phrased a little better.

In this case we all got a very good insight of what the truth is from EdDantes and all the others that were there so there is no question that Sarah is in the clear on this board.

I can promise you however that there are currently posts going up on boards all over the internet that will be using this article to condemn Sarah as the Buffyverse satan all over again.

Ah well, as long as this board keeps up it's policy of getting the facts of a situation before making assumptions then at least we can hold our heads up with a certain pride.

Disciple of Spike | July 29, 17:47 CET

I agree with Caroline and Simon. I thought SMG's statement was wonderful. And I'm so tired of the negative spin the press reporters always put on SMG. She does not deserve this kind of treatment in the least and I fail to understand their logic.

Madhatter | July 29, 17:59 CET

"When one guy asked if Gellar would work with "Josh Whedlon" again, she replied that she would answer that question if he got the name right. Ouch!"

I think what made me think that this was putting her in a bad light was that little "ouch" thrown in at the end which implies it was hurtful to the person she was talking too. Others who described that interaction made a point that it was in a lighthearted manner. If they had put a few more examples that showed it was all in a teasing tone I would've felt different. My initial reaction was that it was an invitation for more negative comments.

Oh and it is perfectly understandable that someone could mess up on his name, especially under such circumstances. But I know how some of us feel when we see his name in print and it's spelled wrong by the reporter how annoyed that makes me feel.

Firefly Flanatic | July 29, 18:20 CET

That was actually one of our favorite moments, because SMG jumped to defend Joss by saying "If you're gonna say it, get it right. Joss Whedon. Gotta give him props." For all the reported negativity between them, it's nice to know there's still an affection of sorts.

Rogue Slayer | July 29, 18:24 CET

Am I the only one here that got the fact that there was upwards of 75,000 in attendance at this 4 day event. And people wonder why it's only $50.00, well there's your answer. Ok now I fell better about not going, I mean that is double Dragoncon numbers. However,it has been mentioned at other comic cons that SDCC is just free publicity for sci-fi / fantasy films anymore. Oh and the Keannu Reeves thing - ok I take that back I would have love to have been there for that, the Firefly, Wonderfalls, and all things Buffy related stuff as well.

RavenU | July 29, 18:26 CET

I thought SMG chiding the questioner was one of the more humorous and telling bits reported from the Q&A. At first it seemed she was being kind of hard on someone who was probably nervous, but then I thought no, she’s being protective of a man who’s probably heard John Sweedon or Josh Weldon all his life. I have a fairly simple last name and people constantly mispronounce it or try to make more difficult than it is, so that exchange relates to a particular pet peeve of mine. I sometimes feel like muttering "Idiot!" under my breath when it happens to me, so her teasing seems good natured compared to what I may have said.
Of the few interviews I’ve read and the very few I’ve seen, SMG seems to have a fast talking, sharp and slightly sardonic sense of humor which can easily be taken the wrong way, especially in print. I think she should cut some people some slack at times, but she's a New York City girl who's worked most of her life and expects others to keep up with her. I have no problem with that.

bloodflowers | July 29, 18:29 CET

Yeah, I was touched by that too Rogue Slayer, especially also that she knew what projects he was working on too! I'm sure they had their moments when they didn't get along but I'm sure there is a great affection there between them as well. I'm just hoping it was great enough that they got together over the weekend and went over the new Buffy movie script ;-)

[ edited by blwessels on 2004-07-29 16:30 ]

Firefly Flanatic | July 29, 18:29 CET

LOL Bloodflowers about the mangling of the last name. Mine is Wessels and it's always a bit annoying to go to a restaurant and have them announce over the loud speaker "Weasels - party of two. We get that all the time. When they see the word vessel do they pronounce it veasel??

Firefly Flanatic | July 29, 18:33 CET

“Weasels - party of two.”

Oh my god! Next time you dine out, you should bring actual weasels and release them when “their” table is ready. That’ll teach ‘em! : )

bloodflowers | July 29, 18:51 CET

ROFL!!!

Firefly Flanatic | July 29, 19:01 CET

I'm just hoping it was great enough that they got together over the weekend and went over the new Buffy movie script ;-)


Optimism...I remember optimism....

