I am fascinated by the cultural carrying capacity that Joss Whedon holds. Ever since Buffy (that most obvious example of the strong female character) it seems he has been a go-to figure on the issues of women and pop culture. It’s possible that no male figure in pop culture carries as much recognized “cred” when it comes to gender and movies/television. And when you win that role, you run the risk of over-exposure, or worse.

Which is not really Joss Whedon’s fault. He’s clearly passionate about issues of equality and representation, and has a lot of interesting and thoughtful things to say on the subject. Not every sentiment he utters is accurate, insightful, etc.-though his die-hard fans are likely loathe to hear it. But that’s not to be expected of anyone, and certainly should not detract from his work and advocacy on equality.

Recently, Whedon spoke at an Equality Now benefit dinner, and discussed his problem with the word “feminist.” It’s worth a watch.