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Jun. 22nd, 2015 01:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
beccaelizabethAm watching Buffy season 1 for the first time in ages.
Everyone is babies, except Giles.
Angel is a creep. B/A isn't romantic, they don't talk, there's just a bit of life saving and then kissing and then vampire angst. Why kissing? Hot guy, teenage girl, I can understand it from her point of view but from his that isn't about a relationship it's about the hope he's not a monster and he's just using her for stories in his head. Whereas she's just using him for romance stories in her head. Okay, but she's sixteen, she has an excuse, Angel is just being creepy.
I used to read this whole thing somewhat differently. But that was before 11 years at college surrounded by teenagers whilst no longer a teenager myself. They've got so much growing up to do it's scary.
Also in high school stories now I can imagine myself a teacher or librarian but not a student any more. Wow am I done with that part. Most of their drama of the non demonic sort is just... ugh, no, would not be a teenager again for money. World saveage maybe but not money.
This time through I keep feeling for Giles cause it's not that he doesn't try to fight the good fight, he just gets hit on the head a lot and gets his arse kicked by the 16 year old superhero. It isn't like he's waiting on the sidelines until a day where he decides to step up and help with the fighting parts, he's always done what he can. And he stuck his hands in a bubbling spell and told evil to feed on him, to make the curses reverse. Self sacrifice in the most literal sense.
I know the point in universe is she has superpowers and he does not, but in metaphor it seems more like how past a certain point you really can't do what the 18 year old soldiers can, and start having to hide behind them, and feel bad about it.
Or like I always read the supernatural and superhero stories, where disabled people really can't do as much in some ways, and have to hope the rest of the team turns up to do their part.
It isn't about lack of courage or sacrifice, he just goes splat and gets knocked out every other episode, because trying. Or he has to hide by climbing on top of corpses and locking himself in a fridge at the morgue, which is clearly not fun. Because Buffy in a fight with a vampire is about even, and Buffy vs Giles is comedy pratfalls.
I know the whole young woman finds her power and uses it to help others part of the story is what I like about it, but setting up a 'verse so you really can't just team up and help yourselves is a bit creepy.
... the endless Mary Sue 'verse in my head that's been going a reaaaally long time now had chapters in Sunnydale where it's all about educating the students and teaming up for more than one day in Sunnydale history. Maybe having a useful and effective police force. Sure, the Mayor would try and eat anyone doing such things, but it seems like it ought to work.
90s fashion has rainbow stripes t-shirts and lots of sparkles things. Also a great many tunics worn as a complete outfit though I can't see how they're safe to bend over wearing them.
... I got old enough to be judgey about hem length on students. woah.
It's also way weird seeing everybody be young. This thing where recordings can hit rewind is just bizarre. Time is negotiable.
... imaginary time is negotiable, the rest of us are stuck walking.
Everyone is babies, except Giles.
Angel is a creep. B/A isn't romantic, they don't talk, there's just a bit of life saving and then kissing and then vampire angst. Why kissing? Hot guy, teenage girl, I can understand it from her point of view but from his that isn't about a relationship it's about the hope he's not a monster and he's just using her for stories in his head. Whereas she's just using him for romance stories in her head. Okay, but she's sixteen, she has an excuse, Angel is just being creepy.
I used to read this whole thing somewhat differently. But that was before 11 years at college surrounded by teenagers whilst no longer a teenager myself. They've got so much growing up to do it's scary.
Also in high school stories now I can imagine myself a teacher or librarian but not a student any more. Wow am I done with that part. Most of their drama of the non demonic sort is just... ugh, no, would not be a teenager again for money. World saveage maybe but not money.
This time through I keep feeling for Giles cause it's not that he doesn't try to fight the good fight, he just gets hit on the head a lot and gets his arse kicked by the 16 year old superhero. It isn't like he's waiting on the sidelines until a day where he decides to step up and help with the fighting parts, he's always done what he can. And he stuck his hands in a bubbling spell and told evil to feed on him, to make the curses reverse. Self sacrifice in the most literal sense.
