#amber benson appreciation day

[amberaddict]

Last year my friend Laragh started the first ever Amber Benson Appreciation Day. Today marks the day 21 years ago when the "Seeing Red" episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer first aired in the USA. The finale of the episode had a hugely negative effect on the LGBTQIA+ community. It also started a trend where LGBTQIA+ characters were killed off from other popular TV series too. Laragh's idea was to reclaim the day and focus on the positive effect that Amber's character Tara Maclay had and continues to have for fans to this day. Amber has often spoken about the impact playing the role of Tara had on her life and she continues to be a huge supporter to the LGBTQIA+ community.

I was drawn to the character of Tara when she made her debut in season 4. Tara was shy and lacked confidence. I've never been shy in fact sometimes I can be quite loud but that hid the fact that I have a real lack of self-belief. Watching Tara become more comfortable and confident with herself as the seasons moved on gave me hope I could do the same. I thought Amber played her so well I wanted to see what other roles she had tackled. In doing so I became much more aware of issues faced by the LGBTQIA+ community and I hope I’ve become an ally to the community as a whole. As well as a friend to some of the truly amazing people I've met as a result of becoming an Amber Benson fan.

Last year I wrote a post about meeting Amber and how she has and continues to have such a positive impact on my life. I'm going to add the link to my original post below if you can, check it out.

https://www.tumblr.com/amberaddict/683724577769177088/my-friend-laragh-organised-amber-benson?source=share

Due to the covid pandemic and my disability, I thought I may not have another opportunity to meet Amber in person. Last October however Amber returned to the UK to attend a convention and I was lucky enough to be there. Amber was once again incredibly kind and generous with her time and gave me encouragement to continue to pursue my writing.

Amber is an amazing person and I know from talking to many other fans across the world who have met her they have nothing but praise for her. Click on the appreciation day hashtag and I'm sure you'll be able to read plenty of other similar stories.

It has been a pleasure to write this post and I hope in some small way I have done Amber justice.

Joe

[laragh]

It's May 7th, 21 years to the day since the 'Seeing Red' episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer aired. But today, we don't focus on that. Instead, we focus our efforts to celebrate @amber_benson for everything she did leading up and everything she has done since.

We've turned what was a traumatic day for many and a horrible domino to be coined 'Bury Your Gays' into a celebration of the woman who has been an ally and more to fans all around the world.

Happy second annual #AmberBensonAppreciationDay!

Go forth and spread some love and joy for @amber_benson to match all she has shown us over the years!

And this year especially, rally and show your support for @wgawest in ensuring their members get fair and equitable pay for their work!

Personally, I've had a shit year. I was diagnosed with cancer and then my mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer. One little bright spot is to escape into @amber_benson's books/movies/podcast guest spots and be able to smile for whole hours - the joy she spreads is second to none.

All I can do is thank you @amber_benson for being a bright spot in this world and for making it better for being in it. To have someone to look up to and admire for their kindness and generosity of spirit is no small thing and has gotten me through some tough days.

Thank you for being you.

[girl4music]

A character study analysis -

Why Tara Maclay matters

"Now I’ve never been much of a shipper. I think the first ship I ever telegraphed was Harry Potter and Cho Chang, and while I was a little sad they didn’t work things out, I never hated Harry/Ginny. And I accept it as the natural progression of their story. But when I was a kid watching ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ for the first time about 10 years after it first aired there was one ship I fell in love with and was willing to die on a hill for. ... This isn’t going where you think.

I) My Unnecessarily Long Backstory

Very quickly Willow became my favourite character. I’d loved and adored Sarah Michelle Gellar in just about everything I saw her in beforehand but when I finally got around to watching the show that made her famous, I strangely preferred her more as these gals. I’m more receptive to Buffy as a character these days and can appreciate her performance but younger me was all about Willow. Alyson Hannigan’s work continues to impress me with how she transformed a shy bumbling nerd into a powerful confident witch across seven seasons without once making me feel like the characterisation was betrayed. It’s still a marvel to me how Alyson can effortlessly be adorably hilarious in one scene and heartbreakingly emotional in the next. One of the reasons I kinda, sorta love the magic-is-a-drug storyline in Season 6 and the subsequent Dark Willow thing is the strength of this gal’s performance. So now I’ve hopefully established my love and devotion to this character and can convey that if they were going to put her into a relationship with anyone other than me and have me accept it… said partner had better be the perfect match for her. 

Enter Oz. Oz represents a good example of how to create a love interest that exists to put someone in a relationship without feeling like you’re actually doing that. He complimented Willow and his very presence helped her become a better person. Unfortunately by Season 4 Seth Green had grown creatively dissatisfied and scheduled conflicts with another film meant he had to be written out only six episodes into the season. As heart-wrenching as Oz and Willow’s break-up was, it proved beneficial in the long run.

Amber Benson was introduced the same season as a character called Tara Maclay. She was not intended to be a love interest for Willow outright since although Joss Whedon had envisioned one of the main cast turning out to be gay, he was actually leaning more towards Xander being the candidate. The main reason for Tara’s introduction was because Willow had become significantly more powerful over the four seasons and thus was no longer able to convincingly be put in danger the way she used to. So they needed a new character that could serve as their resident distressed damsel. Amber Benson almost wasn’t cast because, well, Joss Whedon has his body preferences. Marti Noxon, however, could see that the vulnerability she brought to the character was what they ultimately needed. Through a combination of convenient timing and the surprising chemistry between the two actresses, their friendship was eventually written to have them become a couple. In what became a shocking move for the series the episode ‘New Moon Rising’, in which Oz returns, ended with him and Willow parting on good terms and Willow choosing to stay with Tara. To say this was met with an uproar would be an understatement. Willow and Oz have been a popular pairing and in the far less enlightened early 2000’s the idea that Willow would not only turn down Oz but do so in favour of another woman… To cut a long story short, Amber Benson was met with so many nasty comments that she nearly left the show. But, of course, she didn’t. And I want to highlight just how impressive it was that this character was despised for no reason other than the fact that Willow chose her over Oz. And then at the end of Season 6 when she was written out, there was even more backlash. While I love Oz it’s impossible for me to ignore that his successor became just as, if not more popular, and her successor was the most despised character in the entire franchise. Seriously, there are Xander fans, Wesley fans, even the odd Riley fan. I will be very surprised if this video reveals the rare thing known as a Kennedy fan. Tara was that tough an act to follow. 

II) The Triumph of Representation

The Willow and Tara relationship was not the first time a queer romance had been depicted on TV and nor was Buffy the first series to have an established character suddenly come out after been assumed straight beforehand. But compare the sitcom Ellen in which the title character came out alongside her actress and was met with a lot of criticism for the tone shifts that followed with people such as Elton John telling Ellen to “shut up about being gay and start being funny again”, Buffy was notable for not having a big coming out moment or a very special episode about homophobia. It also stood out for avoiding the other end of the spectrum. The Willow and Tara relationship was treated with the same grace and seriousness as any other on the show. Incidental and un-stereotypical. It was positive representation without beating you over the head with it. Queer viewers could see themselves in either character and find comfort and relatability. Straight viewers could see another perspective and learn to normalise the idea. The relationship had an uphill struggle behind-the-scenes with restrictions on what the characters could or couldn’t be shown doing. Forcing the writers to use magic as a metaphor for exploring their sexuality. They didn’t share their first on-screen kiss until Season 5’s ’The Body’ after eighteen episodes as a couple. But despite those restrictions they still stood out as being a same-sex couple on a major show, in which they were accepted as a vital part of the main cast. Both powerful and fallible in their own ways and existing as independent characters in their own right rather than tokens there to meet a quota. And while there was obviously a bigger focus on Willow at first, since she’d been on the show since it started, the writers quickly began to explore Tara’s character in interesting ways. 

III) A Different Kind of Empowerment

The 90’s were the era of aggressive, in-your-face girl power in which women declared they could do exactly what the men did and asserted their strength in a multitude of ways. Buffy expressed her strength through physical prowess and razor sharp wit. Willow expressed hers through intelligence and, later, unrivalled magic powers. Cordelia and Anya likewise stood out for their unfiltered, independent attitudes towards life that were then refined through character development to being unafraid to do the right thing. Tara stood out by being defined through her kindness and empathy. She’s introduced as the only Wiccan at a college meeting who listens to Willow and validates her interest in pursuing more advanced spell casting. She then acts as Willow’s guide and mentor to help her improve her powers, remaining an understanding and empathetic teacher the whole time. Even when meeting Oz, she’s understanding of the idea that he and Willow might get back together despite how much pain this would cause her. Throughout the series kindness and compassion would be her defining characteristics. And showing that she is far more than just ‘the nice character’, her first episode establishes that she is also a powerful witch in her own right, providing Willow with enough assistance to fight off The Gentlemen. This helped set her apart from, say, Dawn, who ended up in distress so much the show itself had to lampshade it. Tara was given just enough competency that her ending up in trouble was never annoying, and she justified her presence in the main cast. This made her an easy character to root for and accept. 

IV) Tara as Her Own Person

Once she was established as Willow’s girlfriend the show set about developing her into her own person so as not to remain a satellite character. The Season 5 episode ‘Family’ properly delves into her backstory revealing that she comes from a history of abuse and has been brought up to think that she’ll turn into a demon when she reaches adulthood. This story serves to put the audience on Tara’s side where we see that she fears Willow and the others will reject her if they discover this. We’re shown what she’s had to put up with from her family, explaining her shyness and vulnerability, and thus endearing her to us all. So in the end, when the demon thing is revealed to be just a lie to keep the women in the family in line, the episode celebrates that Tara can remain within the main cast. Also her relatives disapproval of her interest in magic and witchcraft is an effective parallel to her sexuality, making the ‘family of choice’ theme very relatable. The episode ends with an affirmation that Tara is an essential part of the group and the show.

But I’d argue that the most significant turning point in her character development isn’t actually from an episode that centers around her. Season 5’s ’The Body’ is considered one of the best episodes of the entire series and it is important for Tara not just because it features her and Willow’s first on-screen kiss. This right here gives Tara a role that only she can fill in the show. Someone who has experienced the loss of her mother at a young age and can relate to what Buffy, and indeed Dawn, are feeling. And as someone who didn’t know Joyce as well as the others, she is able to be the one who can hold it together and be a rock for everyone. We’re normally used to seeing Willow reassuring Tara or being the stronger partner, but this allows Tara to fill that role too. Putting them on an equal footing. In the next episode ‘Forever’ Tara establishes her identity as someone with a different perspective from Willow in what would be a recurring source of conflict for them. Willow - the witch who came to the craft late - always wants to bend the rules and push the limits of what she can accomplish while Tara - the natural witch - knows and respects these limits and doesn’t like meddling with the natural order. Conflict between them is further explored in the episode ‘Tough Love’, highlighting another part of Tara that distinguishes her as her own person. The inner-belief that Willow sees her as just an experiment and will go back to boys as soon as she loses interest in her. And while this isn’t great for Willow to hear, it serves to reaffirm that Tara is her own person with her own thoughts and fears and not just an extension of her girlfriend. She is then the one who is targeted by Glory and has her mind… well I don’t know what the technical term is but because of that Tara then reveals the season’s big secret to the villain. That scene may be a little clunky but the act itself further puts Tara on an equal footing with the main cast. Things now only happen because of her that can only be done by her. A conflict set up by her disharmony with another character that then leads the turning point towards the finale and now she becomes the secondary part of the main tension. It’s not just ‘will they protect Dawn and stop Glory?’ But now ‘will they save Tara too?’. And once it happens in the big battle Tara contributes in a way that reminds the audience that she is also a powerful witch just like Willow.

