Gum Gnome33
"Well, yeah..."
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2011
- Messages
- 1,148
...aka resentment for strong women and the struggle to be taken seriously.
I love the scene in Life Serial which puts Buffy at Xander's site where she is instantly judged as weak and repeatedly belittled before hoisting those beams onto her shoulders like they're the newest in J Crew's summer scarf collection.
Of course this scene is such a great example of the uplifting "yeah we're girls, and we're here to kick ass" theme. But there's a twist. Buffy is so efficient that she is potentially reducing the pay for the hourly workers, and they resent her for it. Of course, it hasn't been explained to her until that point that the goal is to actually drag out the project; indeed this revelation comes about as a protestation against Buffy and not as an informative measure. And yet, who is to blame? Not Xander's though he neglected to tell her how it was done--and not that of the other workers, either. Buffy is blamed in spite of the obvious fact that she was merely doing her job efficiently.
The inappropriate resentment and hostility toward Buffy is only exaggerated when she actually saves them all from a demon and is immediately dismissed as delusional and destructive; the guys find a way to turn her heroics against her, claiming that she was reckless and could have gotten them killed (in addition to wrecking the work they'd done).
So what's wrong here? A person comes in to a new job with a pleasant and optimistic demeanor, proves herself to be a highly efficient worker, then saves the lives of her colleagues and is...fired and booed away in shame. Huh?
I think these scenes are brilliant; they illustrate two common issues. One is of the underestimation of a woman and her abilities. The second issue is depicted as a women proves her worth and is criticized and blamed; she is resented for her strength (and in this case for being better).
Now I'm not trying to say that such experiences are unique among women; certainly groups of insecure bullies are dismissive and reductive in the very same way toward others--minorities in particular. But because this show does claim to be one about female empowerment and because the target in the above scene is a women, I think it's worth exploring from this perspective.
I think it's no accident that the writers heightened this scene--I think they clearly intended to show that the more she does, the less she's tolerated. It's an important twist on the more straightforward portrayal of the role of a badass female heroine as she makes sacrifices to save her very obviously grateful would-be victims. It reminds us that the struggle for acceptance and recognition for a woman is a complicated and pervasive matter which is not always resolved when a woman proves her worth.
The fact that this revelation comes for Buffy in season 6 is largely appropriate. This is the season in which she discovers that black and white are merely the markings on a zebra and have no places in the real world. This is the season in which her greatest confidant--the person who is most consistently there for her and who understands her most recent struggles best--is her mortal enemy. And when Buffy is ready to end her life again at the hands of Sweet, too depressed to go on after being pulled from Heaven, who stops her? Who tells her she's got to go on living? Again, the soulless vampire. The only time she feels alive is when she is with him; and from her perspective her friends depend upon her so relentlessly that they wouldn't even let her rest in peace--doing so was a reward she'd earned. So everything is twisted on its head. It's life.
Self sacrifice has resulted in bills she can't pay and thankless men who dismiss her even as she saves them (again, of course. They wouldn't even be there had she not jumped a year ago).
We talk a lot about feminism and how it relates to this show; whether or not it has a places and whether the creators can claim to have done it any justice. I think this episode is their calling-card where that is concerned (another obvious choice being the arc at the end of season 2 and Cordelia in ATS).
I relate to the girly-looking Buffy who appears on that construction site with a flower in her hair. (I mean ok I'd never wear a flower in my hair because it's not my style but you get the point). I am very feminine, very sweet and smiley, and though professionally I am not underestimated on sight because women historically do very well in my field, I do feel that on an everyday basis it is often a struggle for me to be taken seriously. "Sweetheart," "honey," and "sugar" might as well be on my birth certificate. When I raise my voice to make a complaint or raise an issue, I am dismissed almost immediately if I do so politely. When I take a harsh tone and coldly explain myself using logic (!) and perhaps deliver ultimatums (!) I am a cruel bitca. Again, I know women aren't the only ones who experience this. But I thought maybe we could discuss it here as it relates to "Buffy."
What do you guys think? As a woman, do you ever feel underestimated or do you struggle to be taken seriously? As a man, what is your take on this? Are the writers of Buffy on to something with this episode?
