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Post by CowboyGuy on Jul 9, 2009 16:14:30 GMT -5
At the end of Season 7, it was all clear and beautiful and symbolic that Buffy changed the world...sharing her power.
Season 8 opening with Buffy musing that the world around her had drastically changed. The events leading to today have been heartbreaking and the death toll has skyrocketed. Girls that would never have been chosen without Willow's interference, were forced into being slayers and many have died. Themes in The Chain echo to today.
With Slayers being hunted by the human and demon world, it seems that there is no end in sight. Even if the spell were recanted, the world is different. People are not going to forget about slayers. What's better? One girl in all the world being targeted, hated by the human race? Or a group of girls who can at least protect each other? If Buffy and Faith were powerless, would the world really leave them alone?
Could the main slayers we know be successfully de-powered, and be able to live their lives knowing what lives in the dark...but no longer have the power to fight that? This reminds me of Season 3's Helpless.
What do you think of the slayer situation, possible solutions, and a way to fix the world's perception at large?
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Post by AndrewCrossett on Jul 9, 2009 16:48:56 GMT -5
I think the situation will be resolved in one of two ways:
1. The Slayers will be de-powered in the end... possibly by Twilight, possibly by their own plan... but will still defeat Twilight because they're brave, heroic women in excellent shape with excellent training and ability. They'll realize that true power comes from within, not from magical gimmickry. Some will choose to retire then, but others will want to continue under Buffy's leadership as a sort of "Scooby Army."
2. Buffy & Co. will fulfill the Slayer mission by driving demons and vampires from the world. No more Slayers will be called until Fray's time, because none will be needed. The existing Slayers may or may not retain their powers, but without any demons or vamps left to fight it won't mean that much. Although super strength and healing are always nice to have.
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Post by wenxina on Jul 9, 2009 17:04:17 GMT -5
Girls that would never have been chosen without Willow's interference, were forced into being slayers and many have died. I know that this has been a point of contention for a while (i.e. whether the spell was just another form of rape), but the whole "forced" opinion has never sat well with me. Being the Slayer (back in the day, when there was one) was a sacred birthright, offered to only the Potentials. And even then, access to this birthright is blocked by a rule created by the Shadow Men. I'd assume that since they created the Slayer, they created the rules that governed the selection process too. The "choice" Buffy offered wasn't if the girls wanted to be Slayers or not; but whether they wanted to be strong. Whether they saw the world (her world) for what it was, and wanted to do something about it. Slayerhood back in "Chosen" wasn't a privilege, it was a right. Any girl who could be a Slayer would become a Slayer. It changed the rules set millennia ago by men. No more withholding power; power was meant to be shared. Being strong was the choice, not being a Slayer. That's secondary, and it underscored the title of the show very well: Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It's not just Vampire Slayer. That's because the feminist icon we've come to love is not the Slayer, but rather Buffy. Yes, there are fans aplenty of the other Slayers since Buffy, but the original creation is the blonde. This view that Slayerhood is a right is carried on in S8. Buffy has never been shown to want to recant the spell, and strip the girls of their power. Because it's not a right to taketh what she giveth. Thus, the meta-rape that people have accused Buffy and Willow of is inaccurate from this stance. Giving them their birthright wasn't wrong. Before Twilight, there was nothing that stopped closeted Slayers from hiding themselves in their normal everyday lives. Buffy got along pretty well, what with being a Slayer and all... kept her secret for quite a few years too. The only complication so far is with Twilight's magick-sensing abilities... but even then, we haven't seen if he's started to target civilian Slayers. The only civilian Slayers we've seen so far are Gigi (who's dead), Soledad (also dead), and Alex (from the Tales of the Vampires one-shot). But even then, all these girls had already made their choice: they would be strong. Gigi wanted to be queen of the Slayers. Soledad and Alex embraced their destiny, and went for the kill, albeit rather amateurishly. These girls may have been civilians, but they weren't hiding. The "Predators and Prey" arc could've dealt with the viewpoint of civilian Slayers, but sadly, it didn't. Which means more fodder for fanfic. As for a solution to the whole conundrum... I've only ever thought of it in terms of the story, and that means showing us how we get from a world of about 2000 (give or take a few hundred unaccounted for, or dead) Slayers to just half a Slayer. And how to do that without recanting the strong closing of "Chosen". And I guess the only way I see to do that is something that I think AndrewCrossett proposed a while ago: i.e. have the underlying message be that it isn't the Slayer within that makes you strong, but rather the woman. Which segues very nicely with my assertion that the "choice" in "Chosen" isn't about whether or not the girls got to choose whether they wanted to be Slayers, but rather if they wanted to be strong. Wow... that was long... hope it was organized enough to follow.