That’ll continue into the next season. So Season 5 ends with Tara no longer being ‘just Willow but less powerful’, but an important character who serves the narrative. 

V) Character Development

The two-part episodes that opens Buffy’s first season on the UPN network is the best season premiere across the entire series. Beginning what is my second favourite Buffy season after three. Tara is one of four characters preparing a dark spell to resurrect Buffy from the dead after she sacrificed herself at the end of Season 5. Initially on-board with the idea we see that aforementioned conflict come into play when it’s clarified how Willow has been hiding some of the darker parts of the spell because Tara is the one who would question her. And one of the things I love about this episode is how it shows Tara rising to the occasion. In a crisis where Willow was too drained to be their heavy hitter, Tara steps it up and demonstrates how she’s a force to be reckoned with too. And I don’t want to gloss over this badass moment either. Like in ’The Body’ we’re shown that when Buffy is M.I.A it is Tara who the group really needs. She keeps everyone together and ensures they stay on track. And what is the next significant development in her story this season?

Tara is the first one to become aware of Willow’s increasing problems with magic use and what happens next becomes a fascinatingly ironic twist in the tale where Willow erases Tara’s memory of their arguments just in time for the musical episode in which Tara gets an entire song to herself titled ‘Under Your Spell’. While a double-meaning to the memory erasing Willow did, it’s mainly about how their relationship has helped her come out of her shell and shine to her full potential. Besides designating her as important enough to have her own solo the song serves as an important next step in something very hard she has to do. In the episode ’Tabula Rasa’, when Willow’s problems become impossible to ignore and it’s clear she can’t be reasoned with, Tara breaks up with her. Despite how much it hurts her to leave and the cold reaction she gets from Dawn in response, she walks out because she now knows her own self-worth and understands her right to be treated with respect. At a point in the series where Buffy and Willow falls so low they resort to using the ones they care about, Xander and Dawn just hurt people, and Giles abandons someone who needs his guidance, Tara has reached her peak in knowing when to stand up for herself and not tolerate mistreatment. And she doesn’t punish the other characters who cared about her for Willow’s actions. She still makes an effort to be involved in Dawn’s life after the break-up. Even staying over at the house after Buffy and Willow are out all night. Even though Dawn is on paper just the little sister of her girlfriend’s best friend and Tara has no obligation to keep in contact with her, she still looks out for her and tries to provide some stability. But Tara’s friendship with Buffy is something that just made me love her even more. And like in the previous season, this creates a role for Tara that only she could fulfil. Buffy could never talk to Xander or Willow about her relationship problems. Giles is out of the picture. And, well, Anya isn’t the sort of person you kiss and tell to. Tara meanwhle is outside of the group at this point so Buffy feels safer going to her about problems. And Tara again shares this understanding with Buffy that allows her to open up. Having feelings that you’re ashamed of and worrying you’re biologically wrong for things outside your control. The script for this scene in ‘Dead Things’ originally had a line where Tara drew parallels between her being a lesbian who’s had to hide her relationships to Buffy being ashamed of hers with Spike. And it’s not drawn attention to but Tara herself was recently in a relationship with someone who could be very virtuous but also had a dark side and was doing bad things that was getting impossible to ignore and justify. Tara is able to provide that support to Buffy and be there for her and making sure Spike stays in line. And even with regards to Willow she’s supportive of her attempts to get clean in a healthy enough way. Take this scene in ‘Older And Far Away’ where Anya is trying to pressure Willow to cast a spell that will allow them to leave the house they’ve been magically trapped in. While the metaphor doesn’t really land (how many life or death situations require alcohol or drugs to get out of?) the sentiment does. Tara stands up for Willow, recognising that she is trying to be better, and again, serving as that grounding presence who prevents the others from falling apart.

By her final episode, this shy wallflower who put up with mistreatment for so long has transformed into a confident, passionate woman who stands up for what she believes in, will lay down boundaries that she will not tolerate the disrespect of,… but also balances that with being 100% there for her loved ones and not hesitating to help someone in need. I hate to constantly reference ‘Games Of Thrones’ but the development of Sansa makes for a good contrast. Both she and Tara start out in perpetual victim mode and their powerlessness is frequently emphasised. Sansa’s character development into ‘empowered woman’ involves shedding her femininity and the attributes that defined her virtues in opposition to her flaws. Most notably her compassion and ability to be smarter than she’s given credit for. Someone who took pity on a drunk knight, became friends with an inexperienced handmaiden, comforted several scared women in a war zone, and stood up for her husband when his family tried to publicly humiliate him develops into someone who smirks after feeding a man to his own hounds, nearly has her own sister assassinated, trash talks a woman who’s literally fighting on the front lines for her, and her reaction to being indirectly responsible for an entire city of innocents being destroyed is…

Tara’s character development allowed her to become stronger and more confident while still retaining the virtues that were built into her characterisation from the beginning. She doesn’t become perfect and I’d argue that restarting her relationship with Willow at the end of ‘Entropy’ probably wasn’t the wisest move that she herself admits - but hey, she’s human. And then what happens?

VI) A Meaningful Death

The real twist of Buffy Season 6 is that The Trio of Warren, Jonathan and Andrew aren’t the true Big Bads. Their actions just unleash the real one. Enraged and distressed at Tara’s accidental death, Willow goes off the deep end and first just tries to kill the three boys in revenge but then escalates into trying to destroy the world to alleviate her pain. It’s probably my favourite arc in the series - or close enough. And even though Tara isn’t technically involved in this arc - what with her dying to start it off - it still speaks to the strength of her character. Tara had previously shown herself as the anchor who kept the group grounded in the aftermaths of deaths or absences, and it was her leaving Willow and being less involved with the group that led to them falling apart. So her death is indeed what allows for things to escalate this way. Remove the group’s anchor from the equation permanently and the conflict increases for maximum drama and therefore excitement. And because Tara was such a beloved character it just adds to the emotional investment. We don’t just want Buffy to stop Willow because the world ending would be a downer in general. We want Willow to be stopped before she crosses lines in a way that Tara herself wouldn’t want, and that she would permanently stop being the character we know and love. Tara’s death also forces things like Xander and Anya to actually talk about their issues rather than what they’ve actually been doing in the fallout of the wedding. Or Buffy to stop seeing Dawn as just someone to protect and closer to an equal member of the team. The resolution to this storyline is not an elaborate spell, fight routine or comically large weapon… but having compassion for the monster and stopping the apocalypse with an act of love - which, arguably, is a very Tara solution to things. 

VII) Conclusion

Despite Tara dying at the end of Season 6 there were plans to bring her back in various capacities before the series ended. Given that the Big Bad of Season 7 could impersonate anyone on the show who’s died, she was a prime candidate for that. The episode ‘Conversations With Dead People’ was, in fact, supposed to have her in this scene instead of Cassie but Amber Benson turned it down. Her reasoning being that the Willow/Tara relationship had meant so much and been a lifeline to many viewers who related to it, and seeing Tara as an evil being telling Willow to die “would just destroy people”. You can read the script for that scene in the link below. And yeah, it’s good, but what we got with Cassie is just as effective. There was also a proposed episode where Buffy would get one wish from The Powers That Be and consider using it to, say, restore Angel’s humanity, defeat The First for good, or bring her mother back to life. And it would end with her showing off a new pair of shoes to Willow - letting her believe she used the wish for that - before stepping aside to reveal Tara. The reason for this not happening was initially just that Amber Benson had a directing opportunity in the UK but she later confessed the following: 

“I had had some issues with somebody on the show and it had kind of come to a head just as I was getting ready to leave… Leaving the show was sad, because there were some of the crew and the writers and some of the cast that I just adore… But I had made my peace with that person and the show, and I was done… I’m leaving everything in a good place… I don’t need to come back…” 

Would the series have been served well by having Tara come back from the dead? On the one hand - that part of Season 7 showing Willow dealing with mourning her and learning to balance magic on her own is pretty strong. On the other - Kennedy, am I right? Part of me feels that Buffy was never the sort of show to have the wish fufillment element. On something like ‘Charmed’ - yeah, no bother. But Buffy always had this gloomy 90’s ‘life sucks - do what you can with it’ vibe. Mainly from Joss Whedon’s mantra that happy people make for boring television. Bringing Tara back may have been little more than fan service. And it’s actually another actor on the show commenting on their character that helps me come down on the side of letting Tara stay dead. Emma Caulfield spoke about how Anya was killed off in the finale, and unfortunately I can’t remember the exact quote or where to find it, but she used the fact that people were upset at the death and that it affected them as a sign that she was successful as a character since a death that no one cared about would hardly be an example of good writing. Tara was lucky in that she got the generous treatment from the writers. Never being given these low moments that were less organic character flaws and more ‘WTF Whedon?!’ I mean Willow will probably be the character I love most overall. Buffy is great and Oz can’t be touched. Gotta love Anya and Cordelia too. But I think Tara easily had the best development and avoided any nasty derailment that virtually nearly everyone else got at some point. And she’s a testament to what the show did right and what holds up about it all these years later.” - Better With Bob?

A fantastic well-worded and reasoned character study analysis of the character Tara Maclay and why she matters even though she was never credited as part of the main or season regular cast. While I don’t believe that Tara had the best character development - by a long mile - I can’t argue with the sentiment that she was a significant character in the show that taught above all that empathy, compassion, kindness and love is all-important in telling a story about flawed characters that so often need it and that rarely, if at all, ever got it. If not for Tara - who could provide it? Sure, tragic and dramatic storytelling is compelling and teaches many lessons but without the balance of hope and love, it feels more like torture than catharsis. You can’t just throw in the dark without the light, the hard without the ease, and the heavy without the heart. And I think - if it weren’t for Tara and the marvellous way Amber Benson portrayed her, Whedon would have taken all the substance out of what he calls a “weight-y story’. Yeah, life does suck and we should just deal with it however way we can, but empathy is enduring a battle that hasn’t been won yet. It provides the empowerment needed to keep fighting against insurmountable odds. We may not win the battle - but least we can say we never gave up the fight and that we never lost ourselves within it.

And that was what Tara Maclay represented alongside being the personification of purity and ‘the nice character’ and ‘Willow’s girlfriend’. She represented that motivation to keep going, to keep fighting, to keep enduring, and to also remain our best selves in the process because it’s not easy to be a fighter and a lover at the same time. It requires real strength and power too few possess or realize that they once did. It’s not just Willow who needed that lesson. Every main protagonist character did. And Tara Maclay showed them how to endure in the fight through love.

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Wednesday, November 15

SPIKE: Come on! I'm never gonna get anything killed with you lot holding me back. TARA: (panting) I thought the big ones were supposed to tire more easily. SPIKE: No, that's over-the-hill shopkeepers. GILES: (leaning against a gravestone, panting) I'm fine. I just need to die for a minute. SPIKE: (to Tara) That powder you blew at him made him rabbit off. TARA: It's sorbis root. It was supposed to confuse him, but it just kinda made him peppy. It's not supposed to mix with anything, you think he might be taking prescription medication? SPIKE: (sarcastic) Yeah, that must be it. GILES: Good god, I hope he doesn't try to operate heavy machinery.

