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Been thinking about power a lot lately - and for some reason many of the things I've read or seen online and off seem to be about the topic. Not surprising when I think about it, since power lies at the center of most human interaction and conflict. An old creative writing prof once told me that dialogue or conversation was about power, about people jockeying for position and control - to have power over the ebb and flow of the conversation. I remember at the time being a bit flummoxed by the concept. Now it seems rather obvious.
Before I write more on this topic, I want to explain why I am going to put it all under an lj-cut, outside of length considerations of course. A lot of people have a trigger regarding discussions about sex as power in relationships. The trigger exists for valid personal reasons and in deference to those reasons, which I am sympathetic to - I am cutting this post up a bit. If you found the Buffy/Spike relationship in Season 6 to be offensive or a trigger you may want to skip. This post is mostly about the power dynamic between them, the sexual dance - I am not really discussing the sexual violence or at least I don't believe I am, but your mileage may differ on that score. I'm not really discussing the story beyond Smashed, Wrecked and Gone by the way - with the exception of Conversations with Dead People - for purposes of explaining Buffy's frame of mind. I'm also discussing Xander, Willow, Dawn, and Anya in this meta.
It's not about right. It's not about wrong. It's about Power!
The First Evil in Lessons.
As a bit of preamble - I came into the Buffy fandom after Wrecked and before Gone aired. It was not necessarily the best time in the world to enter an online fandom and most of the people in my own life or that I'd met who actually watched Buffy did not like what was happening. Nor did they get my fascination with the characters. That's why I hunted the fanboards and started posting.
What fascinated me was the power dynamics going on. Specifically between Spike and Buffy, and Buffy and Willow. Not to mention several other characters - such as Xander, Anya, Dawn, and the Trioka, as well as Tara. Season 6 in some respects is all about power, who has it, who wants it, how they try to take it.
( Buffy and Spike- sex and power, or using sex to obtain what you want. )
( Willow and Buffy - with a bit of Spike, envying power or taking power )
( Xander and Anya )
( Powerless Dawn )
( Jonathan, Warren, Andrew and conclusion. )
Before I write more on this topic, I want to explain why I am going to put it all under an lj-cut, outside of length considerations of course. A lot of people have a trigger regarding discussions about sex as power in relationships. The trigger exists for valid personal reasons and in deference to those reasons, which I am sympathetic to - I am cutting this post up a bit. If you found the Buffy/Spike relationship in Season 6 to be offensive or a trigger you may want to skip. This post is mostly about the power dynamic between them, the sexual dance - I am not really discussing the sexual violence or at least I don't believe I am, but your mileage may differ on that score. I'm not really discussing the story beyond Smashed, Wrecked and Gone by the way - with the exception of Conversations with Dead People - for purposes of explaining Buffy's frame of mind. I'm also discussing Xander, Willow, Dawn, and Anya in this meta.
It's not about right. It's not about wrong. It's about Power!
The First Evil in Lessons.
As a bit of preamble - I came into the Buffy fandom after Wrecked and before Gone aired. It was not necessarily the best time in the world to enter an online fandom and most of the people in my own life or that I'd met who actually watched Buffy did not like what was happening. Nor did they get my fascination with the characters. That's why I hunted the fanboards and started posting.
What fascinated me was the power dynamics going on. Specifically between Spike and Buffy, and Buffy and Willow. Not to mention several other characters - such as Xander, Anya, Dawn, and the Trioka, as well as Tara. Season 6 in some respects is all about power, who has it, who wants it, how they try to take it.
( Buffy and Spike- sex and power, or using sex to obtain what you want. )
( Willow and Buffy - with a bit of Spike, envying power or taking power )
( Xander and Anya )
( Powerless Dawn )
( Jonathan, Warren, Andrew and conclusion. )