As for the rape thing, I'm not even going to go there.
You're already there. Whether you enjoy it or not, if you watch the show, you are watching the character be raped. That's Tep's point, and she's not wrong.
That there are other interesting things going on, to do with identity and everything else, is true. But it doesn't make it less rape merely because 18 months ago Caroline signed a piece of paper. Consent doesn't work like that.
I'm pretty sure Joss is aware of this; I'm also pretty sure the network isn't, and a good chunk of the audience isn't, either.
I think the network as likely does know and doesn't care.
I watched Tim rape some dude on The Inside, though, under that definition. I don't care. I'm not sat thinking "WOW, RAPE IS AWESOME! I WANT THAT FOR XMAS!".
I think the network as likely does know and doesn't care.
Yeah, or at least some of them understand it is. Network's not a monolith anymore than a production company is.
I'm pretty sure Joss is aware of this;
But here's the thing; because he made a show that turned the trope of tiny-blonde-girl-in-alley-faces-monsters upside down, he got heralded as a champion of feminism.
Pretty sure it's nowhere even NEAR feminism for an overeducated, articulate white man to appropriate sexual violence which is perpetrated mostly against women, and use it to tell a fucking story.
Gah. It just makes me more and more angry the more I think about it.
And before anyone tells me to just stop posting about it if it makes me so angry, the reason I'm angry is that Joss has been better than this. He can be better than this, and I fell in love with his storytelling when it was better than this. So it's utterly disappointing to see this happen. (Dr. Horrible managed to not rouse my feminist ire as much as it did for others, but this? Gah.)
Cogito ergo sum. But what are the beginnings of cogito and who is the sum?
Nice.
there's no good reason for a woman running for her life to randomly take off her shirt--especially when she's running through the woods
Except that losing the white-ish shirt made her a slightly less visible target.
I watched Tim rape some dude on The Inside, though, under that definition. I don't care. I'm not sat thinking "WOW, RAPE IS AWESOME! I WANT THAT FOR XMAS!".
That was presented as horrific. This is being presented as a fantasy that is enjoyable to the personality. But the personality is just a roofie. They're using Caroline's body as an empty hole to fuck. But since she giggles it's okay. She's a blow up doll.
You signed a consent to be raped and terrorized on a regular basis, but you won't remember, so it's all cool. Not so much. Two episodes both have involved our victim being raped and at considerable risk of violent death. I'll look and see if she is in for the same treatment next week. If so I won't bother to upset myself. She isn't even like a blow up doll; it is closer to child abuse in my view. And not remotely entertaining.
I'm just disappointed. I'd hoped for so much better.
That was presented as horrific. This is being presented as a fantasy that is enjoyable to the personality. But the personality is just a roofie. They're using Caroline's body as an empty hole to fuck. But since she giggles it's okay. She's a blow up doll.
You are, of course, right. At the same time, that is the show's premise. But it's not like the people involved haven't thought about that. My opinion is still let's-see-how-it's-handled.
There are several problems that I foresee. The only believable "missions" (for me, anyway) are the "I want the perfect date/sex" ones, and those are just very skeevy. Sorry, still not buying that people would go to the Dollhouse for a hostage negotiator or a body guard (next week's mission). Totally buying that men would go there for sex bots.
As far as I can see, the show is dead without these weekly storylines, but they are the least interesting and most problematic pieces of the show. I want the story of Caroline but I don't see how they can truly go there and keep the premise.
I'm still in but not sure for how much longer.