~~BtVS 6x01 “Bargaining, Part One”~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Training Schedule (Buffy, Giles, Willow, PG) by badly_knitted

Postcards and Bills (Buffy/Spike, R) by veronyxk84

Walk It Back (Buffy/Spike, G) by violettathepiratequeen

White Wedding (Angel/Spike, Buffy/OC, E) by Ashmaenas

I Know You Better Than You Fake It (Buffy/Angel, M) by harpsichord

Walk in the Valley (Xander, T, Phantom xover) by arcanedreamer

Right Place, Right Time, Right Body (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by honeygirl51885

Purpose (Buffy/Spike, R) by Teuntje

Santa Spike (Buffy/Spike, R) by VeroNyxK84

Right Place, Right Time, Right Body (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by honeygirl51885

The Other End (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by Zab Jade

[Chaptered Fiction]

Breathe Again, Chapters 7-8/17 (Angel/Cordelia, M) by Califi62

Moments that Make You: The Hero and The Princess, Chapters 86-87 (Cordelia/Doyle, T) by myheadsgonenumb

The Magic of Sunnydale, Chapter 2 (Buffy/Oz, G) by Buffyworldbuilder

Stepping on Butterflies, Chapter 13/22 (Buffy/Angel, T) by melodys_muse

Blood and Chaos, Chapters 53-54/? (Ensemble, M) by Aetheron, quote_Amy_unquote (Sannah_banana)

Days of Future Past, Chapter 30/34 (Buffy/OC, Angel/OC, Buffy/Angel, M) by a2zmom

New York, Chapter 15 (Giles/Xander, M) by drsquidlove

I'm Only Your Darkness, Chapter 10 (Buffy/Faith, E) by Karnstein99

Mental Light, Chapters 1-2 (Buffy/OC, M) by Mika the Supreme Ninja

L'amore troverà la via, Chapter 15 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Violette-Milka

An odd Couple of grumpy old Brits, Chapter 6 (Buffy/Spike, G) by Julikobold

Forgiveness Doesn't Come Easy, Chapter 5 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Slaymesoftly

Destiny or Choices Made?, Chapter 29 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by charmed4lifekaren

The Vision Quest, Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by acb6293

The Wolf Who Sees, Chapter 5 (Xander, Teen Wolf xover, FR15) by calikocat

Forgiveness Doesn't Come Easy, Chapter 5 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Slaymesoftly

An odd Couple of grumpy old Brits, Chapter 6 (Buffy/Spike, G) by Julikobold

The Vision Quest, Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Acb6293

[Images, Audio & Video]

Gifset: Vampire Appreciation Week [2023] (ensemble: vampires, worksafe) by sulietsexual

Tattoo: Prophecy Girl (worksafe) by [artist not mentioned] via sapphicbvffy

Fanvid: buffy the vampire slayer // Getaway Car (Buffy/Angel) by jill.shurley

Video: Something Better Change (Buffy/Spike) by Double Dutchess

[Reviews & Recaps]

Today’s review is the new audible original audio drama: Slayers: A Buffyverse Story by Christopher Golden and Amber Benson by onenerdroaming

S7 Rewatch Thoughts by Independent-Rise2480

Buffy The Vampire Slayer | 3x1 'Anne' | Blind Reaction by Vic

Angel's Backstory! // Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode 2x21 Reaction // Spike is Scheming! by Brooke Whipple

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER 6X09 REACTION | First Time Watching by EvilQK

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER 6X10 REACTION | First Time Watching by EvilQK

Buffy the Vampire Slayer 1x11 "Out of Mind, Out of Sight" Reaction by Justalowly Channel

*HOW DARE YOU?!* Angel Season 2 Episode 11 "Redefinition" Reaction: FIRST TIME WATCHING Buffy by Nick Reacts

PODCAST: Episode 42: Gingerbread by Gym Was Cancelled

PODCAST: HELLMOUTH HOMOS: The Wish by Fear Queers Podcast

[Fandom Discussions]

One thing I never understood about the nightmare episode in season 1 by austinoson

[About Dawn and Xander being a couple in the comics] by sanshofox

post-s3 buffy is just like you and all your high school best friends are trying to navigate your 20s by goresbian

[Headcanon] Jenny and Giles would watch Bridgerton together by jennycalendar

Cordelia Chase: submission and propaganda by look-how-they-massacred-them

Thinking about Connor AtS again by all-seeing-ifer

The scenes with Angel attempting to help Faith in Consequences are really hard for me to analyse. by coraniaid

It feels odd re-watching the Giles/Jenny episodes by aphony-cree

Is it fair to judge vampires? by HannahRose, multiple posters

Buffy & Angel & Spike started by NoShip

Amy is so obnoxiously annoying in "The Killer Me" why is she jealous that Willow's friends were close to her again after season 6? started by Joshua

Do you prefer Angel with Buffy or Cordelia? by JusticeAndrewDo

The bathroom scene (s6ep19) by Beneficial_Bus_2867

Motivation Question re: Angel by Overlord1317

Season 3 had the worst Buffy amd Cordielia outfits in the entire show (potential spoilers) by Xandertheokay

What are your thoughts on Wesley's torture scene in “Five by Five”? by JellyfishDry9464

Do vampires shower? by IvyWillow22

[Articles, Interviews, and Other News]

PUBLICATION: Buffy Finally Reveals What Would Have REALLY Happened If Dawn Had Been There From Season 1 by Screen Rant

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[avrelia]

Into Every Generation a Slayer is Born

I finished the book Into Every Generation a Slayer is Born by Evan Ross Katz. A month ago, and I did a twitter thread review of it, since a lot of my Buffy friends are over there and not here, and now I collected it all here for myself and people of DW. :)

It is an easy read that covered a lot of ground fast but not particularly deep. I got in for the new interviews with the cast and crew, and the interviews were delivered. I could do without opinions on quality of the last seasons and continuous sniping at Marty Noxon, but well… The time for the perfect book shall come one day.

1) Best new tidbit of information: Antony Stewart Head played Giles as a mix of Prince Charles and Alan Rickman’s Sheriff of Nottingham. This already is worth the price of the book.

2) Best duh moment – Cynthia Erivo telling her understanding of Anya reflecting an experience of an immigrant. The most surprising part was why didn’t I pick up on it before, as I was watching and connecting with Anya twenty years ago.

3) the best interview was with SMG. The author is her biggest fan, and she comes off really great there. Of course she is also frank, respectful, sweet and supportive of all the people she worked with, and very appreciative and proud of Buffy’s legacy.

4) the weirdest interview was with Nicholas Brendon. It is understandable, given his unhappy trajectory over the years. And I was glad to read his warm words about CC and SMG, but I also didn’t really care about his latest feud with DB. Overall, it was really sad to read, the whole story of NB, but it definitely added to the whole perspective.

5) the most emotional interview turned out to be with Cynthia Bergstorm, the costume designer for seasons 2-6. Reading her account on the atmosphere on set before she left I almost cried. No, not tears of joy. More like tears of anger

6) the most notable interviews we didn’t get were with AH and Michele Trachtenberg, as they were planned then canceled after February 2021, following the newest wave of conversation about Joss. I understand their reluctance to discuss it at the time.

7) Out of the writers we saw Doug Petrie, Jane Espenson and Drew Z. Greenberg. Marty Noxon didn’t answer the requests and for some reason the author was really mean about it several times and it was really annoying to read.

I was quite happy to see also interviews with Amber Benson, Emma Caulfield, CC, Julie Benz, Mark Blucas, Danny Strong, Seth Green, Tom Lenk, JM, ASH, Bianca Lawson, . Am I forgetting anyone of the cast?

There were no any profound revelations, after all I’ve been a fan for twenty years (soon – yay!) and generally had an idea how it came to be, but the picture became clearer and more detailed. From the history, to the process, and the behind the scene stuff

The interviewees rarely got into any details, and never shared anything lurid or scandalous, but I got the following picture: it started with them being very young and mostly inexperienced. JW was a writer, but had no idea how to run a tv show or direct episodes. And if he successfully managed to do later, the former proved to be problematic.

One of the details everybody talks about is their insane working hours: an average workday during the filming season was 18-20 hours, which is genuinely crazy even if you don’t take into account all the makeup, fight rehearsals, and expected precision in delivering dialogue.

The Beloved Buffy-speak is literally Joss speak. Joss speaks more or less like this and all his characters speak like this, and all his writers write like this and if not he changed the lines to be more like this and the actors had to say lines precisely, re-doing the takes until they manage.

They started a one small happy family, then as the show’s popularity grew, as they had more money, fame and pressure, they become “middle school with more money” according to Mark Blucas, then really, really tired group by the end of the series.

The blame for growing toxic atmosphere on set all the interviewee put on being young, overworked and “someone” on top constantly stirring s*** up and pitting the actresses against each other. (some interviews were done before Feb.2021 and the latest round of allegations)

This story, told by Emma Caulfield is very representative. I'll just add it all here

Mark Blucas, btw, gave a very sweet interview, where he several times apologized for having caused problems for cast and crew due to be totally new to acting and having no clue what he was doing and, of course, praised SMG for being very patient and very helpful

I need to finish the write-up, I guess. So, a month after finishing the book I have to say that it was a fun read, fast, not very engaging. It confirmed what I, as an old fan new or guessed, or explained details that made me go “Duh!” - of course, they were young, mostly inexperienced and over-tired.

Of course, JW was messing up. I mean, I wasn’t even very deep into details, but I always knew that the cast was divided into “favorites” and “not favorites”. I didn’t really think that it was an intentional division, that JW created and exploited, but apparently it was. Oh, well. I was happy to know that the actresses mostly reconciled by now.

And the most pleasant part of the book was SMG – both her own interview with an author, and what everyone said about her. I remember, in my early days in the fandom there was a strong anti-SMG streak, where by calling her “professional” people meant she was cold, unfeeling and un-fun.

Whereas it actually meant she cared about cast and crew and doing her job without wasting everyone’s time (remember those crazy hours!) and without creating extra problems for her colleges. She helped her cast-mates, she helped the crew, she worked a lot, she wasn’t always right, but who was?

So, anyway. That was not a definitive book by all means, but an ok one. There are more books to be written, about Buffy, and the fandom, and all the ways it is still changing our lives. I personally want more books on Buffy fandom.

[dingoes8myrp]

An Examination of Joss Whedon

On February 11th, Charisma Carpenter made a post on her Instagram account detailing mistreatment she experienced on the sets of Angel and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Carpenter worked on both shows from 1996 to 2004 and attributes this mistreatment to show creator Joss Whedon.

On the same day, I made a post on my Tumblr and my WordPress accounts regarding my stance on this topic. I felt it was important for me to post something quickly due to the large number of Buffyverse followers and mutuals on my Tumblr.

I was overwhelmed by the likes, reblogs, and comments this post received in less than twenty-four hours. I’m so glad so many people support Charisma Carpenter and others who are speaking out about their experiences.

Workplace mistreatment is insidious, and too often the systems in place to mediate these situations are designed to protect the employer rather than the person experiencing mistreatment. This happens everywhere in every industry. When people in the public eye draw attention to these issues it helps bring awareness to everyone and encourages societal change.

In today’s climate, social media moves faster than legal or internal HR systems. This means, more often than not, accusations spread, opinions form, and action is taken long before any investigation can occur. Because of this, it’s important for people to seek out the facts themselves in order to stay informed or make decisions about who in fandom they choose to support or not.

I’m going to go through various tid-bits I’ve seen over the past twenty-five years regarding Joss Whedon’s behavior, which prompted my quick response to Charisma Carpenter’s post. I feel it’s important to share this with those who may be new to the fandom, or those who doubt Charisma Carpenter’s claims and those of others.

The Bronze

Before there was Twitter, there was The Bronze.

