Buffy update

[rm]

So we just watched "Into the Woods" and I have to say what the fuck just happened there?



Let me get this straight, Riley gets out of bed with Buffy, after they've just fucked, to go to a vampire whorehouse, as has been his habit lately. Then Spike, acting out of his lovelonging for Buffy, breaks into her house, wakes her up, and then brings her to see Riley cheating on her WITH VAMPIRE WHORES in action. And then when Buffy and Riley finally speak to each other about it the next day, it's all Buffy's fault?

Now, okay, I agree, that Buffy's head was never in that relationship, and she didn't really treat him fairly, but in a situation like that, reasonable people break up with the person or meet someone else as they drift apart. They do not start frequenting VAMPIRE PROSTITUTES and then blame their girlfriend for it!

Buffy, to her credit, dumps his sorry ass, which is not what I would have done at her age (in circumstances remarkably similar, oddly enough, just, without the vampires).

And then fucking Xander shows up to explain to Buffy that no, it really is all her fault, Riley is the man she should marry, and she should go beg his forgiveness immediately.

WHAT THE MOTHERFUCKING FUCK IS THAT?

Yes, relationships can (and often should) survive cheating/breaking of promises. But Riley was a class-A asshole to blame Buffy for his response to their mutually broken circumstances, and Xander showing up to be all "how dare you have self-respect, that's getting in the way of looooooove" was icing on the cake of chick-hating/victim-blaming absurdity (that is, if I don't even mention that absurd, "let's chase the helicopter down" scene).

What was that?

THIS SHOW IS FEMINIST? HOW IS THAT? Because Buffy gets to kick the shit out of her enemies before being 'splained to about how her strength makes men feel bad and ruins her relationships?

WHAT BULLSHIT IS THIS?

OH MY GOD.

And then the next episode Xander and Anya are on about Buffy's "terrible" relationship track record. You know, two long-term relationships at her age, in one of which she at least has detente with the ex, is not even remotely the worst track record in the world. But oh no, there must be something "wrong" with Buffy.

Jeez, kids, ever think that (a) she's the Slayer and (b) has some self-respect and (c) really has been thrown a lot of curve balls in both relationships that were completely outside of her control?

Because sure, she's made some bad choices, BUT WHO WENT TO THE VAMPIRE WHOREHOUSE? IT SURE WASN'T BUFFY.

HOW CAN THIS SHOW HATE WOMEN SO MUCH?

Also, don't get me started on the whole "here have a bucket of judgmental metaphors" thing with said vampire whorehouse. Find a through-line, people!

Holy crap. WHUT?

Comments

[stakebait.livejournal.com]

I know, I hate this episode with a firey passion, and tend to treat it as Buffy's fucked up dream ballet of guilt -- and/or Xander's secret crush on Riley.

Overall I found the show to be reasonably feminist/woman positive -- this episode being one, but alas not the only, glaring exception.

Not that this excuses it, but I've been told Joss went into something of a snit at fandom's lack of acceptance of Riley. The idea was that Riley is a normal, non-fucked up guy and our inability to let go of Angel is messed up. Although I had no trouble letting go of Angel, and my beef with Riley is not that you have to be fucked up to be interesting, but that you have to be interesting to be interesting, and "normal" is not a substitute for a personality. In any case, one can read Into the Woods, particularly Xander's bizarro diatribe, as a Jossian rant at fandom. Which is the sort of thing I wish showrunners would save for their blogs (Aaron Sorkin, we're looking at you) but may somewhat explain the sudden onset of preachy.

What bugged me also about the vampire whorehouse is that really, that's a pretty responsible way to handle being a vampire -- maybe not as hairshirt perfect as drinking only animal blood, but considering it involves consent and leaves the people alive, certainly better than the usual drink and drop, or even raiding the blood bank (unless you only take the contaminated or expired stuff). And really no consideration was given to the question of whether vampires who are practicing safe bite deserve to be staked. Not that I expected Buffy personally to consider it right away in the midst of her betrayal rage plus Slayer programming, but since the show opened this can of worms I would have liked to see it addressed somehow and not just instantly dismissed.

[redstapler.livejournal.com]

I love this comment and I want to buy it flowers.

[realtsunamigirl.livejournal.com]

Totally agree with you about the whole "suckhouse" thing. I also thought it was interesting that Giles seemed to also think that it was way down the line of priorities due to consent being interesting and a further step into our sense of Rupert and Ripper merging. I would add Slayer biological imperative to rage and programming as this whole season is about Buffy finding out more and more than she is more than just an average girl with super powers crammed on top.