Rogue Slayer | July 29, 19:10 CET

I know where your concern is coming from, blwessels, but I kinda read the column as a back-handed compliment also. And it rather makes "The Grudge" look good to say that SMG and JB are "pretty confident" in its box-office potential. Sure beats being anxious and eager to please. Bloodflowers, your description is spot on: she indeed strikes me as a genuine NYC girl who "expects others to keep up with her". Gotta love that. (well, I do ;))

BTW: Finally a Gaiman shout-out! I think "Mirrormask" is gonna be a great movie - Gaiman can do adult, and he can do kids, and he can do wicked melanges of the two (anyone out there with kids who aren't scared too easily - check out the picture book "The Wolves in the Walls". Everyone else, check out *everything* he's ever written . . . )

SoddingNancyTribe | July 29, 19:36 CET

SMG's pokes that the questioners were definitely light-hearted. It was the audience that made me think "ouch!". There were lots of groans and hisses aimed at the "Josh Wheldon" girl and the girl who asked if SMG looked to her characters in the past to help her through tough times, to which SMG responded "You do realize they aren't real, right?" The girl then started to say how she looked to Buffy when life got hard. The poor response from the audience stopped her in mis-sentence and from what I gathered SMG may have sensed her embarrassment and replied that she learned a lot from all the characters she played except from her character from Cruel Intentions but then added, "well maybe how to kiss a girl!"

[ edited by Karen on 2004-07-29 18:12 ]

Karen | July 29, 19:56 CET

SoddingNancyTribe: I just can't help the way I reacted to it seeming kind of negative and I was worried that others would too. I'm glad that everyone isn't reacting the same way I did and some see it as a compliment. But I know that others will see it as proof that she's evil or something and that's why I wish they had given a little more detail of how lighthearted it really all was.

[ edited by blwessels on 2004-07-29 18:05 ]

Firefly Flanatic | July 29, 20:04 CET

Well I agree that it furnishes yet more proof for those who have their minds made up already, blw. It's part of my more general beef with the media that too often they feel they have to establish the theme or story and then have the facts fit that, rather than the other way round. (And my wife was a journo for 10 years, so I know a little whereof I speak). Here, the story is: Sarah didn't do cons, plus there are these rumors and bits of gossip floating around, so that ties neatly in to her being a bit snarky. If they'd printed some of her warm comments about the fans, or about Buffy, or some of her humorous asides, the picture would have been balanced, but hey! there goes your funny "Snarkiest Duo" heading . . .

SoddingNancyTribe | July 29, 20:13 CET

Makes you wonder if the TV Guide writer was even present at the event, or is just further mangling a second-hand story.

Wonder not. He was there. And he's a kind and bright man whom I like very much.

Allyson | July 29, 20:49 CET

While I did feel bad for the girl who mangled Joss's name, I loved seeing Sarah leap to defend Joss and "give him his props". To me, that was the highlight of her panel.

As for attendance, the program was estimating 80,000 for the weekend, but the word I kept hearing on Sunday was that 100,000 showed up on Saturday alone!

Mal'sGal | July 29, 20:53 CET

Wonder not. He was there. And he's a kind and bright man whom I like very much.

That's all well and good, but I don't think it's too much to expect someone who reports for TV Guide to at least get gender right, if not the entire feel of the Q&A. As many know, I'm not a huge Sarah defender, but I didn't feel the experience was quite so snarky as the report made it out to be.

[ edited by Rogue Slayer on 2004-07-29 19:05 ]

Rogue Slayer | July 29, 20:59 CET

Without going into a feminist rant, part of the SMG bashing strikes me as fairly typical when it comes to people (and the media in particular) dealing with strong, independent women. In the interviews I have seen with SMG she comes across as a person who is quite feisty (in a really good way), knows what she wants and isn’t shy in expressing her opinions, and a lot of people simply can’t handle that. Also, it’s so much easier for a journalist to make a story out of someone being a ‘bitch’ rather than to come up with something more original and insightful.

Loved the bit about the Warmest Reception though, that made me feel really good.

miranda | July 29, 21:02 CET

May have been a typo, and he may have felt differently. We were discussing at Buffistas our feelings of the Serenity panel. A lot of folks (most I suspect) felt that it was very electric in the room. I felt it was very low key. Subjective thing.

And Ouch could refer to the same emotion I was feeling about the poor guy at the Serenity panel who called Joss "Josh."

I just felt awful for him with the whole boo and hiss. It was lighthearted, but still, really and truly embarassing. I felt "ouch" on his behalf.

Allyson | July 29, 21:06 CET

“It's part of my more general beef with the media that too often they feel they have to establish the theme or story and then have the facts fit that, rather than the other way round.”