The Bronze was the official online gathering place of Buffyverse fans. Joss Whedon and others involved with the shows occasionally popped in and posted, interacting with the fans. There was speculation about the trajectory of the show, discussion about lore, fan theories, and behind the scenes rumors.

I didn’t learn about these forums until I was in high school (from 2002 to 2006) and I never posted. I just read up on the fun factoids I could find. I wasn’t a heavy Internet user back then. We had one computer in my house and it was shared with my parents. I was only allowed on for so much time per day, yada yada.

I think Buffy the Vampire Slayer was one of the first shows – if not the first – to utilize this kind of creator/fan interaction. It wasn’t a regular thing back then.

The vibe of these forums was very laidback. When someone directly involved with Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel posted (known as a V.I.P.) it was with a very casual, unmoderated tone. There was no screenshotting every word to be saved for later. Someone from the media couldn’t grab a comment made and spread it across the Internet in real time. There were mailing lists – collections of email addresses for people who wanted updates on show spoilers or particular non-show activities of various actors. Fan letters were still a thing – actual snail mail letters you could send to actors and writers of the shows. Things moved slowly, and there wasn’t as much transparency as there is on the Internet today with sites like Instagram and Twitter.

In a series of posts made on November 6th, 2001, Joss Whedon reacted to the airing of the musical episode, “Once More with Feeling.” He called it “the biggest undertaking of my life,” but expressed his appreciation toward the UPN network, the cast, and crew – particularly Anthony Head, Amber Benson, and James Marsters. He calls Anthony Head “the golden throat” and writes of James Marsters, “And James, who always tells me to do everything I dream of, then brings that intense voice and those cheekbones along for the ride.”

All he writes about Amber Benson is, “Amber… just, you know… Amber….”

Alarmingly absent from his praise is star Sarah Michelle Gellar, who “went back and forth” over whether or not to sing in the episode. “I’m not a singer,” she told EW. She didn’t feel prepared enough and “didn’t feel confident.” As someone who broke out of her comfort zone and pulled off a wonderful leading performance, Gellar was certainly deserving of some acknowledgment.

Seemingly realizing he neglected to mention Marti Noxon, Whedon tacked on, “Do you know anyone that hot who can run a show? Do you? I don’t think so. What a voice.” At the time, alongside comments about James Marsters’ cheekbones and being “a little gay” for Anthony Head, this seemed to be an attempt at an edgy complement (though a little cringey). Marti Noxon was a new showrunner for Buffy, taking over for Joss. Referring to her as hot rather than praising her work is a little demeaning, in my opinion, particularly when it was up to him to make sure she was respected and taken seriously in filling his shoes.

On May 22nd, 2002, Whedon posted about “the gay thing” – probably not for the first time. Regarding some fan reactions to the death of Tara Maclay, Joss wrote, “I knew some people would be angry with me for destroying the only gay couple on the show, but the idea that I COULDN’T kill Tara because she was gay is as offensive to me as the idea that I DID kill her because she was gay. Willow’s story was not about being gay. It was about weakness, addiction, loss… the way life hits you in the gut right when you think you’re back on your feet.”

Keep in mind, at the time, Willow was one of the first gay main characters – if not THE first – on a major primetime show in the sci-fi/fantasy genre. Having a gay couple on a major show like this was not a regular thing, which made the shocking death of Tara and the dark turn of Willow particularly hard-hitting. While Whedon isn’t saying anything particularly inflammatory here, it does show a sort of crass attitude toward the removal of this representation from the show, which had become so important to so many fans – and still is now.

There’s not a lot of meaty information to be found that I could dig up, but I wanted to give people an idea of this landscape back in the day. I picked out those particular Joss Whedon posts because they show a very casual disregard for the women involved in the shows – an insidious and subtle thing, but it’s there.

Fighting with Buffy

Jeff Pruitt was a stunt coordinator on Buffy the Vampire Slayer from 1997 to 2000. He also happened to be romantically involved with Sarah Michelle Gellar’s stunt double, Sophia Crawford. Both would exit the show by its fifth season. According to Pruitt, it was not an amicable exit.

Pruitt claims he and Crawford were treated badly on the set, that Crawford was “one never ending injury” and she had “reached the end of her rope.” He said that they were threatened and blackballed when they made attempts to leave before the 100th episode. They got an opportunity to work on Dark Angel, but the people at Dark Angel supposedly received a phone call from “someone high up at their studio” and were told not to hire Pruitt and Crawford. He suspects this was to keep Sophia Crawford from leaving Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Their firing was unceremonious, according to Pruitt. “Sophia was told point blank that she was being fired because she knew too much about things,” he claimed. He said Joss Whedon and Jane Espenson threatened Crawford, saying if she spoke about what happened on set she’d “never work in this town again.”

Jeff Pruitt spoke about “sneaky politics” behind the scenes, saying “there was something weird going on” in the months leading up to his and Crawford’s exit. Pruitt claims Sarah Michelle Gellar was a “spoiled starlett” and that she was “out to get” him and Crawford. He attributes statements he made in private emails that were later read by Joss Whedon to his firing.

It’s worth noting that many people have stated that Sarah Michelle Gellar is undeserving of a “diva” label. When asked in 2004 what it was like working with Sarah Michelle Gellar, Julie Benz said, “She’s extremely talented and generous. Her reputation is just completely untrue. Unfortunately in Hollywood if you’re young and female and you have an opinion you get labeled a diva or something…else. Sarah’s an amazing talent, but she got labeled.”

In a 2013 interview on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live, Alyson Hannigan answered a series of rapid-fire questions about Buffy the Vampire Slayer. When asked who was the most “annoyed” by the end of the show, she said, “Sarah,” referring to Sarah Michelle Gellar. When the audience booed, Hannigan clarified, “Well, she had a big career going, and it was a lot of work.” When asked when Gellar started to “hate” the show, Hannigan quickly said season three. In a later interview for Huffpost Live, Hannigan clarified her comments further. “[Sarah Michelle Gellar] worked her butt off,” she stated. “She worked eighteen-hour days for years.” Hannigan said she wouldn’t have classified Gellar as “annoyed,” saying, “she was super professional.”

Honestly, I’m Team Sarah on this one. I couldn’t find corroborating sources for Jeff Pruitt’s claims of her “diva” behavior, but I found several sources stating otherwise. Gellar did confirm during a cast reunion that she may have oversold her stunt experience, which ultimately would have meant more work for her stunt double and the stunt coordinator. It seems to me like this set everything on a bad foot with that team. But, the reasons Jeff Pruitt and Sophia Crawford gave for their exit had little-to-nothing to do with Gellar.

Vincent Kartheiser

Vincent Kartheiser played Connor on Angel, and he did a number of interviews talking about his experience on the show. I picked his interviews because I’ve always found him to be very candid and he doesn’t seem to shy away from uncomfortable answers to questions. A few of his answers provide a little insight into the mood on the set at times, and Charisma Carpenter’s attitude.

When Charisma Carpenter was pregnant on the show, she had a storyline that heavily involved Connor, so the two spent a lot of time working together on set. He was asked about her pregnancy and how it affected filming. In a 2003 interview for BBC Cult, Kartheiser said of Carpenter, “she was a great sport and would suck up the pain even though you could see that she was in it.”

In another interview for Angel Magazine from the same year, he said Carpenter had “an abundance of energy for a working, pregnant lady who, right in the heart of her pregnancy, they put her in so much.”

It’s worth noting Vincent Kartheiser had his own issues with the show. “What really made me interested in Angel was the idea that as a show, it changed so much and all the characters could change so much,” he told Angel Magazine. “It wasn’t that clichéd kind of ‘show up, do your thing, go home’ all the time.” Unfortunately, the potential that interested him never came to fruition for his character. “As the season went on, we never really got to deal with the relationship problems between me and David,” Kartheiser said, referring to David Boreanaz as Angel. “I never really got the opportunity to bond with any other characters.” He expressed a feeling that there was nowhere for his character to go and that Connor’s motivations seemed to change from week to week. “There were parts of the season I didn’t have the opportunity to stretch,” he explained, “that it felt like I was doing the same scene over and over.”

Vincent Kartheiser did a later interview with Giantmag.com where he reiterated some of these frustrations. For him, the character of Connor started to get stale early on. “Every week I’d show up and have a scene with Cordelia,” he said, “then Angel would show up and I’d have some sort of conflict with him. There’d be a couple of fight scenes where I’d fight with them even though I didn’t want to and then I would sulk and leave. That to me was every episode.” He felt the writers had written Connor “into a corner” and that fans responded poorly to him.

When comparing his experience on Angel to his experience playing Pete Campbell on Mad Men, Kartheiser expressed a lackluster feeling on the set of Angel. “There was a real sense on Angel that people were just doing a job,” Kartheiser said of the set. “The grips, the DP, even the directors would kind of just show up, do their job and go home.” This atmosphere is a direct contrast to what had attracted Vincent Kartheiser to the show in the first place. “On Mad Men we also have Matthew Weiner on set all the time whereas Joss [Whedon] was hardly ever on Angel,” Kartheiser explained. “I think Joss was doing Firefly at that point and was in love with his next project. I had a friend who filmed a few episodes in the first season of Angel and said everyone was invested and there was crazy energy, so maybe I just came into it late.”

Kartheiser also delved deeper into his frustrations over the direction (or lack thereof) of his character. “I let them know right off the bat that some of the choices they were making [about Conner] were wrong,” he said. “I showed up to play that character and I had a lot of ideas. And they didn’t like any of those ideas.” As a result, Kartheiser said he got “jaded” and “angry” at the show. “I felt like it wasn’t a collaboration, that the people I was working with didn’t care to take risks.”

In hindsight, he went on to say, “I was never a fan of Buffy, I’ll say it straight out. I was never a fan of Angel. I always found it hard to say Joss’ words.”

From all these comments, both from the beginning of Vincent Kartheiser’s journey as Connor, and from a few years after the show ended, it seems like he was excited for the opportunity, but ultimately disappointed with the overall experience. He also revealed how uncomfortable Charisma Carpenter had to be during filming while she was pregnant, but noted her energy and attitude were never a problem.

Farewell Cordelia

Prior to Charisma Carpenter’s official exit from Angel, her character arc had taken a very strange turn and Cordelia had been ominously left in a coma. Concern grew when Charisma Carpenter was not included in the cast of season 5. In a 2003 interview with TV Guide Online, Joss Whedon stated, “The Angel/Cordelia [love story] had gone pretty much as far as we wanted to take it” and that it wasn’t popular with the fans. “It just seemed like a good time for certain people to move on,” he continued. “Not completely, obviously. I’m hoping that we’ll get Charisma to do some episodes as Cordelia sometime during the year.”

TV Guide asked, “Isn’t that a disservice to fans who invested all those years in the character and her redemption? It seems an odd thing to do to the show’s leading lady.” Whedon responded, “That’s a fluctuating concept, the leading lady thing. And it is a little odd. Some choices are ultimately kind of controversial about who stays and who goes and who we focus on. But obviously, we had to have her out of a bunch of episodes toward the end of the year because she was having a baby… so what we had [leading] up to it wasn’t a dynamic I wanted to play out that much.” When asked if things were left on good terms with Charisma Carpenter, Joss Whedon stated he wouldn’t discuss that in an interview.

