Kicking Ass and Taking Names: An Interview with Jennifer K. Stuller
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1. I know you’ve probably answered this a hundred times already, but what made you want to write Ink-Stained Amazons and Cinematic Warriors? What were your favorite and least favorite aspects of research? I certainly don’t mind answering the question again! Personally, I find origin stories forproject s fascina ting – es peciall y when the y’re of de ep impor tance to the pers on who worked on them. I wanted to writeInk-Sta ined Ama zons and Cinemat ic Warr iors because I’m passionate about the history of women in popular culture. This history has been ignored in favor of the history of men and male characters in pop culture – leading women to think that they have few stories of value, and few heroes (who aren’t male) to look up to. I wanted to explore female heroes in film, television and comics, as well as look at how classic, or archetypal, themes play out in modern storytelling and ways that established tropes and genderexpectations are subverted. I also think it’s really important to make thinking critically about popular culture something that’s both accessible and celebratory. So rather than write an academic book, I wanted to write something that was well-researched, definitive, and that would be of use to scholars and fans of pop culture, but also accessible to a general audience. Learning should be a pleas ure. My favorite aspect of research has been the research itself! I’ve met wonderfully supportive and talented people with similar interests, discovered new fictional characters & stories, and am better able to understand some of my favorites by having placed them in the real-world cultural contexts in which they were produced. One of my least favorite aspects of the project was that it occasionally seemed overwhelming to try to organize over five years of research – but it always came together. I also continue to find it frustrating that not everyone understands that I haven’t just been watching TV and reading comic books. Thinking critically about media can be exhausting – especial ly since once you s tart, it ’s diff icult to turn tha t part of your br ain off and just enjoy something for what it is. It’s fun work, but it is work. 2. After reading your chapters regarding fathers and mothers, I started thinking about the romantic relationships featured in each of Joss Whedon’s shows. From Buffy and Angel (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), to Fred and Wesley (Angel), to Zoë and Wash (Firefly/Serenity), none of them really end happily. Do you think Whedon is reinforcing family values through his characters roman tic tragedies? Every break-up or death seems to bring everyone closer together. Well, I think Whedon has a couple of different intentions here. One is “bring the pain.” He’s never shied away from unexpectedly, and totally, ripping our hearts out: Buffy having to send her lover to a demon dimension at a critical moment, Oz leaving after a gutting betrayal , Joyce dying , Buffy sacrifi cing her self fo r Dawn , the loss of Tara , Fred, Wash . . .
