The Psychology of Joss Whedon An Unauthorized Exploration of Buffy, Angel, and Firefly

by Davidson, Joy; Wilson, Leah

• ISBN13: 9781933771250
• ISBN10: 1933771259
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-11-10
• Publisher: Smart Pop

Summary

Joss Whedoncreator of the wildly popularBuffy the Vampire Slayer, its spin-offAngel, the short-lived seriesFirefly,and the feature film it inspired,Serenitytakes a seat on the couch in this in-depth examination of the psychological gravity that has captivated his deeply devoted fan base. Whedon fans will enjoy a discussion of issues that are both funny and profound, from the significance of Angel's mommy issues and the best way to conduct government experiments on vampires to what could drive a man to become a cannibalistic Reaver and the psychological impact of being one girl in all the world chosen to fight the forces of darkness.

Author Biography

Joy Davidson, PhD, is a psychologist, sex therapist, advice columnist, speaker, and author who has contributed to Cosmopolitan, Esquire, Family Circle, First for Women, Marie Claire, Maxim, Men's Fitness, MSN, New Woman, Prevention, Playgirl, Redbook, and Seasons. She lives in New York City.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 1
Mal's Morals	p. 7
"Darn Your Sinister Attraction!"	p. 21
Free Will in a Deterministic Whedonverse	p. 35
The Adaptive, the Maladaptive, and the Mal-Adaptive	p. 51
An Analysis of Slayer Longevity	p. 65
How Buffy Learned to Confront Her Fears	p. 79
Terror Management Aboard Serenity	p. 91
Existentialism Meets Feminism in Buffy the Vampire Slayer	p. 105
Dealing with the F-Word	p. 119
"Stripping" River Tam's Amygdala	p. 131
Buffy the Vampire Dater	p. 141
More Than Entertainment	p. 155
Buffy's Search for Meaning	p. 171
Psychology Bad	p. 185
"There's My Boy..."	p. 197
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