I AM, THEREFORE I PROCRASTINATE: BUFFYVERSE TOP 5 NOW OPEN + MY FIRST BUFFYVERSE ICONS FOR 2014

[red_satin_doll]

Buffyverse Top 5 is OPEN today through January 19th for recs of any fan-created Buffyverse works either started or continued during the past year. (Check out the posting guidelines here.)

As I'm still kicking myself for missing the October Classic round, I'm determined to participate in this round with some meta and vid lists, especially as most rec lists consist entirely of fanfics. I'd also love to do an artwork rec list, or at least hoping other folks will be similarly inspired to do so as fanart. Meta , videos and artwork need love too! That said, I'll probably rec some of my favorite female-centric stories as well, because this has been a rich year IMO.

ETA: petzipellepingo just posted a top five meta recs list!  BLESS.

Searching for vids and meta from 2013,  I noticed that fannish activity is scattered or diffuse: fiction on LJ as well as ff.net and AO3: gifsets/animations and artwork on tumbler: meta (nonfiction) of all types including rewatches, analysis, love letters to the Buffyverse & et cetera scattered on Blogger, Wordpress, and various websites scattered hither and yon. This fandom isn't "dying" by any means, IMNSHO - it's alive and well and living on the internet.

And now for something completely different: my first (visual) love letters to the women of the Buffyverse for 2014. For the longest time I couldn't figure out how to make text that was actually legible in iconson the Photobucket editing suite. I played around a bit and finally came up with a few things today I'm halfway pleased with, although I'm still not satisfied with the sharpness of some of these. Feel free to take any you like but give proper credit as always. ADVICE, FEEDBACK & CONCRIT IS WELCOMED AND ENCOURAGED.

1) 2) 3) 4) 5)

6) 7) 8) 9) 10)

The first two of these I think of as "mini-metas" in icon form:
#1 from Band Candy: I'm intrigued by how much of the Summer sisters' personalities come from their parents, especially Joyce - including a proclivity for kinky sex and bondage games. Just sayin'. The Summers women like sex; it's unfortunate that Joss and the writers' hang-ups prevent a truly empowering sex-positive message for women. *le sigh*

#2 came about when I realized a few months ago that the destruction of the Buffybot in "Bargaining Pt 2" called back to Spike's promise to Dru in "School Hard"; but I couldn't bring myself to use the image of the actual moment the 'bot was pulled apart by the demon gang. I also realized that there are some intriguing parallels between Dru and Buffy as "madwomen", "seers", symbolic mother figures, and as Angel and Willow's "masterpieces" that I think deserves further exploration.

And of course #10 because there aren't enough Tara icons and I love that image, that moment from Bargaining. Like Buffy, Tara is a woman who overcomes the fear and shame of believing she's a "demon", finds astonishing layers of strength, is a protector at heart and "filled with love".

Comments

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the compliment re: my icons, I'm glad you like! And I apologize for delay in answering, your comments about Buffy's sexuality inspired some thinky-thoughts. (Have you read Gabrielleabelle's meta Buffy's Bad Sex Life btw? that focuses on the way the show "punishes" Buffy for her sexuality and convey a rather sex-negative message for women which is different to what we're saying here.)

fanons that make her ignorant or prudish

WTTH: she encourages Willow to "seize the day"; Becoming flashback to Hemery High "Tyler would have to crawl on his hands and knees.."; the short skirts and revealing clothes in S1-2; dancing at the Bronze (esp WSWB, School Hard, Bad Girls); kissing Angel; Surprise; Helpless (sparing as a substitute for sex) and Bangel pretty much all of S3; Parker (in whatever ep that was); The I in Team (I'm one of those in the minority who think that the Briley sex in that ep was pretty damn hot)...need I go on? (this would probably make a fun meta post.)

I suspect might be the belief of some Spuffy (re: Spike) fans who interpret Buffy's secretiveness about her relationship with Spike as a sign that she's a prude? I don't know where you stand on this but as far as I can tell it's not the actual activities that she's ashamed off (and is no else's business anyway).

In-story: I think it's Faith who makes the judgement about Buffy being "prudish" but let's consider the point of reference here. *lol* She says it verbally at least to Spike in Dirty Girls and he says something like "you have been gone a long time" but that presumes that Faith was right at first but Buffy has "changed" since then; which isn't true either. And I think it's significant that both Faith and Spike feel or felt at various times that she didn't respond to them the way THEY wanted her to, but that's not the same as being a prude.

The other extreme I see is the numerous Spuffy fics that portray their relationship in S6 after Smashed as being ALL ABOUT THE SEX and nothing else, and its always empty, unpleasant, violent and Buffy is always staring off into space, always distant and vacant; basically, she's a sex addict. And I don't see that either, even on Buffy's side; the "we missed the bed - again" scene, or the two of them playing cards in OAFA (until Spike shoots his mouth off at Richard), indicate otherwise, as does the bit in Sleeper when the bouncer calls Spike a "Billy Idol wanna-be" and Buffy says, "Actually Billy Idol stole his look..." That implies that the two of them had conversations we never got to see. Well of course they did. (Besides, if THE SEX was the only thing Buffy was after in S6, she could have gone to any stranger for that, the way Parker does; she's not after notches on her belt.)

[tigerpetals.livejournal.com]

No worries about lateness; I have been the worst at LJ.

Have you read Gabrielleabelle's meta Buffy's Bad Sex Life btw?

I think I did, but it's been a few years.

The I in Team (I'm one of those in the minority who think that the Briley sex in that ep was pretty damn hot)

I agree, it's pretty memorable for that as well as for the Maggie context!

All those examples are great. Buffy is the result of combining the stereotype of the sexually confident popular girl with the hero archetype, and she's shown early on as someone with a definite interest in boys and the confidence to pursue them. She barely had sex until college, but that was due to an exceptional situation. Part of her relationship with Willow is being the more experienced girl who mentors her friend in sexuality! WttH and Halloween, among others.

But Buffy doesn't express her sexuality as blatantly as Faith does, and as I recall, they changed her clothing for season three in part to emphasize how different Faith was. And she's more willing and able to form romantic relationships that include more than sex. So if one isn't very interested in Buffy as a character it's likely that the good girl/bad girl dichotomy - with all the connotations - sticks out most.

Also with regard to Buffy's shame with Spike - my impression was not that she was ashamed of sex. I agree it's significant that he and Faith don't get the response they want from her at various times, and I think some fans who watch from their pov probably empathize with their opinions on why.

if THE SEX was the only thing Buffy was after in S6, she could have gone to any stranger for that, the way Parker does; she's not after notches on her belt.

She was coming to spend time with him before it turned into sex, and I think it would have been much easier for her to go to strangers than to Spike if sex was all she was after. Probably less guilt because she wouldn't be using someone emotionally invested in a relationship with her.