I love the scene in Life Serial which puts Buffy at Xander's site where she is instantly judged as weak and repeatedly belittled before hoisting those beams onto her shoulders like they're the newest in J Crew's summer scarf collection.
Of course this scene is such a great example of the uplifting "yeah we're girls, and we're here to kick ass" theme. But there's a twist. Buffy is so efficient that she is potentially reducing the pay for the hourly workers, and they resent her for it. Of course, it hasn't been explained to her until that point that the goal is to actually drag out the project; indeed this revelation comes about as a protestation against Buffy and not as an informative measure. And yet, who is to blame? Not Xander's though he neglected to tell her how it was done--and not that of the other workers, either. Buffy is blamed in spite of the obvious fact that she was merely doing her job efficiently.
The inappropriate resentment and hostility toward Buffy is only exaggerated when she actually saves them all from a demon and is immediately dismissed as delusional and destructive; the guys find a way to turn her heroics against her, claiming that she was reckless and could have gotten them killed (in addition to wrecking the work they'd done).
So what's wrong here? A person comes in to a new job with a pleasant and optimistic demeanor, proves herself to be a highly efficient worker, then saves the lives of her colleagues and is...fired and booed away in shame. Huh?
I think these scenes are brilliant; they illustrate two common issues. One is of the underestimation of a woman and her abilities. The second issue is depicted as a women proves her worth and is criticized and blamed; she is resented for her strength (and in this case for being better).
Now I'm not trying to say that such experiences are unique among women; certainly groups of insecure bullies are dismissive and reductive in the very same way toward others--minorities in particular. But because this show does claim to be one about female empowerment and because the target in the above scene is a women, I think it's worth exploring from this perspective.
I think it's no accident that the writers heightened this scene--I think they clearly intended to show that the more she does, the less she's tolerated. It's an important twist on the more straightforward portrayal of the role of a badass female heroine as she makes sacrifices to save her very obviously grateful would-be victims. It reminds us that the struggle for acceptance and recognition for a woman is a complicated and pervasive matter which is not always resolved when a woman proves her worth.
The fact that this revelation comes for Buffy in season 6 is largely appropriate. This is the season in which she discovers that black and white are merely the markings on a zebra and have no places in the real world. This is the season in which her greatest confidant--the person who is most consistently there for her and who understands her most recent struggles best--is her mortal enemy. And when Buffy is ready to end her life again at the hands of Sweet, too depressed to go on after being pulled from Heaven, who stops her? Who tells her she's got to go on living? Again, the soulless vampire. The only time she feels alive is when she is with him; and from her perspective her friends depend upon her so relentlessly that they wouldn't even let her rest in peace--doing so was a reward she'd earned. So everything is twisted on its head. It's life.
Self sacrifice has resulted in bills she can't pay and thankless men who dismiss her even as she saves them (again, of course. They wouldn't even be there had she not jumped a year ago).
We talk a lot about feminism and how it relates to this show; whether or not it has a places and whether the creators can claim to have done it any justice. I think this episode is their calling-card where that is concerned (another obvious choice being the arc at the end of season 2 and Cordelia in ATS).
I relate to the girly-looking Buffy who appears on that construction site with a flower in her hair. (I mean ok I'd never wear a flower in my hair because it's not my style but you get the point). I am very feminine, very sweet and smiley, and though professionally I am not underestimated on sight because women historically do very well in my field, I do feel that on an everyday basis it is often a struggle for me to be taken seriously. "Sweetheart," "honey," and "sugar" might as well be on my birth certificate. When I raise my voice to make a complaint or raise an issue, I am dismissed almost immediately if I do so politely. When I take a harsh tone and coldly explain myself using logic (!) and perhaps deliver ultimatums (!) I am a cruel bitca. Again, I know women aren't the only ones who experience this. But I thought maybe we could discuss it here as it relates to "Buffy."
What do you guys think? As a woman, do you ever feel underestimated or do you struggle to be taken seriously? As a man, what is your take on this? Are the writers of Buffy on to something with this episode?