Interesting Buffy Fandom tidbits - when should a writer cater to fans, if at all?

[shadowkat]

1. Nicholas Brendan according to the SlayAlive post does not like the Dawn/Xander pairing.
In related news, at Hallowhedon, Brendan revealed that he and Gellar talked about Xander and Buffy getting together and pitched it. Whedon said no. And apparently Whedon had planned on killing Xander off in S7, but the other writers talked him out of it - stating the fans would be *really* upset, *vehementally* upset.

They weren't wrong about that - but it does bring up a question that I'd like to throw out there: Should fans have a say in the plotting, etc of a story? Should the writers have convinced Whedon to cater to their fans? Should it matter that it would upset the fans if a character was killed or a beloved character did a horrible thing? Should a writer EVER cater to his or her fans? And if so, when? And to what extent would catering hurt the story? And what extent does this kill the reality of the story - after all people we love do die, and people we love do horrible things - to what extent should writing reflect that reality and to what extent should it merely entertain and comfort?

Okay that's a lot of questions. I don't know what I think on this right now. I really don't. I know that I wish sometimes the writer would ignore the fans, but other times, I don't. I can argue it both ways to be honest. So feel free to persuade, discuss, etc!

As a sub-thread of that question - to what extent has the internet changed how fans can affect the writing/plot of a tv show, novel, or movie? Is this a good thing, bad thing, or neutral thing??

2. James Marsters on youtube did a really interesting bit on kissing on camera - how difficult it is to do well, how awkward, and how much you have to trust your partner. He said if you do it for pleasure - it looks horrible. So you never enjoy it. And if he had to choose anyone to do it with again it would be John Barrowman - who went out of his way to make Marsters comfortable. Marsters also gives some great hints on how to keep a guy from mauling you - which I already knew but are quite useful - sneeze, step on his foot, elbow him in the gut.

3. Apparently Caprica has three cameras, a bit budget, and is scarey - with great scripts.
Marsters plays a terrorist that everyone is terrified of, and he's been told he's doing rather well. Hmm. Okay, that and the trailer and Eric Stolz is making me really look forward to Caprica. (Of course it helps that I love Espenson's tv writing, and adored BSG).

4. Apparently Georges Jeanty is better at drawing Joss Whedon than Sarah Michelle Gellar, who knew? (Brad Metzler's blog has a picture of Whedon and Buffy together drawn by Jeanty.)

Comments

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

For most people - the problem with Entropy is the infidelty and they are angry at Spike. For me it is that last scene of the episode - Xander...I yell at the screen every time and I spent half of Seeing Red saying Xander - you totally deserve everything that comes next! (But I haven't met anyone else who got it.)

I think Whedon is a little oblivious to his fanbase or viewer sometimes. He's interested in plot twists and shocking the viewer - surprising them. He wants that gotcha moment. To not be predictable.

But the AR scene from my perspective was predictable and possibly the most cliche thing he'd done. I understood why he did it. I adore what came afterwards - Beneath Me is amongst my favorite episodes, as is Sleeper, Lies, and Never Leave Me.
But, I think he could have gotten there in another way.
A way that would have made it easier for fans of the character to deal with the fans who...for whatever reason decided they could not handle what happened in the scene and wrote the character off as forever irredeemable after that, which I still think is the height of hypocrisy. I well remember defending myself and my love of the character to two women fans at a fanboard in person meeting...it was uncomfortable and awkward. I changed the topic.

Fandom. Sigh. Sometimes, I think I'd have enjoyed the show and still would enjoy it more if I didn't know what some fans thought of it. ;-)

[shapinglight]

For me it is that last scene of the episode - Xander...

Yes, for me too. That scene has very unpleasant RL connotations for me and echoes my own experience.

I well remember defending myself and my love of the character to two women fans at a fanboard in person meeting...it was uncomfortable and awkward. I changed the topic.

God, I'm so glad I've never had to do that. I hate that Joss has put us in the position of having to defend what is basically indefensible if a person persists in seeing it in RL terms and outside the context of the show.

Of course, there are plenty of other moments like that too, but none arouse the same level of fury among fans if you try to defent the character or persist in liking him or liking Spuffy.

There was another outbreak just last week. It makes me so tired.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

That scene has very unpleasant RL connotations for me and echoes my own experience.

Me as well.

I hate that Joss has put us in the position of having to defend what is basically indefensible if a person persists in seeing it in RL terms and outside the context of the show.

We did have a rather engaging debate about it on the atpo board once.

The hypocrisy is what annoys me. I don't think they realize it. They can't see that their favorite character has also done indefensible things. They can't see - the other point of view, all they see is their own and any other view is well, wrong. ;-)

It's hard to write for that type of audience. I used to say online that they were watching the wrong show, and to check out Seventh Heaven.

There was another outbreak just last week. It makes me so tired.

Sigh. It is tiring. And you feel when you engage the person in a discussion that you might as well push the same rock up the same cliff. It's futile.