Well, what you say makes a lot of sense to me. The Hunger Games movie has been making me think a lot about how media enforces a "normal" that isn't. Most of the successful relationships I see, including my own, are very much female-driven. So many men are happy to pair up with women that they admire and follow their lead. Where will we go on vacation? Where will the kids go to school? What car will we buy? Logistics are largely the female realm. Yet that story isn't the one being pushed down our throats. Instead we get (in THG) "I loved him so much I'd rather die than live without him" in the media rather than the truth that Katniss would rather die than kill her own soul. Why does the media keep lying?
I'm glad you mentioned Zoe and Wash, because I do think that was a more realistic relationship.
I actually really like the Beauty and the Beast story, but not for the "rich older man and poor-but-beautiful young girl" part, but for the "can you love someone even when they change in a significant way" element. I've always felt that was a potentially interesting part of later Spuffy, one that isn't often explored. It certainly wasn't on the show or in the comics, so far.
I'm a multi-shipper, with Spike as half of many equations. His character is so interesting and faceted, and I just don't understand how people can watch even "School Hard" and peg him for the simplistic bad boy. He was already incredibly fluid (Who do you want me to be?) and focused on his paramour. Are people really fooled by the cosmetics that much? He looks like a bad boy and so that's all there is? If so, I'm clearly watching things differently from the people who took that away. I do think that the majority of people (at least those that watch the show) are looking deeper, though.
As for Mark, the last I heard is that the "Who Are You?" warm champagne scene actually made him see the point of Spuffy, even though he didn't really want to go there. I think he might come around, as you did. He enjoys Spike as a character, at any rate. That's promising.
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2012-04-08 07:42 am (UTC)I'm glad you mentioned Zoe and Wash, because I do think that was a more realistic relationship.
I actually really like the Beauty and the Beast story, but not for the "rich older man and poor-but-beautiful young girl" part, but for the "can you love someone even when they change in a significant way" element. I've always felt that was a potentially interesting part of later Spuffy, one that isn't often explored. It certainly wasn't on the show or in the comics, so far.
I'm a multi-shipper, with Spike as half of many equations. His character is so interesting and faceted, and I just don't understand how people can watch even "School Hard" and peg him for the simplistic bad boy. He was already incredibly fluid (Who do you want me to be?) and focused on his paramour. Are people really fooled by the cosmetics that much? He looks like a bad boy and so that's all there is? If so, I'm clearly watching things differently from the people who took that away. I do think that the majority of people (at least those that watch the show) are looking deeper, though.
As for Mark, the last I heard is that the "Who Are You?" warm champagne scene actually made him see the point of Spuffy, even though he didn't really want to go there. I think he might come around, as you did. He enjoys Spike as a character, at any rate. That's promising.