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cutiepatootie
Common Vampire
lay waste to the world, and everything in it[Mo0:0]
Posts: 87
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Post by cutiepatootie on Jul 9, 2009 17:09:21 GMT -5
Hmm. I can't imagine alot of Slayers going back to average-Joe lives. Like Satsu, Leah and Rowena. I can't imagine them going from bad-ass generals to normal humans.
I really like General Vroll's idea, that when all the vampires and demons are gone, the Slayers are going to find something else to "slay". It would be a really dark ending to the series.
I can definatley see Buffy going down that route. It was something that she said in "Swell" - it was something along the lines of "we need to be more than human".
I do feel sorry for the Slayers that are reluctant. Perhaps they could do an X-Men 3 soloution and set up stations for Slayers to be de-activated. Far too easy and lame though. I think it's too bad if someone doesn't want to be a Slayer. It's their duty. But I guess everyone's different.
I really REALLY wish that Buffy would of got her act together earlier on in the Season and did a country-to-country sweep and exterminate all vampires and hostile demons. But again...wayyyy too easy.
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balesthebloody
Wise-cracking Techno Genius
"Angel's gettin' some! Good on you mate!"[Mo0:0]
Posts: 733
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Post by balesthebloody on Jul 14, 2009 21:01:12 GMT -5
I really do think the gang made a very big mistake when they decided to have Willow cast the spell in "Chosen". I really don't think that every girl in all the world that MIGHT be a Slayer, SHOULD be a Slayer. I have always thought that the whole reason for only ONE girl to be chosen was because she was best suited for the job in her generation.
Now girls all around the world are being treated as villains and I am sure some don't even know why. You can't tell me that is fair. Buffy wants to get away from using magic, then she needs to start by powering down some of these girls who don't want to be Slayers.
Now am I saying power down ALL the Slayers except her and Faith? No, of course not! I know there are some girls who understand what they were chosen to do and accept it. Good for them! Let them fight the good fight, but let those who choose not to fight, to leave.
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Post by Skytteflickan88 on Jul 15, 2009 7:42:57 GMT -5
Wenxina, just because some thing's your birthright, or whatever one chooses to call it, doesn't mean you want it.
I don't think the scoobies had much choice in Chosen, but that doesn't mean that it was the right thing to do. It was only the right thing to do under the circumstances. Some girls will see it as a gift, as their birthright and some as will see it as a violation. Both sides are right. It's glace 'half full or half empty' situation.
But you're right, some girls can live kinda nornally(unless Twilight gets to them), even tough they now have weird, scary dreams and hunter instincts(I can't imagine what terrors some girls must be once a month) and whatever changes that were forced on them/given as a gift. And then there's girls who feel like they have to fight out off duty. They can't a live a normal life, because they feel like freaks and/or they feel like they must fight, because no one else can.
Then there's the ones who are glad to fight, for whatever reason. But you know what, I bet many of those would also have liked to be asked.
Because it's about choice. Not about the choice to be chosen. Not about the choice to be strong. But about the choice of saying ”No thanks, keep your demon essence away from me.”
By the way, I think Alex might have been a civilian slayer. We didn't see her staking anyone until she thought her friend was hurt/turned(I can't remember).
Back on topic a bit; I really hope by the end of season 8 or 9, Willow has come up with a way to remove the slayer essence from the girls who want it gone. Actually, in case it turns out that very many girls want it gone, and the only way to do that is to remove it from all girls, including Buffy & Faith, I think it should be done.
