If Buffy were black...
Saw this post, thanks to Petzi's links post and...it got me thinking.
Then I saw this post immediately after, and it got me thinking more. In fact, I paused mid comment with my pondering--specifically about "Empty Places," and I thought about Buffy being kicked out of her own house, and what she would have said or done had she'd been black. To be fair, I don't even mean by color, because I know some black women who would have done more or less the same (e.g. flee while crying). I guess to be more specific, I thought what would my mother, a black woman, have done or said had she been in Buffy's shoes in that moment. So not even "if she were black", but if she were just more...I don't know, emotionally sound? More attitude, which, is mostly associated with a black woman, traditionally. Which is a stereotype, sure (and no, I don't mean the comedic "sassy black woman" stereotype or the "hood/thug girl" stereotype, but the "wish factor" stereotype and the "confrontational" stereotype, which I've seen enough to know that it's mostly not a stereotype. In fact, I almost used the word "mutha fucka" down below, but didn't in the interest of making the dialogue in my rewrite UPN/standard channel friendly), but I'm taking the ball and running with it here.
However, I think that if she had been black but played exactly the same, surrounded by a white cast at the time when the show came out...I'm not sure fandom would even be here, honestly. Or, maybe it would have, but the demographic would be entirely different, I think.
Anyway, the whole thing got me thinking how it would be different, so...
Note: I do think that Buffy's plan would have lead to a lot more carnage, even if she was right, and her arguments eventually were just...petty and stupid (I'm talking about the whole being able to campaign against Faith with the potentials and stuff), and if she hadn't been there, that maybe the battle plan for "Chosen" could have been less invasive, made more sense, and not involved fighting in a basement, let alone a Hellmouth, which is a BAD idea no matter how you slice it. Frankly, I think Xander would have eventually come up with the idea of dropping a big firebomb down there, which would have not involved fighting, and burned all the ubervamps to dust.
ETA: Also, after reading the dialogue again, it's really Dawn that kicks Buffy out--not the others. Sure they take her down several notches, but they weren't actively kicking her out. They just wanted a vote on who should lead between Buffy and Faith, and Buffy couldn't handle the outcome of the vote/Faith winning/she not leading, and Dawn said she had to go. Huh.
PRINCIPAL WOOD: So we vote.
BUFFY: Wait. Guys... I can't watch you just throw away everything that...I know I'm right about this. I just need a little...I can't stay here and watch her lead you into some disaster.
DAWN: Then you can't stay here. Buffy, I love you, but you were right. We have to be together on this. You can't be a part of it. So I need you to leave. I'm sorry, but this is my house, too.
Buffy's head reared back. Her expression was that of confusion and indignation.
"Excuse me?" she asked Dawn. "Let me get this straight. You're trying to tell me to leave my house? My Mother's house?"
"Buffy, you aren't--"
"Let me tell you something, sistah," Buffy said, effectively cutting off Dawn. "You and everyone here are entitled to your opinions. Hey, it's your right. You don't have to like my decisions or my rules. You don't have to follow anything I say, even. But if you're not--then there's only one option, and one option only. For you and anyone else who feels the same as you to get the hell out of my house. Cause this is my house, and I wish one of you would try to kick my ass out."
Dawn stood there quietly, mouth agape, in shock.
Giles, brow furrowed, looked at Buffy. "You're not...threatening us, are you?"
"Buffy?" Willow asked, her voice tinted with concern and confusion.
Buffy shook her head. "No, I'm not. I'm saying you have the option to leave my house if you'd like, and I am promising you that there's going to be a hell of a problem if you try to uproot me from here. Step on up if you want to try."
The lines had been effectively drawn, and one by one, she watched them leave. She stood alone, but that wasn't something new.
At least she got to be home this time.
Then I saw this post immediately after, and it got me thinking more. In fact, I paused mid comment with my pondering--specifically about "Empty Places," and I thought about Buffy being kicked out of her own house, and what she would have said or done had she'd been black. To be fair, I don't even mean by color, because I know some black women who would have done more or less the same (e.g. flee while crying). I guess to be more specific, I thought what would my mother, a black woman, have done or said had she been in Buffy's shoes in that moment. So not even "if she were black", but if she were just more...I don't know, emotionally sound? More attitude, which, is mostly associated with a black woman, traditionally. Which is a stereotype, sure (and no, I don't mean the comedic "sassy black woman" stereotype or the "hood/thug girl" stereotype, but the "wish factor" stereotype and the "confrontational" stereotype, which I've seen enough to know that it's mostly not a stereotype. In fact, I almost used the word "mutha fucka" down below, but didn't in the interest of making the dialogue in my rewrite UPN/standard channel friendly), but I'm taking the ball and running with it here.
However, I think that if she had been black but played exactly the same, surrounded by a white cast at the time when the show came out...I'm not sure fandom would even be here, honestly. Or, maybe it would have, but the demographic would be entirely different, I think.
Anyway, the whole thing got me thinking how it would be different, so...
Note: I do think that Buffy's plan would have lead to a lot more carnage, even if she was right, and her arguments eventually were just...petty and stupid (I'm talking about the whole being able to campaign against Faith with the potentials and stuff), and if she hadn't been there, that maybe the battle plan for "Chosen" could have been less invasive, made more sense, and not involved fighting in a basement, let alone a Hellmouth, which is a BAD idea no matter how you slice it. Frankly, I think Xander would have eventually come up with the idea of dropping a big firebomb down there, which would have not involved fighting, and burned all the ubervamps to dust.
ETA: Also, after reading the dialogue again, it's really Dawn that kicks Buffy out--not the others. Sure they take her down several notches, but they weren't actively kicking her out. They just wanted a vote on who should lead between Buffy and Faith, and Buffy couldn't handle the outcome of the vote/Faith winning/she not leading, and Dawn said she had to go. Huh.
PRINCIPAL WOOD: So we vote.
BUFFY: Wait. Guys... I can't watch you just throw away everything that...I know I'm right about this. I just need a little...I can't stay here and watch her lead you into some disaster.
DAWN: Then you can't stay here. Buffy, I love you, but you were right. We have to be together on this. You can't be a part of it. So I need you to leave. I'm sorry, but this is my house, too.
Buffy's head reared back. Her expression was that of confusion and indignation.
"Excuse me?" she asked Dawn. "Let me get this straight. You're trying to tell me to leave my house? My Mother's house?"
"Buffy, you aren't--"
"Let me tell you something, sistah," Buffy said, effectively cutting off Dawn. "You and everyone here are entitled to your opinions. Hey, it's your right. You don't have to like my decisions or my rules. You don't have to follow anything I say, even. But if you're not--then there's only one option, and one option only. For you and anyone else who feels the same as you to get the hell out of my house. Cause this is my house, and I wish one of you would try to kick my ass out."
Dawn stood there quietly, mouth agape, in shock.
Giles, brow furrowed, looked at Buffy. "You're not...threatening us, are you?"
"Buffy?" Willow asked, her voice tinted with concern and confusion.
Buffy shook her head. "No, I'm not. I'm saying you have the option to leave my house if you'd like, and I am promising you that there's going to be a hell of a problem if you try to uproot me from here. Step on up if you want to try."
The lines had been effectively drawn, and one by one, she watched them leave. She stood alone, but that wasn't something new.
At least she got to be home this time.