The Feminist Filter: Bad Eggs
Cause Friday evenings are always a good time to post stuff, amirite?
Okay, true story: When I was making the rough outlines for S2, I completely skipped over this episode. It slipped my mind. I went straight from Ted to Surprise. It wasn't until I was working on the outline for Phases that I noticed the episode numbers were off. Then I realized I had to do this episode and sighed cause, honestly, probably one of my least favorite episodes of the season.
Right, moving on. We're gonna do some feminist stuff to Bad Eggs!
Mission Statement:
This series is intended to outline the feminist text of each episode so as to provoke and encourage open discussion. It's not so much about making value judgments about events and/or characters but about analyzing the series from a feminist framework so as to see what patterns and themes emerge.
Rules:
1. If you do not consider yourself a feminist or do not see the point of dissecting a TV show from a feminist perspective, this is not the meta series for you. I don't mean this in a hostile way, however the intended audience of this series is feminists who want to turn a critical eye to the show.
2. This meta series is written well beyond a 101 level of feminism. If you are new to feminism, I ask that you please take a look at this blog for an introduction to concepts that will be discussed heavily here.
3. If you begin to feel yourself getting defensive on behalf of a character (or the show), take a break from commenting. The outlines as posted are not meant to condemn either the characters or the show, but to contextualize the dialogue and events within the patriarchal cultural in which they reside.
4. BtVS is a constructed media. The characters are not actual people but are written, dressed, and directed by a team of outsiders. Criticizing a character for, say, having sex could be a sexist insult or it could be a legitimate criticism of the writers who chose to go that route with the storyline. There are nuances here when discussing a television show, and I ask that everybody be careful about exactly what's being discussed. A couple helpful terms are Watsonian and Doylist. "Watsonian" indicates that the discussion is taking place within the Buffy universe as if the characters are real people. "Doylist" indicates that the discussion is focused on the construction of the narrative and, as such, deals with the decisions of the writers and/or producers.
5. The key goal here is open discussion. I'm not presenting you guys with any brilliant insights; I'm just laying out what's in the episode. Feel free to discuss or disagree with me and others. Also feel free to answer other commenter's questions. The comment section is an open floor.
2.12 Bad Eggs
I. The Tallies
Criteria for Bechdel Check: The episode must have a) two women in it b) who talk to each other c) about something besides a man.
II. Agency
Criteria for Agency: Do the female characters a) exert power or influence over the plot b) through decisions based on their own characterization? Agency means more than providing information or support that helps the (usually male) characters resolve the conflict.
The Plot: A demon, the Bezoar, begins taking over the teachers and students at Sunnydale via eggs.
The Big Question:
If Buffy were taken out of this episode, would events occur in much the same fashion? No.
If Willow were taken out of this episode, would events occur in much the same fashion? Yes.
If Cordelia were taken out of this episode, would events occur in much the same fashion? Yes.
If Joyce were taken out of this episode, would events occur in much the same fashion? Yes.
III. Bodily Violations
Criteria: In media, women tend to be the ones who go through body transformations or disfigurations. Historically, women have only recently been afforded the right to consider their bodies their own as opposed to being public property. Even today, this is a battle that's still being fought. When female bodies are violated via magical alteration, it echoes the ongoing war to retain control over our own bodies.
The Bezoar controls people by attaching to their backs and controlling them through a tentacle inserting in their spinal cord. The characters affected are both men and women, though, as we see Giles and Jonathan, among various unnamed men, controlled by the Bezoar.
IV. The Feminist Fine-Toothed Comb
Criteria: Do any of the characters engage in sexist dialogue or action, whether overt or subtle? Does it receive an explicit rebuke or does it pass uncommented on? Further, what can be deduced from the various gendered comments that are made by the characters?