It might be stupid, strategic wise, but it would be right, even tough many girls would probably walk around the rest of their lives feeling like they lost something, like Buffy in Helpless. of course, if the consequences of removing the power is greater than the consequences of keeping it, that's another thing.
For example, in case the girls now have hunter instincts and weird dreams, that's better than if their power were removed and they all went crazy.
EDIT- They need to work on PR too. Make sure they don't seem racist, get their version out there.
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Post by AndrewCrossett on Jul 15, 2009 8:18:06 GMT -5
One way or another, I think the current situation will be changed by the end of season 8. I trust Joss will find a way to do it without undercutting the empowerment message of "Chosen." Maybe the Slayers will be de-powered and win anyway, thus proving that human will and courage doesn't need magic in order to triumph. Maybe they'll fulfill their mission by getting rid of all the demons, and their power will dissipate due to lack of need. Maybe something will happen to prevent new Slayers from being called, and the current crop will continue until they die out, until Mel is finally called.
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Post by wenxina on Jul 15, 2009 10:54:49 GMT -5
Wenxina, just because some thing's your birthright, or whatever one chooses to call it, doesn't mean you want it. I don't think the scoobies had much choice in Chosen, but that doesn't mean that it was the right thing to do. It was only the right thing to do under the circumstances. Some girls will see it as a gift, as their birthright and some as will see it as a violation. Both sides are right. It's glace 'half full or half empty' situation. But you're right, some girls can live kinda nornally(unless Twilight gets to them), even tough they now have weird, scary dreams and hunter instincts(I can't imagine what terrors some girls must be once a month) and whatever changes that were forced on them/given as a gift. And then there's girls who feel like they have to fight out off duty. They can't a live a normal life, because they feel like freaks and/or they feel like they must fight, because no one else can. Then there's the ones who are glad to fight, for whatever reason. But you know what, I bet many of those would also have liked to be asked. Because it's about choice. Not about the choice to be chosen. Not about the choice to be strong. But about the choice of saying ”No thanks, keep your demon essence away from me.” Pardon the giant block quote... kinda have an electrical burn on my left hand right now that makes me not want to use it too much, and even though I'm right-handed, I feel short-changed right now. Anyway... a birthright is yours. It's kinda like being born into a freaky family. You can turn your back on it, but it's still yours. All Potentials already are "chosen"; they were selected, either at birth (or early enough anyway). While you may see being a Slayer as being "raped", I'm arguing that Buffy's change in rules takes that to another place entirely. She can't change the fact that girls are Potentials; some unknown force out there governs that. Being a Slayer isn't all about the nightmares; it's also about being connected to something bigger, and being able to see the world (in the Buffyverse) for what it is, and having the power to do something about it. I'm not saying I disagree with some of the points you make; I understand them, and share some of those beliefs. But my problem is people not being able to see beyond the "rape" issue. By the way, I think Alex might have been a civilian slayer. We didn't see her staking anyone until she thought her friend was hurt/turned(I can't remember). I know Alex is a civilian Slayer. I called her one myself. However, my point was that she, like Soledad and Gigi before her chose to "be strong". To see the world for what it really is, and not join the legions of insipid vampire worshippers. Back on topic a bit; I really hope by the end of season 8 or 9, Willow has come up with a way to remove the slayer essence from the girls who want it gone. Actually, in case it turns out that very many girls want it gone, and the only way to do that is to remove it from all girls, including Buffy & Faith, I think it should be done. It might be stupid, strategic wise, but it would be right, even tough many girls would probably walk around the rest of their lives feeling like they lost something, like Buffy in Helpless. of course, if the consequences of removing the power is greater than the consequences of keeping it, that's another thing. For example, in case the girls now have hunter instincts and weird dreams, that's better than if their power were removed and they all went crazy. How is taking away something that some people want any better than giving people what they rightfully should have? If nothing else, it's rape in a whole more literal sense: the removal of power from one party by another.
