I get why it had to happen, and that their entire relationship was leading up to this moment, and I have no argument with it being in character... I just wish they could've done it without sending all these messages about rape, you know?
I thought 'Closure' was a very good and thoughtful depiction of the aftermath of a rape, but I can't help feeling a little sorry for the poor Buffy writers. They keep getting accused of making After-School Specials in S6, and then when they show a sexual assault that's purely in-character and in-plot and makes no attempt to teach a conventional message about rape, they get criticised for that too... :-( (And apparently, 'Seeing Red' was based loosely on an actual event in Marti's life.)
I don't think his reaction is that unusual for a boyfriend of a rape victimI think you showed him well (despite the misdirection) as a basically decent guy who nevertheless can't handle the situation and so screws it up. Much like he did with Buffy's mother's illness in S5, in fact
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Well, the magic drug thing was pretty After-School Special. But I think the problem is that when they didn't try to teach a conventional message, they were unaware or unconcerned with the other messages they might be sending. I honestly don't know how you do that scene without sending those detrimental messages about rape, unless you changed the entire thing. But if you can't present the topic well, just stay the hell away from it and use something else as your catalyst for Spike's soulquest.
I have heard that it was based on Marti's life, which doesn't make me feel any better about the scene (in fact, it disturbs me a little and makes me think Marti needs some therapy - from the way it's talked about, I gathered that she played the Spike role in the real event). I think this is one situation where "write what you know" should have been completely and utterly off the table.
Yeah, woobie!Xander sounds an awful lot like woobie!Spike. :-P
Nothing better than reading your favorite character getting tortured/raped/abused.
I can't say I really agree with that one. I've never actually understood the appeal - I would think that if someone is your favorite character, you wouldn't want to see them tortured. But it's obviously a popular genre, so to each his own, I guess...
Hmm. I am all about the angst, so I can understand wanting to be emotionally invested in the story, and I definitely know the appeal of a story that makes you cry, but I prefer the pain to be emotional. Seeing (or reading about) someone getting tortured and raped has an ick factor that makes me cringe rather than cry.
Also, I generally have more respect for writers who go for the emotional rather than the physical torture, because having written both myself, I think it's a lot harder to write good emotional suffering.
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I thought 'Closure' was a very good and thoughtful depiction of the aftermath of a rape, but I can't help feeling a little sorry for the poor Buffy writers. They keep getting accused of making After-School Specials in S6, and then when they show a sexual assault that's purely in-character and in-plot and makes no attempt to teach a conventional message about rape, they get criticised for that too... :-( (And apparently, 'Seeing Red' was based loosely on an actual event in Marti's life.)
I don't think his reaction is that unusual for a boyfriend of a rape victimI think you showed him well (despite the misdirection) as a basically decent guy who nevertheless can't handle the situation and so screws it up. Much like he did with Buffy's mother's illness in S5, in fact ( ... )
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I have heard that it was based on Marti's life, which doesn't make me feel any better about the scene (in fact, it disturbs me a little and makes me think Marti needs some therapy - from the way it's talked about, I gathered that she played the Spike role in the real event). I think this is one situation where "write what you know" should have been completely and utterly off the table.
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Nothing better than reading your favorite character getting tortured/raped/abused.
I can't say I really agree with that one. I've never actually understood the appeal - I would think that if someone is your favorite character, you wouldn't want to see them tortured. But it's obviously a popular genre, so to each his own, I guess...
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(The comment has been removed)
Also, I generally have more respect for writers who go for the emotional rather than the physical torture, because having written both myself, I think it's a lot harder to write good emotional suffering.
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