5 Discussions of Sexuality and Assault in BtVS
It's a sad fact that our heroes weren't given the most healthy and life-affirming sexual relationships. Happiness was often short lived with their partners, if not outright self-destructive. This year there were a number of metas and discussions on the Scoobies, but more specifically Buffy's, bad lot when it came to matters of carnal love. I've listed them in the order I think it makes most sense to read them, if one were to take this as an immense treatise on differing viewpoints about sex in the Buffyverse.
1. More Scoobies and Their Sextoys (Meta) by stormwreath
Although his polling experiment started as a humorous exploration of what the Scoobies might be up to with themselves between the sheets, this meta also speaks to the characters basic personality traits and how their temperaments might influence their sex lives. There's also some talk of the Kinsey scale that grounds this speculative and humorous meta in the real world. For those interested in fluid sexuality and the Kinsey scale, I'd also direct you to gabrielleabelle 's interesting meta on Willow's Gay Now!
2. Buffy's Bad Sex Life by gabrielleabelle
Yeah, we know her sex life sucks and we also know it makes for good drama. Rather than simply stating the obvious though, gabrielle goes through each season of Buffy using the lens of whether or not Buffy is an empowered woman is three areas of her life - emotionally, physically, and sexually. Under scrutiny, in this particular meta, Buffy's sexuality fails to catipult her into the realm of strong, beautiful and fierce.
3. Five Reasons I Hate the "Almost Rape" by hello_spikey
I think most of us would agree that the culmination of Buffy's horrendous sex life comes to a head during "Seeing Red." Ever a touchy subject, spikey lists a few reasons why it didn't work for her, which range from inconsistancies in characterization and show continuity to the antithetical nature of victimization it forces into the show's canon. And, of course, there's always Buffy left to clean up the mess.
4. Seeing Red: The Dreaded Topic by gabrielleabelle
Taking a different view of the scene than hello_spikey (specifically in the areas of being in-character), gabrielle again tackles the ramifications this assault presents in a feminist context. What is so incredible about this post is the sheer volume of responses it got. Although it may take you about two hours to read through them all (It did for me!), everyone's very civil and thoughtful opinions will have you seriously mulling over how you felt about this important (if not popular) development in the show.
5. Closure by eowyn_315
Spike/Buffy, R
Summary: When Buffy finds herself assaulted after a Lowell House party with no memory of what happened, she turns to an unlikely ally to help put the pieces together and find the person who raped her. (BtVS season 4 - after "A New Man")
Warning: Rape (the rape itself is not described, just the aftermath)
I've included Eowyn's fic here because, like these meta posts, she too examines sexuality and assault as it relates to Buffy. What sets Eowyn's fic apart from these metas is that she very seriously and tactfully explores the realities of what a rape would be like for Buffy, how she would cope with it (counseling and all), and what that would mean for her view of herself and her sexuality.Taken as a response to these metas on sexuality, Eowyn's already superb story serves as a very realistic and gritty extension of what could have happened on the show had the writer's dragged Buffy kicking and screaming into RL.
*If you know of any other meta on sexuality in BtVS/AtS, feel free to drop them in your comments. Fics that very seriously deal with sexuality and its consequences are also welcome!
1. More Scoobies and Their Sextoys (Meta) by stormwreath
Although his polling experiment started as a humorous exploration of what the Scoobies might be up to with themselves between the sheets, this meta also speaks to the characters basic personality traits and how their temperaments might influence their sex lives. There's also some talk of the Kinsey scale that grounds this speculative and humorous meta in the real world. For those interested in fluid sexuality and the Kinsey scale, I'd also direct you to gabrielleabelle 's interesting meta on Willow's Gay Now!
2. Buffy's Bad Sex Life by gabrielleabelle
Yeah, we know her sex life sucks and we also know it makes for good drama. Rather than simply stating the obvious though, gabrielle goes through each season of Buffy using the lens of whether or not Buffy is an empowered woman is three areas of her life - emotionally, physically, and sexually. Under scrutiny, in this particular meta, Buffy's sexuality fails to catipult her into the realm of strong, beautiful and fierce.
3. Five Reasons I Hate the "Almost Rape" by hello_spikey
I think most of us would agree that the culmination of Buffy's horrendous sex life comes to a head during "Seeing Red." Ever a touchy subject, spikey lists a few reasons why it didn't work for her, which range from inconsistancies in characterization and show continuity to the antithetical nature of victimization it forces into the show's canon. And, of course, there's always Buffy left to clean up the mess.
4. Seeing Red: The Dreaded Topic by gabrielleabelle
Taking a different view of the scene than hello_spikey (specifically in the areas of being in-character), gabrielle again tackles the ramifications this assault presents in a feminist context. What is so incredible about this post is the sheer volume of responses it got. Although it may take you about two hours to read through them all (It did for me!), everyone's very civil and thoughtful opinions will have you seriously mulling over how you felt about this important (if not popular) development in the show.
5. Closure by eowyn_315
Spike/Buffy, R
Summary: When Buffy finds herself assaulted after a Lowell House party with no memory of what happened, she turns to an unlikely ally to help put the pieces together and find the person who raped her. (BtVS season 4 - after "A New Man")
Warning: Rape (the rape itself is not described, just the aftermath)
I've included Eowyn's fic here because, like these meta posts, she too examines sexuality and assault as it relates to Buffy. What sets Eowyn's fic apart from these metas is that she very seriously and tactfully explores the realities of what a rape would be like for Buffy, how she would cope with it (counseling and all), and what that would mean for her view of herself and her sexuality.Taken as a response to these metas on sexuality, Eowyn's already superb story serves as a very realistic and gritty extension of what could have happened on the show had the writer's dragged Buffy kicking and screaming into RL.
*If you know of any other meta on sexuality in BtVS/AtS, feel free to drop them in your comments. Fics that very seriously deal with sexuality and its consequences are also welcome!