Buffy Worship: Selfless and poor historical research.
I originally wrote this as a reply to eleusis_walks' excellent essay on Anya, then decided to post it. Because it really is annoying.
Little history point - Selfless frustrates me when it comes to the whole "Russian Revolution" thing. As someone who studied Russian history I have many problems with it.
First of all, there was no revolution in 1905. There was Bloody Sunday, and riots throughout Petrograd and other major Russian cities, but no revolution. Nicholas introduced the Duma, yes, but they had little power and even with the October Manifesto very little changed in Russian society. Therefore, no revolution.
However, it is possible that Anya caused Bloody Sunday. Nicholas insists that he didn't order the guards to fire on the peaceful protesters, and yet there was a massacre. I must write a ficlit to fill in the blanks - it makes me smile to think that Anya could have made this happen. And I guess that it would have seemed to Halfrek and Anya like a revolution was going on, although it wasn't.
But Halfrek and Anyanka are pictured sitting at a dinner where the guests are dead. This in no way links to Bloody Sunday, or how Anyanka could have started it - how could she have told the guards to fire on the crowd from the dinner table? And how is killing the guests of the dinner part of starting the "revolution"? So that pisses me off. After all, if you're going to say something so bold - that a character started a major historical even - you have to read up on your history first.
If I ever get around to writing a fic to fill in the blanks, I'll try and make it so that the dinner and the guests are involved. I just can't think of any way atm.
IN OTHER NEWS...
The icons are coming, I promise! I made a couple more, but have decided to hold off on making 2 more batches (a Buffy S4/Angel S1 Faith arc batch and new Misfits batch) until I've posted this backlog of icons!!
Also, today is the Sci Fi Ball! Very exciting :D I've got my Fray outfit together - just need to finish off the wig and I'm done! I'll post pictures today or tomorrow :D
~Lili
PS: So people don't get confused, there obviously was a Russian Revolution (in fact there were two - the February Rev and the October Rev - so confusing that it made my poor friend fail his exam :( ). But these happened in 1917, a full 12 years after Bloody Sunday! Of course, the events of BS did affect the revolution, and it's one of the main factors, but even if this hadn't happened I believe the 1917 Revolutions still would have occurred because of other events. I allow Halfrek thinking Anyanka started the revolution, as with all the rioting it must have seemed like one.
But this is kinda inexcusable for the writers to have her say this, as now everyone who watched this episode (that doesn't know otherwise) will think that 1905 is when the revolution happened. Stuff like this really pisses me off, because I feel film and tv writers have a duty to tell history properly, as for most of their audience this may be the only time they encounter certain historical facts.
.
Little history point - Selfless frustrates me when it comes to the whole "Russian Revolution" thing. As someone who studied Russian history I have many problems with it.
First of all, there was no revolution in 1905. There was Bloody Sunday, and riots throughout Petrograd and other major Russian cities, but no revolution. Nicholas introduced the Duma, yes, but they had little power and even with the October Manifesto very little changed in Russian society. Therefore, no revolution.
However, it is possible that Anya caused Bloody Sunday. Nicholas insists that he didn't order the guards to fire on the peaceful protesters, and yet there was a massacre. I must write a ficlit to fill in the blanks - it makes me smile to think that Anya could have made this happen. And I guess that it would have seemed to Halfrek and Anya like a revolution was going on, although it wasn't.
But Halfrek and Anyanka are pictured sitting at a dinner where the guests are dead. This in no way links to Bloody Sunday, or how Anyanka could have started it - how could she have told the guards to fire on the crowd from the dinner table? And how is killing the guests of the dinner part of starting the "revolution"? So that pisses me off. After all, if you're going to say something so bold - that a character started a major historical even - you have to read up on your history first.
If I ever get around to writing a fic to fill in the blanks, I'll try and make it so that the dinner and the guests are involved. I just can't think of any way atm.
IN OTHER NEWS...
The icons are coming, I promise! I made a couple more, but have decided to hold off on making 2 more batches (a Buffy S4/Angel S1 Faith arc batch and new Misfits batch) until I've posted this backlog of icons!!
Also, today is the Sci Fi Ball! Very exciting :D I've got my Fray outfit together - just need to finish off the wig and I'm done! I'll post pictures today or tomorrow :D
~Lili
PS: So people don't get confused, there obviously was a Russian Revolution (in fact there were two - the February Rev and the October Rev - so confusing that it made my poor friend fail his exam :( ). But these happened in 1917, a full 12 years after Bloody Sunday! Of course, the events of BS did affect the revolution, and it's one of the main factors, but even if this hadn't happened I believe the 1917 Revolutions still would have occurred because of other events. I allow Halfrek thinking Anyanka started the revolution, as with all the rioting it must have seemed like one.
But this is kinda inexcusable for the writers to have her say this, as now everyone who watched this episode (that doesn't know otherwise) will think that 1905 is when the revolution happened. Stuff like this really pisses me off, because I feel film and tv writers have a duty to tell history properly, as for most of their audience this may be the only time they encounter certain historical facts.
.