So I can't really blame the writers for being baffled that fans were "siding" with Spike at that time, but still, you can't insult your fanbase.

Oh exactly - and you know my opinion on the comics re: my sense that Joss is somehow satirizing fandom (or rather fanwankery and fanfiction tropes like "Buffy saves the universe through her vagina"? Actually his explanation regarding Tara's death and his reaction to the fans was pretty damn dismissive, so It's not like I expect maturity from the man.) Even if Fury thought it why in the hell would he say it?

What colors it for me is his reaction of why didn't he think of doing anything while she was unconscious (and the subsequent cut scene from Smashed with the tazor). Just adds another layer of ick to it.

God yes - and I think you're the only person who has mentioned the cut scene from Smashed back to me? I'm usually the only one whose mentioning it and linking to it to other people. I've seen discussions of Smashed from even a couple of years ago and "what did Spike intend?" (and some pretty bizarre interpretations - he never meant to hurt her! Her never intended to have sex with her! Um, excuse me? Have we forgotten Crush and FFL and the way love, sex and death are intwined.) I'm really shocked it's so rarely mentioned; I don't know how old Buffyworld is but the script is RIGHT there. (But then again nobody mentions the deleted ending of Smashed either, I stumbled on it randomly on YouTube; I would think people would be all over it. *shrugs* But maybe because it's clearly that Buffy is in a dominant position, a "top" so to speak? And women aren't supposed to be? IDK.)

Weeeell, my opinions on that are kind of controversial. Mostly 'cause I think there are a lot of those people are full of it. Some interpretations are just bizarre to me, particularly about S6 and the Spuffy therein. Sort of like the tendency for people to say "Now, I would NEVER try to blame the victim..." then, you know, go on to do exactly that.

I'm beginning to think we share the same brain. *points to my previous comments* And we both know that there are people who do that on behalf of every character. I think that understanding doesn't mean condoning - although I wonder if the line between that and blaming is thinner than I'd like to believe?

BTW and totally OT - I referred to you as a good source for the declining sales figures for the comics to frellingtalk and I wrote "they(she?), 'cause I tend to assume "she" unless I know otherwise (although when I don't know I try to use the neutral pronoun as recommended in "The Handbook of Non-Sexist Writing" and frelling replied that you're a he which - you Do NOT have to confirm either way but if true? It blew my mind a little, and is also very cool. Why are some of the most truly feminist people in the fandom (or at least on my flist), the most aware of their privilege and least likely to victimize or objectify the female characters men? i.e. what does that say about my gender as a whole? IDGI