The Psychology of Joss Whedon

Author: Joy Davidson
Publisher: BenBella Books, Inc.
ISBN: 193525135X
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 223

Book Description
First there was “Buffy the Vampire Slayer"; then its spin-off “Angel"; then the cult hit “Firefly"; and its follow-up film, “Serenity." They all had two things in common: their creator, Joss Whedon … and their surprising psychological depth. Revisit the worlds of Joss Whedon … with trained psychologists at your side. What are the psychological effects of constantly fighting for your life? Why is neuroscience the Whedonverse's most terrifying villain? How can watching Joss's shows help you take on your own psychological issues? It's all the best parts of Psych 101—without Professor Walsh. * Robert Kurzban explains how Mal's morals are a form of evolutionary pornography, and why we like to watch * Thomas Flamson explores free will in the Whedonverse—with prophecies, sacred duties and the long arm of the Alliance, does anyone actually have any? * Carole Poole demonstrates how Buffy and Spike's season six relationship could be considered metaphor for narcissistic personality disorder—and concludes that Buffy may have been better off continuing it * Bradley J. Daniels looks at River's Alliance-altered brain, and the real effects of “stripping" the amygdala * Mikhail Lyubansky shows why, psychologically, death really is Buffy's gift * And editor Joy Davidson takes on Angel's mommy issues—how the course of his whole extraordinary existence can be traced back to the woman who made him a vampire

The Psychology of Joss Whedon

Author: Joy Davidson
Publisher: BenBella Books
ISBN: 1933771259
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 223

The Psychology of Superheroes

Author: Robin S. Rosenberg
Publisher: BenBella Books
ISBN: 1933771313
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 274

Book Description
This latest installment in the Psychology of Popular Culture series turns its focus to superheroes. Superheroes have survived and fascinated for more than 70 years in no small part due to their psychological depth. In The Psychology of Superheroes, almost two dozen psychologists get into the heads of today's most popular and intriguing superheroes. Why do superheroes choose to be superheroes? Where does Spider-Man's altruism come from, and what does it mean? Why is there so much prejudice against the X-Men, and how could they have responded to it, other than the way they did? Why are super-villains so aggressive? The Psychology of Superheroes answers these questions, exploring the inner workings our heroes usually only share with their therapists.

The Whedonverse Catalog

Author: Don Macnaughtan
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476670595
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 282

Book Description
Director, producer and screenwriter Joss Whedon is a creative force in film, television, comic books and a host of other media. This book provides an authoritative survey of all of Whedon's work, ranging from his earliest scriptwriting on Roseanne, through his many movie and TV undertakings--Toy Story, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly/Serenity, Dr. Horrible, The Cabin in the Woods, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.--to his forays into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The book covers both the original texts of the Whedonverse and the many secondary works focusing on Whedon's projects, including about 2000 books, essays, articles, documentaries and dissertations.

Power and Control in the Television Worlds of Joss Whedon

Author: Sherry Ginn
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 0786489707
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 202

Book Description
Ever since the premiere of the small-screen incarnation of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in 1997, the television worlds of Joss Whedon--which have grown to include Angel, Firefly, and Dollhouse--have acquired a cult following of dedicated fans and inspired curious scholars. The quest for power and control over humans and other animals is a constant theme running throughout all four series. This study explores the myriad natural and supernatural methods Whedon's characters use to achieve power and control over unsuspecting friends and foes, including witchcraft and other paranormal means, love, aggression, and scientific devices such as psychosurgery and psychopharmacology. A catalog of characters and a complete list of episodes for each series completes this valuable addition to the growing body of scholarship on television's "Whedonverse."

Joss Whedon as Philosopher

Author: Dean Kowalski
Publisher: Lexington Books
ISBN: 0739196669
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 279

Book Description
In this book, Dean Kowalski argues that filmmakers can “do” philosophy when creating a fictional narrative film, and utilizes a careful and extensive analysis of Joss Whedon’s fictive creations—Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, Dollhouse, and The Cabin in the Woods (among others)—to establish this thesis. This book appeals to many different readers. For the many admirers of Whedon’s fictive creations, it offers one of the most comprehensive analyses of his corpus. It reprises many examples and dialogue passages from the far corners of the so-called “Whedonverse.” You’ll get a chance to re-experience your favorite dramatic moments, and think about them in novel ways. For popular culture scholars, it offers illustrations of various philosophical theories, explains how those theories pertain to relevant data points in Whedon’s oeuvre, and assesses whether, or to what extent, they have real-world application. For philosophers of film, it explicates crucial issues germane to the film-as-philosophy debate, but also expands them to television—all in the attempt to demonstrate why it is that Whedon ought to be included among those rare filmmakers who engage the philosophical process via their artistry.