V. Objectification Watch
VI. Points to Consider
Okay, true story: When I was making the rough outlines for S2, I completely skipped over this episode. It slipped my mind. I went straight from Ted to Surprise. It wasn't until I was working on the outline for Phases that I noticed the episode numbers were off. Then I realized I had to do this episode and sighed cause, honestly, probably one of my least favorite episodes of the season.
Right, moving on. We're gonna do some feminist stuff to Bad Eggs!
Mission Statement:
This series is intended to outline the feminist text of each episode so as to provoke and encourage open discussion. It's not so much about making value judgments about events and/or characters but about analyzing the series from a feminist framework so as to see what patterns and themes emerge.
Rules:
1. If you do not consider yourself a feminist or do not see the point of dissecting a TV show from a feminist perspective, this is not the meta series for you. I don't mean this in a hostile way, however the intended audience of this series is feminists who want to turn a critical eye to the show.
2. This meta series is written well beyond a 101 level of feminism. If you are new to feminism, I ask that you please take a look at this blog for an introduction to concepts that will be discussed heavily here.
3. If you begin to feel yourself getting defensive on behalf of a character (or the show), take a break from commenting. The outlines as posted are not meant to condemn either the characters or the show, but to contextualize the dialogue and events within the patriarchal cultural in which they reside.
4. BtVS is a constructed media. The characters are not actual people but are written, dressed, and directed by a team of outsiders. Criticizing a character for, say, having sex could be a sexist insult or it could be a legitimate criticism of the writers who chose to go that route with the storyline. There are nuances here when discussing a television show, and I ask that everybody be careful about exactly what's being discussed. A couple helpful terms are Watsonian and Doylist. "Watsonian" indicates that the discussion is taking place within the Buffy universe as if the characters are real people. "Doylist" indicates that the discussion is focused on the construction of the narrative and, as such, deals with the decisions of the writers and/or producers.
5. The key goal here is open discussion. I'm not presenting you guys with any brilliant insights; I'm just laying out what's in the episode. Feel free to discuss or disagree with me and others. Also feel free to answer other commenter's questions. The comment section is an open floor.
2.12 Bad Eggs
I. The Tallies
Criteria for Bechdel Check: The episode must have a) two women in it b) who talk to each other c) about something besides a man.
- Bechdel Check: PASS on 8 counts
- Deaths:
Dead boys: 0
Dead girls: 0
II. Agency
Criteria for Agency: Do the female characters a) exert power or influence over the plot b) through decisions based on their own characterization? Agency means more than providing information or support that helps the (usually male) characters resolve the conflict.
The Plot: A demon, the Bezoar, begins taking over the teachers and students at Sunnydale via eggs.
The Big Question:
If Buffy were taken out of this episode, would events occur in much the same fashion? No.
If Willow were taken out of this episode, would events occur in much the same fashion? Yes.
If Cordelia were taken out of this episode, would events occur in much the same fashion? Yes.
If Joyce were taken out of this episode, would events occur in much the same fashion? Yes.
- Decisive Buffy: Buffy is the first one to notice something wrong with her egg (namely, that it attacks her in the middle of the night). Once she gets captured and thrown into a closet, she and Xander work together to ultimately defeat the Bezoar demon.
III. Bodily Violations
Criteria: In media, women tend to be the ones who go through body transformations or disfigurations. Historically, women have only recently been afforded the right to consider their bodies their own as opposed to being public property. Even today, this is a battle that's still being fought. When female bodies are violated via magical alteration, it echoes the ongoing war to retain control over our own bodies.
The Bezoar controls people by attaching to their backs and controlling them through a tentacle inserting in their spinal cord. The characters affected are both men and women, though, as we see Giles and Jonathan, among various unnamed men, controlled by the Bezoar.
IV. The Feminist Fine-Toothed Comb
Criteria: Do any of the characters engage in sexist dialogue or action, whether overt or subtle? Does it receive an explicit rebuke or does it pass uncommented on? Further, what can be deduced from the various gendered comments that are made by the characters?