This is why I enjoyed the reports from the Whedonesque fans who were there more than the articles. There were, for the most part, fair opinions and no “angles”. People were left to make up their own minds (even if those minds were already made up, and there’s nothing you can do to change that).
I don’t see how having the guts to get up in front of a huge audience who may view you as Buffy the Icon or Sarah the B*tch can be twisted into something negative. It seems to me that she handled the questions pretty well. It’s the agendas of others you have to watch out for.
It’s sad if some in the audience were disrespectful to the girl who was trying to tell Sarah how Buffy helped her deal with some things in life. Beat down the person who may feel like a freak and who’s trying to give the heartfelt speech. Nice. Do they even watch Joss Whedon shows? Note to self: never try to articulate how much ‘Buffy’ means to me in front of a crowd.

bloodflowers | July 29, 21:14 CET

bloodflowers: Good ol' fashioned mob mentality. The person who didn't know Whedon's name deserved a few boos. The person who tried to relate how much Buffy has meant to her didn't.

prufrock | July 29, 21:31 CET

Nice point, bloodflowers. As Karen quite correctly observed, Sarah initially poked gentle fun at the woman who testified that she sometimes turned to Buffy for help in life. I think many members of the audience - smart comic-book fans and movie geeks all - then performed wonderful emotional gymnastics: having been hanging on every word from Sarah's lips about fictional characters, they then rapidly distanced themselves from a fan who had the temerity to say *in public* that the character of Buffy helped her in life. I cannot deny, my first (shameful) reaction to the question was to mutter "Oh, c'mon!". And then I felt instantly guilty, since it is an open secret that I have been looking for a WWBD car bumper-sticker for some time now ;)

Credit to Sarah (as Karen also pointed out) that she sensed the audience's reaction, and addressed the question very warmly. As prufrock suggest, the psychology of crowds is an intriguing thing. They can turn on you in a heartbeat (and especially at SMG's panel, since it wasn't at all clear which side the majority of the audience was on at first) - so more kudos to the actors and to the people who get up to ask questions.

And that reminds me of the woman (again mentioned in one of Karen's posts) who had asked a question for Sarah, there was some audience noise, Sarah said to Jason Behr "I think there's some inside joke we're not in on", and the poor questioner said in a very small voice, "I'm not in on it either". Heartmelt time.

SoddingNancyTribe | July 29, 21:38 CET

I felt horrible for the girl trying to convey how much Buffy helped her. It takes a ton of courage to get up in front of 6,000 people, not to mention SMG herself, the actress that played the character that undoubtly meant a great deal to her and say something so personal. As for the "Josh Wheldon" girl, I think she really didn't know Joss' real name because this is kinda how the exchange went:

Girl: Would you ever work with Josh Wheldon again?
SMG: Joss Whedon
Girl: Yeah, Josh Wheldon
SMG: If you're gonna say it, get it right. Joss Whedon. Gotta give him props.
Girl: Whe-Wheldon?
SMG: (to JB) This isn't going well. WEE-don.
Girl: Josh Whedon...

Karen | July 29, 21:48 CET

Oh God, that's exactly how it went, Karen, and now I feel bad for her just reading it . . . add to the transcript the background noise of audience catcalls, hisses, muffled boos, and laughter. Gulp.

SoddingNancyTribe | July 29, 21:56 CET

SNT-

Part of me wants to say the girl who said she wasn't in on the inside joke was the same girl who said she turned to Buffy when life got hard. All the more reason I felt for her. She was genuinely terrified up there, poor thing. After the audience reaction I turned to my husband and whispered, "I'm so glad that isn't me, they're gonna make her cry!"

Karen | July 29, 21:58 CET

As for the "Josh Wheldon" girl, I think she really didn't know Joss' real name

I don't think anyone disputes that she didn't know his name. Our point is, you SHOULD know his name if you're going to mention him. It's like talking to Joss about Sharon Rochelle Gellar or something.

A lot of folks (most I suspect) felt that it was very electric in the room. I felt it was very low key. Subjective thing.


Wow, if that was *very* low-key, you must have been to some hella parties in your day, because I don't think on any planet 4000+ fans screaming at the top of their lungs can be considered low-key.

Rogue Slayer | July 29, 22:00 CET

Well it is interesting to see all the different reports from the media. Although most if not all seem to agree on a few things: the Firefly panel was one of the winners of the whole event, as well as Sin City. Star Wars was one big corporate commercial, Batman Begins dropped the ball in a big way and Sarah ....is usually not shown in that good a light.

And the last one strikes me especially as odd, since (as apparently many people online are aware of) me and my wife are fans, but far from uber-fans or apologists. I thought she did fine. She was enthusiastic and funny. And like Caroline, I like snark.

I too felt a positive little tingle when Sarah jumped to Joss' defense so quickly and instantly. And yes she still did it with a jokey tone. But she is quick and sharp with her humor and some people take offense more easily than others I suppose. (Which, ironically also applies to my wife and her fruit jokes. Heh.)

