[meta] the problem with insiders: the heroic outsider (1/5)

Apr 28, 2014 13:22

Herein lies the newest meta series in the works - this time dealing with the Insiders vs. Outsiders Narrative that Buffy operates on through all seven series. (I am not going to touch on the comics because ugh, that's why.) Although this is all related to my larger Dawn project, there's going to be a lot less Dawn in this series than usual. Mostly ( Read more... )

meta series: insiders, meta series: dawn, thesis of awesome, writing is painful & magical

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clockwork_hart1 April 28 2014, 21:15:45 UTC
Meta! Important meta!

There is so much here to talk about but there are two things that are screaming at me:

Firstly - the mention of Cat and Olive is SO intriguing given their status as "modern AU" versions of older stories (how times have changed - not) and in the same way that Buffy is Joss' "AU" horror movie victim. None of them can quite fit into the worlds that they've been placed in, so they have to shatter it from the outside. (And on another note, all the bullshitty things about sex and sexuality in the Buffyverse correlate to the sexual constraints in Easy A and 10 Things, except Buffy never manages to overthrow hers - which is VERY TELLING IMO)

Secondly - Faith. Faith. My Faith. This is really relevant to me, because I was (am) working class. I've lived in a shitty neighbourhood all of my life, I've worn clothes that I've made/hacked at because of money as much as my own strife to be "unique or whatever" and I've seen so much violence that it's the norm round here. Faith and her problems - they mean so much to me. So when the narrative can't give her a place of solace, a home with the heroes... excuse me whilst I take that a tad personally. Am I a villain because I spent childhood with an alcoholic dad who lost his job and spent my Mum's money on beer so I couldn't have the nicest things? Am I less of one because my mother taught me to speak properly and enunciate so I didn't develop a typical lower-class accent? Am I a danger to your middle class idealism?

Relevance.

This is utterly perfect. I needed this right now

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kwritten April 28 2014, 21:35:44 UTC
I needed this right now
(I needed this comment like you don't even know.)

except Buffy never manages to overthrow hers - which is VERY TELLING IMO
yes. in terms of a feminine/romance story - Buffy is always subservient to it AND never gets a reward.

(I don't even want to talk about this it will make me angry. the one thing that Bulman's analysis neglects - is how the 'reward' is different for males and females - esp in terms of what they are expected to reject. Olive and Cat reject a system that makes them objects, only to 'get the guy' - and in Buffy's case, she keeps getting/caring about having the guy and that somehow is punishable? go to hell joss)

Faith is the single most important person on the series. (It infuriates me the lack of support that Giles and Joyce offer her. I am forever bitter about that.) (especially Joyce willing to throw Faith into the fray for Buffy's college education. HELLO MIDDLE CLASS METAPHOR)

Am I a villain because I spent childhood with an alcoholic dad who lost his job and spent my Mum's money on beer so I couldn't have the nicest things? Am I less of one because my mother taught me to speak properly and enunciate so I didn't develop a typical lower-class accent? Am I a danger to your middle class idealism?

Word.

#sobs

Seriously this is so important.

(And it's one of the things that so quickly endears me to the characters we are supposed to presume are 'bad' kids in HS scenarios. Like Faith. and Puckerman. and so many others.)

Faith tho.

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clockwork_hart1 April 28 2014, 21:54:29 UTC
I refuse to think anymore about sexual politics in the media because I will either cry or break my laptop, and this was a birthday present so no.

Faith is the single most important person on the series. (It infuriates me the lack of support that Giles and Joyce offer her. I am forever bitter about that.) (especially Joyce willing to throw Faith into the fray for Buffy's college education. HELLO MIDDLE CLASS METAPHOR)

#Thank

But for serious, she is the embodiment of all the poor little kids with troubled childhoods and she gets twisted into a villainous puppet for an upperclass elitist politician? The glittery fuck?? They do a good job of spinning in the daddy issues and twisting her mental state to get her there but can we question why she was put there in the first place? Why they couldn't possibly integrate the Sunnydale classes to give us a hero who could be from "the wrong side of the tracks"? (also relevant is the fact that Cordy as the "princess" is betrayed by her pauper boyfriend Xander this series before she falls from her ivory tower)

(And it's one of the things that so quickly endears me to the characters we are supposed to presume are 'bad' kids in HS scenarios. Like Faith. and Puckerman. and so many others.)

PUCK. Yes, Puck needs love too. I always fall for the "bad" kids, the lesser, the bullied (though not often outwardly, and sometimes end up the bullies themselves - hi Puck), the poor.

There are more examples (other girls, too) but I can't think right now.

((Puck and Cook from Skins are like twin souls - deadbeat dads, jack-the-lad mask, friends as emotional crutches and this is so important to me because THIS IS WHY I PREFER THEM TO THE LEAD GUYS. THEY HAVE ACTUAL ISSUES THAT I CAN RELATE TO))

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kwritten April 29 2014, 05:11:05 UTC
I refuse to think anymore about sexual politics in the media because I will either cry or break my laptop
hardest year ever i have never been so upset

#Thank
(I try not to spout my Joyce-scepticism, but I think S5 overly romanticized her and fans tend to forget S3 and how little she [and Giles] did to protect a helpless girl at their fingertips WHO WAS BEGGING FOR HELP DON'T EVEN LOOK AT ME)

EVERYTHING YOU HAVE TO SAY. (especially about Cordy omg my queen)

she is the embodiment of all the poor little kids with troubled childhoods and she gets twisted into a villainous puppet for an upperclass elitist politician? The glittery fuck??
exactly. It's so troubling that the most common reading is: "but Faith WANTED it" like bull fucking shit. Faith wanting to be loved and accepted does NOT mean she is somehow lesser than Buffy (who has HER OWN daddy issues). glittery fuck indeed.

I just... I really love BtVS. I do. I love it a lot. But hot damn is it a royally fucked up narrative at it's core. For every 'stride' we give it credit for, it royally FAILS on at least three more. It makes me so ... angry? but more sad. Because I love it so much and I want it to be all the beautiful shiny things I thought it was. You know?

There are more examples (other girls, too) but I can't think right now.
There's a handful of really lovely girls in Gossip Girl who fit this trope. And most not abused, actually. Just dealing with their social class and having a different perspective - and totally bad ass in their own rights.

((Well honestly. Finn is so damn hard to fucking relate to. What with the whole being a complete ass for no fucking reason and never having to apologize for it and all.))

((forever bitter that Finn outed Santana and was never called out for it. THE FACT THAT SHE LATER THANKED HIM MAKES MY BLOOD BOIL.))

(((as soon as I get home and am in my work schedule, I'm watching Skins, I promise!)))

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lokifan May 5 2014, 19:41:19 UTC
Faith is the single most important person on the series. (It infuriates me the lack of support that Giles and Joyce offer her. I am forever bitter about that.) (especially Joyce willing to throw Faith into the fray for Buffy's college education. HELLO MIDDLE CLASS METAPHOR)

QFT. I cannot even with that.

It's funny, cos the other character from early BtVS who is only semi-inside is probably Cordelia? Once she and Xander get together, she is part of the team and contributes... but once they break up, that's it, and even when Cordy is part of the group she's the low man on the totem pole socially. Don't know quite how to fit in her socioeconomic position, but given that she re-becomes part of the group briefly due to losing her riches (but her class status as well as her bootstrappy job is a big part of how she can help the Scoobies - identifying that the hellhound is going after people in formalwear) and then Xander getting her the dress... I think it fits together.

Also, YES on Puck. I just. Will fucking abandoned him over and over again and FINN'S JACKET I will never forgive him EVER.

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