This is the link that I started this thread because of for anyone whos interested…
http://www.camprehoboth.com/issue05_17_02/studentcamp.htm
I agree with this. I guess I just feel that if people who are subjected to unfair judgement still unfairly judge others, what hope does humanity have as a whole to become tolerant? Not to say Im perfect, I do my share of judgeing too!
Well, I did not find the storyline offensive, but my girlfriend did roll her eyes and say “yeah, yeah, so the lesbian gets blown away again…”
Throughout film history, gays and lesbian have been portrayed in such negative light (and routinely killed off) that it was actually quite common for audiences to erupt in spontaneous applause at the inevitable death of the queer character. One book on the history of queer film (I think it was one of Richard Dyer’s books) even had to include a “necrology” as an appendix to list the various ways the gays were killed (note: the gay characters were often murderes, vampires, drug addicts etc.).
Lesbians in particular seemed to get blown away or suffer a similarly brutal fate (rape etc.). Rarely do you get to see two women ride off into the sunset together. (Bound is a refreshing example of when they DO.)
Examples: The Fox was a film in which the “converted” girl was rescued from lesbianism by a man and the “true lesbian” was killed when a tree fell on her a la Wicked Witch of the East.
Another grand one was in a film (it’s names escapes me and it is no longer in print) along the same era and outdated hysteria as Reefer Madness. The “converted” girl “comes to her senses” throwns acid in the face of the “true lesbian” who the runs screaming out into the street, blinded by agony, and is hit by a bus.
The fate of lesbians on film has been repeated ad nauseum (including the aforementioned Basic Instinct). Usually, they just get blown away. And it’s annoying.
Tara’s character no longer served a purpose on Buffy. She needed to be written out of the show - there’s no denying that. Her death also gave Willow a much more interesting thing to do (the rehab analogy was getting tiresome fast).
Willow and Tara were postive roll models (well, as much as any postive roll models can come out of the Buffyverse). They were a refreshingly well-adjusted couple. They also were featured a lot in gay media. For months Willow’s face could be found in almost every queer magazine. They were a great, mainstream gay couple, and they got huge amounts of gay press. But in the end one of them gets blown away.
Though I’m pretty ambivalent about the Buffy plot, I can understand the outrage.
Oh, and I would have like it better if that whiney, little twerp, Dawn had been the one to bite the bullet.
(Life lesson: If you value your life, do not wear a red shirt on the away team for star ship Enterprise, and never date a member of the Scooby gang.)
Damn, that column is really making its way around the internet. I am so amused.
Nowhere in the article does it actually say that Tara should not have been killed, just that the way in which she was killed fit a certain cliche very well. And the larger point is that the dead lesbian cliche is so pervasive that to casually dismiss it is in many cases thinly veiled homophobia. The larger context of the cliche is also important here.
I love how this column has been run around the internet with people extrapolating so much from a paragraph.
I personally don’t object to them killing off Tara. It could have been a beautiful storyline, but they handled it horribly. (Well, most of the season was a pile of suck, but anyway.) The vast majority of the people who are objecting so strongly to what happened on the show wouldn’t object to her death- saddened by it, yes- but the manner in which it was handled makes it fall straight into the cliche.
I objected to Tara’s death because I loved the character. Her death made a good dramatic turn because she was a warm, caring, just-overall-good person, who would be missed. As sweet as they were, the scenes between Willow and Tara in Tara’s death episode were just painful because I knew they were all just leading up to the bullet.
Still, I couldn’t keep from rolling my eyes at the sex-leads-to-death cliche. The show was always pretty good at conveying affection between Willow and Tara. I don’t think any couple was ever shown cuddling in bed so often. Still, the first time they’re shown snuggling sans clothing, one of them dies.
The article really shoehorns the characters of Willow and Tara into “irredeemable” and “innocent” roles no? A bit of a stretch I thought.
Also, there will be a huge outcry next year if Willow ends up dating another male. It must be an awkward position to be in for a writer. It looks as if people will be pissed either way.
Yeah, Anya is my favorite post-season one character. Tara, on the other hand, I couldn’t care less about. The only time she got out of her little mousy hero-worship-Willow routine was after Glory messed with her head; which seemed to have been good for her, go figure. It was too little too late for me, though; even after she developed something like a backbone, I couldn’t get past the memory of how wishy-washy she was for the first couple seasons she was on the show.
I know when I think of happy, well-adjusted relationships, I think of being mind raped…
I yam not a lesbian. I am not particularly politically correct. And I wasn’t really all that bent outta shape by Tara’s death. (Even though I was finally starting to like her…couldn’t STAND her when she first showed up.) However, I immediately saw the lesbian cliche of it, and was disappointed in Mutant Enemy.
In any case, for those who are really interested, the absolute best, most intelligent, comprehensive and utterly NON hysterical or reactionary explanation of what the cliche is, how Joss & Co. * really did * fall into it, and why their protestations * really do * sound a wee bit hollow, can be found here.
