red_satin_doll (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
red_satin_doll) wrote2013-06-25 04:27 pm
red_satin_doll) wrote2013-06-25 04:27 pm
Everybody Loves Links
ETA: MORE PRETTY PICTURES! I'm incorrigible. Sue me.
***![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
infinitewhale has posted a short but provocative meta about Buffy's dream in "Dead Things" and her own self-identification within the dream, briefly touching on the late-season Buffy & Willow parallels, and how Tara protects both women in OAFA. Hits my (bitter)sweet spot on about nine different levels. He was worried no one would want to read it, or that he couldn't write about the subject properly as a man. To which I say - nonsense, on both counts. If this fandom has reminded me of anything, it's that our shared humanity trumps gender differences unless we allow those differences to stand in our way. Also, meta like his allows me to talk about subjects of great interest to me, while still preserving my commitment to focus on the ladies here on my journal. (I'm sneaky that way.) ETA: rebcake informed me this meta is f'locked. Oops. Sorry. Ask nicely to friend him and don't please embarrass me, kids (because I can manage that on my own just fine, thank you.)
fray_adjacent12 was inspired by recent conversations between myself and kikimay re: the Summers sisters and the women of the 'verse, to create a new set of female-centric icons, including the scene from "Family" that I've grabbed, lots of lovely Tara-centric icons, Dawn, Faith, Buffy in S7. kikimay confessed that the phrase "not in blood but in bond" comes from Thor/Loki movie fandom. a track by composer Hans Zimmerman for the Sherlock Holmes movie soundtrack. (Ugh) Too late, kiddo, it belongs to OUR fandom now. The Buffyverse's chosen families rule everything.
Off-topic but I feel like saying it anyway: Amber is such a gorgeous woman, isn't she? Every time I watch her in the show I think it's too bad no one in the costume department knew what to do with the body of a goddess, damn it. (There, I said it.)
Fray has also posted her very first poll (yay!) in the service of Buffyverse evangelism: "If you were trying to introduce someone to BtVS and only had 2-3 episodes to show them, what would you choose?" Personally, I went with option #1 - start with WTTH and proceed chronologically. Not that I'd try to influence your answer or anything.
***eilowyn is wondering if anyone would be interested in a meta she's working on re: Buffy and trauma. I say HELL YES - but that's just me. The post is f'locked btw but if you're not friends with her ask nicely, because she's worth getting to know.
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infinitewhale has posted a short but provocative meta about Buffy's dream in "Dead Things" and her own self-identification within the dream, briefly touching on the late-season Buffy & Willow parallels, and how Tara protects both women in OAFA. Hits my (bitter)sweet spot on about nine different levels. He was worried no one would want to read it, or that he couldn't write about the subject properly as a man. To which I say - nonsense, on both counts. If this fandom has reminded me of anything, it's that our shared humanity trumps gender differences unless we allow those differences to stand in our way. Also, meta like his allows me to talk about subjects of great interest to me, while still preserving my commitment to focus on the ladies here on my journal. (I'm sneaky that way.) ETA: rebcake informed me this meta is f'locked. Oops. Sorry. Ask nicely to friend him and don't please embarrass me, kids (because I can manage that on my own just fine, thank you.)*******
*** fray_adjacent12 was inspired by recent conversations between myself and kikimay re: the Summers sisters and the women of the 'verse, to create a new set of female-centric icons, including the scene from "Family" that I've grabbed, lots of lovely Tara-centric icons, Dawn, Faith, Buffy in S7. kikimay confessed that the phrase "not in blood but in bond" comes from Off-topic but I feel like saying it anyway: Amber is such a gorgeous woman, isn't she? Every time I watch her in the show I think it's too bad no one in the costume department knew what to do with the body of a goddess, damn it. (There, I said it.)
Fray has also posted her very first poll (yay!) in the service of Buffyverse evangelism: "If you were trying to introduce someone to BtVS and only had 2-3 episodes to show them, what would you choose?" Personally, I went with option #1 - start with WTTH and proceed chronologically. Not that I'd try to influence your answer or anything.
