Make no mistake, I think the Dollhouse is evil, and that most of our protaganists here are villains. But I appreciate that it takes a toll on them.

Yeah, this. I have no thoughts on the recent ep as I'm on the road, but overall, definitely this.

The original pitch was the Dollhouse was good from Joss, but FOX wanted it to be evilish, so it changed as they went along. It's covered in that interview I linked a few pages ago.

I think we all use each other in life. The Sierra/Topher thing made me cry for this reason: I just spent the weekend messing around (erm, not that kind of messing around) with the actress, Dichen Lachman, in the UK. 'cos I paid for the experience at a convention. And then she went away. And I sit here, in my flat, alone. It was a curious feeling.

The original pitch was the Dollhouse was good from Joss, but FOX wanted it to be evilish, so it changed as they went along.

So was there no sex with dolls in the original plan?

There was sex.

I'd like to see how that would be handled with having the Dollhouse still being good. Isn't the sex part where most people think is the Dollhouse at its worst?

Given the amount of men who use brothels throughout history and buy Maxim, no?

I don't think the good or bad thing comes out of sex per say, I think it's about the Dollhouse's intentions. What is the goal of the Dollhouse as a worldwide organisation? Is it really 'just' fantasy?

I do think Dollhouse has clearly had the angles that as a society and personally we use each other - Paul and Mellie in the last episode being a classic example - and that 'perversion' is often best shared. With layers of self justification thrown on top. I don't think there's anything wrong with Topher hiring Sierra to hang around with. I mean, it's sad, but it's better than being lonely.

Given the amount of men who use brothels throughout history and buy Maxim, no?

You equate sex with a Doll with buying Maxim? Really?

it's sad, but it's better than being lonely.

How do you define "better"? As healthier? Because establishing consensual peer relationships strikes me as "better".

I'm thinking a Maxim reader might not be as offended by the notion of paying for sex than, well, this forum. Better can be a short term thing.

I don't think there's anything wrong with Topher hiring Sierra to hang around with.

He didn't *hire* her, he imprinted a personality on her with the consent of Boyd, not Sierra.

Given the amount of men who use brothels throughout history and buy Maxim, no?

Brothels also prey on women who have few choices, but at least they have more choice on a client by client basis than the Dolls. (sometimes not a *lot* of choice, but...) Every time a Doll has a sexual assignment, that Doll is raped.

Prostitutes get raped too sometimes- it's really not as benign a situation for the women that you are painting.

I'm thinking a Maxim reader might not be as offended by the notion of paying for sex

So you're in the camp of paying for sex with an Active is equivalent to hiring a hooker?

I'm not a Maxim buyer, but it is a magazine I pick up at the newstands to read through, and I see a difference.