shipperx | Totally Random Thought...

Also, I truthfully cannot figure out their deal with Buffy. They don't want her to grow up, but they keep saying that the story is that she's a twenty-something growing up (while writing her like a college freshman... and I'm being generous about that. Buffy in Season 4, 5, 6, 7 was infinitely more mature than Comics Buffy). It's like they don't actually want her to have any growth or make any progress so they leave her no-win situations where she turns into a swoony 'it's my twu wuv' Bella Swan or self-pitying (and passive) Bella Swan at the drop of a hat. Plus, honestly, it's like these writers don't like her very much.

NAIL, HEAD.

I thought she seemed more like a 14 or 15 year old in S8 but that could just be the artwork (esp Jeanty's - who the hell is this kinda-ugly kewpie doll and why do they keep calling her "Buffy"? *sigh*)

And the insistence on telling a story about what "ordinary 20somethings would do" (as with the party in S9.01 "20-somethings sometimes do wild and reckless things" blah blah) - that worked better on the tv show when they actually cared about the characters. Buffy is not an ordinary 20-something, esp by the end of the series.

She's not a girl anymore and she's old beyond her years - "died twice, saved the world a lot, and all I got was this lousy headstone". That doesn't necessarily mean "wise", but she's been through so many fresh hells in seven years (eight if you count her backstory) that trying to put her in the ordinary 20-somethings slot doesn't work. Nor (to me) does making her a failure and incompetent at absolutely everything she does or tries to do.

And also? Plenty of 20-somethings are very responsible and mature and focused on jobs, career, family, volunteering and activism. WHere the automatic equation of young adult = slacker, I have no idea.

what did an abortion or robot Buffy have to do with magic seeping out and Dawn dying?

Nothing - but then what did skinless Warren or Twilight/Twangel or the seed of magic and spacefrakking have to do with anything that came before? I suspect perhaps the writers get bored of their own stories, or decide, hey let's put ideas in a hat and write whatever we pull out! that's certainly how it comes across to me.

leading to her deciding she can't have a job because...reasons just... didn't work. Exactly what was the purpose of that?

Either they really think Buffy is THAT stupid and impractical, or they're unaware of their issues re: women and money. Why did Buffy ask for a paycheck for Giles in Checkpoint but NOT for herself? Esp with Dawn to raise on her own? I don't even think that occurred the writers re: the importance of economic independence as a feminist issue and the worldwide disparities between the number of women on this planet and the amount of labor we do vs the amount of wealth and property we actually call our own.

Why I'd ask the writers to even be aware of this shit is admittedly - asking a lot.

and the amount of labor we do vs the amount of wealth and property we actually call our own.

2% of the world's property belong to women (wile making up 51% of the world's population). :-(

Thank for adding that! I thought it was something like 1% but I fear I was being too lazy right then *ahem* too look up the statistics. Those numbers never fail to give me pause; I'm not sure how many people are aware of them.

Additiional fact: according to the World Bank report of 2011, women made up 40% of the global labor force. I assume this does NOT include the fact that women bear the brunt of housework, childcare, and care for elders (whether they work other jobs "outside the home" or not).

On one hand the writers seem to be somewhat aware of it (they use the issue of the "feminization of poverty" ie single mothers raising children, in S6; but can't follow it all the way through. They are aware of it, but as with many things - violations of body and will in S8 & 9 - the awareness never goes all the way down to the bone.)

BTW - it's good to hear from you, I've missed your always-incisive comments! RL has kept you busy I assume. How are you?

Well, life is eating me alive (pun intended). So, not all is well in norwie-land.

OT: You are correct - the term "(global) labor force" means labor within the productive sector, not the reproductive sector (housework, childcare, etc).

So yes, the social complex of women labor and poverty is actually at the forefront of any "serious" feminism. Only equal participation in political, social and economical matters will see true equality. The economy is the groundwork of politics and social participation. (Heh! Historical materialist here. ;-))

not all is well in norwie-land.

I'm very sorry to hear that! Here's a wish for better days soon.

Only equal participation in political, social and economical matters will see true equality.

Sadly we are still very far off on that. And it's not a "male vs female" issue either. I have no idea what FULL equality would actually look like, which is a very sad commentary. But full equality would mean a major shift in our hierarchies even on a micro level. And it has to happen in the home first and foremost I think.

I've wondered if how we view or value women's labor has changed since the "Industrial Revolution" ? Not that there was any golden age but I suspect there must have been some shift from a time when most families were basically agrarian (farmers) and less people "worked outside the home" because running the home/farm was the family business for most people?

Seriously, they repeatedly make Buffy incompetent in practically everything, then say she's the average 20-something woman, then say it's female empowerment and... what? They're doing it wrong.

And I really would like to know exactly why they repeatedly make Buffy incapable of holding ANY job while turning around and having another Slayer admit to paying Buffy's rent FOR her. Apparently, it's not that it's impossible for a Slayer to pay rent, it's just impossible for BUFFY.

She's even managed to be regularly beaten up, necessitating that she be 'saved' by others with depressing frequency in the comics.

Again, this is writing for "a feminist icon"???

She doesn't have to be a brain surgeon, but competent in a couple of areas of her life would be nice.

She doesn't have to be a brain surgeon, but competent in a couple of areas of her life would be nice.

Nail, head. Head, desk.

That is all.

(as with the party in S9.01 "20-somethings sometimes do wild and reckless things" blah blah)

The fact that they consider drinking at a party in her own house "wild and reckless" says it all, no?

YES. This, exactly.

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