Thinky thoughts of the Spike-ish kind

[lirazel]

This is one of those "I'm having a conversation on whedonesque; tell me what you think about what I'm saying" posts.

This particular conversation starts out about Willow/Tara (and my thoughts line up precisely with Emmie's, big surprise there) and then becomes about S6 and then, finally, becomes about Spike.

And I just wrote a novel.

But I feel like I left something vital out.

Any thoughts?

Comments

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

I'm really glad that I saw this on a day when I'm in a good mood. Because I usually end up testy on whedonesque (especially when it comes to feminism issues. I always expect people there to be more enlightened than they are, and I end up getting rage-y). So yeah, it's nice to agree civilly.

I was kind of wowed by that guy's take on the show and Spike's character, because they were completely opposite to mine. I KNOW! I think that a lot of people who aren't fans of his character are just bitter. And I usually hate the "They're just jealous!" argument, but

But then again, I am also very much Spike. Embarrassingly so.
This makes me feel better about myself. I really do identify with him to an unhealthy degree, even though I lack some of the rebelliousness he manifests (though if I was a vampire with no moral compass, that wouldn't be the case). I often think, "If Spike was a modern Southern 23-year-old woman instead of a British Victorian-gentleman-turned-vampire, he would be just like me."

[hkath.livejournal.com]

I always expect people there to be more enlightened than they are, and I end up getting rage-y). So yeah, it's nice to agree civilly.

While the population there is probably more than half old timey regulars who've been around the forums and had every argument before, I think there's also a contingent of folks there for whom Whedonesque is pretty much their whole experience of the fandom. Which creates quite a skewed perspective and often leads to some degree of wank, at least from what I've seen. It's an odd place. What tends to emerge as the majority opinion on a subject there rarely matches with my experience of fandom outside the site. Though I've only been around for a short while, relatively speaking, so I may have a skewed view of it myself.

I really do identify with him to an unhealthy degree

Hey, as long as you're self-aware, it can't be that unhealthy! :) What's embarrassing for me isn't that I identify with him, but that it's very easy for anyone who knows both the show and me & my past to draw the correct parallels to S5/S6 Spike. I guess I'm an open book that way.

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

I think you're certainly right about the demographics.

What tends to emerge as the majority opinion on a subject there rarely matches with my experience of fandom outside the site. Though I've only been around for a short while, relatively speaking, so I may have a skewed view of it myself.

No, that's been my experience exactly. I'm nearly always in the minority, even on things I would expect most people to agree with me about. It's such a surreal kind of place.

It's also that I kind of went into the whole whedonesque thing with the thinking, "Buffy is a feminist show! These people will be feminists as well!" Which...they aren't. ruuger and I have both gotten into many, many fights about feminism with the less-than-enlightened over there.

Ha! My identification comes more from the emotional landscape than from any particular actions or experiences; I think we have similar personality types. But the idea that there's parallels between him and your past both cracks me up and intrigues me. ;) Yay for Spike-identification!