Famed film and TV director joss whedon recently let loose with an angry tweet in which he wished that President Donald Trump would die. The message has, understandably, elicited a great deal of pushback.
Whedon is most famous for having created such shows as “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Firefly” as well as having directed the first two “Avengers” films. To say that his politics skew toward the left would be to put the matter mildly.
What does the law say?
United States Code Title 18 Section 871 makes threatening the life of the president of the United States a class E felony which carries with it a punishment of up to five years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine. However, both legislative and judicial history surrounding the law suggests that Whedon is unlikely to be prosecuted under the law. The exact wording of his rant could be interpreted to mean that he wished that Trump would die of natural causes and not that he was inciting for someone to assassinate him.
Consequences to Whedon’s career?
However, just as happened to Kathy Griffin when she allowed herself to be photographed holding an object resembling the president’s severed head, Whedon may suffer a number of consequences.
He may expect an uncomfortable interview with the Secret Service concerning the exact meaning of his words.
Unofficial consequences to Whedon may, however, be severe, depending on how the public reacts. The quality of Whedon’s work has suffered since the second “Avengers” film. His script for “Wonder Woman” was considered subpar and was hence passed over in favor of the one that resulted in the hit film starring Gal Gadot. He declared that he was unable to develop a story for a “Batgirl” movie and was obliged to pass on that project. Whedon’s involvement in the “Justice League” film is said to have contributed to its lack of success.
Whedon has also come under fire as a serial philanderer, using his reputation as a male feminist and the psychological manipulation of vulnerable actresses and other women in the entertainment industry to have sex with them.
The disrespect shown by Whedon toward his wife by cheating on her with such enthusiasm has proven to be a stain on his reputation.
The tweet that contained the wish for the death of the president is not the first unhinged message Whedon has left on social media. The bottom line is that the latest example of deranged behavior could not have come at a worse time for his career. It may take all of Whedon’s skill as a writer and storyteller to get him out of this one.