Joss Whedon may have tainted Buffy’s legacy – but us fans have made the show our own

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. As the years passed, more stories emerged – Whedon’s misogynistic Wonder Woman script leaked, Buffy actors talked about unpleasant incidents on set and expressed disappointment in their characters’ fates, and Whedon’s ex-wife Kai Cole accused of him being a “hypocrite preaching feminist ideals”. open image in gallery Anthony Head was the father figure to Sarah Michelle Gellar’s character in ‘Buffy’ I’d long been aware of Buffy’s friend Xander ageing problematically, with his entitlement towards her in series one, constant “negging” of girlfriend Cordelia in series two and, worst of all, jilting Anya at the alter in season six. Russo found new meaning in the Buffy episode “Conversations with Dead People”, where vampiric psychology student Holden dissects Buffy’s life. The New York Times reported in February that fans were regretting their Buffy tattoos and The Whedon Studies Association was considering changing its name, while the show’s star Gellar articulated a distinction, saying: “While I am proud to have my name associated with Buffy Summers, I don’t want to be forever associated with the name Joss Whedon.” But can one truly draw that distinction when Buffy was Whedon’s creation?