"glory always makes the blood of women flow."

[prozacpark]

I generally don't like ranting about things I dislike (because ranting about things I like is just so much more fun). But. Unconditional Supernatural love just sets me off.

This site is wondering if Supernatural is as good as Buffy. And, um, no? A world of no, even. How can anyone even compare something as misogynistic and sexist as Supernatural

Comments

[viciouswishes]

I dislike that show so much. When it first started, I watched the first three episodes and then stopped due to the exact reasons you mentioned. I remember being at a fan con after S1 and having to say several times "no" without getting into a long conversation about why.

No way Supernatural would even touch Buffy. It has yet to reach any culture beyond its fandom and fandom_wank. When it leaves, it leaves.

Don't even get me started about Spike fandom. I actually started as a Spike fangirl, but between the show, fangirls, and meeting the Marstersbator himself, agh. What a train wreck.

[meganbmoore]

When it leaves, it leaves.

Unless the fandom clings and clings for eternity. Then again, the fandom (as near as I can tell) is composed mostly of rabid slash fans (not to be confused with nice, sane ones) and people who are in it to crush on guys, and those sorts tend to move on quickly when there's nothing new. Outside of the anime/manga fandom, where they insist on lingering for eternity and swearing that Gundam Wing is secretly the love story of Heero and Duo.

And...I hate to ask, but what's Marsters like in RL?

[viciouswishes]

I would never discount the fact that so many people jump ship after the ship has sunk. Sure you always have the marginal fandoms and yeah, the crazy incest is the best slashers will probably be the ones that remain... However, I'm not sold on it as a lasting text, even in fandom.

Train wreck. He will answer any question, no matter how personal or inappropriate, and basically do anything. At the con I saw him at, he answered a question about how he lost his virginity and kind of bragged. And then when I asked him his favorite book, he went on and on about the book but never mentioned an author or title. (Of course, I'd been shuffled back to my seat by then.) No impressed.

I've also heard some crazier tales about him being drunk and getting a little friendly with fangirls who were possibly not legal age. And I know he talked about shaving his balls on the radio. (In his defense, I think it was Loveline. But still.)

[prozacpark]

Usually, I would ignore something I dislike this much? But the misogyny on the show tends to reach me through fandom osmosis, and I do think that the show's treatment of women is problematic on a level that's not confined to it just being a bad show or just to its fandom. I mean. Just look at the misogyny it brings out in its fans. I fear to think what sort of views of women it's infecting all those girls with. And yeah, fandom is often big on ignoring women, but the level of hatred for all women in this fandom is a whole new level of insanity. And...the show does justify it by tuning every woman evil since the fans expect them to be evil because of the text that's already been established. It's a never ending cycle of misogyny, possibly.

And yeah. I was a huge Spike fangirl too before the last two seasons slowly killed my love for him and then replaced it with a burning hatred.

[viciouswishes]

I do think that SPN has brought out some of the worst misogyny in fandom. I do think the show itself is a catalyst that's brought the misogynistic undercurrent to the forefront, which I think has pros and cons. I think it makes the perfect example to open a dialog, while at the same time, plants more landmines as you'll always have the super misogynist fans who live in a denial box of self-loathing.