This is an insulting and PERSONAL attack on all those who like something you do not like -- and therefore unacceptable behavior in my opinion.
It is also
definitely needlessly incendiary; and plain
rude and unnecessary.
By this metric I could say that those who ship Buffy with ANYONE decent are selfish because she's someone who brutally beat up a partner (and essentially left him for dead - because he was so brutally pounded that he could easily have been unable to move himself from that alley before the sun came up) He was someone who cared about her and was trying to save her from herself (and possibly save her life, since she was about to turn herself in on a murder charge - something still subject to the death penalty in California) but I do NOT
because such a personal attack would be wrong.
Also, because to do that would attack people who love Buffy and love the idea of her finding happiness with someone. And whatever her behavior, some of us still do love her. The thing is this: We aren't BAD because we like someone who did a bad, and vile thing. That was Buffy's mad-queen, burn-it-down moment and it was wrong and sick and
psycho. And last time I looked
MURDER trumps rape. Attempted murder trumps attempted rape. And Buffy did it in full possession of a soul, which means she was MORE culpable, more capable of knowing right from wrong than Spike EVER was until after he got his soul. Since she was his north star for morality, this also makes her behavior here almost a direct, linear path to Spike's violent attempt to
prove his love NOT to hurt her, though what he did was also vile, sick and unacceptable and hurt her horribly in spite of his intent.
And even as a demon, he clearly and IMMEDIATELY recognized this was wrong and went directly to get his soul.
Buffy, by contrast, NEVER even apologizes for her behavior against him. What an awful message to send to any one powerful enough to beat their partner,
any gender. Also:
another terrible message heroes can beat people up for
no reason and get away with it.
Considering the number of line of duty police
murders, maybe that is NOT a message we want to send.
Since Buffy was
the AGENT of good and essentially the sole arbiter of demon justice, she
would have been in her rights to kill Spike for his crimes when he was a danger to others. She was NOT right to beat him up for fun and frustration and certainly NOT to trash him when he was trying to do something good, however misguided he was in his soulless (lack of) understanding of morality.
Police and the state can execute criminals for criminal behavior (first degree murder and treason), and kill them when they represent a clear and present threat to others.
They cannot shoot innocent, non-violent people for 'talking'.
Buffy's behavior was exactly like
police brutality and was a vicious abuse of her considerable power.
She does not deserve or require a pedestal. Nor has she ever shown any desire for one.
Incidentally, that pedestal is, in part, why Buffy would be unlikely to ever end up with Xander. Worship is a poor foundation for a relationship.
BY THE METRIC USED ABOVE: Anyone pairing Buffy with the 'murderous demon Angel' or the 'terrible bigot Xander' is also somehow reprehensible BUT ONLY by the metric set up above... and frankly, since nearly everyone in the Buffyverse has done some pretty sick things, one could impugn the motives of just about ANY fan for shipping anyone.
Please note: I do NOT think that Angel or Xander (or other) shippers are evil or bad, or wrong even if there are ships I really don't like. They're simply FANS of their particular ship.
Just to be 100% clear.
But this is FICTION and really ought not to be taken seriously enough for anger, much less personal attacks.
Further, even if it wasn't fiction, we're not suggesting that someone FORCE anyone to do something against his/her will.
If Buffy were a real person and we liked Spike as her potential partner, Buffy would have every right to tell us to go jump in a lake. She could also tell anyone who was
against a particular partnership to do the same thing.
It is NOT appropriate or remotely acceptable to LAUNCH AN AD HOMINEM ATTACK on fans of ANY ship. And this post is precisely why some of us really hate this competitive 'shipping wars' business. I really do hope that further attacks on ANY fans' motives (and our moral fiber as well, frankly) will cease.
It is fine to have a reasoned argument against Spuffy (or any other ship).
It is fine to personally detest Spuffy (or any other ship).
It is not fine to attack people for liking Spuffy (or any other ship).
Further, from a rhetorical standpoint, saying such and such a person 'likes the ship' or 'hates the ship' is
NOT an actual argument for or against the ship. Popularity by itself does and cannot not justify a position in an argument... even if there's proof of that popularity.
Note:
Ad hominem - Wikipedia
