The Feminist Filter: Dead Man's Party

[gabrielleabelle]

I'm done with my final and, thus, done with my undergrad! *dances*

I'm celebrating by having a beer and slapping up the feminist filter post for Dead Man's Party. What? My way of celebrating is UNIQUE!

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

Comments

[itsnotmymind]

Despite the fact that Xander is being a total jerk in this episode, I have sympathy with him. The fact is that Angel was killing people--Xander or anyone he loved could have been killed by Angel--and Buffy refrained from killing Angel when she had the opportunity. Xander was powerless to stop Angel. He was dependent on Buffy. I really don't know why they didn't summon Kendra if Buffy couldn't bring herself to kill Angel, but given that they didn't, this leaves everyone dependent on Buffy, whose failure to act got Jenny Calendar killed. A situation like that is guaranteed to build resentment.

That doesn't mean I support how Xander is expressing that resentment in this episode, though. And given his later relationship with and attitude towards Anya, it is the height of hypocrisy. But I sympathize with his feelings of powerlessness.

...Which actually a gender thing, because I think part of what is going on here is that Xander feels like his supposed to be living up to the ideal of the Macho Male who has control of the situation, and he can't do that. So he takes it out on Buffy.

[local_max]

Yeah, that -- see also my reply to ever-neutral below. None of it excuses his behaviour, but it makes total emotional sense and has to do with gender issues, so, +1.