But also, many of those people asking questions did annoy me a bit. I mean if you have the chance of your life to talk to Sarah, and proclaim to be a huge Buffy fan...well do get the names right. "Josh" instead of Joss can be forgiven in nervousness (*maybe*) but like Karen already pointed out, this girl really didn't know it was 'Whedon' since she even repeated 'Weldon'. If I ask a question of a Star Wars panel and I say 'John Lucas' instead of 'George', yeah I can expect to get some flack. Kind of to be expected. Really.

And the girl who asked her if Buffy helped her deal with things in real life got some crap from the audience? Sheesh, it was a bit of a cheezy question but well-meant. The guy who walked up and said "Hi Buffy" deserved that more. That was probably exactly the type of moron that people like SMG are fearful of running into at cons.

"We were discussing at Buffistas our feelings of the Serenity panel. A lot of folks (most I suspect) felt that it was very electric in the room. I felt it was very low key. Subjective thing."

That one surprises me more actually than anything I've read about the con so far. Even people who don't even necessarly like or know Joss' work agree that this was the most enthusastic, charged panel of the con both in terms of audience and panel members. Thousands of people cheering the roof of almost every time someone spoke is hardly 'low key'. And it was so powerful I can hardly even dub it 'subjective' anymore. As other people wrote all over the net, you could literally 'feel the love' as cheezy as that sounds. Were you in the same room?;-)

"And Ouch could refer to the same emotion I was feeling about the poor guy at the Serenity panel who called Joss "Josh."

I just felt awful for him with the whole boo and hiss. It was lighthearted, but still, really and truly embarassing. I felt "ouch" on his behalf.

Have to disagree there too. That one was even more jokey in nature than the similar moment at SMG's panel. Joss instantly turned it into a joke, everyone laughed and he asked his question. And once again, if you speak to a famous person, at least get their names right.

If I'd called Keanu Reeves 'Keano', people would've commented too, because it's a room filled with fans. It's only natural.

[ edited by EdDantes on 2004-07-29 20:08 ]

EdDantes | July 29, 22:00 CET

"As for the "Josh Wheldon" girl, I think she really didn't know Joss' real name"

But...it's at the end of every episode!
Still, I feel sympathy for her because the crowd reaction didn't help matters.

bloodflowers | July 29, 22:04 CET

Oops, it looks like Ed and I did the dreaded double team. It is a little scary at how alike we are in our thoughts sometimes.....

But since I'm at work and he's at home, I can honestly say we had no idea of our posts. Must be a vibe....Amber felt it, hehe...

Rogue Slayer | July 29, 22:06 CET

But...it's at the end of every episode!


Yeah, and my name is at the bottom of every post of mine on various boards, but you'd be surprised at how many people address me(in posts) as Rouge! ; )
But really, no excuse for it.....if you're going to take the time to address someone by name or say their name....kinda helpful to know it!

Rogue Slayer | July 29, 22:09 CET

Rogue Slayer-

The reason I said that the girl really didn't know his name was more in response to what Simon said that the top of the thread,

If I was in a crowd of 6500 people, putting forward a question to a person who is my favourite ever actress I might mangle the entire sentence. Heck, I would be speaking in tongues at that stage.

She didn't mess up the name because of nervousness, she just didn't know it. I agree that she should have known it though.

If I'd called Keanu Reeves 'Keano', people would've commented too, because it's a room filled with fans. It's only natural.

That's funny because I was thinking that same thing about people calling Eliza, "Elijah". But no one seem to take notice of it.

Karen | July 29, 22:11 CET

EdD and RogueS: there's no doubt the Serenity panel was aflame much of time, especially when Joss walked out on stage, when the crew walked out, the bit between Nathan and Adam, the bit about Morena being stupid and Joss walking over to Adam, and the showing of the trailer. Stamping and cheering and whistles and grown men crying (actually that was all just me).

But, without describing it as "low key", I sorta see where Allyson is coming from in part. There were moments when Joss was clearly trying to get the actors more involved, and some of the panelists seemed just a tad sluggish (I can only imagine how tired they probably are), such as, Jewel, who I really expected to be much breezier. Then again, if I walked out to that reception, I'd curl up and frizzle like a frog in the sun. Also there was such the sense of pent-up expectation and bated breath that there were a few moments when, for me at least, time sorta just stood there. Very surreal.

SoddingNancyTribe | July 29, 22:13 CET

Stamping and cheering and whistles and grown men crying (actually that was all just me).


It wasn't just you, but that's all I'll say on the matter ; )


Jewel, who I really expected to be much breezier.

After reading her posts on some other board, I expected more from her too, but I get the distinct feeling that Joss and Nathan, and to a certain extent Adam, are really the outgoing jokesters on that set, and it sort of showed at the panel. The other actors didn't really say much except when directly addressed, because Nathan, Joss and Adam kept the jokes rolling.