- Protagonists (Buffy, Xander, Willow, Giles, Cordelia, Joyce, and Angel)
1. In the teaser, Buffy's trying to convince her mom to buy her a particular outfit.
Joyce: It's an outfit. An outfit that you may never buy.
Buffy: But I looked good in it.
Joyce: You looked like a streetwalker.
Buffy: But a thin streetwalker. (gets a look from her mom) That's probably not gonna be the winning argument, is it?
Joyce: You're just too young to wear that.
Buffy: Yeah, and I'm gonna be too young to wear it until I'm too old to wear it.
On one hand, we have the question of age-appropriateness of "sexy" clothing. We don't actually see the outfit in question, so it's hard to assess, to be honest. However, Joyce brings up the looming spectre of slut-shaming with her "streetwalker" comment while Buffy reminds the audience of how girls often absorb societal standards of thinness.
2. When confronting Lyle at the mall, Buffy interrupts him about to bite a girl: "But you promised you'd never cheat on me again, honey."
As the fight ends and Lyle leaves, Buffy makes a further comment: "Oh, sure. They *say* they'll call."
Buffy is likening slaying vampires to dating, merging the feminine and the masculine.
3. Later, after Buffy fails to get Joyce's dress because she was busy fighting Lyle, Joyce comments: "Let me guess: you were distracted by a boy."
She follows this up in the same conversation with: "Honestly, don't you ever think about anything besides boys and clothes?"
Buffy responds: "Saving the world from vampires?"
We're getting the dichotomy between the feminine and the masculine again, with the feminine presented as frivolous and unimportant in contrast with the masculine.
4. During the class on sex ed, Xander and Cordelia begin sniping at each other. Xander comments:
Xander: What about having to feign interest in her vapid little chit-chat just so you can get some touch?
While most of their jabs are standard Xander/Cordelia love/hate-itude, this one echoes standard tropes of guys not being interested in what girls have to say ("vapid chit-chat"). They only pretend to be interested in order to get some sexual contact.
5. In Act Two, when Cordelia comes into the library to let the others know that something's going on, Xander jokes: "And what would that be, Cordelia? Barrette Appreciation Day? "
This is poking fun at Cordelia's femininity and the triviality thereof.
- Antagonists (Lyle, Tector)
1. Lyle uses a lot of diminutive nicknames for women: baby, sugar lips,
2. In Lyle's first fight with Buffy in the teaser, he comments: "Well, you're a rough one, ain't cha! I like that!"
This is an oft-used strategy of trivializing and dismissing women who are fighting or arguing. Usually, we see it with a guy declaring that he likes a woman who's "feisty" or that a woman is "beautiful when she's angry". It turns her into a sex object and effectively disregards whatever she's trying to accomplish.
3. In Act Two, Tector complains about staying in Sunnydale:
Tector: I just don't like it here. Ain't a decent whore in the whole city limits.
4. In the final act, we get more diminutive comments towards Buffy from the baddies:
Tector: She's so cute. And little. Think we can keep her?
V. Objectification Watch
- There's a couple interesting shots that are unusual for the show. During the scene where Buffy and Willow are feeling lethargic with their eggs in the library, the camera consistently films them from above, a not-commonly-seen angle. In fact, it's so uncommon, it was used purposely in Lie to Me at one point.
This particular instance could be attributed to the positioning of the characters. Giles and Xander are in the stacks at the top of the stairs while Buffy and Willow sit on the stairs. So in the group conversation, the girls are at a lower angle than the guys. When we do get shots of the men, it is from below. We get a similar dynamic when Cordelia enters. As she stands at the bottom of the stairs, the camera shoots her from above.
VI. Points to Consider
- What can we take away in regards to how the different characters handle their eggs? Buffy worries about being a single parent while Xander cooks his. What about gender and parental expectations? And does any of this tie into Buffy and Angel's discussion about having children?
- Obviously, a heavy theme of this episode is sex and the consequences thereof. What's the overall message of the episode?