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balesthebloody
Wise-cracking Techno Genius
"Angel's gettin' some! Good on you mate!"[Mo0:0]
Posts: 733
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Post by balesthebloody on Jul 15, 2009 12:08:52 GMT -5
Back on topic a bit; I really hope by the end of season 8 or 9, Willow has come up with a way to remove the slayer essence from the girls who want it gone. Actually, in case it turns out that very many girls want it gone, and the only way to do that is to remove it from all girls, including Buffy & Faith, I think it should be done. It might be stupid, strategic wise, but it would be right, even tough many girls would probably walk around the rest of their lives feeling like they lost something, like Buffy in Helpless. of course, if the consequences of removing the power is greater than the consequences of keeping it, that's another thing. For example, in case the girls now have hunter instincts and weird dreams, that's better than if their power were removed and they all went crazy. How is taking away something that some people want any better than giving people what they rightfully should have? If nothing else, it's rape in a whole more literal sense: the removal of power from one party by another. See that scares me. Let's say everything goes great and The Scoobies banish all demons, magic, and evil from the world and the Slayers keep their powers. They won't be needed anymore, so why not give up the power? I feel like some girls, Buffy and Faith would fall into this category, will not want to lose that power. They have become so used to the power that they will feel like they NEED it. I really think that General Voll was right. The girls will find something else wrong with the world and try to change it! Sure you can argue "Well there has been a Slayer this long and she has not been a threat to the world!!". Well that is true, but there was only one not a whole army of girls. Who is to say that the demon in the all these girls will not surface and make these girls evil? If not on it's own what about with the help of a witch named Amy? The more I look at it the more I am starting to see all of the Slayers as a threat. Now don't get me wrong, I am not saying these are bad girls! I just feel like there are too many of them for their own good. I know I got a little off topic there but the point is some of these girls need to be power downed. Not only for the girls sake but for good public rep too.
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Post by CowboyGuy on Jul 15, 2009 13:48:04 GMT -5
Could it be that Buffy will come to the realization that she is just as much 'addicted' to the power inside of her, as Willow is? Seems like Buffy could be turning a blind eye to her own problems. Could Buffy really live without being a Slayer, after all she has been through? Doubtful to say the least.
A Slayer is what she is, the very core of her self.
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Post by wenxina on Jul 15, 2009 14:50:11 GMT -5
bales: I think the argument about Slayers keeping their power is moot, since it was made pretty clear that the banishment of magick wasn't a gradual process, but rather an abrupt end. So unless Fray's future is now an alternate timeline (and there are theories), the Slayer count will drop to 0 when demons and magicks are banished. Or at least that's what I got from Urkonn's rather sketchy tale. I just feel like there are too many of them for their own good. I know I got a little off topic there but the point is some of these girls need to be power downed. Not only for the girls sake but for good public rep too. General Voll's statement is what the public believes right now; that Slayers are some militant group of fascists. And your statements in the quote above also run counter to the whole issue of choice, and it's pretty much a throwback to the whole Watcher's Council. It becomes an issue of control again.
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Post by AndrewCrossett on Jul 15, 2009 15:19:06 GMT -5
bales: I think the argument about Slayers keeping their power is moot, since it was made pretty clear that the banishment of magick wasn't a gradual process, but rather an abrupt end. So unless Fray's future is now an alternate timeline (and there are theories), the Slayer count will drop to 0 when demons and magicks are banished. Or at least that's what I got from Urkonn's rather sketchy tale. I think something like the alternate timeline theory must be correct. Between "Fray" and "Time of Your Life" we already supposedly know the ending. Buffy will defeat the demons, end magic, be sucked into some other dimension where she may live or die... Willow will turn dark and live 200 years until Buffy kills her in the future. That kind of straitjackets the story. I don't think Joss is going to let it be as cut-and-dried as it seems. I also think Urkonn has to be considered an unreliable narrator, in the sense that he was manipulating Mel for nefarious reasons, and also admitted he didn't have first-hand knowledge of what he was talking about. His account may be as garbled and unreliable as those in the Watcher Diaries Buffy found in Mel's library. I'm going to be disappointed if things turn out exactly the way we've been told they will. I prefer the ending at the end.