Rogue Slayer | July 29, 22:26 CET

Yeah it went down pretty much as Karen transcribed but after that the girl said she was sorry and that she was nervous she compounded the situation by referencing the "Fantastic X-Men" to which the crowd groaned and she was corrected again by Sarah. On the one hand, I think Sarah times was trying a little to hard to be witty but overall I think she succeeded. I did feel bad for this particular girl though because she flubbed twice. I mean imagine after 8+ years finally getting a chance to speak to someone you admire to have it all go horribly wrong.

[ edited by IMMORTAL on 2004-07-29 20:30 ]

IMMORTAL | July 29, 22:29 CET

Well I think its often the case people who post online can be totally different in real life.

And the reason why I said "If I was in a crowd of 6500 people, putting forward a question to a person who is my favourite ever actress I might mangle the entire sentence. Heck, I would be speaking in tongues at that stage." was that when I met Amber Benson I has just about reached the babbling stage before hand. For all I know the girl could have been tired, it might have been hot and she was probably a bag of nerves.

But anyway we'll probably never know the real story.

Simon | July 29, 22:35 CET

"There were moments when Joss was clearly trying to get the actors more involved, and some of the panelists seemed just a tad sluggish (I can only imagine how tired they probably are), such as, Jewel, who I really expected to be much breezier. Then again, if I walked out to that reception, I'd curl up and frizzle like a frog in the sun. Also there was such the sense of pent-up expectation and bated breath that there were a few moments when, for me at least, time sorta just stood there. Very surreal."

Time sorta standing there....well I know the type of moments you mean but literally every panel at the Con had that. That just happens at those events. This one actually had that the least of all the panels I attended, in part due to Joss keeping a nice flow to things without being too overbearing (like some guy in ...I think it was the AVP panel, whom no one was interested in, but kept talking and even answered questions directed at the actors). Another reason was that the Firefly actors themselves joked so much. Just the odd moment before the next question I can't consider an awkward silence.

As for Jewel, well there were 9 people there. 10 including Joss. I think it was the largest panel at the con, and not everyone will be equally heard. Nathan and Adam alone are natural jokers that can't help themselves. Jewel by herself would probably have been more outgoing. And as you said they were probably all pretty tired, but all I remember is the obvious charge of 'happy' they got on their faces when they saw the amazing reception they were getting.

EdDantes | July 29, 22:37 CET

IMMORTAL-

I completely forgot that it was the same person who said "Fantasic X-men" She really struck out in her fleeting moment at the microphone.

Karen | July 29, 22:42 CET

Like I said, it was a subjective thing. I was hot, sitting in the front left. I couldn't see the crowd, and thus didn't catch the thick of what they were feeling. I felt relaxed and unexcited by it all, and was looking forward to the Q&A, and left disappointed that there wasn't a whole lot of time for that piece of it, as that's my favorite part.

When I talked to the Mutant Enemy staff afterwards, they just seemed so exhausted, and so that sort of soaked into my skin, as well. I wish I had better been able to convey how proud I am of them. They're working so hard.

But, as an example, I've been to ballgames with 34,000 screaming fans that felt low-key (Red Sox/Blue Jays). Red Sox/Yankees? Same number of fans, same amount of screaming, a billion volts of electricity in the air. This is how the LA Comic Con felt to me when the DVDs were released and the cast, Joss, and Tim were there. I was sitting smack in the middle of the fans (only about 300 of them, I'd guess), and the charge was hugely unquantifiable to me. Subjective thing, it is.

Allyson | July 29, 22:42 CET

EdD: Well I meant time stood there in a good way, not a bad way, in thinking about how parts could have seemed low key. But now reading Allyson's last post, I see that her experience was entirely different than mine after all . . .

IMMORTAL, I didn't get the impression SMG was *trying* to be witty. From all the interviews etc. I've seen and read, I think that's just her personality - she's the type who just can't resist throwing out comments, whether funny, or silly, or snarky. And not all go down so well. Just as I cannot walk past an opportunity for a pun without stepping all over it (or a chance to post on whedonesque when I really should be trying to get some work done. Any moment now, the mods will send a big hook to drag me off - "No more SNT - you've exceeded your daily quota!" they'll say, and they'll be right.)

SoddingNancyTribe | July 29, 22:47 CET

add me to the club that thinks "snarky" is a compliment. ;)

orphea | July 29, 22:47 CET

I think I hate the word "snark" and all it's variants. Ever since becoming a Whedon fan I've heard it way too much. :)

ringworm | July 29, 22:53 CET

That's ironic because I would describe Whedon as being snarky.