From Charisma Carpenter’s perspective, she was uncomfortable with Cordelia’s storyline prior to her coma and her death. “It was creepy,” she said of Cordelia’s relationship with Connor. “Connor was Angel’s son and half my age.” Carpenter stated it was important for her to return to wrap up the character’s storyline. “We didn’t want to just leave Cordelia in a coma,” she stated. “Whatever happens after this, I’m open. But it’s just best this story be [resolved] now. Otherwise, it’s a disservice to the fans of our show.” When pressed regarding whether or not she’d return to the show, Carpenter replied, “I don’t think it’ll be necessary. You never say never. However, at this point in time, I don’t see a future for her.” She continued with, “I feel like Joss feels – the Cordelia stories have been told. There were no other directions to go with her.”

Carpenter’s final appearance as Cordelia was an emotional experience. “We’ve been crying for the last two days,” she said in a behind-the-scenes interview. “I’m so physically drained.” She wasn’t the only one affected, either. “The director was crying, the crew was crying, we were crying,” she said. She called it a sad goodbye personally, professionally, and story-wise.

Working with Joss Whedon

Over the years, Joss Whedon gained a reputation for being unconventional to work with. Many actors from the Buffyverse have said they were unhappy with their characters’ creative paths. Sarah Michelle Gellar felt season six “betrayed” who Buffy was, saying she had to be “talked off a ledge” a number of times during filming.

Nicholas Brendon felt the character of Xander was “underrated,” particularly during season seven. “Joss did have a talk with Sarah and I because he was kind of contemplating the idea of Xander and Buffy ending up together at the end of season seven,” Brendon told AV Club. “We were both for it, but then that never came to fruition and I lost my eye.”

On an episode of Michael Rosenbaum’s Inside of You podcast, James Marsters said he was “terrified” of Joss Whedon. “I wasn’t designed to be a romantic character,” he explained. “The audience reacted that way to it. And I remember [Joss Whedon] backed me up against a wall one day, and he was just like, ‘I don’t care how popular you are, kid. You’re dead! You hear me? You’re dead! Dead!” Rosenbaum asked, “Was he kidding around?” and Marsters replied, “No. Hell, no.” Marsters also said he had “open wounds” on his scalp from over-using bleach on his roots every eight days to keep the roots from growing out.

Multiple actors from Angel have talked about Whedon’s habit of making actors squirm. David Boreanaz spoke about how he learned about the Angel spinoff during a twentieth anniversary cast reunion. “I got a phone call that Joss wanted to talk to me,” Boreanaz recalled. “The only thing he said was, ‘I want you to come into my office tomorrow,’ and I’m like, ‘I’m fired.’” He described having a night of “angst” and spent the following day working on some flashback scenes. When he finally met with Whedon at lunch it took some time for Whedon to tell him his character was getting a spin-off. Alexis Denisof expressed a similar knee-jerk feeling of “uh-oh,” but had an idea the spin-off was filming. However, Amy Acker had a similar story to what Boreanaz experienced when she was told about her character Fred’s transformation into Illyria. “It seems to be an echo of, like, ‘Hey, can you meet me for coffee tomorrow?’ and I’m like, ‘Ohh, they’re firing me!’ And we sat down to coffee and he said, ‘I just wanted you to know I’m killing Fred.’ And he waited, like, really a long time.” Charisma Carpenter chimed in, “He likes to do that!” Acker was then informed she would still be on the show as Illyria.

Charisma Carpenter and Marti Noxon have shared their own stories about Joss’s “You’re fired, just kidding” stories. Seth Green quipped “He did that to me too, but it took.”

Whedon’s View of Women

While Joss Whedon considers his writing to be feminist, his portrayal of women as well as other statements he’s made contradict this. In 2013, he gave a speech for Equality Now about his dislike of the word “feminist.” While this speech earned him some acclaim, it also earned him some backlash from the feminist community. This was mainly because he claimed it’s natural for people to be equal, and to add “-ist” to the end of the word “feminist” implies that people’s natural state is to be unequal. This stance was seen as disrespectful to Feminism as a movement, for some.

Joss Whedon received wide criticism for his portrayal of women in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. One critic, Scott Mendelson, talked about Whedon’s portrayal of Scarlet Witch and Black Widow in Avengers: Age of Ultron. “Scarlet Witch eventually has to be coaxed into bravery by one of the male heroes,” Mendelson writes of Elizabeth’s Olson’s character. Mendelson was even less thrilled with Scarlet Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff. “Maybe I shouldn’t be annoyed that the only major female character’s primary arc is a theoretically unrequited pining for a nice guy with major anger issues,” he writes, “or that said character briefly gets captured by the villain in the second act and tossed in a cage for no reason other than to be rescued by her male compatriots.” Backlash over this film caused Whedon to quit Twitter. In an article for Gizmodo, writers Meredith Woerner and Katharine Trendacosta point out that Joss Whedon teased a “killer” backstory for Natasha Romanoff. “Instead of an assassin constantly struggling with finding moral lines she didn’t know existed, we got a woman who feels incomplete because she cannot have babies,” Woerner and Trendacosta concluded.

In 2017, Whedon’s ex-wife Kai Cole wrote a blog for The Wrap stating, “he used his relationship with me as a shield, both during and after our marriage, so no one would question his relationships with other women or scrutinize his writing as anything other than feminist.”

Cole alleges Whedon wrote her a letter in which he said, “When I was running ‘Buffy,’ I was surrounded by beautiful, needy, aggressive young women… As a guilty man I knew the only way to hide was to act as though I were righteous… In many ways I was the HEIGHT of normal, in this culture. We’re taught to be providers and companions and at the same time, to conquer and acquire — specifically sexually — and I was pulling off both!” At the end of her essay, Cole wrote, “I want the people who worship him to know he is human, and the organizations giving him awards for his feminist work, to think twice in the future about honoring a man who does not practice what he preaches.”

In response to Kai Cole’s letter, Laura M. Browning wrote in an AV Club article, “I was sad, but not shocked—maybe a little embarrassed I hadn’t looked more closely at some very clear problems in his work… His work has plenty of male gaze and women in refrigerators and some narratively pointless rape scenes—it’s all right there, in hundreds of hours of television and film—but boy, it sure is a lot more comfortable to listen to a guy tell you he’s a feminist than listen to a lot of women telling you he’s not.”

Whedon’s veneer of feminism has been cracking for several years.

Recent Allegations

Actor Ray Fisher claimed Joss Whedon behaved inappropriately on the set of Justice League, tweeting, “Joss Wheadon’s on-set treatment of the cast and crew of Justice League was gross, abusive, unprofessional, and completely unacceptable.” Fisher also accused Geoff Johns and Jon Berg of enabling Whedon’s behavior. An investigation was done by Warner Brothers and co-stars Jason Mamoa and Kiersey Clemons publicly supported Fisher. Ultimately, the investigation concluded and “remedial action” was taken. The action taken has not been specified.

Shortly after, Joss Whedon exited the HBO series The Nevers, which Fisher attributes to his own claims.

Team Charisma

Those who have shown support to Charisma Carpenter include: Sarah Michelle Gellar Ray Fisher J. August Richards Michelle Trachtenberg Amber Benson Eliza Dushku Jose Molina Marti Noxon Emma Caulfield James Marsters Anthony Head Clare Kramer James C. Leary Sophia Crawford David Boreanaz Amy Acker Julie Benz Danny Strong Adam Busch Tom Lenk Nicholas Brendon Jeff Mariotte

Others who have written about Joss Whedon or come out to support those coming forward:

Courtney Enlow Nell Scovell Glen Mazzara

My Conclusion

As I stated in my previous post on this topic, I stand with Team Charisma. It is not okay for a person in a position of power over others in the workplace to misuse that power in an inappropriate or abusive manner. No matter how talented that person may be and how beloved the work may be.

[philosopherking1887]

Here’s my view on the Joss Whedon thing in a nutshell:

We do have a moral obligation to believe and support Charisma Carpenter, Amber Benson, Michelle Trachtenberg, Ray Fisher, and anyone else who comes forward with stories of abuse.

We do not have a moral obligation to stop liking or being capable of enjoying Buffy, Angel, Firefly, The Avengers, etc.

Rewatching them critically, with an eye to how the creator’s faults come through in the work, is important; but I don’t think we can say “we should have known” just from the works themselves (we already knew, more or less, from stories that were circulating; but that’s not the same as being able to tell from the work). We shouldn’t give in to the temptation of thinking that we’ll be able to spot the next predator or abuser by scrutinizing their shows and movies closely enough for sexist tropes. There are sexist tropes in a ton of media, and we can’t always know whether it’s because the writer/showrunner is a creepy misogynist abuser or just because we live in a patriarchal culture.

There’s another post going around warning people not to start saying “I never liked his work” or “his work was always bad” because that implies that people who did like it are condoning his behavior. I’m not going to reblog that because there are some other things I don’t agree with, including the implication that this only applies in the past tense. I don’t think that continuing to like the work is condoning his behavior.

For years, since stories about his behavior have been leaking out and people have become more sensitive to the elements of sexism present in the work, people have been claiming that he’s a bad writer in other ways -- that he’s bad at characterization and character development, or writes bad dialogue (while misinterpreting and misattributing lines...) -- and I think it’s because they’re uncomfortable with the idea that bad people can make good art. We all know how much moral and aesthetic virtue have become conflated in Tumblr (and now Twitter) fandom: everyone seems to assume that your moral worth can be determined from the media you like and the fic you read. It’s simply impossible in that worldview for a morally bad person to have made anything with aesthetic value.

Because I think bad people can make good art, I think there’s genuinely something to enjoy and appreciate in their work and that people can’t be required to stop responding to it. My view (which I ought to write a paper on one of these days) is that Your Mileage May Vary: the knowledge of the creator’s sins might interfere with some people’s experience of the work so much that they can no longer enjoy it; but that’s not true of everyone. Sometimes that will have to do with how closely those sins resonate with the viewer’s experience; the discussion of male vs. female writers’/critics’ responses to Woody Allen movies in Claire Dederer’s essay “What Do We Do with the Art of Monstrous Men?” comes to mind. But as she also says, some women will still like some of Woody Allen’s movies -- or Joss Whedon’s shows. (Some Jewish philosophers work on Heidegger. I don’t get it, but that’s their prerogative.)

I consider it a no-fault disagreement. The people who can’t enjoy the work because of their moral response are missing real aesthetic value, but they aren’t aesthetically culpable (inasmuch as that’s a thing); and people who can still enjoy it may be less ‘morally sensitive’ in the sense that their moral emotions are less thoroughly integrated with their aesthetic evaluation system, but that doesn’t automatically make them bad people -- just continuing to enjoy a work of art (as opposed to giving the artist money) doesn’t hurt anyone.

[tempusinfinituum]

—who I write as✨

this goes for RP; I usually prefer 1x1 or a small group of like 5-10 people. Large RPG’s give me anxiety. This also goes for any Fanfiction requests. I’ll be posting some of my work here soon so you guys can tell me whether I should quit or not. 😂 JK but constructive feedback is always appreciated. Just don’t be an asshole for the sake of being an asshole.

