"I like it best in Buffy for some reason, I can't quite decide if it is because Buffy is the powerful one and not the victim, or if it's the humor." Well Buffy was clearly always the one with the most power, Buffy consistently wins fights w/Angel and Spike.. and it is repeated often that she does what Giles says, only when she was planning on doing it anyway.... So we never really see her as a victim, we rarely see her badly hurt. But we see Dru & Darla set on fire, and a number of times Cordy was put in the hospital by the manipulations of her visions. Most of the women are victimized in ways that are painful to any viewer who identifies with them. So clearly we are better off identifying with Buffy! Plus I'm always in favor of the funny.
I think this was one reason people didn't warm up to 'Dollhouse' right away, it would be dangerous to identify too much with Echo, she is a victim in too many ways. Even when she is powerful it is only temporary, and when her 'handlers' let her be powerful (that may be changing in season 2... I haven't read any spoilers, but clearly she hadn't forgotten everything from Omega).
People exploit each other, you see it everywhere, it is in every family, in religious communities, and I have to assume it is part of what makes us human.... just not a part we should be proud of. None of us want to be the victims, in fact I was talking to a friend about Neil Gaiman's books... some of his main characters are too weak, they seem too vulnerable, so that reading the book makes me nervous (I'm afraid of being hurt, identifying with a character who gets hurt). But in 'American Gods' the main character is very strong and tough, and I loved the book because I felt I could handle anything in the persona of this very big capable guy.... I like to feel safe when I read before bedtime! lol
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branchandroot
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Date: 2009-06-29 12:11 am (UTC)Well Buffy was clearly always the one with the most power, Buffy consistently wins fights w/Angel and Spike.. and it is repeated often that she does what Giles says, only when she was planning on doing it anyway.... So we never really see her as a victim, we rarely see her badly hurt. But we see Dru & Darla set on fire, and a number of times Cordy was put in the hospital by the manipulations of her visions. Most of the women are victimized in ways that are painful to any viewer who identifies with them. So clearly we are better off identifying with Buffy! Plus I'm always in favor of the funny.
I think this was one reason people didn't warm up to 'Dollhouse' right away, it would be dangerous to identify too much with Echo, she is a victim in too many ways. Even when she is powerful it is only temporary, and when her 'handlers' let her be powerful (that may be changing in season 2... I haven't read any spoilers, but clearly she hadn't forgotten everything from Omega).
People exploit each other, you see it everywhere, it is in every family, in religious communities, and I have to assume it is part of what makes us human.... just not a part we should be proud of. None of us want to be the victims, in fact I was talking to a friend about Neil Gaiman's books... some of his main characters are too weak, they seem too vulnerable, so that reading the book makes me nervous (I'm afraid of being hurt, identifying with a character who gets hurt). But in 'American Gods' the main character is very strong and tough, and I loved the book because I felt I could handle anything in the persona of this very big capable guy.... I like to feel safe when I read before bedtime!
lol