Unpopular fandom opinion
Jun. 24th, 2009 09:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatAs you know, I've been comforting myself by rewatching my favorite tv series on DVD this summer from the beginning. Just finished Season 4 BTVS, and am now on Season 5 BTVS - which, yes, still ranks as amongst my favorite seasons. I don't quite know why. If it's because I identify more with the characters now that they aren't in college or high school, or if it's because the storyline is less monster of the week and more serialized? [Shrugs. What can I say, we like what we like.]
Just finished watching the first four episodes of the season tonight. Two last night. Two tonight. Buffy vs. Dracula through Out of My Mind. And realized a couple of things, first - the series is consistent as are the characters. Not to mention the over-arching/over-lapping dual themes of feminism and sexism. We keep seeing these themes demonstrated in different ways.
But before I write any more on that bit - an aside, there's a meme going around entitled "unpopular fandom opinions" meme. It basically asks - name a fandom and I'll provide my unpopular fandom opinion. Except, as![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
selenak points out - our opinions tend to actually be quite popular with at least one faction of fandom. Per example say you hate Spuffy or Bangle - that's not an unpopular fandom opinion. Hate to break it to you - but there's quite a few people who share that opinion. Like more than a thousand. Which ahem, makes it a popular opinion, now don't it? So you really can't whine about being all on your lonesome regarding it, without looking a wee bit silly. At any rate...it got me to thinking
what was mine?
Well - since the only fandom I've taken any active or psuedo-active part in whatsoever has been Buffy, I'd say it was the fact that I loved the story exactly as it played out. I loved Buffy/Angel when Buffy and Angel were together and shipped those characters when I first watched the episodes air live and unspoiled back in the 1990s. I loved Buffy and Riley when they were together. I still do, actually. In some ways I find their relationship more interesting than Buffy/Angel - because what tore them apart was more subtle and less melodramatic. And I adored Buffy and Spike when they aired and still adore them for many of the reasons my friends hate them. I liked the layers. I liked not knowing whether Buffy loved him or not. I liked the fact that it wasn't obvious. That you had to think about it. That what kept them apart was complicated and what brought them together was complicated. And I like the fact that they aren't together now and probably never will be - that Buffy will most likely not end up with something. I like that. I like the story that I'm being told. I'm satisfied in an odd way with it - it feels real to me, I can identify with it. I also like how Xander, Giles, Willow, Tara, Oz, etc stories were told. I like Dawn. I loved the fact that Whedon killed off Tara and turned Willow evil - great storyline. I liked the magic as crack metaphor and the magic as sex metaphor - and the wonkiness and confusion of the two metaphors overlapping, and what that says about our society.
So, my unpopular fandom opinion - is, I think, the fact that I find myself loving the things so many fans hate about the series. That I find Buffy to be a powerful and interesting character who I can identify with. And each of the men she slept with or fell for, interesting characters in their own rights. I do not see her ending up with any of them. That said? I do think the writers left the Buffy/Spike romance open-ended, although I'm not entirely sure the writers are in agreement with me on that point. I would like some sort of closure. But, I'll be okay if it is never forthcoming.
My other unpopular fandom opinion, which is not limited to just Buffy but to all fandoms - and this is huge - is that I don't care that much about the nitty gritty details or the world-building. For me? It's all about the characters. Everything else is just window-dressing.
It's late and I need to go to bed. Besides, I'm not sure you care all that much about my musings on Buffy vs. Dracula -Out of My Mind...from the scant replies I got on my last few replies on BTVS, I'm guessing I'm correct on that point. You probably don't care about the above either. But..well, it's up there at any rate, do with it what you will.
Just finished watching the first four episodes of the season tonight. Two last night. Two tonight. Buffy vs. Dracula through Out of My Mind. And realized a couple of things, first - the series is consistent as are the characters. Not to mention the over-arching/over-lapping dual themes of feminism and sexism. We keep seeing these themes demonstrated in different ways.
But before I write any more on that bit - an aside, there's a meme going around entitled "unpopular fandom opinions" meme. It basically asks - name a fandom and I'll provide my unpopular fandom opinion. Except, as
selenak points out - our opinions tend to actually be quite popular with at least one faction of fandom. Per example say you hate Spuffy or Bangle - that's not an unpopular fandom opinion. Hate to break it to you - but there's quite a few people who share that opinion. Like more than a thousand. Which ahem, makes it a popular opinion, now don't it? So you really can't whine about being all on your lonesome regarding it, without looking a wee bit silly. At any rate...it got me to thinkingwhat was mine?