TV Shows

The Fosters

Callie Adams Foster

Mariana Adams Foster

American Horror Story

Adeline Goode (OC)

Cordelia Goode

Fiona Goode

Misty Day

Myrtle Snow

Madison Montgomery

Zoe Benson

Queenie

Nan

Mallory

Violet Harmon

Vivian Harmon

Lily Harmon (OC)

Emmaline Langdon (OC)

Miss Mystic Esmarelda

Annabeth Darling (OC)

Scream Queens

Chanel Oberline

Chanel #2

Chanel #3

Grace

Zayday

Dean Munsch

Orange is the New Black

Nicky Nichols

Galina “Red” Reznikov

Lorna Morello

Piper Chapman

Alex Vause

Poussey Washington

Taystee

Brook Soso

Grey’s Anatomy

Meredith Grey

Cristina Yang

Lexie Grey

Ellis Grey

Callie Torres

Arizona Robbins

Sofia Sloan Torres

Zola Grey-Shepherd

Ellis Grey-Shepherd

Izzie Stevens

Maggie Pierce

Jo Wilson

Stephanie Edwards

Addison Montgomery

Amelia Montgomery (OC)

Amelia Shepherd

Lizzie Shepherd

Miranda Bailey

Glee

Rachel Berry

Quinn Fabray

Brittany S. Pierce

Santana Lopez

Mercedes Jones

Tina Cohen-Chang

Sue Sylvester

Emma Pillsbury

Marley Rose

Lennox Hudson (OC)

Trinkets

Moe Truax

Elodie Davis

Tabitha Foster

Euphoria

Rue Bennett

Jules Vaughn

Cassie Howard

Katherine Hernandez

Maddy Perez

Lexi Howard

Medium

Allison DuBois

Ariel DuBois

Bridgette DuBois

Marie DuBois

So Weird

Fiona Phillips

Molly Phillips

Irene Bell

Chloe Bell (OC)

Pushing Daisies

Charlotte “Chuck” Charles

Olive Snook

Vivian Charles

Lily Charles

Charlie Charles-Edwards (OC/they never included the Pie Maker’s last name in the show, but they did have an episode that showed his fathers initials were E.E. so I assume it could be Edwards.)

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Violet Baudelaire

Sunny Baudelaire

Justice Strauss

Dr. Georgina Orwell

Esme Squalor

Shameless

Fiona Gallagher

Debbie Gallagher

Veronica “Vee” Fisher

13 Reasons Why

Hannah Baker

Jessica Stanley

Stranger Things

Eleven/Jane

Max Mayfield

Nancy Wheeler

Joyce Byers

Movies

After

Tessa Young

Molly Samuels

Steph Jones

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Sam

Mary Elizabeth

Candace

The Runaways

Joan Jett

Cherie Currie

Lita Ford

Scream

Sydney Prescott

Gail Weathers

Jill Roberts

Kirby Reed

Sarah Prescott (OC)

Hannah Riley (OC)

Harry Potter

Hermione Granger

Ginny Weasley

Lily Luna Potter

Molly Weasley

Lily Potter

Nymphadora Tonks

Bellatrix Lestrange

Practical Magic

Sally

Gillian

Both of the aunts.

Both of Sally’s daughters.

RENT

Mimi Marquez

Maureen Johnson

Joanne Jefferson

Angel Dumott-Schunard

Mariana Schunard-Collins (OC)

Bella Marquez-Davis (OC)

Hairspray

Amber Von Tussle

Shelley (from the nicest kids in town—ships with Amber)

Penny Pingleton

Inez Stubbs

Tracy Turnblad

Pitch Perfect

Beca

Chloe

Aubrey

Emily

Fat Amy

Stacie

Sweeney Todd

Nellie Lovett

Johanna Barker

Lucy Barker

Repo! The Genetic Opera

Shilo

Blind Mag

Marnie

Mamma Mia

Sophie Sheridan

Donna Sheridan

Tanya

Rosie

I’ll add more as the inspiration strikes.

[whiskehorange]

My Inbox is Open!! (24 hours)

Here are my “rules:”

❗️Please Read this!❗️

I do not have a character limit on a request, ask for as many as you want!

Make sure you look at my masterlist so that you know what prompts i’ve done before, I’d like to not have any repeats.

Please make sure you take into account who I have in my No NSFW and Platonic Only sections!

I will be leaving my inbox open for 1 day (24 hours!)

❗️If you could take the smallest break from Hellboy, Abe, & Prince Nuada that would be great. About 75% of my inbox before was only them and like the same request just worded a bit different and it gets tired writing for them sometimes. I’m not saying you can request for them, but just try to see what else I’ve written for them first!

It would mean a lot if you guys actually looked through this and read it. Of course, you can ask whatever you’d like, but maybe just to humor smaller fandoms, request some simple or basic asks for smaller characters, but that’s up to you!

Take your pick! (I’m splitting this into 2 groups: who I’ve written for and who I have not based on category)

Slashers:

Jason Voorhees

Michael Myers

Freddy Krueger

Bubba Sawyer

Thomas Hewitt

Pinhead

Billy Loomis

Jeepers Creeper

Hannibal

Otis Driftwood

Baby Firefly

Brahms Heelshire

Vincent Sinclair

Bo Sinclair

Lester Sinclair

Harry Warden

Mayor Buckman

Chop Top

Nubbins

Pyramid Head

John Kramer

Amanda Young

Mark Hoffman

Jack Torrance

Norman Bates

Art the Clown

Stu Macher

Doom Head

The Man (Hush)

Carrie White

❗️Small/ unwritten for:

The Chatterer

Will Graham

Alana Bloom

Francis Dolarhyde

Vanita “Stretch” Brock (TCM 2)

Adam Stanheight

Lawrence Gordon

Wendy Torrance

Danny Torrance (Doctor Sleep)

Victoria Heyes (Terrifier)

Sidney Prescott

The Auditor (Hellraiser: Judgement)

John (He’s Out There)

Lizard (The Hills Have Eyes)

Leslie Vernon

Pennywise

Candyman

Herbert West

Tiffany Valentine

The Look-See

Non Slasher:

Hellboy

Abe Sapien

Liz Sherman

Prince Nuada

Princess Nuala

Beetlejuice

Yautja

Pavi Largo

Luigi Largo

Nathan Wallace

Graverobber

Bishop (Aliens)

Eddie Gluskin

Anton Chigurh

❗️Small/ unwritten for:

Johann Krauss

Ben Daimio

Alan “Dutch” Shaefer

Amber Sweet

Blind Mag

Graham Hess (Signs)

Merrill Hess (Signs)

Hexxus

Xenomorph

Ellen Ripley

Nick Jakoby

Richard Trager

Chris Walker

Lucas Baker

Mr. X

Llewelyn Moss

Jareth The Goblin King

Jack Skellington

Arthur Fleck/Joker

Morticia Addams

Gomez Addams

Debbie Jellinsky

Eddie Brock

Venom

Hopper (A Bug’s Life)

Stanley Ipkiss/ The Mask

Dorian Tyrell

❗️TV Shows (All unwritten for/small):

Jason Gideon

Aaron Hotchner

David Rossi

Spencer Reid

Derek Morgan

Jennifer “JJ” Jareau

Penelope Garcia

Emily Prentiss

Holden Ford

Bill Tench

Greg Smith

Wendy Carr

Olivia Benson

Elliot Stabler

Alex Cabot

Casey Novak

Donald Cragen

George Huang

Amanda Rollins

Odafin Tutuola

Dominick Carisi

Rafael Barba

John Munch

Nick Amaro

❗️Anime (Small & Unwritten for)

Jiraiya

❗️No NSFW:

Hopper (A Bug’s Life)

John Kramer

❗️Platonic Only:

Barbara &/or Adam Maitland

Aziraphale &/or Crowley

Lydia Deetz

Shile Wallace

It would be appreciated if you took a look at what characters also don’t have much written for or have nothing at all, I’ve added these guys for you to enjoy, so give them love!

tag list, as requested!

@teen-lyoko-fan7777 @bowlovercat @tinalbion @veinsplitter @coffeeandslashers @trans-asshole @okamiredfoxx @boneshine @fnksensitivebri @kola95 @milk-rat @cth-uwu @fooisakiratrash @0-squid-0 @neuro3-17 @michaelmyersisdaddy6969 @fierysins @infernaltigris @im-a-lady-of-rage @divineslipcast @kitsuneoni-hime @lucifers-trash-stash @multifandomtrashempress @jae-writes-fanfiction @fvckyeahfanfics @n-kin-ururu @tuttifuckinfruttifriday @ladycignettacorvinus-blog @stewie-castle @fuckilived @joys-fandom @slasherscandoanythingtome @msmcqueenies @mysecondcarisa67chevyimpala @ruinofkings @proxy9301 @horrormomshoe @littlewierdalien @thatonespicytwink @flamingmace @soullessentity @hot-stickzz @stabby-sinclairs @strvw-berry @sowitchjellyfish @batsforbadones @scpdragon @youngcroissantturkeyworribler

[sinagrace]

This summer marks the tenth anniversary since the announcement of The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman’s Skybound imprint at Image Comics, and today is eight years since I left the company as its Editorial Director. I had no intention of waxing nostalgic or posting about this fun and weird chapter of my life, but I’ve been cooped up in an apartment watching my dog as he recovers from surgery… so I’ve got nothing better to do than look at old pictures and post on social media. Being a comic book editor is not an easy job at all. Most folks think it just means emailing people about deadlines and checking for spelling errors, but there’s so much more that goes into the job, especially when you’re working in the field of creator-owned comics. The list of responsibilities is absolutely boring to recount, but I’ll just say that for as mind numbing or menial the tasks may seem, the consequences of going on autopilot and not double checking everyone’s work can lead to catastrophic printing errors with all the blame set on who??? The editor. What’s funny is that I didn’t necessarily want the job. I was really content working part-time on Rodeo Drive and growing my illustration portfolio (I’d been doing the Li’l Depressed Boy with Mx Struble and had finished illustrating a Middle Grade book for Amber Benson at Simon and Schuster). The opportunity to work full-time in comics and learn under a guy as respected as Robert appealed to me. Of his books, I was a fan of Invincible, and more to the point: I really appreciated his brazen defense of creator-owned comics in a Big Two market. Politically, I felt okay giving so much of my life to his journey. At one point in the interview process, Robert asked me if I was familiar with him and his work. My answer was sincere: “I’ve read some of your stuff. I respect you, but I’d never wait in line to meet you.” When I got the job offer, I was still on the fence. My friend Tyler always reminds me that he basically told me to just take the job and decide whether I liked it after I was there. He pointed out that the first ninety days are a mutual trial period for employee and employer. It would totally be fair for me to say in the first three months that the job wasn’t right for me. I’m glad that I listened to his advice, because being present for The Walking Dead’s ascension from beloved bestselling comic book to actual factual international phenomenon was an experience that I deeply treasure and will never have access to for the rest of my life. Even though my main duties were about the comics, I found myself getting tipsy at award show after parties, handling business affairs in talk show green rooms, sitting in development meetings with video game creators, picking up props from creature design workshops, and- the most bizarre scenario of them all- driving my tiny car around big rigs to drop off a pallet of merch at a shipping yard in the South Bay. My first year at Skybound was absolutely crazy, and getting my friend Shawn in the position of Director of Business Development was all too necessary at that point. Between the show’s success and the launch of a handful of original comics, my responsibilities grew to include foreign licensing, copyright filing, convention planning, editing the collected editions, liaising with collaborative partners, and the occasional bit of merchandise design. It was a lot to handle, and I look back fondly on the late nights when Shawn and I would walk down to Pinches for dinner, devouring burritos and chips before putting more hours at the office. We formed intense bonds with the production folks at Image Comics who were putting in the same hours at the Berkeley office. The stress and hard work was always worth it when you’d pull off a miracle like shipping Walking Dead every three weeks on time for a 100th issue to come out at Comic-Con with a smattering of variant covers- including a chromium cover that required multiple printers and so much advance planning. (As I’m typing this, I also am remembering that I was still drawing The Li’l Depressed Boy and working on my graphic novel Not My Bag on the side. Considering I hadn’t done any drugs at that point, I have no clue how I did all of that and still found time to sleep.) Being an editor is a pretty intense grind, and if you’re not a career editor, then the eventual burnout will hit super hard. I loved my job, and I loved the artists Robert chose to work with… for the most part, they were all kind and hardworking folks dedicated to the craft. I met one of my best friends on the job, and I was able to bring in my favorite people along for conventions across the continent. There were extraordinary highs, but the gig was taking a toll on me. I was answering work emails in Texas on Mx. Struble’s wedding day. I worked six out of the seven days I was in France for my sister’s wedding, and still got yelled at for something going wrong. How do you delegate instincts to someone? “Double check the file size because sometimes so-and-so will scan things wonky,” or “zoom in at 300% because the clipping path will look fine in the preview image but the sword is actually creeping into the logo.” I was starting to mess up, and after a point, it became clear that I needed to transition as a full-time writer and illustrator. It’s eight years later, and I’m still so very happy that I took the job. I may have pulled a lot of hair out, but I learned so much about storytelling and the business of making comics from one of the most iconic guys in the business. I always let my editors know how much compassion I have for the work they have to do, and try to never add problems to their already busy days. Some production designers may still hate me, because I learned all the tricks in terms of how late you can push something at the printer… but I’m getting better, I promise!! I know how valuable it is to connect with local retailers and with readers, because they’re all coming from a place of just loving comic books so darn much, and they’re the ones doing the major work in helping build successful titles. Skybound is now a decade old and has a staff of over fifty or sixty individuals pushing the brand to new and exciting places. Robert is still someone I admire for how hard he tries to inject vitality into the direct market. I *still* get people coming up to me saying that they thought I was a girl because of my name in the Walking Dead letters column. For as crazy as the freelance creator lifestyle has been the last eight years, I wouldn’t change it for the world. It’s been scary, and sometimes hand-to-mouth, but I’d never have had the bandwidth to take on all the opportunities that started coming in recent years if I was still an editor, and I wouldn’t have been as great an advocate for myself in business dealings if i hadn’t learned from Robert. HBD Skybound. X.

