PART IV: THE MAN is everywhere... -- Biene

[ Show ]

Support VoyForums

[ Shrink ]

VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 17:56:44 05/27/03 Tue
Author: 3Strikes
Subject: PART IV: THE MAN is everywhere...

I think it's time to talk about Whedon's final message, the one everybody has been waiting for. The message of Female Empowerment. And do you know what the Great Secret to Female Empowerment is, GrassHopper ?

*****Rolling Drum rolls******

...The secret to Female Empowerment is...THE MAN (pronounced ZEE MAAHN)

3Strikes: Do you believe in THE MAN, GrassHopper?
GrassHopper: No.
3Strikes: Why not?
GrassHopper: Because I don't like the idea that THE MAN is in control of my life.
3Strikes: I know exactly what you mean. It took the WORD of Joss Whedon the PROPHET to reveal THE TRUTH. Let me tell you why you're here. You're here because you suspect something. You feel it. You've felt THE MAN your entire life. That there's something wrong with the world. You don't know what THE MAN is, but it's there, like a Giant 800 pound Gorilla, jumping up and down on your head, driving you mad. It is this headache that has brought you to me. Do you know what I'm talking about?

GrassHopper: No. THE MAN?

3Strikes: Now we're getting somewhere! Do you want to know what THE MAN is? THE MAN is everywhere. HE is all around us, even now in this very Review. You can see HIM when you look out your window or when you eat a delicious yet politically correct Veggie Burger. You can feel HIM when you pork out on Bonbons, when you go to the Mall, when you file your nails. THE MAN is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from Joss Whedon's TRUTH.
GrassHopper: What truth?
3Strikes: That you are a slave to THE MAN, GrassHopper. Like everyone else you were born into bondage to THE MAN, born into a prison that you cannot smell or taste or touch, a prison built by THE MAN's expectations, by THE MAN'S rules, a Prison controlled by THE MAN's POWER. A prison for your mind....Unfortunately, no one can be told what THE MAN looks like (PG-13 review. Sorry). You have to see HIM for yourself. This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back. You put on the Polly Beer Goggles, the Review ends, you wake up, put on some nice pumps and go shopping at Nordstrom. You put on the Cool Shades of Cynicism, you stay in this Review, and I show you how deep the Villainy of THE MAN goes... Remember, all I'm offering is Joss Whedon's own TRUTH, nothing more...

****GrassHopper snaps on the Cool Shades*****

All right then. Buckle your seat belt, GrassHopper, 'cause Kansas is
waving bye-bye. What are Power and Female Empowerment in the Jossyverse ? If I may borrow Whedon's own Culinary Puns, Female Empowerment is first and foremost defined by Pureed Balls and Scrotum Julienne. Be it Willow tasting Rack's *Strawberries* in 2 to Go, Buffy crushing Warren's Balls in Seeing Red, Breaking the Shaman's big Penis,...er I mean Big Staff in Get it Done, or going Ginsu on Caleb's Scrotum in Chosen, Female Empowerment as characterized by Whedon is a negative, the taking or breaking of Perceived Male Power, or Power, Male in origin.

No, GrassHopper, it's not Marti working out her issues. We're talking about Whedon's own TRUTH here. I don't think adjectives like Ham-handed or Cartoonish apply to TRUTH. Now be quiet as we delve deeper into the nature of Power and Female Empowerment. Strangely enough, throughout its 7 years run, the show has overwhelmingly depicted Power and the quest for Power as EVIL and WRONG. Be it The Master who feasted on the Goodliness of Buffy's Female Power (THE MAN! IT'S THE MAN!), Angelus who used the Power of his own Blood to try and end the world (MAN!), The Mayor who abused the Political Powers granted by a system created by THE MAN to remake himself into a Giant Snake (GIANT PENIS!), Maggie Walsh attempting to co-opt the Powers of Nature to create a MANLY green Frankenstein (Bitch was *clearly* working for THE MAN), the Magnificent Glorificus, made to share the body of A smelly MAN (The indignity!), abusing her powers to get home, or Willow becoming addicted to Magical Power (Clearly
Rack, A MAN, was at fault), and Warren attempting to find himself a bigger Pair of Balls to gain more Power, the dynamic established throughout 7 seasons is that Power is extraordinarily dangerous, extraordinarily corrosive, and by and large that it will be used for EVIL, even by those motivated by the best of intentions...For 7 years, Buffy has resented her Power. But by the Power of Joss Whedon's Extraordinary Vision, Season 7 has rewritten this well established and fully textualized construct! It's NO LONGER about RIGHT or WRONG (you simplistic moralistic Nincompoop), see...It's about Power!! Power is its own justification! Brilliant! Genius! Astounding! Power is A GOOD in itself. So when Buffy shares the Power with all the Potentials, she is accomplishing the GREATEST OF GOODS. Isn't she special ? What's not to love with the following ?

