moscow_watcher (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
moscow_watcher) wrote2006-11-14 02:06 pm
moscow_watcher) wrote2006-11-14 02:06 pm
(no subject)
Two weeks ago a BNA reposted her old Spike-bashing fic from FF.net on her LJ. Surprisingly, it hurt me and it still hurts. Two weeks has passed and I can't forget about this occurrence. I'm writing this post because I can't get it out of my mind. Hopefully I'll feel better when I put my frustrations into words. Grr.
You may stop here or read the whole rant.
It's weird to see such intense hate more than three years after the ending of the show.
Interestingly, this BNA is a professional writer. There is an adage in Russia that writers are engineers of the souls. I suppose this particular BNA realises how painful for Spike fans is the fic in which souled Spike deliberately leaves Scoobies to die in the Hellmouth; in which souled Spike consistently makes Buffy's life miserable; in which Buffy is unrelentless in her Spike-hate. But the BNA deems appropriate to remind about her dislike of Spike today, when the shows are long over.
I'm trying to understand why it hurts so much. I consider myself a thick-skinned fan. I've been called a rapist-lover and just shrugged it off as people's inability to keep civil discussions. But it was back then, when the show was on air. Now it's over. Long ago. Why the hate is still alive and kicking?
Wait. I think I got it. At least partially. Often frustrations trigger people's creativity and make them write. It's frustrations that make me write this post. Could it be frustrations that make this particular BNA write? Could it be hate that fuels her passion for Jossverse? May she write her fics to exorcize her frustrations like I write his post to exorcise my frustrations?
But the problem is that it isn't a new fic. It was written in 2003. And it wasn't reposted on LJ for archiving purposes - the writer could archive it on her site. Did she do it just to make Spike fans squirm? Or could reposting of an old text and seeing it in a new environment also work as an act of creation?
Hopefully, yes. Hopefully, revisiting the old fic will help this BNA to exorcise her Spike-hate.
OK. Deep breath.
Am I subjective? I think I am. Are there other characters-bashing fics online? Sure. Then am I a hypocrite who applies double-standards to "her" hero and other characters? Tricky question.
I know I can't be objective when it comes to Spike but I remember reading fics in which other characters were portrayed in a negative light and, while not approving bashing, I usually look at these scenes with "yeah, whatever" attitude. Surely fans who are neither Spike-haters nor attached to Spike read this Spike-bashing fic with the same "yeah, whatever" rolleye.
So - I know I have no right to critisize. Spike still gets strong reaction from both fans and antis. At least I can't remember any other old other-character-bashing-fics freshly reposted online. And I won't disclose BNA's name.
OK. I learned the lesson. To avoid fics written by ficwriters who are passionate about other heroes, unless the fics are recommended by fans I know. Because passion and hate often go hand in hand.
Now I wonder if I'll be able to get rid of negative emotions when I post this rant online. If not, I'll write part deux. (Just kidding)
You may stop here or read the whole rant.
It's weird to see such intense hate more than three years after the ending of the show.
Interestingly, this BNA is a professional writer. There is an adage in Russia that writers are engineers of the souls. I suppose this particular BNA realises how painful for Spike fans is the fic in which souled Spike deliberately leaves Scoobies to die in the Hellmouth; in which souled Spike consistently makes Buffy's life miserable; in which Buffy is unrelentless in her Spike-hate. But the BNA deems appropriate to remind about her dislike of Spike today, when the shows are long over.
I'm trying to understand why it hurts so much. I consider myself a thick-skinned fan. I've been called a rapist-lover and just shrugged it off as people's inability to keep civil discussions. But it was back then, when the show was on air. Now it's over. Long ago. Why the hate is still alive and kicking?
Wait. I think I got it. At least partially. Often frustrations trigger people's creativity and make them write. It's frustrations that make me write this post. Could it be frustrations that make this particular BNA write? Could it be hate that fuels her passion for Jossverse? May she write her fics to exorcize her frustrations like I write his post to exorcise my frustrations?
But the problem is that it isn't a new fic. It was written in 2003. And it wasn't reposted on LJ for archiving purposes - the writer could archive it on her site. Did she do it just to make Spike fans squirm? Or could reposting of an old text and seeing it in a new environment also work as an act of creation?
Hopefully, yes. Hopefully, revisiting the old fic will help this BNA to exorcise her Spike-hate.
OK. Deep breath.
Am I subjective? I think I am. Are there other characters-bashing fics online? Sure. Then am I a hypocrite who applies double-standards to "her" hero and other characters? Tricky question.
I know I can't be objective when it comes to Spike but I remember reading fics in which other characters were portrayed in a negative light and, while not approving bashing, I usually look at these scenes with "yeah, whatever" attitude. Surely fans who are neither Spike-haters nor attached to Spike read this Spike-bashing fic with the same "yeah, whatever" rolleye.
So - I know I have no right to critisize. Spike still gets strong reaction from both fans and antis. At least I can't remember any other old other-character-bashing-fics freshly reposted online. And I won't disclose BNA's name.
OK. I learned the lesson. To avoid fics written by ficwriters who are passionate about other heroes, unless the fics are recommended by fans I know. Because passion and hate often go hand in hand.
Now I wonder if I'll be able to get rid of negative emotions when I post this rant online. If not, I'll write part deux. (Just kidding)
no subject
I can't stand character bashing, I'm a hige Spike fan but just stopped readinga fic whic turned into a " let's bash Angel and Buffy" fest
I hate it when someone does that to my favourite character and consider it horribly out of character when Buffy is turned into Queen Bitch or Angel into a weak bully or whatever
Good writers don't need to take another character down in order to build their favourite character up
I don't get cross I just stop reading and mark that author down as one to avoid in future
no subject
Funnily, it wasn't about building writer's favorite character up. The only character Spike interacts with in this fic is permanently depressed Buffy who can't be happy after her friends were gone (because Spike has left them die in the Hellmouth). Buffy can't stop thinking about them while her Slayer duties alternate with seldom one-night stands. Meanwhile Willow and Xander are stuck in a "Langoliers"-type dimension (a replica of our universe but sans people). Then Buffy gets a phone call from Giles who tells her that Connor's trip from Quor-toth ripped open the fabric of reality and thinned the dimensional walls.
At this point I decided that this is the reason of such radical interpretation of the character of Spike: the writer weaves an intricate plot and needs souled Spike as a bad guy because sans soul Spike can't be granted the membership of the Council and the writer wants him there to make him more effective "secret" enemy of Buffy.
My spoiler whore's imagination immediately created a scenario: Buffy tries to reach her friends, Willow and Xander somehow figure out her intentions and try to reach her from their side, evil!Spike concocts some nefarious plan to destroy their reunion...
And I was wrong. The next time we meet Buffy she unexplicably works together with Spike on some demon case unrelated to thinning dimensional walls. She continues to hate Spike. She repeats to Spike how much she dislikes him and tells that his apologies are just noise. She reminds him about his evil deeds, and says that he never knew her at all. He doesn't care and continues to piss her off. Then Spike dies (the circumstances of his death are not disclosed) and Buffy tell Angel that she hates Spike even after his death. Then Buffy dies (the circumstances of her death are not disclosed either) and joins Xander and Willow in their dimension. Period, end of the story.
So, the writer didn't need souled Spike as a bad guy to build up another character or to move the plot forward. The writer just wanted to portray souled Spike as a bad person, period.