[amberaddict]

Today is The 3rd Annual Amber Benson Appreciation Day. On the 7th of May 2002 “Seeing Red” episode of BtVS first aired in which we lost the character of Tara Maclay.

A good friend decided to reclaim the day to celebrate Amber and everything she has done to support all fans everywhere. Thank you so much Amber! ❤️

#AmberBensonAppreciationDay

[laragh]

It's #AmberBensonAppreciationDay

20 years ago, today an injustice was done to a character and a community. The episode ‘Seeing Red’ of Buffy the Vampire Slayer first aired and cruelly ripped away the character of Tara Maclay from our screens, but not from our hearts or our minds. The trope that took Tara still plagues television and media to this day. But today we reclaim this day as a celebration of what was done right in the story of Tara Maclay and that is the integrity and passion brought to the role by Amber Benson On this #AmberBensonApprectionDay, we thank and appreciate her for all she has done to be loyal, kind, and a champion for her fans. Beyond Tara, she has encompassed a career as an actor, director, writer, producer, and more. She has brought integrity and talent to everything she'd turned her hand to, and I feel blessed to be able to follow the career of someone I admire so much. And I know all her fans feel the same. And so #AmberBensonAppreciationDay was born. This is your chance to let her, and the social media sphere, know why she is so beloved in all of our hearts. Go forth and share the Amber love! Don’t forget to use the hashtag #AmberBensonAppreciationDay to be entered into the giveaway: https://bit.ly/3LW39w

View on Twitter

[taramaclaywasaterf]

BtVS question-- what do you think of Kennedy?

Oof the feminist in me is, like, saying one thing...but the fan (and the tillow shipper) in me is saying something completely different lol

Basically, I kinda feel like Kennedy was punishment towards Amber Benson for not wanting to appear in the episode Conversations With Dead People. So, ya know how they had The First use Cassie’s likeness to talk to Willow in that episode? Joss really wanted to have Amber (the actress that plays Tara) do it. But Amber didn’t want Tara to be remembered like that, she didn’t want Tara’s last appearance on BtVS to be as some evil creature telling Willow to go all dark again. And Joss was PISSED at her. Like, really pissed. So I think Kennedy was kinda like “hah! Tara’s being replaced with some spoiled brat who yells at Buffy! Take that, Amber!” And we all know how Joss likes to punish actresses through their characters (AKA what he did to Cordy with the whole Connor/Jasmine fiasco in AtS because he was pissed that Charisma got pregnant.)

I...really don’t like Kennedy lol. I think she was rude, and it bothered me how she sorta inserted herself into the Scoobies then acted as though she had equal say in what was happening just because she was fucking Willow. And I will forever hold a grudge against her and all the Scoobies FUCKING KICKING BUFFY OUT OF HER OWN GODDAMN HOUSE- ooof, that’s a whole other tangent that I’m gonna save for another day lol

On the other hand, however, I know a lot of fans had issue with how strongly she was coming on to Willow and stuff, but like...she knew Willow was gay. Willow showed signs she was interested in her, too. And if the fan base as a whole liked Kennedy, people would’ve been cheering her on. So I don’t have an issue with how strong she cane onto Wil whatsoever. Girl saw someone she liked and went after them. Good for her, she was a hell of a lot braver than most lesbians are when it comes to hitting on women, and that’s something to admire lol. I also really appreciate how she sort of took hold of the other potentials. She was the oldest out of all of them, so she knew she kinda had a responsibility to play a “big sister” type role.

Oh, and she did bless us with the chance to see that scene where Tucker’s Brother was filming her and Willow making out...only to pan away and talk about how nice the window Xander fixed looked, so I can’t be too mad at her lol

[captainwhogotthecanary]

ClexaCon: Day 2

Same deal as day 1: this is probably too long and detailed, and if you want the facts, you can probably get them from the official videos. This is more about my reactions and vibes and the like.

I dressed as Wonder Woman this day. It’s my only store bought costume, but I look great in it, and I finished off the look with tall (not not heeled!) boots and rainbow socks and brighter makeup than I usually wear. I looked good enough that the barista when I grabbed coffee asked for my employee discount; she assumed I was a performer at the hotel. I got great comments all day, a little overwhelmingly so, but it felt pretty awesome until I left the convention. CW for brief mention of assholes at the end of this post.

Nyssara

I met some cool people in line waiting for the “doors” to open for the standard attendees. We ended up sitting together while my Friday friends sat behind, since we had trouble finding six seats together, not too surprisingly.

I needed the intro video because as I’ve mentioned, I like my faves to be happy, and while I never ever doubted Sara loves Nyssa and vice versa, they didn’t exactly get happy times together on screen, and I wasn’t yet into Arrowverse fic when they were on screen. It was a good video. They’re both great actresses and can seriously crank up the intensity when the scene requires it. Any Nyssara fic recs are appreciated, btw.

The panel was good. It was fun, different kind of energy, something like nostalgic and speculative and silly. And Jes came through! Again, there are videos and gifs, so go do yourself a favor and look if you haven’t.

Of note to people following my blog, when asked her favorite one night stand of Sara’s, Caity’s first thought was of Snart, though she said she couldn’t count him since they hadn’t slept together. I think that’s just so awesome that the characters had that connection, and the actors according to what I’ve read, that even after years have passed, there’s still some sort of nostalgia or whatever because they were genuinely close. The actors and characters in different ways, but still.

More is More: Polyamory in Media

I’ve got some ot3s (ahem, Rogue Canary), but as far as real life, I don’t know much about polyamory. It’s something I’ve long thought works with the RIGHT people and the RIGHT communication, which makes it rare and challenging, and it has to be so hard for some people, like some of the ones in the panel who explained that being poly is, for them, the same as their sexuality; it’s a need, a wiring, not a choice or a lifestyle. It’s rare (or rarely talked about/seen) and so there’s not a big demand for more of it in media, but then the lack of representation means fewer people know it can be a healthy option, so it becomes a cycle, like so many things.

Most of the panel ended up the panelists sharing what it means and what it means to them to be poly or practice a poly lifestyle. There’s a big no-no/disparaging negative in the community regarding “unicorn hunters,” which I’d like to have someone properly explain to me but google says it’s usually couples looking for a third person who fits their needs without considering the needs of that third. It’s objectifying and not setting up for a healthy relationship and I get why that angle is negative, but I’m not sure why multiple people in that panel and then in a later panel seemed to use it to apply to anyone looking for the trio presentation rather than the open relationship presentation. Not complaint so much as genuine confusion there. So anyway, there wasn’t much discussion of the trio+ aspect I was most interested in, because I’m not planning to write or practice a relationship where the people in it date other people but I adore stable (usually potential) trios in media.

I still enjoyed it very much and learned a lot in the “I didn’t know I didn’t know this” category. My favorite part (though it also made me sad) was how excited and relieved the panel was about being in a room where they could discuss all this without judgement.

Bi+ Representation in Media

I adored all the panelists here. I didn’t learn much; the basic gist was “there’s not enough representation.” Still, it was cool listening to and watching a bunch of bi+ folks talk about their faves and what they’d like to see. I bought a book by one of the panelists and will do a rec post later if it’s any good, ya and lgbt and superheroes. I’m excited.

Romance Between the (Book) Covers

Sigh.

Okay, so…

I don’t think of myself as an amazing or particularly experienced professional writer, but I do feel like I could contribute more than a lot of the writing panelists, and I found that very frustrating. It wasn’t that they were all lacking experience or talent, to be clear, but it was that for most of them, their experiences or input were almost entirely unhelpful for new or aspiring novelists.

For example, there was a writer whose story was, “I’d never written anything before in my life but I decided to write a book and they published it so that was cool.” Another said she’s unique because she writes in first person, which she does because “it’s a lot easier to tell instead of show. And I know they say you’re not supposed to do that, but I think it works.”

I get that the expectations are different in the smaller market that is LGBTQ+ romance, but…

I don’t know. I feel like standards are important. That’s why I all but stopped writing while I’m struggling with words and with tying things together; I don’t care whether it’s original fiction or fanfiction, free or paid, I have standards for my work.

I also had my feathers ruffled slightly when the moderator asked the panelists, “Did you write heterosexual relationships to start out in order to get a foot in the door or earn money?” with a clear implication that there was no reason to write a m/f relationship other than for mainstream success. The one bisexual panelist low-key called her out but I don’t think she noticed, with an, “I’m bisexual so writing a male/female relationship is a perfectly valid choice for me.”

For one, yeah, there was a bisexual panelist and there was a huge bi population amongst the attendees, so that wording could have been more sensitive, and for two, I know plenty straight people who like to write m/m or f/f romance, so why wouldn’t that be a valid choice in reverse, for something other than a cash grab?

Personally, I mostly write m/f relationships because I started writing while still closeted, because that’s where my actual experience is, and because my go-to is still to write canon or canon-adjacent pairings and tv still likes to fuck up most of the few canon lgbt ones. That doesn’t make me less valid as a writer who is lgbt.

Mazikeen: The Devil in the Details

This was enjoyable. The actress says Maze is her spirit animal, which is awesome. I was pretty frazzled and distracted (people were saving me seats even though I SAID I’d be late and it was equally appreciated and discomfiting) and also trying to liveblog the panel to a friend, so I didn’t get as much emotional impact from this as the rest. It sounds like we probably get to see Maze with a real relationship this next season, so that’s exciting. It seems like a decent next step for her after the growth over the last seasons. I’m also suuuuper excited she and Trixie will be okay; they have one of my favorite relationship of the whole show.

