And also why I'm confused by the argument that Buffy is, by virtue of those negative traits, a masculine character
I've seen this (and the corollary that Spike, being motivated by emotion, is female). Usually I decide that the proponent of the theory is very young, or very naive, or otherwise wedded to gender stereotypes. In my more expansive moods, I figure they are working along the lines Camille Paglia put forth in
Sexual Persona;
to wit, men are Apollonian, straight-line thinkers and doers, problem-solvers. The male is the one who is nominally head-of-household, and deals with the external stuff (mammoth-killer, breadwinner, soldier, athlete). Women are Cthonian, involved and identified with bodily fluids, associative thinkers and manipulators. The female is the emotional head-of-household, dealing with the internal stuff, caring for the children, addressing people's emotions.
If you agree with Paglia, then it's easy enough to map Buffy the Slayer onto the male role, and Spike the vampire, erstwhile poet, and babysitter of Dawn onto the female role.
But mostly the fan response doesn't go that way...mostly it's around the level of "Buffy's totally using Spike sexually, that makes him a woman!" Which is just dumb.
In my more expansive moods, I figure they are working along the lines Camille Paglia put forth in Sexual Persona; to wit, men are Apollonian, straight-line thinkers and doers, problem-solvers. The male is the one who is nominally head-of-household, and deals with the external stuff (mammoth-killer, breadwinner, soldier, athlete). Women are Cthonian, involved and identified with bodily fluids, associative thinkers and manipulators. The female is the emotional head-of-household, dealing with the internal stuff, caring for the children, addressing people's emotions.
Yeah, that's pretty much my take when being less bitchy.
In my more bitchy moments, I wonder how many of the people making that particular argument have been in the position of being the pursued.
I've seen it argued by so many people who are smart, but seem to have a Spike-sized blindspot, and it's identification more than attraction driving it in my experience. Of course, as my main objection is of the BMECT! variety, potkettleblack.
I [heart] Raq.
Oh good, since I ♥ Sean!
I've seen it argued by so many people who are smart, but seem to have a Spike-sized blindspot
So, playing the role of Perkins, which Buffyverse chacter do fans have the biggest blindspot for? Or, which character do you, dear Reader, have a blindspot for?
playing the role of Perkins
I have a role? Cool.
For many fans, I guess I would say Spike or Willow. For myself, probably Wesley.
So, playing the role of Perkins, which Buffyverse chacter do fans have the biggest blindspot for? Or, which character do you, dear Reader, have a blindspot for?
Honestly, I think my biggest blindspot is Connor sized, because Connor is just a WEE MISUNDERSTOOD WOOBIEMAN!
Ahem.
Xander, do wrong? Xander's never done wrong in his life, right? He was always in the right.
(Yeah, my Xander blindspot is large.)
(I thought you were being literal, because Xander himself has the biggest blindspot.)
(Then I remembered she was asking about OUR blindspots. D'oh.)
