Not to quibble, okay maybe to quibble. But in regards to the rape storylines on Buffy and Firefly and to a degree Dollhouse...all were about the male reaction to rape not the female or the rape victim regardless of the protagonist. That was the problem people had with both the AR scene and to a large degree with Dollhouse, as well as this Firefly episode. It's not an isolated problem - with Whedon, this is true of a vast majority of the stories told on American television and even books. It's the same problem many people have with Stieg Larrson's Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series - which granted did show it from the female perspective, was still largely about how men handle rape and why they do it, not about women.
In the AR scene in Buffy - we are shown how Spike and Xander handle it. More so than Buffy herself. Notably, Willow is never shown reacting to it or being consulted. We only see Xander and Giles, and to a smaller degree Dawn (and again mainly through Xander and Spike's eyes). The AR scene happens so that Spike will be motivated to get a soul, so that Spike will examine himself and see that he is a monster. So that Spike will take the steps to become redeemed. Spike - the supporting character. Not the lead. That scene was all about Spike. Buffy was attacked to further Spike's arc, not hers. And the story that came after? Also mainly about Spike. It was a story about how men handle rape, not women. Which offended many people. Same situation with Firefly - in that story, Inara much like Buffy, gets attacked, to further a male arc - Malcolm Reynolds. And in Dollhouse - we see the rape of S (Sierra? Sienna? Can't remember her name) mainly through Topher's eyes and how he enables it and his realization that he has done so - this is clearly the male writer struggling with his own fears regarding the same thing.
The point is - regardless of the gender of the protagonist, the rape story is told mainly from the male or non-victim's pov. While men can be raped, and many are, women are the main target - and by telling the tale mainly through the male lense or pov, women are to a degree objectified and rendered unimportant or a plot device. Oh poor me, my girlfriend was raped or oh poor me, I raped or tried to rape my girlfriend..I can't live with myself. When what is often not explored in much depth is the opposite view. And when it is - it is again through a male lense - see Girl with Dragon Tattoo or Dollhouse as examples.
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branchandroot
Sorry I need an edit button
Date: 2011-11-19 04:36 pm (UTC)In the AR scene in Buffy - we are shown how Spike and Xander handle it. More so than Buffy herself. Notably, Willow is never shown reacting to it or being consulted. We only see Xander and Giles, and to a smaller degree Dawn (and again mainly through Xander and Spike's eyes). The AR scene happens so that Spike will be motivated to get a soul, so that Spike will examine himself and see that he is a monster. So that Spike will take the steps to become redeemed. Spike - the supporting character. Not the lead. That scene was all about Spike. Buffy was attacked to further Spike's arc, not hers. And the story that came after? Also mainly about Spike. It was a story about how men handle rape, not women. Which offended many people. Same situation with Firefly - in that story, Inara much like Buffy, gets attacked, to further a male arc - Malcolm Reynolds. And in Dollhouse - we see the rape of S (Sierra? Sienna? Can't remember her name) mainly through Topher's eyes and how he enables it and his realization that he has done so - this is clearly the male writer struggling with his own fears regarding the same thing.
The point is - regardless of the gender of the protagonist, the rape story is told mainly from the male or non-victim's pov. While men can be raped, and many are, women are the main target - and by telling the tale mainly through the male lense or pov, women are to a degree objectified and rendered unimportant or a plot device. Oh poor me, my girlfriend was raped or oh poor me, I raped or tried to rape my girlfriend..I can't live with myself. When what is often not explored in much depth is the opposite view.
And when it is - it is again through a male lense - see Girl with Dragon Tattoo or Dollhouse as examples.