Thoughts on Bangel in the context of gender roles and subversion in Buffy shiping
This recent post by shadowkat about shipping Spuffy and gender reversals in the relationship shadowkat67.livejournal.com/793238.html linked on Buffyforums by moscow_watcher got me to write a short reply about my views, which are a bit different from hers. I can't do that on her LJ because she flipped out on me with absolutely no reason and attacked me on her LJ about a
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That's pretty much me. I always liked Spike and he really fascinates me in so many ways, but he's not a lot like me. I see a lot of myself in Buffy, too. But I love both characters dearly - and I ship them because they have great chemistry and an incredibly interesting relationship. I didn't always think they could be good for each other - I was first intrigued by the idea of them together, then fascinated by them together and how they affect each other. To my surprise, over time they started looking like a couple that really could work well together and be happy under the right circumstances and if they worked out their respective issues, which started the phase of rooting for them rather than just rooting to see them interact and have a story together.
I don't think I could ever ship a pairing if I didn't like both characters. And sometimes I do really like two characters, but I don't like them together as a couple. It's always about the chemistry, the dynamic, the effect it has on them...
Maybe that's because her love life outside of Spike was boring at best. :-P To me, neither Angel, nor Riley feels like a deep, emotional, adult connection. I'm not inclined to see where the relationships go because they appear to be going nowhere.
Now that's definitely not the case for me. I always find Buffy's love life interesting, even if I dislike a certain pairing - I find Riley bland, and Buffy/Riley a really dull and chemistry-free pairing, but I appreciate its place in Buffy's life, and it works for me as a story. The reason I am interested in Buffy's love life is that I relate to her and see some of my own problems and inclinations in her, and it's all meaningful to me as a part of her emotional development. But I find her the most interesting with Spike.
On the other hand... much as I find Spike fascinating, I can't say I can relate much to his relationship with Drusilla - and the fact that I spent a lot of time disliking her didn't help; it's only in my most recent rewatch that I've started to like and appreciate her character more, but I don't like them as a couple. I can understand intellectually what he saw in her, but I still can't relate to him when it comes to his feelings for Drusilla. The way he behaves with Buffy, even when he's being an asshole, is always much more understandable to me. And I certainly can't relate to how he is with Harmony, it is amusing to watch but it just makes me feel sorry for Harmony. I can't say I see the appeal of those ships apart from "ooh there's shirtless Spike in a panther crawl" or "there are Spike and Dru being sensual and kinky". I can't think of any other potential Spike pairing that could be really interesting. Spike/Faith is fun as a flirtation, but I don't think it would work or happen as anything but a fling, maybe.
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