tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5827968588643415787.post8094573073316649992..comments2024-03-27T06:58:00.659-05:00Comments on Balancing Jane: My Favorite Thing About Buffy (So Far)Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801229525416203656noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5827968588643415787.post-29087977475748200002012-08-24T18:59:26.873-05:002012-08-24T18:59:26.873-05:00I agree that those characters do a great job of co...I agree that those characters do a great job of conveying emotion and being relatable (SPOILER ALERT FOR SEASON 5: I just watched the episode in Season 5 where Buffy's mom dies, and they did an incredibly great job of conveying grief.)<br /><br />That said, diversity (racial, gender, ability, etc.) matters in media representations because media shapes the way we perceive the world. We--for a myriad of social reasons--see ourselves as a collection of identities, and race and gender are two of the major factors in that identity construction. When we don't see people who identify similarly in the media we consume, it impacts the way that we view ourselves. And when we don't see people who are different from us in the media we consume, it impacts the way that we see others. <br /><br />Some very concrete examples of this can be seen in this video where young black children repeatedly identify white dolls as more beautiful than black dolls. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYCz1ppTjiM" rel="nofollow">Link here.</a><br /><br />Another great source on this topic is Chimamanda Adichie's TED Talk on the danger of a single story. <a href="javascript:void(0);" rel="nofollow">This report</a> from a children's media advocacy group demonstrates the findings of the way that racial representation impacts the way children of color perceive themselves.<br /><br />Finally, the lack of diversity in casting has very practical negative implications for actors who don't fit the narrow definitions that most scripts call for. <br /><br />For all of these reasons, I can't just give a show a pass for ignoring the diverse realities that we live in. Media does more than just entertain; it teaches us how to think about the world, and we should hold our clearly talented writers and producers to a higher expectation when it comes to this important issue. Michellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07801229525416203656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5827968588643415787.post-42731410045521899502012-08-24T17:47:22.136-05:002012-08-24T17:47:22.136-05:00For starters, I just want to say, I really liked y...For starters, I just want to say, I really liked your post; you had a lot of good insights about the show; impressive for someone who hasn't finished the series yet! <br /><br />There's just one thing you mentioned at the start of your post that I'd like to comment on in further detail - <br /><br />"Where are the characters of color? I mean, I see them in the background shots, so I know they exist in this world" - <br /><br />I've run into this kind of compliant before; not just about Buffy but other shows and movies, and the thing that I've never really understood is why this seems to be so important to people. The characters in Buffy are all well-developed, interesting, loveable and (emotionally) diverse. The cast fits together extremely well and manages to convincingly perform anything that's written for them. So, my question is, why do people care what race they are? They do their job, and hell they do it fantastically well. Xander, Willow, even Buffy; all are as complex as real people, and experience real emotions that *anyone* - regardless of race - can relate to. People shouldn't be concerned about what characters and actors look like; instead they should focus on their talent, their ability to "become" a character, and their compatibility with the rest of the cast.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5827968588643415787.post-50348530334388043802012-08-05T14:38:45.136-05:002012-08-05T14:38:45.136-05:00I didn't know he went episode by episode. That...I didn't know he went episode by episode. That sounds great! I'll check it out for sure. Thanks.Michellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07801229525416203656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5827968588643415787.post-8361057115692895252012-08-05T13:25:10.946-05:002012-08-05T13:25:10.946-05:00And again, I'm going to recommend you check ou...And again, I'm going to recommend you check out Mark Watches, as he's doing Buffy The Vampire Slayer ( http://markwatches.net/reviews/category/buffy-the-vampire-slayer/ ). He discusses feminist themes, as well as QUILTBAG, disablism, heterosexism, etc. and has a really strict spoilers policy. He's got episode by episode write-ups so you could totally go episode by episode and read his thoughts as well as fan comments/dissection.<br /><br />I agree that the whiteness of the cast is disappointing.<br /><br />I really miss the 90s and how much easier it was to find awesome music made by women. It seemed like such a strong and permanent trend at the time, but now we're back to mostly male-fronted, male-written, male-directed music.Brigid Keelyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09558327183683074633noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5827968588643415787.post-21100616394028202962012-08-04T13:43:05.431-05:002012-08-04T13:43:05.431-05:00It's so funny you said that. "Hush" ...It's so funny you said that. "Hush" was the next episode, and I watched it right after I wrote this. It's been my favorite so far, too! And it's the only episode I've seen with a monster that actually scared me. The Gentlemen are horrifying!Michellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07801229525416203656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5827968588643415787.post-62322479470268139672012-08-04T12:59:12.728-05:002012-08-04T12:59:12.728-05:00Season 4 and 5, in my opinion, is Buffy at it'...Season 4 and 5, in my opinion, is Buffy at it's best and I am really looking forward to hearing how your critique evolves after the next two seasons. I'm not going to say anymore for fear of giving you spoilers. I will say, season 4 has "Hush," my all-time-favorite episode.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com