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Post by wenxina on Jul 15, 2009 16:27:43 GMT -5
I will grant you the sketchiness of Urkonn's tale, but is with the case of the doc in S5 of AtS, I see no reason to doubt his account quite yet. And hey, Star Wars did the whole "learn the end, now let's show you how we got there" bit and remains popular. So while I'm with you on the "ending at the end" business, I'm saying it's not impossible that S8-S? will bridge the gap. And hey, if your theory about S9 happening in the afterlife comes true, then well... not exactly alternate reality, but the story isn't shoehorned either.
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Post by Skytteflickan88 on Jul 16, 2009 12:08:07 GMT -5
I know Alex is a civilian Slayer. I called her one myself. My bad, I misread. It's better for two reasons; 1. These girls were ordinary girls until they were Chosen. They could have been so for, what, 20 years? Some older, some younger. They were "used" to it. Now they've been slayers for only a few months, maybe years. I think that overall it will be easier for the slayers who want to keep their power, to get used to the loss, than it would be/was to the unwilling slayers who had/has to get used to the addition of power. I might be wrong about that. Maybe the pain of the willing slayers who lost their power will be greater than anything the unwilling slayers ever felt. But even in that case, I think reason nr 2 will do; 2. It's the right thing to do. If you disagree I can't persuade you. What you see as a birthright, I see as a option. Some peole shouldn't have the "power" because they don't want it. The other slayers should have to accept that if neccassary, I understand that so many slayers would have to live with the loss and that they would feel like less than they could be, that they lost something wonderful, but I have to side with any slayers out there who feel the opposite. I'd rather there be de-powered slayers out there who felt like they lost super-strength and a purpose, people who have do adapt to being normal again, than I want slayers out there who feel like something has invaded them, something that isn't "them" something demonic, alien, people who have to adapt to being unnormal. People who think they're not themselves anymore. Maybe there aren't that many out there who feel like that, maybe they can all deal with being slayers(I really hope so) but I think that there might be some people out there who can't. And for them I feel the rest of the slayers would have to give up their power. Unless the costs would be too big. I don't want to help one unwilling slayer and in the process make several willing, but now de-powered slayers, deeply depressed, maybe even suicidal. They shouldn't have to suffer for Buffy's choice.
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Paul
Ensouled Vampire
[Mo0:34]
Posts: 1,173
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Post by Paul on Jul 16, 2009 13:07:32 GMT -5
It's better for two reasons; 1. These girls were ordinary girls until they were Chosen. They could have been so for, what, 20 years? Some older, some younger. They were "used" to it. Now they've been slayers for only a few months, maybe years. I think that overall it will be easier for the slayers who want to keep their power, to get used to the loss, than it would be/was to the unwilling slayers who had/has to get used to the addition of power. I might be wrong about that. Maybe the pain of the willing slayers who lost their power will be greater than anything the unwilling slayers ever felt. But even in that case, I think reason nr 2 will do; 2. It's the right thing to do. If you disagree I can't persuade you. What you see as a birthright, I see as a option. Some peole shouldn't have the "power" because they don't want it. The other slayers should have to accept that if neccassary, I understand that so many slayers would have to live with the loss and that they would feel like less than they could be, that they lost something wonderful, but I have to side with any slayers out there who feel the opposite. I'd rather there be de-powered slayers out there who felt like they lost super-strength and a purpose, people who have do adapt to being normal again, than I want slayers out there who feel like something has invaded them, something that isn't "them" something demonic, alien, people who have to adapt to being unnormal. People who think they're not themselves anymore. Maybe there aren't that many out there who feel like that, maybe they can all deal with being slayers(I really hope so) but I think that there might be some people out there who can't. And for them I feel the rest of the slayers would have to give up their power. Unless the costs would be too big. I don't want to help one unwilling slayer and in the process make several willing, but now de-powered slayers, deeply depressed, maybe even suicidal. They shouldn't have to suffer for Buffy's choice. Sky, I really disagree with your argument. Hundreds of girls who feel powerful and connected should have that power ripped away from them because a few don't want it? Sorry, but I don't care if a few girls don't like being Slayers. They should get over it and accept who they are; Buffy didn't make them Slayers, they were already chosen from birth, Buffy just unlocked what was already there. I find it quite disturbing you think that an entire minority should be made "normal" because of a few self-loathing individuals.