Well - since the only fandom I've taken any active or psuedo-active part in whatsoever has been Buffy, I'd say it was the fact that I loved the story exactly as it played out. I loved Buffy/Angel when Buffy and Angel were together and shipped those characters when I first watched the episodes air live and unspoiled back in the 1990s. I loved Buffy and Riley when they were together. I still do, actually. In some ways I find their relationship more interesting than Buffy/Angel - because what tore them apart was more subtle and less melodramatic. And I adored Buffy and Spike when they aired and still adore them for many of the reasons my friends hate them. I liked the layers. I liked not knowing whether Buffy loved him or not. I liked the fact that it wasn't obvious. That you had to think about it. That what kept them apart was complicated and what brought them together was complicated. And I like the fact that they aren't together now and probably never will be - that Buffy will most likely not end up with something. I like that. I like the story that I'm being told. I'm satisfied in an odd way with it - it feels real to me, I can identify with it. I also like how Xander, Giles, Willow, Tara, Oz, etc stories were told. I like Dawn. I loved the fact that Whedon killed off Tara and turned Willow evil - great storyline. I liked the magic as crack metaphor and the magic as sex metaphor - and the wonkiness and confusion of the two metaphors overlapping, and what that says about our society.
So, my unpopular fandom opinion - is, I think, the fact that I find myself loving the things so many fans hate about the series. That I find Buffy to be a powerful and interesting character who I can identify with. And each of the men she slept with or fell for, interesting characters in their own rights. I do not see her ending up with any of them. That said? I do think the writers left the Buffy/Spike romance open-ended, although I'm not entirely sure the writers are in agreement with me on that point. I would like some sort of closure. But, I'll be okay if it is never forthcoming.
My other unpopular fandom opinion, which is not limited to just Buffy but to all fandoms - and this is huge - is that I don't care that much about the nitty gritty details or the world-building. For me? It's all about the characters. Everything else is just window-dressing.
It's late and I need to go to bed. Besides, I'm not sure you care all that much about my musings on Buffy vs. Dracula -Out of My Mind...from the scant replies I got on my last few replies on BTVS, I'm guessing I'm correct on that point. You probably don't care about the above either. But..well, it's up there at any rate, do with it what you will.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
Re: But none of those are unpopular opinions...
Date: 2009-06-25 01:58 pm (UTC)so I guess I don't really know what is popular, I guess it depends on who you talk to?
Also for the record, I would NEVER have ended Buffy at Restless! Even though I never liked 99% of season 5 doesn't mean I would cut it from the series, and I really love both seasons 6 and 7 (I sometimes think that loving season 7 is an unpopular opinion, certainly loving BOTH 6 and 7 is fairly unpopular! lol).
Re: But none of those are unpopular opinions...
Date: 2009-06-25 04:32 pm (UTC)so I guess I don't really know what is popular, I guess it depends on who you talk to?
You've apparently missed the commentary on the fandom wars over the pairing online? There's been quite a few flame wars over Rose/Ten vs. Martha/Ten, Donna/Ten
and River/Ten. Sigh. Fandom. Sigh.
Also for the record, I would NEVER have ended Buffy at Restless! Even though I never liked 99% of season 5 doesn't mean I would cut it from the series, and I really love both seasons 6 and 7 (I sometimes think that loving season 7 is an unpopular opinion, certainly loving BOTH 6 and 7 is fairly unpopular! lol).
Ironic considering 6 and 7 would not exist without 5.
I think I know why you disliked it. Glory?? Dawn???
The lack of fun quippy lines??? Those are amongst the biggest complaints.
Sigh. Fandom. Sigh.
My problem with the Buffy fandom is I loved all the seasons, differently. I can't really say at this point that I necessarily prefer one over another any more.
They all have their strengths and weaknesses. And they consistently build up to each other. The writing gets better as the seasons move forward as does the acting.
So there is that. But it is a nominal difference. At any rate - I view the BTVS series as a novel for television. Even the episodes that I'm not overly fond of - serve the novel, they are necessary evils. ;-) (ie. Where the Wild Things Are, Superstar, The Zeppo, and Storyteller...)
At any rate, if you want to know why I loved S5, go read the essay posted by moscow_watcher below - it sums it up. ;-)