I sometimes think she is too linear and therefore leans to the masculine, in her thought patterns.
That sounds like a description of Willow, the "computer programmer" who approaches magic as if it were an IT program she can manipulate; and who is more "intellectual", and in some ways aligned with Giles as "research girl." Buffy esp early seasons is very creative, intuitive and feminine. She saves the world - a lot - in part because of her ability to put clues together, listen to her intuition and come up with novel solutions. That's part of what makes her different than most Slayers up to that point; Kendra represents the WC approved model trained to be nothing but a killing machine, an automaton (like the Buffybot.) Even in later seasons she's still very nurturing, if not in "obvious" ways all the time; she's not as "soft" like tara is. But tara doesn't have the burden of the entire world on her shoulders either. (And how "soft" does Buffy have to be? How many tears does she have to cry, to be accepted by her friends, by fandom?) Buffy takes care of Dawn, protects her friends, sacrifices her life twice for friends and family as well as the world; that's a VERY stereotypical "female" trait in our culture. I would have hated the show to end with the Gift: another female martyr.
I wonder if that is because they were writing her like a man trying to make her the hero
Again - see the early seasons. In S1 they emphasized her girlyness in part for the novelty of it - "the blond girl in the alley who is the one killed first in the horror movie turns and is the hero instead". I don't think "hero" is masculine or feminine. I don't think "hardness" or closed-offness is inherently masculine either.
Joss is not as much a feminist as he likes to think. The big arc is: Buffy has to become closed-off and lose (or think she's lost) her ability to love ONLY to open her heart again right at the end. THAT'S her "hero's journey". The shipper in me delights in that, the feminist wonders WHY is "learning how to love" the most heroic thing Joss can come up with for a female hero? That's not the arc for male heros in general; achievement in the world is the masculine arc most times. buffy has to confirm her ability to relate (esp to a man) and connect/share power (the Potentials), men are expected to confirm their individuality as heros.
I do recall from past conversations that women who are 'too masculine' is an issue for you. I'm not sure where that line is drawn, though or how you define that?
As a lesbian, I'm aware of the history of lesbian women in this society who are considered "mannish" or "masculine" even if they aren't "butch"; or are "usurping masculine priviledges." So I'm somewhat sensitive to the implications of that. (People will assume that I haven't wanted to have children because I'm a lesbian, for instance, which assumes that I am not a "normal woman" and that "normal women" of course want children. Rather than, I just happen to be someone who doesn't want kids, doesn't believe I can raise them and doesn't want to be an abusive mother and bring more hurt into the world.)
no subject
That sounds like a description of Willow, the "computer programmer" who approaches magic as if it were an IT program she can manipulate; and who is more "intellectual", and in some ways aligned with Giles as "research girl." Buffy esp early seasons is very creative, intuitive and feminine. She saves the world - a lot - in part because of her ability to put clues together, listen to her intuition and come up with novel solutions. That's part of what makes her different than most Slayers up to that point; Kendra represents the WC approved model trained to be nothing but a killing machine, an automaton (like the Buffybot.)
Even in later seasons she's still very nurturing, if not in "obvious" ways all the time; she's not as "soft" like tara is. But tara doesn't have the burden of the entire world on her shoulders either. (And how "soft" does Buffy have to be? How many tears does she have to cry, to be accepted by her friends, by fandom?) Buffy takes care of Dawn, protects her friends, sacrifices her life twice for friends and family as well as the world; that's a VERY stereotypical "female" trait in our culture. I would have hated the show to end with the Gift: another female martyr.
I wonder if that is because they were writing her like a man trying to make her the hero
Again - see the early seasons. In S1 they emphasized her girlyness in part for the novelty of it - "the blond girl in the alley who is the one killed first in the horror movie turns and is the hero instead". I don't think "hero" is masculine or feminine. I don't think "hardness" or closed-offness is inherently masculine either.
Joss is not as much a feminist as he likes to think. The big arc is: Buffy has to become closed-off and lose (or think she's lost) her ability to love ONLY to open her heart again right at the end. THAT'S her "hero's journey". The shipper in me delights in that, the feminist wonders WHY is "learning how to love" the most heroic thing Joss can come up with for a female hero? That's not the arc for male heros in general; achievement in the world is the masculine arc most times. buffy has to confirm her ability to relate (esp to a man) and connect/share power (the Potentials), men are expected to confirm their individuality as heros.
I do recall from past conversations that women who are 'too masculine' is an issue for you. I'm not sure where that line is drawn, though or how you define that?
As a lesbian, I'm aware of the history of lesbian women in this society who are considered "mannish" or "masculine" even if they aren't "butch"; or are "usurping masculine priviledges." So I'm somewhat sensitive to the implications of that. (People will assume that I haven't wanted to have children because I'm a lesbian, for instance, which assumes that I am not a "normal woman" and that "normal women" of course want children. Rather than, I just happen to be someone who doesn't want kids, doesn't believe I can raise them and doesn't want to be an abusive mother and bring more hurt into the world.)
But I digress....