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Post by wenxina on Jul 16, 2009 13:12:54 GMT -5
Let me just posit this one simple question, going off on the whole "choice" thing that you're arguing for. What if the current Slayer, any Slayer at all, didn't want to be the Slayer (note, there is only one girl here)? Knowing that the Slayer is the force meant to beat back the darkness, would you knowingly just say, "Okay then... if it makes you happy and screws the rest of the world over"? Ever read "The Ones Who Walked Away from Omelas"? I think you might find it very applicable to your argument. But back to the debate for a moment; it's implicit that even Potentials who resented being chosen to be Potentials were empowered when they were Called. Rona, possibly the most hated Potential for her selfish attitude, is the only new Slayer to have ever wielded the Scythe in battle, probably symbolic for this claim. There is a moment of connection, and so far, S8 hasn't provided any evidence for girls who want to jump ship on the battle because they don't like what's inside of them. Possibly, they don't all know. The ones who reject Buffy are either jaded, evil, or just don't want to be led in whatever fashion except their own. Even the girls who headed for the Slayer Sanctuary aren't running away from the Slayer within, but from the persecution of the public.
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Post by Skytteflickan88 on Jul 16, 2009 14:04:07 GMT -5
Sky, I really disagree with your argument. Hundreds of girls who feel powerful and connected should have that power ripped away from them because a few don't want it? Sorry, but I don't care if a few girls don't like being Slayers. They should get over it and accept who they are; Buffy didn't make them Slayers, they were already chosen from birth, Buffy just unlocked what was already there. I find it quite disturbing you think that an entire minority should be made "normal" because of a few self-loathing individuals. We have no idea if what makes the potentials able to become slayers. It could be there from the beginning, a slayer essence that just needs to be triggered, laying dormant. Or it's something that's put in them, something not them. Maybe the slayer spell that chooses slayers also choose potentials. I think it's the second reason, since we see in Get It Done didn't get her inner slayer released, she got a demon put in her. Either way, it's like saying to every fertil woman on earth, "You got a vomb. Being a mom is your birthright. Go make babies." Just because something is a possibility, just because you can become something, wheter it's a natural part of you or something from outside, you don't have to become it. Women who don't want to be forced to accept a new part of themselves that a group of men and women(the scoobies) decided they should have, aren't self-loathing. They just don't want to change. Let me just posit this one simple question, going off on the whole "choice" thing that you're arguing for. What if the current Slayer, any Slayer at all, didn't want to be the Slayer (note, there is only one girl here)? Knowing that the Slayer is the force meant to beat back the darkness, would you knowingly just say, "Okay then... if it makes you happy and screws the rest of the world over"? Yes, I would say so. I'm not going to force some girl into protecting the world. Then I would be no better than the Shadowmen. And I've never read that story, no, but that story lands into a even less grey area than this argument. Those people don't deserve to live in a city of happiness; Release the child! He/she sounds to suffer way more than any potential unhappy slayer. "jump ship on the battle"? Do you mean there's no slayers who are unhappy with being called?
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Post by wenxina on Jul 16, 2009 14:27:24 GMT -5
Do you mean there's no slayers who are unhappy with being called? At the moment, I'm saying that while the possibility remains, we haven't seen any such girl. Absence of proof is not proof of absence, but since your entire argument hinges on the presence of such a girl, I find it rather wobbly right now. More so than just a basic hypothetical situation.
