(no subject)

[rusty_halo]

I don't have a problem with complicated, flawed characters. I understand that Buffy endured a very difficult life that was bound to cause emotional problems. I liked and sympathized with Buffy quite a bit up until "Smashed."

However, when she began taking her pain out on other people, who didn't deserve it, I lost all respect for her. When she sobbed at the end of "Dead Things," not because she felt bad for hurting Spike, but because she felt bad for letting Spike taint her. When she didn't even flinch at the bruises on Spike's face in "Older and Far Away." When she never ever apologized to him for months of physical and emotional abuse, and never acknowledged to anyone (save a vampire who she proceeded to kill) that she was just as responsible for their fucked up relationship as Spike was.

Buffy could have regained my sympathy very easily if she'd shown any kind of remorse for the way she mistreated Spike. IMO - she didn't. And not only that, but the writing inplicitly excused all of her misbehavior. They harped on the AR over and over, but never once brought up the "Dead Things" beating. I'm disgusted by the double standard that the writers used in excusing all of Buffy's poor behavior. And for those reasons, I cannot stand the character.

I respect that others have the right to disagree. I have never once bashed or judged the people who like Buffy, and I would appreciate if they'd refrain from bashing and judging me. Accusing me of having "no compassion" and so on is just bullshit. You can't judge who I am from my opinions of a fictional character. It's like those people who call Spike fans "rape apologists" and "serial killer lovers." Quit making real life judgements about people just because they disagree with your opinion of a fictional TV character. Debate the opinion, not the person who holds the opinion.

Comments

[swmbo.livejournal.com]

*comforting hugs* I believe you have compassion, I swear!

I can understand where you are coming from, even though I do like Buffy myself. But I have to confess, that's because "my Buffy" comes to terms a lot more with what happened on-screen and has different reactions and works through things. If I was only taking purely what showed on screen, rather than both my imagination and other people's fics - I don't know how I'd feel about her.

Hope your day brightens.

Fandom should take a good, hard look at itself...

[chenanceou.livejournal.com]

Quit making real life judgments about people just because they disagree with your opinion of a fictional TV character. Debate the opinion, not the person who holds the opinion.
=#=
There is nothing that irks me as much as personal attacks online over FICTIONAL characters. I have ranted about it and tried to not let it happen on the lists. Unfortunately the "protection" the net gives makes some people lose all pretense at rationality.
Disliking Buffy is your right (and mine as it happens)!
I do have to say though - I don't give a flying rat's ass about what people online say about me or if they chose to expose themselves as having no lives (and being in need of medication) when they go for the jugular over some tv show.
I used to care about the show. A lot. In some level I still do, but the passion is gone and I bless the day *somebody* went: "Bored now..." at ME and freed me.
Chen all cranky due to much NY missing

[nmissi.livejournal.com]

Deep breath. It's over. The bitch is out of our lives. It's going to be okay.

Now, if you'd like to join me in getting the unhealthy, abusive presence that is Mutant Enemy out as well, all you have to do is not.watch.ATS. this season. It's that simple. You have no idea how much better you'll feel when you cut ties with the entire sick, twisted, lot of 'em at ME. It's easier than it seems. I've done it, and I'm okay. :)

And if you feel the need to vent Buffyhate, well, the bitchboard is still around. It doesn't get alot of traffic these days, but it's open for your pleasure. (or your therapy!)

http://pub26.ezboard.com/btheseethingcauldron

[queenofattolia.livejournal.com]

You can't judge who I am from my opinions of a fictional character. It's like those people who call Spike fans "rape apologists" and "serial killer lovers." Quit making real life judgements about people just because they disagree with your opinion of a fictional TV character. Debate the opinion, not the person who holds the opinion.

Exactly. And these varying opinions are based on what we saw on the TV screen. My opinion about Buffy the character was irrevocably finalized in the last image of her on the screen: smiling because through the magical intercession of her best friend, her role as Slayer had been transferred to any number of unsuspecting, untried young girls around the globe. Being the Slayer had always been a terrible burden to her, and hot-cha! Willow freed her! So she smiled, with no thought about the implications of Willow's spell (Giles would handle that), and, incidentally, no discernable sad thoughts or feelings about the vampire whose death minutes before made her liberation possible.

I think it's telling that when Whedon was asked recently who his favorite character was on the show, he answered, "Willow." I think part of the reason Buffy was written as such a cold, unfeeling, unlikeable character for the final year and a half had less to do with her increasingly ether-like "burdens" and "dogged heroism" and more to do with the fact that Whedon and his writers no longer liked the character nor the actress playing her very much. It showed, let me tell you.

But then again, that's just my opinion, and just because I hold that opinion doesn't make me unfeeling, perfectionistic, overly harsh or mean. ME wrote Buffy as emotionless, hard, uncaring and selfish, and that's what I saw on the screen. YMMV, of course, but that's the beauty of individual perceptions in a free society.

Sometimes

[ceitnicangus.livejournal.com]

I hate her, sometimes I like her, Sometemes I don't have any feelings for her, but she is not who I watched the show for at the end.

[caille.livejournal.com]

Oh, sweetie, I so totally don't agree with you, but I just cain't he'p it, I still love and respect you. Life's too short not to, you know?

[queenofthorns.livejournal.com]

Heh! But don't you understand, dear, that it's all about feeling superior to others? So the implication of "I appreciate a flawed heroine and I have compassion for her" is basically another way of saying "I'm better and smarter than Some Other Group of People" which is what seems to be the raison d'être of an astonishingly large portion of fandom ;)

As for me, I prefer to reserve my compassion for real people and like or dislike fictional characters for whatever rational and/or irrational reasons that I have because, hello, FICTIONAL CHARACTERS!

[paratti.livejournal.com]

WORD.
And don't let pillocks get you down.
:Hugs::