Well, yes, but they don't tell happy stories anymore. They don't do *anything* positive unless it's for the express purpose of shattering it shortly after.
Agreed. I think it's part of the (screwy) world-view that a lot of people have: that the only lessons worth learning in life are taught through pain and suffering. And that suffering and pain are therefore valuable, character-building experiences rather than obstacles that can lead to suicide or bitterness or becoming an abuser of others.
This is why the whole Giles Leaving Buffy rationale makes me queasy ... the message that Buffy has to suffer in order to grow up, rather than that she can be taught and encouraged and helped. I used to think that Giles left Buffy this way because the writers were too lazy to develop a more rounded, credible story for Giles's exit, but now I'm sure it's part of their overall world-view about the primacy of pain in personal growth.
But how funky is it that Amber Benson is dating Adam Busch. Got your phallic, misogynistic gun right here, baby. All a lesbian needs is the right man. I have conspiracy theories dancing through my head in which Joss forbade/threatened/blackmailed Benson and Busch so their relationship had to be concealed from the public so as to not undermine the lesbo-wicca-womyn-power-twoo-wuv message of Willow/Tara. (As opposed to the vastly less entertaining explanation that AB and AB only got together recently.)
Re:
Agreed. I think it's part of the (screwy) world-view that a lot of people have: that the only lessons worth learning in life are taught through pain and suffering. And that suffering and pain are therefore valuable, character-building experiences rather than obstacles that can lead to suicide or bitterness or becoming an abuser of others.
This is why the whole Giles Leaving Buffy rationale makes me queasy ... the message that Buffy has to suffer in order to grow up, rather than that she can be taught and encouraged and helped. I used to think that Giles left Buffy this way because the writers were too lazy to develop a more rounded, credible story for Giles's exit, but now I'm sure it's part of their overall world-view about the primacy of pain in personal growth.
But how funky is it that Amber Benson is dating Adam Busch. Got your phallic, misogynistic gun right here, baby. All a lesbian needs is the right man. I have conspiracy theories dancing through my head in which Joss forbade/threatened/blackmailed Benson and Busch so their relationship had to be concealed from the public so as to not undermine the lesbo-wicca-womyn-power-twoo-wuv message of Willow/Tara. (As opposed to the vastly less entertaining explanation that AB and AB only got together recently.)