Although obviously not dictionary.com's definition of snarky. Snarky to me means using sarcasm or irony in a funny way.

[ edited by prufrock on 2004-07-29 21:03 ]

prufrock | July 29, 22:57 CET

Simon-

I wouldn't know what it's like to be at the babbling stage. When I met Joss last year my husband went before me and was laughing and joking with him and Nathan Fillion and when it was my turn I just trembled and smiled. I did talk to him a little him but only after he asked me a question. After I left I was kicking myself in the ass for not at least thanking him for all his wonderful work.

So, even if some of the questions at SMG Q&A were kinda cheesy or not well thought out or irritating those people still have waay more guts than I do so more power to them.

Karen | July 29, 22:57 CET

At least Joss and the cast got the energetic vibe, which is what's most important. That's who it was for, but I still can't imagine being part of that crowd and not being excited. It was electric! And I had to sit through the 2 hour commercial that was the Star Wars panel with some REALLY enthusiastic people, and that didn't even rival the Firefly audience. And Star Wars had probably 2000 more people in the room.

I could tell Joss was a bit gobsmacked by the reception, and it was so funny to see the reactions of the cast and them bringing out their cameras to take pictures of us! They were a bit overwhelmed as well.

I didn't get the impression SMG was *trying* to be witty. From all the interviews etc. I've seen and read, I think that's just her personality - she's the type who just can't resist throwing out comments, whether funny, or silly, or snarky. And not all go down so well.

That's the impression I got from watching some of the dailies too. That's just how she is. She's a very 'in control' person, and she probably says what she thinks because she's SMG and she can. And maybe if she was nervous, that's her coping mechanism. A lot of people use humor to hide their nerves. I didn't get the feeling that she was particularly nervous, but you could tell it was a new experience for her and she didn't quite know what to expect, so who knows?

Rogue Slayer | July 29, 23:05 CET

“I could tell Joss was a bit gobsmacked by the reception, and it was so funny to see the reactions of the cast and them bringing out their cameras to take pictures of us! They were a bit overwhelmed as well.”

Awwww! That gives me the warm fuzzies. I’m so happy for them. And proud. They have to have some idea of the love, but to experience a room full of it must have been gratifying and humbling.

“A lot of people use humor to hide their nerves. I didn't get the feeling that she was particularly nervous, but you could tell it was a new experience for her and she didn't quite know what to expect, so who knows?”

I think you’re right about her using humor as a coping mechanism. At least that’s what I think whenever I read how she teased James Marsters when he was the only nekkid guy on set. It would have been nice if she had shown a little more empathy, but it might have been such a weird situation that she joked around without realizing.

This is from an interview I read yesterday:

Q: So this is your first Comic-Con. What are you expecting when you do your panel in front of the massive crowd?

SMG: Butterflies would probably be the #1 answer. I don't know. You know it's…Like I've heard so much. I'm just bummed I can't kind of wander the floor and check it all out. This is my first time so I'm a little nervous. A little nervous. I think that people are going to know more about me than I probably know. And they'll probably ask questions that I can't answer and it'll be like, "In ‘Buffy Episode 432’…" and I'm gonna be like, "Oh, God. Oh, God. OK, um, big vampire and um…"

bloodflowers | July 29, 23:34 CET

I have been very hesitant to post my thoughts on SMG's Comic Con panel here. I attended with a very open mind. I think SMG is a great actress who is, by most accounts, extremely professional to work with and mindful of her colleagues' feelings.

She was very nervous when the panel started, that much was obvious. I somewhat enjoyed her answer to the "why haven't you been here before" question but would have enjoyed the real answer even more. I really wish she had taken the question seriously. Who knows, this one answer might have eliminated all this debate. There just wasn't much substance to her appearance, which is partly the fault of the questioners I know.

The others sitting around me for the panel were very interested in what she had to say when we first sat down. After 15 minutes we were mostly bored. However, we were still all glad to see her.

kdavid323 | July 29, 23:39 CET

It's totally a mistery to me how anyone can get that Joe Sweden guy's name wrong.

PowerToThePeople | July 29, 23:50 CET

And they'll probably ask questions that I can't answer and it'll be like, "In ‘Buffy Episode 432’…" and I'm gonna be like, "Oh, God. Oh, God. OK, um, big vampire and um…"

Uh, any Buffy fan worth their salt knows there weren't 432 episodes of Buffy.... :) I'm who she fears!!

No, actually, KDavid323, I get a little of what you meant. There really WASN'T much substance to the questions, but those are the fanatics who actually make it to the mic. It was mostly, "I love you Sarah" or people trying to politely ask about The Grudge, but managing to turn it around to asking about Buffy(cuz that's what most people care about anyway). Not a lot of depth in the questions, and the session itself was rather short. But it was nice. Sarah smiled a lot and Jason chewed on his gum a lot.

