“You can’t stop the signal, Mal,” says Mr Universe in Serenity. At the London Premiere we were six deep, waiting for Joss who wore the expression of someone convinced everyone else was more important. I’d just picked up a poster from the printers in a long cardboard box, pushed it over the heads of people in front, Sign the box. Joss, sign the box … Which he did. Originally I said “a good man,” an adjective I apply to people I approve of. I have to qualify this and say creatively I admire Joss Whedon and he is a man. He does not always behave admirably in his private life, and indeed has been a bit of a shit to his ex-wife. But admiring our creative heroes for their creativity while knowing about shitty behaviour is for another blog.
Back on topic, You can’t stop the signal. But an oblong cardboard box signed by Joss Whedon has not been my passport to a screenwriting career and I was reminded of this when Tweeting about Trump the other day. According to my Twitter account analytics, informing the universe that a barely sentient, racist narcissist presently known as “President” described the White House as “a dump” provoked a disproportionate number of impressions, overtaken by an image of a billboard last weekend. You can’t stop the signal, but just five seconds on social media is enough to make you realize the response to the signal depends on people. And here, we must leave it.
Ferdinand Page 