When Avengers: Age of Ultron writer/director Joss Whedon suddenly quit Twitter this week, just days after the release of his polarizing new blockbuster, many speculated that his decision was motivated by a barrage of hate from internet trolls — specifically, attacks from "militant feminists" angry about the depiction of Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) in the Avengers sequel.
In an interview with Buzzfeed, Whedon dismissed those claims. "That's horses--t," he said. "Believe me, I have been attacked by militant feminists since I got on Twitter. That's something I'm used to. Every breed of feminism is attacking every other breed, and every subsection of liberalism is always busy attacking another subsection of liberalism, because god forbid they should all band together and actually fight for the cause."
So why did he quit Twitter? To go to "the quiet place" as a writer as he focuses on developing his first post-Avengers project. "[Twitter is] like taking the bar exam at Coachella," said Whedon. "It’'s like, Um, I really need to concentrate on this! Guys! Can you all just… I have to… It's super important for my law!"
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"The real issue is me," continued Whedon. "Twitter is an addictive little thing, and if it's there, I gotta check it. When you keep doing something after it stops giving you pleasure, that’s kind of rock bottom for an addict. … I just had a little moment of clarity where I'm like, 'You know what? If I want to get stuff done, I need to not constantly hit this thing for a news item or a joke or some praise, and then be suddenly sad when there's hate and then hate and then hate."
For more from Whedon, click over to Buzzfeed.
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