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Paul
Ensouled Vampire
[Mo0:34]
Posts: 1,173
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Post by Paul on Jul 16, 2009 14:33:30 GMT -5
Sky, I really disagree with your argument. Hundreds of girls who feel powerful and connected should have that power ripped away from them because a few don't want it? Sorry, but I don't care if a few girls don't like being Slayers. They should get over it and accept who they are; Buffy didn't make them Slayers, they were already chosen from birth, Buffy just unlocked what was already there. I find it quite disturbing you think that an entire minority should be made "normal" because of a few self-loathing individuals. We have no idea if what makes the potentials able to become slayers. It could be there from the beginning, a slayer essence that just needs to be triggered, laying dormant. Or it's something that's put in them, something not them. Maybe the slayer spell that chooses slayers also choose potentials. I think it's the second reason, since we see in Get It Done didn't get her inner slayer released, she got a demon put in her. Either way, it's like saying to every fertil woman on earth, "You got a vomb. Being a mom is your birthright. Go make babies." Just because something is a possibility, just because you can become something, wheter it's a natural part of you or something from outside, you don't have to become it. Women who don't want to be forced to accept a new part of themselves that a group of men and women(the scoobies) decided they should have, aren't self-loathing. They just don't want to change. Yes, I would say so. I'm not going to force some girl into protecting the world. Then I would be no better than the Shadowmen. And I've never read that story, no, but that story lands into a even less grey area than this argument. Those people don't deserve to live in a city of happiness; Release the child! He/she sounds to suffer way more than any potential unhappy slayer. "jump ship on the battle"? Do you mean there's no slayers who are unhappy with being called? Since the Watchers' Council is able to identify Potentials from birth (Kendra, for example, was trained since childhood) I'd say it's something that is inherently part of them, not something that magically happened because of Willow's spell. Going with your pregnancy analogy, does that mean every woman on Earth should be sterilised/have their children taken away because some don't want to be mothers? Because that's what you'd be doing if you depowered the Slayers. That's why I find the prospect so disgusting. Besides, nobody's forcing these girls to grab a stake and kill things. Of the 1800 Slayers on Earth, only 500 are a part of Buffy's army. The rest are doing their own thing, making their own destiny as opposed to being told what to do by the Watchers' Council/Shadowmen. They can't choose what they are, but they can choose who they are.
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Post by Skytteflickan88 on Jul 16, 2009 15:12:02 GMT -5
Do you mean there's no slayers who are unhappy with being called? At the moment, I'm saying that while the possibility remains, we haven't seen any such girl. Absence of proof is not proof of absence, but since your entire argument hinges on the presence of such a girl, I find it rather wobbly right now. More so than just a basic hypothetical situation. I wouldn't say it's woobly. I'm saying that if enough girls suffer(not just slighty annoyed by the change), something drastic might have to be done to all the slayers. And even tough we haven't seen any in season 8, I think Alex in the tales of the vampires one-shot expressed enough suffering for being chosen to make me think a solution for potential slayers should at the very least be looked into. Even tough I think Alex might just have needed theraphy. Since the Watchers' Council is able to identify Potentials from birth (Kendra, for example, was trained since childhood) I'd say it's something that is inherently part of them, not something that magically happened because of Willow's spell. I meant that that A)The spell the shadowmen cast had a life on it's own choosing/infecting girls at birth so they later on will be ready to be chosen to be slayer(kinda preparing them) or B)They were girls born with special abilities to fight(kinda like some people are good at math or music) and therefor good choices for slayerhood or C)They had the slayer power dormant. The two first options allow the council to find the potentials even tough they weren't born to be slayers. Okay, first of all, that's taking the metaphor too far. Children can't be compared to superpowers, because hallo, they're living people. Also, I doubt the love a slayer has for her newfound strength is anywhere near as strong as the love a mother has for her children. This is what I meant; Instead of having the ability to choose when you want to get pregnant or keep that power dormant(we now assume I'm wrong about the slayer-power being something alien) someone chooses for you, and you get knocked up. I think you should have a choice to activate the power within you, just as you have the right to never bear children, even tough that's also a power you have. I know what Buffy did was a act of desperation(I really hope she would have thought it over more is she had time) but it's doesn't make it a good choice for everyone. They might not be able to choose entirely who they are. I'm not saying Buffy changed personality when becoming the slayer, but before she was chosen, she wasn't disturbed by weird nightmares, or felt the need to hunt, did she? Maybe. I'm not saying that absolutely I'm right, I'm saying I might be right when I say there might be girls out there who feel like freaks and are afraid of the new power in them. Maybe all they need is counselling, but in case there's many out there, going crazy because they were chosen, and therapy and individual de-powering doesn't work, a de-powering for all slayers might be needed. If it can be done without serious sideeffects.
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