Re: A Statement on the 'Shipper War'

["ebailey140" <ebailey140@xxxxxxx>]

--- In buffywantswillow@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, Andrew Stoffel
<see2go4me@...> wrote:
>
> Hmmm... Buffy cast and crew at PALEY FEST 2008
> 
> http://ifmagazine.com/feature.asp?article=2714
> 
> Care to guess which female character SMG thought Buffy would be with  
> in the comic (Apparently she hadn't read it or heard any spoilers  
> before she made this comment.)

Liked Nick's comment, too.  :)

> 
> Note: I tend to stay away from the shipper wars myself. As long as I'm  
> free to write Buffy/f I'm happy.

I prefer to, myself.  Problem is, if you're going to participate in
any of the general discussion forums, you can't escape it.  It's
specifically one very loud and rabid faction that's creating the whole
problem, though.  Spuffies, Fuffies, Wiffies, etc, they all get along
great in these places.  They all enjoy their preferred Ships, but are
more invested in the characters and stories, and like to have fun. 
The Rabid faction of the Bangels, though, can not and will not
tolerate any opinion but their own.  They declare themselves the
"true" fans of the series, and anyone not completely invested in B/A
is therefore, by definition, NOT a "true" fan.  They are constantly on
the attack on anything not B/A.

It's not even homophobia with these folks, though they get equally
rabid when the Angel/Spike subtext is brought up.  They start
screaming in rage and venting their fury ANY time Buffy gets involved
with someone who is not Angel, and vice versa.  Buffy not pining away
for Angel isn't, in their minds, just development, but a "betrayal" by
Joss of the "true" fans of the series.  Literally, the only thing that
will keep them from going rabid would be Buffy pining for Angel
endlessly.  It's also not tolerable for any other long time fans of
the series to LIKE any developments in Buffy's romantic life that are
not Angel, but then, all those people, which just happen to make up
the clear majority of the Fandom, aren't TRUE fans.  Oh, and don't
mention any soulmatey type bonds that Buffy has developed over the
years with anybody else, like, say, this redhead....  Why, if you see
ANY subtext, or text for that matter, involving Buffy or Angel with
ANYONE but each other, you're DELUSIONAL.  Never mind Fuffy and
Spangel comments from the writers.  What do THEY know?  So, lots of
cursing Joss for "pandering" to people who aren't "true" fans, rather
than catering exclusively to them, and lots of cursing these folks who
aren't "true" fans since they don't recognize that this entire series
is the Epic Love Story of Buffy and Angel, never mind the fact that
Angel hasn't been around except for a few appearances since Season 3.
 Especially don't point out that the central relationship throughout
the series, and into this "season", has been that of Buffy and Willow,
whether it's ever a sexual one, or not.  That's so intimate that, as 
we saw in "The Long Way Home", even their magic is bound, together. 
But, Buffy even having a NON-sexual connection that deep with someone
who isn't Angel is something the Rabid Bangels can't tolerate.        



------------------------------------

Willow: "It's a good fight, Buffy, and I want in."
Buffy:  "I kinda love you."
                      --'Choices'

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