A damn convincing case is made. One that reasonable people may still disagree with, but it is certainly compelling.
stoid
It is very convincing. I now believe that what happened does fit the stereotype. And I think it was a poorly written storyline. Tara got a meaningless death, and Willow turned way more evil than she should have judging from her character in earlier seasons. But actually, the poor writing should tell you something about why Tara died. The writers just didn’t know what stories to tell about Tara and Willow! The magic addiction thing was lame. They would have probably come up with more lame storylines if Tara was back. Now they will probably write about Willow meeting a new girl with the memory of Tara still heavy in her mind. It’s a much easier story to write than that of a happy couple, but that still doesn’t justify the fact that what happened fits a hurtful cliche that they could have easily avoided.
Just want to chime in here, as I feel the urge to do in most Buffy threads (when are we going to get that Buffy forum?). I completely agree with everyone who thinks Anya is cool. She is one of my favorite characters, and I think she fills a much needed role on the show, as did Cordelia before her. I also happen to like Dawn, but I am not going to try to defend that, as I’ll just be gang tackled.
About Tara, and her being killed: I don’t object in principle to the idea…not that I like it, as I really liked Tara (hey, I’m just a big old love fest in a bottle, I like everyone)…but I can understand, from a plot point of view, why it might have to be done. That’s how I reconciled myself to Jenny Calendar’s death.
But the fact is, her death was part of a very poorly written storyline, and yes, I think it was done in a way that was cliched. In effect, her death was wasted. This just leaves me cold, and in fact it is part of a whole season that overall has been one long sour note, with a few exceptions.
Oops, I forgot, I also wanted to say, in response to this:
Unless it’s Xander*. That’s what I assumed they were going to do, what with Tara’s death and X&A breaking up. I’m not so sure now, and I’m conflicted about what I would like to see.
On the one hand, like I said I really like Anya, and I don’t want them to write her off the show. On the other hand, I don’t want poor Willow to be alone. I could see her hooking up with Xander, especially if it’s part of a full circle-back to the beginning-type season, like the next one is supposed to be. But I really can’t see them introducing a completely new character (of either gender) to be her new love interest. Especially if this is the last season, as it is rumoured to be.
You don’t suppose they might find some way to bring back Tara? No, no…wishful thinking. Sigh I really, really wish they hadn’t killed her.
*[sub]Well actually, some people would still complain even if it were Xander. But I’ve always asserted that no matter how gay Willow considers herself, there will always be a grandfather-clause exception where Xander is concerned.[/sub]
The article Stoid provided a link to was excellent, in sharp contrast to the article I linked to, and it did give me pause. I’d written my opening post after reading a few fairly ignorant diatribes about how Mutant Enemy are the devil etc…
So what can be done to better represent minorities on TV, that won’t seem like reverse discrimination? At what point will it become a cliche to have happy gay couples on the majority of TV shows simply to avoid the cliches of the past? If new works cannot be written in a cultural vaccum, does a writer have a responsibilty to change the story he/she wants to write in light of the mistakes of past writers? Does a storyteller have any moral responsibilty to the audience, or is writing an amoral endevour?
Hmm, all this reminds me of the controversy about the final episode of Xena too come to think of it.
I don’t watch Buffy so I won’t comment on the show, but rather your argument here. What do you mean by “accusing someone of being a homophobe in an offensive way”? If someone knowingly makes a false accusation of homophobia against another person then that is certainly very bad, especially if the intent is to damage the reputation, social standing, or career of the accused. But what could possibly be offensive about people expressing their sincere displeasure over behavior that they believe is homophobic, even if they might be mistaken about the intent behind this behavior?
I’d actually be fairly angry if Willow and Xander hook up. They have a relationship that many, many people will never be lucky enough to have. I don’t think the next logical step in a close friendship is sex. They are more like brother and sister at this point, and while I really don’t care whether or not Willow is a lesbian or bisexual, I may stop watching if that happens…
Shit, who am I kidding? As long as Spike is there, I’ll keep watching. sigh
I wonder if the writers aren’t setting up Buffy and Xander to get together in the final season. Since Anya’s still a demon, it didn’t look to me like X and A are going to get back together. I don’t know how impressed Buffy will be with Spike’s new soul.
From that artcle: “You kill a white male character, there are thousands waiting to take his place on BtVS and every other show on television.” Gee, I am so happy to listen to the opinions of people who feel that I am insignificant cannon fodder.
Great bumper stickers, White people: we swarm for insignificant television death. Or how about: There’s always another white guy. Oh, what, the writer of the article didn’t mean that? Tough. Appearences are everything.
“She was always a marked woman, as her second-class contract status proves. Was this because Amber’s character was gay? Of course not. However, appearances are everything.” Eh? They admit that it wasn’t their intention to fall into cliche by doing this, then blame them for it?
“Appearances. Are. Everything.” No. They. Aren’t.
