At the risk of exposing the over expectations you have of your flist - mostly I just think 'yes'. Let me scrabble around for something a little more productive.
I think Joss has on occasion indulged in the frantic, back-peddling urge to explain that any writer may occasionally give in to. Specifically when he was called on having changed the canon about who sired Spike and, as rahirah says, about whether or not Spike went to get his soul. I can sympathise with this because as a writer whilst I fully believe that my readers can and will interpret the text however they choose, and I can only provide clarity within the text or not at all - and that understanding this makes me a better writer - nevertheless... there are occasions when everyone just squirms on the hook and starts blabbing about what one really meant. I know: I caught myself doing it recently. I did have the grace to blush and shut up when I realised what I was doing.
I think Joss as a brilliant writer understands this and also sometimes finds himself giving in to the urge to try to control his viewers/readers. I also think that since the comics are a relatively unfamiliar medium (and, say it ever so softly, possibly not one he is very talented in) we may see more rather than less squirming.
None of which detracts from the fact that I think you are right and Joss knows better than to try to impose his view on everyone else when he's concentrating on what he's saying. So I agree, Joss thinks of it as canon, and so he should, but he doesn't expect us to unless we want to, and so he shouldn't.
I can't help but think that his constant appeals to the Word of Joss and his inability to allow for any shades of grey in legitimate reader response somehow reveals an insecurity about his ability to exist outside of a hierarchical system--that he (unconsciously) sees fluidity of meaning as a challenge to his own position and power and privilege.
Interesting interpretation. I think what we are mostly seeing is the usual internet dance of one poor sod who made a rant that criticized something and then wasn't able to cope when dozens of people piled in on him at once. Fen don't like criticism of either their source material or other people's fan-works - it always leads to wank. So I think what you are mostly seeing is flailing because he is drowning in comments. This can often produce an apparently black and white mindset because when you feel as if you are fighting for your reputation, and the reputation of whatever opinion you first put forward, against a dozen opponents, it is easiest to let the nuances slide. A pity since people tend to pick up on the anger quicker than on what you are actually trying to say - hence wank.
But then as you know, I'm not a big fan (heh, no pun intended) of the idea that people with various 'privileges' are liable to 'defend' them when they feel challenged. Its counter-intuitive given the corollary idea that those very privileges are transparent to the people who have them. So I believe we should always look for a far more surface motive to begin with and only fall back on the idea of threatened privilege if we are really struggling for a decent cause and effect. Which is seldom necessary in the situations one habitually sees around fandom at least.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2007-04-25 10:04 am (UTC)I think Joss has on occasion indulged in the frantic, back-peddling urge to explain that any writer may occasionally give in to. Specifically when he was called on having changed the canon about who sired Spike and, as
I think Joss as a brilliant writer understands this and also sometimes finds himself giving in to the urge to try to control his viewers/readers. I also think that since the comics are a relatively unfamiliar medium (and, say it ever so softly, possibly not one he is very talented in) we may see more rather than less squirming.
None of which detracts from the fact that I think you are right and Joss knows better than to try to impose his view on everyone else when he's concentrating on what he's saying. So I agree, Joss thinks of it as canon, and so he should, but he doesn't expect us to unless we want to, and so he shouldn't.
Interesting interpretation. I think what we are mostly seeing is the usual internet dance of one poor sod who made a rant that criticized something and then wasn't able to cope when dozens of people piled in on him at once. Fen don't like criticism of either their source material or other people's fan-works - it always leads to wank. So I think what you are mostly seeing is flailing because he is drowning in comments. This can often produce an apparently black and white mindset because when you feel as if you are fighting for your reputation, and the reputation of whatever opinion you first put forward, against a dozen opponents, it is easiest to let the nuances slide. A pity since people tend to pick up on the anger quicker than on what you are actually trying to say - hence wank.
But then as you know, I'm not a big fan (heh, no pun intended) of the idea that people with various 'privileges' are liable to 'defend' them when they feel challenged. Its counter-intuitive given the corollary idea that those very privileges are transparent to the people who have them. So I believe we should always look for a far more surface motive to begin with and only fall back on the idea of threatened privilege if we are really struggling for a decent cause and effect. Which is seldom necessary in the situations one habitually sees around fandom at least.
Heh. You very much are.