But I'm not sure a 'real' answer to 'why haven't you been here before' would have settled much. Either it would be a glossy lie("I never had time, always too busy, etc") or what I imagine to be the truth ("Cons just aren't my thing and I was never terribly comfortable with the idea of coming.") The former feels like a lie, the latter just wouldn't be something people want to hear. Maybe she should have went with a glossy version of(what I see to be) the truth: "Being in front of a camera is different from being in front of thousands of people, and the idea was just really intimidating for me. But I'm glad I came this year and I see there's nothing to be afraid of." I don't think for a second SMG has stage fright or fear of large audiences, but it would have been a placating answer that would have gotten some applause, I think. Maybe. Who knows.....

It's better than "I didn't come because you freaks freak me out with your freaky outfits and freaky questions and ohmygod is that a Stormtrooper Elvis?!" :)

[ edited by Rogue Slayer on 2004-07-29 22:02 ]

Rogue Slayer | July 30, 00:01 CET

Thanks for the post, kdavid323. Even though I enjoyed - without entirely "getting" - her spoof Top 10, and can totally see why she went that way, I must admit a big part of me, like you, wanted her to give "the real answer", as you put it.

But I doubt that even if there is one "real answer", it would have changed anybody's opinions (and I hope to G-d it wouldn't have eliminated debate - although on this board that's sort of an impossibility. ;))

I imagined in advance the answers she might give, gleaned from other interviews et al. So let's assume she didn't attend CC a couple of times because she was unavailable (shooting "Scream 2", "Cruel Intentions", what have you); a couple of times she was just out of the country on vacation or something; one or two times she had personal reasons for not attending; and maybe we can hypothesize that the last couple of years, she didn't really want to come out and answer Buffy questions. Mostly, I felt that her "real answer" would be that she just doesn't particularly enjoy this kind of thing - meaning the marketing and promoting side; and that while she clearly has an appreciation of her fans, that doesn't figure as large for her as it does for some of the other cast members.

So some or all of these answers - or similar ones - would have been given. Would so-called SMG-bashers have been satisfied? Would Sarah-lovers have changed their opinion? She might have got points for candor, but, really, I doubt that such answers would have resolved the underlying issue. The long and varied list of reasons would have appeared to some as trivial, when, underneath it all, IMHO, she mostly *just didn't want to* attend Comic-Con, and had no obligation, legal or otherwise, to do so. My basic approach to people - and "stars" in particular, - is take 'em as they are. SMG is who she is, just as James Marsters is more cuddly and fan-reciprocating, and so on. If you like their work (and you clearly said you do), that's great. If you happen to like them as people, that's even better.

(Ouch, I just see RogueS beat me to rather the same point in far fewer words. Curses.)

I wasn't bored at all by her appearance, but maybe that's largely because I dig her personality, and harbored no grudge for her past absences.

But you definitely shouldn't feel hesitant to post opinions that reveal a different side of a story, kdavid323. I think that's kinda the raison d'etre of this board. :)

SoddingNancyTribe | July 30, 00:03 CET

"EdD: Well I meant time stood there in a good way, not a bad way, in thinking about how parts could have seemed low key. But now reading Allyson's last post, I see that her experience was entirely different than mine after all . . . "

Gotcha. Sorry I misunderstood.

"Awwww! That gives me the warm fuzzies. I’m so happy for them. And proud. They have to have some idea of the love, but to experience a room full of it must have been gratifying and humbling."

It's really how it was. This panel wasn't just a crowd of fans happy seeing the stars, and the stars being nice to the fans, it was the stars being just as happy to see the fans.

Joss was just beaming. He often appeared like the proud father of the group. And yeah I loved the moment when we all took pics of them and they at the same time took pics of us. Really the highlight of the Con.

As for Sarah, I don't know... her and Jason's panel was a little less rich in...well content I guess, but I love sharp sarcastic humor and Sarah's good at it and I liked how she kept things going. (I think she was probably trying to avoid awkward silences)

"It's totally a mistery to me how anyone can get that Joe Sweden guy's name wrong."

LMAO!:-)

EdDantes | July 30, 00:04 CET

"Uh, any Buffy fan worth their salt knows there weren't 432 episodes of Buffy.... :) I'm who she fears!!"