Joss Whedon vs. the Horror Tradition

Author: Kristopher Karl Woofter
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 178672541X
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 383

Book Description
Although ostensibly presented as “light entertainment,” the work of writer-director-producer Joss Whedon takes much dark inspiration from the horror genre to create a unique aesthetic and perform a cultural critique. Featuring monsters, the undead, as well as drawing upon folklore and fairy tales, his many productions both celebrate and masterfully repurpose the traditions of horror for their own means. Woofter and Jowett's collection looks at how Whedon revisits existing feminist tropes in the '70s and '80s “slasher” craze via Buffy the Vampire Slayer to create a feminist saga; the innovative use of silent cinema tropes to produce a new fear-laden, film-television intertext; postmodernist reflexivity in Cabin in the Woods; as well as exploring new concepts on “cosmic dread” and the sublime for a richer understanding of programmes Dollhouse and Firefly. Chapters provide the historical context of horror as well as the particular production backgrounds that by turns support, constrain or transform this mode of filmmaking. Informed by a wide range of theory from within philosophy, film studies, queer studies, psychoanalysis, feminism and other fields, the expert contributions to this volume prove the enduring relevance of Whedon's genre-based universe to the study of film, television, popular culture and beyond.

The Philosophy of Joss Whedon

Author: Dean A. Kowalski
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
ISBN: 081313997X
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 248

Book Description
Every generation produces a counterculture icon. Joss Whedon, creator of the long-running television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, is famed for his subversive wit, rich characters, and extraordinary plotlines. His renown has only grown with subsequent creations, including Angel, Firefly, Dollhouse, and the innovative online series Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. Through premises as unusual as a supernatural detective agency run by a vampire and a Western set in outer space, Whedon weaves stories about characters forced to make commonplace moral decisions under the most bizarre of circumstances. The Philosophy of Joss Whedon examines Whedon's plots and characterizations to reveal their philosophical takes on the limits of personal freedom, sexual morality, radical evil, and Daoism.

The Psychology of Dexter

Author: Bella Depaulo
Publisher: BenBella Books
ISBN: 193525197X
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 266

Book Description
Peek inside the mind of Dexter Morgan—police forensic analyst, family man, serial killer, and the star of Showtime’s most-watched series—with essays from seventeen psychologists and avid fans. Aimed at Dexter devotees and armchair psychologists, The Psychology of Dexter takes on the psychological complexities of the popular series with an eye towards insight and accessibility. It analyzes not just the title character, but his family, coworkers, and even his viewers. What makes Dexter tick? What makes a show about a serial killer so appealing to those of us at home. And do we need to be worried about our own Dark Passengers? From the implications of faking normalcy (could it be behind Dexter’s still-in-progress emotional growth?) to where the show weighs in on the psychological debate between nature and nurture, this book gives fans a peek inside Dexter’s psyche. Think you know Dexter? The Psychology of Dexter will make you think again.

The Psychology of Twilight

Author: E. David Klonsky
Publisher: BenBella Books
ISBN: 1936661128
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 274

Book Description
You've read the books. You've seen the films. Now get inside the heads of your favorite Twilight characters (just like Edward can!) in The Psychology of Twilight. Explore the minds and motives of Bella, Edward, Jacob, and more with a deeper look at the series that's captured the hearts—and psyches—of millions. Find out: • How Edward and Jacob match up in an evolutionary psychology smackdown for Bella's—and our—affection • Whether Bella's motorcycle-riding and cliff diving in New Moon are suicidal—or her salvation • Why vampires and werewolves aren't so different after all (at least psychologically) • The emotional appeal of love stories like Bella and Edward's • Why being a part of Twilight fandom is good for your psychological health Snuggle up on the closest chaise, and get ready to revisit the Twilight Saga—with some professional help.