Things We Saw Today: Charisma Carpenter, Ray Fisher Respond to Joss Whedon Profile

Joss Whedon’s interview with New York magazine was many things: a complete denial of responsibility for the pain he caused, a self-mythologizing “woe is me” pity party, and a not-so-subtle dig at the people he victimized. Journalist Lila Shapiro gave Whedon enough room to paint a terrible picture of himself, with plenty of paint left over for his fellow pseudo-feminist power-tripping ilk.

Readers were having none of it, and neither was Ray Fisher. The Justice League actor, who first accused Whedon of fostering a toxic and unprofessional workplace on the set of the superhero film (which lead to an investigation by Warner Bros.) responded in a series of tweets , writing, “Joss Whedon had nearly two years to get his story straight. He’s likely spent tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of dollars on PR, crisis management, and coaching. And his response to the allegations is: “They all misunderstood and/or are out to get me—also my mom is sexy” ???”

Charisma Carpenter also responded to the profile. The former Buffy and Angel star, who recounted Whedon’s casual cruelty towards her and others, had previously spoken up in support of Fisher. She tweeted, “#IStandWithRayFisher, the ‘malevolent force’ and ‘bad actor in both senses’ who poisoned my mind with trendy buzzwords and corrupt ideas about my experiences with a former tyrannical narcissistic boss who is still unable to be accountable and just apologize.”

Carpenter also called Whedon out on his assertion that his threats against Gal Gadot were the result of her not understanding English, a language she is fluent in. She wrote, “I believe Gal Gadot understands career threats in English but also in Hebrew and Arabic. Possibly French, Spanish, and Italian too.”

Fisher responded with his own supportive statement, writing #IStandWithCharismaCarpenter who (like this ‘bad actor in both senses’) has no agency in determining matters of abuse or race, but for the influence of a White male shadow puppeteer.”

(image: Cineflix Media/Warner Bros.)

• Hilary Duff talks about the adult-oriented revival of Lizzie McGuire that never was. (via HuffPost)
• Apple TV+ is making a Godzilla and the Titans live-action series. (via Yahoo! Entertainment)
• This Yellowjackets character wasn’t supposed to survive past the first episode. (via /Film)

• Court orders Roblox YouTuber to stay banned from the game. (via Polygon)
• Do we really need a film about January 6th though? (via Entertainment Weekly)
• These students created a detailed map of The Witcher‘s continent. (via Nerdist)

Cast them in the sequel, you cowards!

It’s finally Friday! What did you see today?

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Chelsea Steiner

Chelsea was born and raised in New Orleans, which explains her affinity for cheesy grits and Britney Spears. An pop culture journalist since 2012, her work has appeared on Autostraddle, AfterEllen, and more. Her beats include queer popular culture, film, television, republican clownery, and the unwavering belief that 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' is the greatest movie ever made. She currently resides in sunny Los Angeles, with her husband, 2 sons, and one poorly behaved rescue dog. She is a former roller derby girl and a black belt in Judo, so she is not to be trifled with. She loves the word “Jewess” and wishes more people used it to describe her.

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