From Chosen:
BUFFY: "What if you could have that power? Now. All of you. In every generation one Slayer is born because a bunch of GUYS that died thousands of years ago made up that rule. They were powerful MEN. (points to Willow) This WOMAN is more powerful than all of them combined. So I say we change the rules. I say my power should be our power. Tomorrow Willow will use the essence of this scythe, that contains the energy and history of so many Slayers, to change our destiny. From now on, every girl in the world who might be a Slayer, will be a Slayer. Every girl who could have the power, will have the power. Who can stand up, will stand up. Every one of you, and girls we've never known, and generations to come...they will have strength they never dreamed of, and more than that, they will have each other. Slayers. Every one of us. Make your choice. Are you ready to be strong?"

What's that your mumbling, GrassHopper ? You have objections ? Speak up!
You say that I have truncated the quotation, and papered over some notable flaws in Buffy's argument. You quote the following:

Buffy: "I hate that there's evil, that it's growing, and I hate that I was chosen to fight it. I wish, a whole lot of the time, that I hadn't been."

If Buffy HATES being chosen, how dare she make the choice for all the girls not present in the room ("From now on, every girl in the world who might be a Slayer, will be a Slayer. Every girl who could have the power, will have the power"), you ask.
If Buffy was so sure the Power was a good thing, why didn't she accept a massive infusion of such in Get it Done, you wonder.
Silly Tadpole! Because it was THE MAN in Shaman's clothing of course. And she dares because Willow is MORE POWERFUL. Remember Power is its own justification! Surely, if Willow is MORE POWERFUL than THESE MEN, then all her actions are justified. No need to wonder if creating armies of mentorless slayers is a good thing. No need to worry that many of them, especially the younger ones, will be corrupted by the Power of Slayerhood (Remember the new mantra! Power=Good), and become even worse than Season 3 Faith. No need to fear that Buffy has created a self replicating and unextinguishable menace to the general citizenry.
You have more ?
You question the morality of her decision, and the veracity of her speech ? You point out that for Good and Evil, the Shamans (THE MAN!) didn't just make the rule, that they actually used *their* power to endow a girl with yet *greater* powers so that she could defend Humanity. Thus creating the Original Slayer, and the Slayer line. You state that having done so for the Greater Good, they actually assumed responsability for their actions and set about watching and controlling (THE MAN! THE MAN!) their creation so that she wouldn't misuse her powers and her harm her charges? You contrast it with Willow's use of her Powers last year, when she tried to end the World ? And demand to know exactly under which ethical system, the fact that she is MORE POWERFUL than the original shamans entitles her or Buffy to enslave these girls and loose an unchecked tide of Slayers upon the world ? Dung Beetle...Dung Beetle...Didn't we just have this conversation ? Get with the New Paradigm! Power Good! Questions bad!
Morality questions irrelevant, or VERY BAD! Trust Joss Whedon for he knows THE TRUTH! "It isn't about Right or Wrong...its's about Power!"

Will there be no end to your insolence ? What now ? You seriously question Buffy's season long quasi-mystical devotion to Strength and Specialness ? To being Chosen ? You compare her choice of expressions to the rethoric found in Mein Kampf, and her vision of Strength and the Slayer Sisterhood to the Nazi Cult of Strength, the Hitler Jugend and Stalin's Young
Pioneers ? Truly you have no shame. Do not make me smack you down with Godwin's law, Dung Beetle. Surely when Buffy exalts Strength and Specialness, she does so against the power of THE MAN. Trust Joss Whedon for he knows THE TRUTH.

Listen, just because Buffy refused the Power in Get it Done, only to foist it and the Slayer calling not 7 episodes later on unsuspecting and unwilling young girls doesn't entitle you to call her a MONSTROUS LITTLE HYPOCRITE. No, and not DISGUSTING BRAINLESS COWARD either. Sure these girls might die young, leave their families behind or turn into criminals. But on the other hand, they become Cool Chicks with SUPER POWERS! No, I know what it looks like, but it's not one of Petrie's wet dreams.

Why are you bringing up Willow's spell against Tara ? There was nothing wrong with that Spell. If it wasn't for that stupid cloddish Dawn, Willow and Tara would still be together. Willow had the Power (A GOOD THING!) and she fixed Tara. Sure Tara didn't give her consent...but she didn't refuse either, did she ? And wasn't she the better for it ? Wasn't she happier ? Exact same deal with the Potentials. Sure, they didn't give their consent...but aren't they the better for it now that they've been fixed ? Water Bug, I don't quite like the way you're looking at me.

I don't see how you can maintain that Buffy broke out of her Chains by collaring generations of Potentials to the Yoke. It would be outrageous to call her a SLAVER. After all, aren't they all Sisters ? Who wouldn't be happy to be part of such a Sisterhood ? Aren't Buffy and Faith the tightest of Pals ? Aren't Buffy and Kennedy the bestest of bosom buddies (Not that kind of bosom buddies : ) )? Surely you're not comparing her to the Shamans (THE MAN!). The poor fools with their paltry Power only created ONE Slayer. How disappointing. If the spell is generational, Buffy and Willow have created literally thousands upon thousands of Slayers. UNWILLING SLAVES, you scream. Calm down Grasshopper. Remember Power is a GOOD THING now...Trust Joss Whedon for he knows the TRU...

AAAAAAARRRRGGGHHHHHHH!!!.....***PLONK***....***CRASH***.....***POW***...

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]