Just put the fruit down and walk away... ; )

bloodflowers | July 30, 00:23 CET

Well at least it wasn't as bad as the Donnie Darko panel:

From MediaSharX

"Scariest Fan Award
The guy from the DONNIE DARKO panel who dressed as Donnie and hammered director Richard Kelly with bizarre questions like, "What kind of medication was Donnie on?" then stormed out in anger when Kelly suggested that there might be other people who might like to ask questions."

Simon | July 30, 00:36 CET

The most bizarre part of that question is that it's answered in the film. I hope he doesn't give other Donnie Darko fans a bad name.

prufrock | July 30, 00:44 CET

"but I love sharp sarcastic humor and Sarah's good at it and I liked how she kept things going."

Really Ed? Who would've thought you liked women like that - your wife being so quiet and meek and all ;-)

Firefly Flanatic | July 30, 00:50 CET

"Scariest Fan Award
The guy from the DONNIE DARKO panel who dressed as Donnie and hammered director Richard Kelly with bizarre questions like, "What kind of medication was Donnie on?" then stormed out in anger when Kelly suggested that there might be other people who might like to ask questions."

Ooh, that is scary. Some weird folks out there. The weirdest one we saw wasn't that bad and he didn't ask a question but he still raised our eyebrows. It was at the Star Wars panel. They showed some behind-the-scenes stuff of the upcoming movie, including the moment they first put the Darth Vader mask on Hayden. Hey when I was a kid I lived and breathed Star Wars. My parents had to buy every toy out there. I'm an old school fan(also one kinda let down by the recent installments, but still a fan) so it was kinda cool to see *the* mask put on 'Anakin'.
I get it. It was a nice cool thing to show us.

But the guy in front of us was.....on a whole different level. He had both hands up, almost covering his mouth but not quite, and he made sounds like "Oohhhhh....oh...ohhhhhh" like he was either about to start crying, or....uhm....about to reach uh....a really ....'good' moment. Couldn't tell which....

"Really Ed? Who would've thought you liked women like that - your wife being so quiet and meek and all ;-)"

*Sniff*, *sniff*..... Blwessels.....that wouldn't be sarcasm I'm smelling would it?;-) And I obviously don't like women like that. Which is why I married that sweet, quiet, obedient little geisha girl you know as Rogue Slayer.......(*startsrunninginordertogetaheadstart*)

EdDantes | July 30, 01:12 CET

I wasn't bored at all by her appearance, but maybe that's largely because I dig her personality, and harbored no grudge for her past absences.


Grudge. Funny.


Just put the fruit down and walk away... ; )

Fruit. Also funny.

And I obviously don't like women like that. Which is why I married that sweet, quiet, obedient little geisha girl you know as Rogue Slayer.......(*startsrunninginordertogetaheadstart*)

Just let me get a few of my favorite.....devices out before I give chase....SO glad I bought the cattle prod from the online Buffy auction....works too....

Rogue Slayer | July 30, 01:32 CET

Is it just me or does anyone else think that SMG could have got the makup people to make her unrecognizable so she could wander around the convention and see what people are really like when they're not babbling nervous wrecks 'cos they're talking to her?
She could be made into VampWillow! No one would know it was her and no one would raise an eyebrow at another weirdo in a costume!

zz9 | July 30, 02:05 CET

Karen: Yeah at the time I was like, just sit down! But after I thought, that's going to leave a mark tomorrow.

SoddingNancyTribe: Well, just throwing comments out all willy-nilly hoping they all come off witty and trying too hard aren't much different. I guess it's the intent. I don't mean to pick apart everything she said. I'm sure she was nervous. In a way I'm glad she didn't sit and think about everything she was going to say.

IMMORTAL | July 30, 02:48 CET

ZZ9 I read reports saying Freddie did that

garda39 | July 30, 03:53 CET

Is it just me or does anyone else think that SMG could have got the makup people to make her unrecognizable so she could wander around the convention and see what people are really like when they're not babbling nervous wrecks 'cos they're talking to her?

I'm not sure that would have helped our case much!! Bumping around with 80 thousand sweaty folks, some of which really stink, some of which are in funky, often unrecognizable costumes, to look at stuff that SMG quite possibly may have no interest in looking at. I know the plush demon fetuses on sale were particularly interesting.... :)

Rogue Slayer | July 30, 04:00 CET

"I know the plush demon fetuses on sale were particularly interesting.... :) "

Oh come on...who doesn't want a plush demon fetus.....;-)

EdDantes | July 30, 07:47 CET

... plush demon fetuses ...

Fun to write, even more fun to say. ;)

However, it must be said: If these can be made and marketed, then why oh why not Muppet!Angels?

(How about as a two-fer? One to ride shotgun beside you in the front seat, and one to dangle from your rear-view mirror. Instant uber-geek chic. It could work!)

Wiseblood | July 30, 11:41 CET