I know the point in universe is she has superpowers and he does not, but in metaphor it seems more like how past a certain point you really can't do what the 18 year old soldiers can, and start having to hide behind them, and feel bad about it.
Or like I always read the supernatural and superhero stories, where disabled people really can't do as much in some ways, and have to hope the rest of the team turns up to do their part.
It isn't about lack of courage or sacrifice, he just goes splat and gets knocked out every other episode, because trying. Or he has to hide by climbing on top of corpses and locking himself in a fridge at the morgue, which is clearly not fun. Because Buffy in a fight with a vampire is about even, and Buffy vs Giles is comedy pratfalls.
I know the whole young woman finds her power and uses it to help others part of the story is what I like about it, but setting up a 'verse so you really can't just team up and help yourselves is a bit creepy.
... the endless Mary Sue 'verse in my head that's been going a reaaaally long time now had chapters in Sunnydale where it's all about educating the students and teaming up for more than one day in Sunnydale history. Maybe having a useful and effective police force. Sure, the Mayor would try and eat anyone doing such things, but it seems like it ought to work.
90s fashion has rainbow stripes t-shirts and lots of sparkles things. Also a great many tunics worn as a complete outfit though I can't see how they're safe to bend over wearing them.
... I got old enough to be judgey about hem length on students. woah.
It's also way weird seeing everybody be young. This thing where recordings can hit rewind is just bizarre. Time is negotiable.
... imaginary time is negotiable, the rest of us are stuck walking.
no subject
Date: 2015-06-24 10:03 am (UTC)THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN SAYING
And it's not age. I'm about Buffy's age and at the time I disliked her until omwf and I disliked Angel until Boreanaz grew up and started doing other things.
(then nostalgia made me love EVERYONE, even the creepiest of creeps)
I think Giles was supposed to be a father figure but these teens were unparentable (totally a word). So he was the grown up trying to do his best in a situation where he did not get any actual grown up powers. Regardless of "super powers" (also a good point but), he did not command respect and until a later point was not acknowledged for his knowledge and expertise.
Buffy in a fight with a vampire is about even, and Buffy vs Giles is comedy pratfalls.
An aside for an ancient rant about "Ethan running away from Buffy isn't cowardly, it's sensible and sane". You'll note that he didn't run from Xander (big sturdy young guy) or Riley (bigger sturdy well trained young guy). He runs from reasonable things like slayers and demons. And Giles, which is 1, shown later to have some killer torturer know-how, and 2, personal issues much.
team up and help yourselves
Well but they did a bit later after she'd left.
Ooh if you keep a rewatch, keep posting about it? I'm deeply interested. I can participate or stfu depending on your preference! :)
90s fashion + hem length
Hm, not that I have that much US knowledge, but I'm not sure that "90s fashion" and "what people wore on Buffy" be the same thing necessarily.
no subject
Date: 2015-06-24 07:04 pm (UTC)Giles as a father figure makes little sense to me. Teacher is a distinct thing, to my mind. And he was a librarian, a provider of resources, which is slightly different again.
Giles and respect did not so much work, no.
*nods* Ethan runs at entirely reasonable moments. And what's cowardly when there's nothing to defend?
iirc Giles beats the crap out of him when they meet. Without apparent prior negotiation. Running from that is quite sensible.
*nods* there were times when there was teaming up to defend the world, but the usual point was to convey how limited that strategy was. They looked good to make Buffy look better, I think.
Buffy fashion was indeed its own thing.
I'll probably post as I rewatch, but I'm not sure I'll have new things to say about things.
always feel free to comment :-)
no subject
Date: 2015-06-24 07:13 pm (UTC)*grumble grumble which was such a waste of resources as despite the tendency to get hit on the head if they could harness his cold violence they could do quite a lot with it.
*random amusing (to me) note*
Date: 2015-06-25 10:49 am (UTC)