I’m sorry, that article makes a decent case but only if we are willing to accept that everything that fits some stereotype does so because it is that stereotype. It constantly waffles on whether Tara is a main character or a sub-character, to wit, here, “The fact is that, because Amber Benson was the only Scooby significant other not to be given regular status in the credits, the cards were unfairly stacked against her from the beginning.” Unfairly stacked against her? Oh, that’s right, because her character isn’t cannon fodder like me.
“While it is doubtful, once again, that Mutant Enemy is being deliberately racist, it isn’t a stretch to say that they’ve been thoughtlessly perpetuating the general dead/nonexistent minority cliché in the same way that they’ve been perpetuating the dead/evil lesbian cliché.” Ah, that I may see! And to think I was dumb enough to cry for Tara’s death when I should have been morally repulsed. “It isn’t going out on a limb to say that this is likely to increase the incidence of homophobia in society, and make gays and lesbians of all ages feel unwelcome and disliked.” Oh, I get it. You want me to hate Tara and then have an epiphany where I realize the great social injustice being done. Token black guy? Dead lesbian? So long as we may ignore the Red Shirts from Star Trek because, hey, there’s always another white guy to replace them.
“*If Tara had gotten to die at the end of a story arc that made her death meaningful, important, and true to her character, there would be a lot of sad fans, but most of them would not be enraged the way we are now. *” Mentioned earlier in the article was that Joyce’s death and Calendar’s death were moral and meaningful. And I just don’t see how. One day, out of nowhere, joyce is dead. Anya’s remark in Willow’s dorm room made that clear enough. And Jenny? What was so moral about her death? A crazed vampire came in and snapped her neck, just like the rest of his gang (I believe it was Dru that did at least one of them) killed off the rest of her family. Doesn’t sound like she was Jesus on the cross to me. Heck, it doesn’t even have that appearance. 
“To bolster false hope about the fate of a character that meant so much to people just so they could splatter her blood onto Willow’s shirt, was especially cruel.” What? This is how people in drama want characters to die: in a state where people will feel real emotions because of that death. Apparantly only I was suckered into that one. “This was not the death of any character. It was the death of a character that represented hope to thousands of people.” OK, I’m not saying Tara’s death wasn’t dumb. I agree it was tactless in general, I don’t like random shot deaths. They feel a bit like a convenience for killing characters without having to develop a sub-plot around actions that will specifically kill them. But the random shot death could also be used as a sign of great injustice. I’ll bring up Legends of the Fall again, not because it is one of my favorite movies, but because it simply outlines the above’s absurdity. The random death is there because it is unexpected. It is the contrapositive deus ex machina in some respects, but is there to make the death shocking and “in your face”. IMO. And no, not always. Sometimes it is just stupid. But if appearances are everything, my friend, and we are talking about meta-television (that is, discussing the events in Buffy as if they had real-world significance), then Tara’s death (as well as the entire season 6 set of episodes, and almost the entire series in general) said, to me, that there are things happening outside the scope of control of our lives. And they come quick, and they hurt. Like Angel’s turning, the usually “sudden” appearance of Big Bads (in that we don’t even find out about them until late in the season), and other per-episode twists of fate.
If we want to talk appearances and meta-messages, BtVS has one big message: Blond chicks are trouble. Every one of Buffy’s relationships, failed relationships, and friends have met some serious trouble because of that little blondie. And Anya?—hello, demon? Let’s not forget Glory—an evil God.
Thankfully they were white, though, and thus could be used, displayed, and killed without having to worry about it.
What I meant was that I find it offensive that a writer can be accused of latent homophobia due to choices made with their character.
I meant that there is a fine line between pointing out what you believe to be homophobic content in a work of fiction, and actually accusing the writer of being a homophobe.
I meant that the people complaining about the cliche are helping to perpetuate it.
When I wrote what I wrote I was also thinking about how difficult it is to even discuss subjects like this without false accusations of bigotry eventually flying about. (As has happened on other message boards, not this one)
I’m a writer, and I’m almost afriad to include a minority character in my stories incase I do something “wrong”. I’m tired of walking on eggshells, and I’m also tired of feeling guilty for being a straight white male.
Go back and re-watch the episodes “Homecoming” through “Lover’s Walk”. The vibes between Willow and Xander there were light years away from brother-and-sisterly. And if they were to become a couple now, would not their years of friendship make their relationship stronger?
Not that I necessarily want to see this happen. In fact, before Tara’s death I definitely did not. Now I am deeply conflicted. What would you like to see happen with Willow? Have her meet someone entirely new, so soon after Tara’s death? I think they’ve dissed Amber Benson’s character enough, the way they handled her death, so I guess I wouldn’t put it past them. Or would you like to see her end up alone (assuming the next season is the last)? Or what?
erislover: Good post, but there is something I have to quibble with:
I’ll concede that Joyce’s death was “meaningless”, and I suspect deliberately so. But certainly not Jenny’s. Your description here leads me to think you don’t remember that storyline very well. I think you might be confusing her with Kendra, who was killed around the same time.