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*** Speaking of Tara, polls, and OAFA (yes, I did; weren't you paying attention?) mcjulie posted her OAFA episode poll. Two things to keep in mind: Tara, in all her gentle AND badass glory, and...Clem! Everybody in fandom loves Clem! Love the comics, hate the comics, early-seasons fan, late-seasons lover, what-have-you: he's the one thing in the 'verse that we can all happily agree upon. World peace is at hand. You're welcome.
mcjulie posted her OAFA episode poll. Two things to keep in mind: Tara, in all her gentle AND badass glory, and...Clem! Everybody in fandom loves Clem! Love the comics, hate the comics, early-seasons fan, late-seasons lover, what-have-you: he's the one thing in the 'verse that we can all happily agree upon. World peace is at hand. You're welcome.*****
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eilowyn is wondering if anyone would be interested in a meta she's working on re: Buffy and trauma. I say HELL YES - but that's just me. The post is f'locked btw but if you're not friends with her ask nicely, because she's worth getting to know.
no subject
I think I understand what you're getting at, could you explain a bit more? It's complicated because of problems with censorship restrictions at the time, so the show has to play it close to the vest.
Having someone pay attention to you is the biggest turn-on in the world - and not necessarily sexual/romantic relationships, but any sort - friendships etc. We tend to blossom under it, esp if we've not received much of it before or don't have a strong and healthy sense of self. (I'm guessing on that last point - I wouldn't know a "strong and healthy sense of self" if it made sweet love to me.)
Buffy and Willow in WTTH and Willow and Tara both parallel and reverse each other; in both instances, someone else pays attention to Willow, they recognize her as special, as worth noticing; the difference in her confidence at each point shows in her reactions. She's utterly astonished by buffy's first overtures; in Hush she'd noticed Tara, and is still taken aback by her overtures but much less so. Plus there's the additional sexual/romantic element there. Does Willow have the same "spiritual" (chemical/hormonal) attraction to Tara at the end of Hush, or does that come later?
That is, I think they help one another to be more confident, but their growing confidence, or moreso Willow's especially, comes at the cost of Buffy's gradually eroding self-confidence over the course of the series.
I don't mean it like in a idealized romantic bangelian way, but in a more pratical one of people slowly knowing and liking each others.
It's a bit of both, I think. There definitely is an idealized, romantic element - the handfasting in Hush and Tara's statement "no you're very special", or "I am you know - your's" and "I trust you" in WAY. And they barely even know each other at that point- they've just met. So there is something very realistic to me about their early relationship, in that way we "fall in love" and then start to deal with the reality of the other person when the veil of the "honeymoon phase" has lifted. (TL, ATW, TR) You see this other person through the haze of hormonal attraction, what you want and need, you idealize them and try to present an idealized version of yourself. That's very normal, especially for first loves, and it's what Buffy and Angel do prior to the soul-bomb. Willow and Tara don't get to "suck face" on camera in S4 (damn American cultural mores and network censorship), but it's clearly a sexual relationship and not just a romantic one pretty early (WAY, NMR). And we see that in Buffy/Riley as well - Buffy overlooking the fact that he was very patronizing to her in Doomed and getting into a romantic relationship with him; him not realizing what being the Slayer really means in real life terms.
but there is also the practical element that you mention; I think there is some of that in Bangel as well, although it's easy to overlook it because the romance dominates the story. had Angel not had his soul bomb, etc, - or Riley his identity crisis - I think Buffy might have eventually broken up with them anyway but could continue to have been friends.
I love some Willow's shirts in that season, like the one she wears in Doomed.
I kind of liked Willow's outfits in S4 but apparently that's a minority view? I thought she looked pretty but still eccentric and very much herself; it was a relief when she dropped the more childish attire from earlier seasons. (the infantilizing yellow jumper in Phases, for instance, which is also very symbolic of the fear of stepping into adult sexuality with Oz.) I also liked her rose velour dress in Enemies when she's going face-to-face with Faith; the dress in OMWF sort of reminds me of it.
Oh and I have never seen Gilmore girls, even promos. teen dramas are not my thing at all, which is part of the reason I didn't watch Buffy for so long, I'm sure.