Amber Benson: Tara Maclay and the Legacy of Buffy

Teeeeearrrrsss. Do me a favor; if you watch the video for this one, watch the behind the scenes one first. The intro video they played left very few dry eyes, and then Amber came out all teary and emotional.

The singalong was a lot of fun, despite “Under Your Spell” being notes most humans can’t hit.

There was one answer she handled with some unfortunate wording, but it was so clear she meant well and she’s such an icon, so she didn’t get boo’d like I was almost afraid of. There wasn’t much applause, but then we moved on. She was the only panel I went to that earned a standing ovation. I cried a lotttttttt.

And then I left the con to go change before having dinner with Friday friend. And people were gross and staring in creepy ways and there were homophobic comments made “accidentally” too loud and just bleh. It was a small thing in an otherwise fantastic weekend, but it made me feel like I needed to take a shower.

[kevoreally]

#BuffyAt20 - S03E10“Amends”

Very late but honestly who’s keeping track?

> Hey! A previously! Reestablishing Jenny as a character! Noice.

> I get the opening violin riff from this episode stuck in my head a lot. I just wanted you to know that.

> Daniel is pretty cute. And has not really done much. Too bad.

> This street is beautifully dressed for the period - and with the snow and everything.

> Oh gosh, David Boreanaz’s Irish accent. It’s not actually the worst.

> If I’m not mistaken, the weatherman on the shop window screen is real. I love when they do shit like that.

> BUFFY. BANGS. WHY.

> Can I just say how grateful I am that Buffy did a Christmas episode? I love the holidays, so my favorite show having an episode for it that I get to watch every year - and so Christmas Carol-y! Love it.

> I almost wish there was a Christmas version of the theme. Like, sleigh bells instead of cymbal smashes. Let’s do it!

> See, Buffy? You know the bangs are a bad idea - they’re fighting you!

> Willow is awfully huffy about people not remembering she’s Jewish for someone who’s not very observant.

> I’m sorry - why are they all talking like they won’t be seeing each other over Christmas break? Like, they’re BEST friends. It makes the scene a little unnatural.

> Oz says “I know you guys have a history.” He really does. Have I mentioned how much I love Oz?

> They’re just so sweet together. I wonder, if Seth Green hadn’t left, would Oz/Willow have been endgame? Would we have ever gotten Dark Willow? Hmmm.

> Ugh, I’m glad there’s some semi-mystical roots in Two Slayers not being able to get along because I really hate how awkward Buffy is about Faith.

> Meanwhile, LOVING how awkward Joyce is about Giles, haha. Kristine Sutherland’s performance is so tense, it’s amazing.

> THE BRINGERS!!! Oh man, what a random one-off character to make season-long antagonists.

> “Your mom sent you down, huh?” “ - No.” Oh, Buffy. You’re not the best liar.

> “I like the lights.” Me too, actually, Buffy. They’re such a specific touch. I know how long putting that shit up can take.

> Twenty years later, I still think Giles is a little extra hard on Angel. The whole crossbow thing. But like. I get it. And he gets over it pretty quick, and it’s done after this episode.

> Oh, I just got the “last time you became complacent” line for the first time. Oh dip, lol.

> This scene with Angelus eating this poor maid is sort of still rather heavy TODAY, let alone twenty years ago.

> Angel and Buffy both waking up from that dream is a HELLLLLLLA great plot twist.

> I really, really appreciate Robia LaMorte coming back to reprise the role of Jenny. I think that was really cool. I get why Amber Benson didn’t want to do this for Tara, but I think it’s such a clever villain idea, being able to use dead characters.

> Hmmm. I don’t know if it’s the older I get or I’m just in a mood, but I’m a little hmmm on Buffy/Angel at the moment.

> Aww but I love Xander showing up to help. He’s starting to become the Xander I love.

> Willow just said “We’re gonna watch videos.” Omigod.

> Angel says “It wasn’t me, a demon isn’t a man.” I mean, how DOES that work? Have we ever really been given a full answer still?

> Buffy having a sex dream on the library floor is… a lot. Merry Christmas, by the way.

> If Angel has a wet dream, that doesn’t count for anything, right? (Well I mean, we know it doesn’t, we learn he can have sex in Season 5 when he dates a werewolf.)

> Eeey! It’s that shot of Angel transforming into a vamp that gets used all the time in the Angel opening credits!

> The First says “This is why we brought you back.” Which, did it? And if it did, what exactly was its aim?

> Giles says “You can’t fight The First, Buffy. It’s not a physical being.” And I’m like, IF ONLY YOU GUYS KNEW, SEE YOU IN 4 YEARS.

> “Let me get a double shot of, um - of information, pal!” Oh Xander.

> WHY IS IT SPECIFICALLY SCRIPTED THAT XANDER INTERRUPTS BUFFY?

> They CG’d Christmas lights onto the establishing shots of Sunnydale, I love when shows do that for the holiday episodes. Fuller House just did one where they forgot to decorate the neighbors’ houses!

> The dream joke Oz makes is literally Willow’s dream from “Restless.” Just a note.

> Willow says “We could do that thing” and my heart melts.

> I didn’t even know the Summers’ fireplace was functional. I don’t feel like they would actually do the upkeep for that.

> Faith showing up at Buffy’s house for Christmas means EVERYTHING TO ME.

> Joyce says “Oh that is so thoughtful” to Faith’s gifts because once again Joyce is the most amazing mom on TV.

> Okay I’m sort of engaged on the bedroom scene with Buffy and Angel but… I’m still mulling them over.

> The “But it’ll do” from The First is so sassy, which is more great foreshadowing of its characterization in the future.

> The sequence of Buffy smashing up the earth maybe goes on a bit too long. We didn’t have anything else to fill that minute with?

> The way Buffy just sort of sweeps away the Bringers’ altar is somewhat comical.

> “Alright, I get it, you’re evil, do we have to chat about it all day?” and “Let me guess, is it… evil?” are some of my favorite Buffy lines ever.

> Oh, there’s actual roofs down there with lights up. Maybe it wasn’t CG after all!

> I’m not sure this episode does enough to show us why Angel is worth saving other than Buffy loves him. Like, sure, he’s a champ for good, but we don’t talk about that much.

> Buffy’s part of this speech in this scene is ALLLL there really is. And it’s a great bit, but still. There should’ve been more.

> "Strong is fighting! It's hard, and it's painful, and it's every day. It's what we have to do. And we can do it together." Preach, B.

> Ugh, the snow always gets me. Plus, you know. Christophe Beck.

> UGH, AND THE SHOT OF MAIN STREET.

> Okay, so is anyone else aware that there was a Buffy Christmas-theme 1-800-COLLECT commercial that aired after this episode? Because if you aren’t, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGlG-uKTnTs

> Merry Chrysler.

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Sunday August 28

ANYA: Xander, what if I'm really nobody? XANDER: Don't be a dope. ANYA: I'm a dope? XANDER: Sometimes.

~~Selfless~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Not Our Remit (Crossover with GI Joe: Retaliation, FR13) by Beriaearwen

Flowers of Life: Hollyhock (Crossover with Marvel, FR13) by mmooch

The Joys of Magically Refilling Beers (Crossover with Loki, PG) by Glitterangelem

Man of Honor (Crossover with Firefly, T) by Jedi Buttercup

Fingon the Valiant (Crossover with Lord of the Rings, FR13) by Grundy

Spoonful of Sugar (Multiple crossings, FR13) by acswatwst

Purveyor of the Dark Arts (Crossover with DC, PG) by hermione2be

Some Weird Cleopatra Curse Convergence Thing (Crossover with Blood & Treasure, T) by jedibuttercup

What Tales My Thoughts Could Tell (Buffy/Spike, T) by spikesgirl58

Some Weird Cleopatra Curse Convergence Thing (Crossover with Blood & Treasure, T) by jedibuttercup

Empty Places (script rewrite) (Ensemble, T) by invisible-pink-toast

What a Tale My Thoughts Could Tell (Buffy/Spike, T) by Uncle Charlie

Fangs Out Dailies (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Dynamite

[Chaptered Fiction]

Inquisition: Bishop, Part 4 (Crossover with NCIS, T) by 3am_moonlight

Sign of the Times, Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, M) by JaneRemmington

My Soaking Wet Valentine, Chapter 2 (Buffy/Faith/Angel, E) by LiteraryHarlot

The Return, Chapter 1 (Spike, M) by HoneybadgerVor

Magic of the Willow Tree, Chapter 2 (Willow/Tara, K) by riah alice drake

Ballad of the Swan, Chapter 3 (OC, Ensemble, T) by PsycoCypher

Who Watches the Watchers, Chapter 16 (Buffy/Spike, R) by blue_sweater_spike

Fangs Out, Chapter 16 (Buffy/Spike,NC-17) by Dynamite

The Slayer and the Vampire, Chapter 62 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by violettathepiratequeen

Slowly, Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Ifeelittoo21

I Wanna Dance with Somebody, Chapter 6 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by PineAppleLint

A Night Without Day, Chapter 11 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by HappyWhenItRains

The Worlds Fate - The Slayers Destiny, Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Wolverine

The Forsaken, Chapter 1 (Crossover with Mass Effect, FR18) by Rutkowski

Story seeds, Chapter 222 (Multiple crossings, FR7) by Dmitri

Perfect Clarity, Chapter 6 (Buffy/Spike, R) by VeroNyxK84

Everything, Chapter 8 (Buffy/Spike, R) by Ginger

The Ring Talks, Chapter 32 (Spike/Buffy, 13+) by Myrabeth

A Breath is But a Soundless Whisper, Chapter 7 (Spike/Buffy, 18+) by Blackoberst

[Images, Audio & Video]

Artwork: i made buffy using AI by Squigels

Video: James Marsters shares his interpretation of Spike & Buffy's final exchange from the last episode at Fandom Fest '22 by InfiniteMehdiLove

Artwork:Spuffy sketch by boopsterliv

Video: Buffy the vampire slayer (cover) by StepUndead

Video: Buffy, The Vampire Slayer - High On Life (Emma Bunton) by Boo Harder

Video: Fandom Fest 2022 | 25 Years of Buffy Panel | James Marsters & Amber Benson by We Are Caylee.

[Reviews & Recaps]

Buffy The Vampire Slayer 6x08 "Tabula Rasa" Reaction by naj

BUFFY FINDS A JOB?! Buffy, the Vampire Slayer 6x5 'Life Serial' Reaction! by Elie Moses

Buffy The Vampire Slayer 4x04 - "Fear Itself" Reaction by DodoReactions

Slayer Sunday-Gingerbread by Jane Talks Reels

Buffy - Reptile Boy, Halloween and Lie to Me watchalong by Bored Now

Stars of Stage and Screen #4 : The Harmony Kendall Cast! by Springfield Simpsons Cast Cast

Buffy 1x04 || El favorito de la profesora. || Análisis del episodio. Buffy, Cazavampiros by Wanderer Willow

PODCAST: The Body S5 E16 by Buffy and the Art of Story

[Fandom Discussions]

The Witch Hunt by multiple authors

Angel Season 5 rewatch - #11 Damage continued by Stoney and Nina

One Girl... by multiple authors

What if Kate Lockley had returned to Angel Season 3 to work with Holtz? by American Aurora and multiple authors

Only Children by multiple authors

Xander-More than a Hot Take by newraistlin613 and multiple authors

Season 06 Appreciation Post by multiple authors

What's the most personally painful plot line for you? by multiple authors

[Articles, Interviews, and Other News]

PUBLICATION: Vampire Slayer #5 Preview: That’s Amore! via My Droll

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