Well, I think I'm up for this. Let's all hunker down and get started on S2 of The Feminist Filter!

Mission Statement:

This series is intended to outline the feminist text of each episode so as to provoke and encourage open discussion. It's not so much about making value judgments about events and/or characters but about analyzing the series from a feminist framework so as to see what patterns and themes emerge.

Rules:

1. If you do not consider yourself a feminist or do not see the point of dissecting a TV show from a feminist perspective, this is not the meta series for you. I don't mean this in a hostile way, however the intended audience of this series is feminists who want to turn a critical eye to the show.

2. This meta series is written well beyond a 101 level of feminism. If you are new to feminism, I ask that you please take a look at this blog for an introduction to concepts that will be discussed heavily here. While I am happy to welcome new feminists, I'd like the discussions to remain at a relatively advanced level without having to slog through the frequently asked questions of feminism each time. If you're in doubt, lurk a bit to get the hang of things.

3. If you begin to feel yourself getting defensive on behalf of a character (or the show), take a break from commenting. The outlines as posted are not meant to condemn either the characters or the show, but to contextualize the dialogue and events within the patriarchal cultural in which they reside.

4. BtVS is a constructed media. The characters are not actual people but are written, dressed, and directed by a team of outsiders. Criticizing a character for, say, having sex could be a sexist attack or it could be a legitimate criticism of the writers who chose to go that route with the storyline. There are nuances here when discussing a television show, and I ask that everybody be careful about exactly what's being discussed.

5. The key goal here is open discussion. I'm not presenting you guys with any brilliant insights; I'm just laying out what's in the episode. Feel free to discuss or disagree with me and others. Also feel free to answer other commenter's questions. The comment section is an open floor.




2.01 When She Was Bad


I. Tallies

Criteria for Bechdel Check: The episode must have a) two women in it b) who talk to each other c) about something besides a man.

1. Bechdel Check: PASS on 9 counts.
   
   
2. Deaths:
   Dead boys: 0
   Dead girls: 0
   

II. Agency

Criteria for Agency: Do the female characters a) exert power or influence over the plot b) through decisions based on their own characterization? Agency means more than providing information or support that helps the (usually male) characters resolve the conflict.

The plot: A group of vampires make plans to resurrect the Master. At the same time, Buffy has PTSD due to her death experience of the previous season.

The Big Question:
If Buffy were taken out of this episode, would events occur in much the same fashion? No.
If Willow were taken out of this episode, would events occur in much the same fashion? Yes.
If Cordelia were taken out of this episode, would events occur in much the same fashion? Yes.
If Joyce were taken out of this episode, would events occur in much the same fashion? Yes.
If Jenny were taken out of this episode, would events occur in much the same fashion? Yes

• Decisive Buffy: Well, her name is in the plot summary. Part of this episode focuses on Buffy's "issues", as Giles says. However, she also proves essential for the A plot of the episode.
  
  She discovers that the Master has disappeared from his grave. She also decides to go to the Bronze upon receiving the note about Cordelia. She does this solo, shrugging off the offered help of her friends. This has the result of them getting captured. Finally, of course, she rescues everyone and saves the day.
  

III. The Feminist Fine-Toothed Comb

Criteria: Do any of the characters engage in any sexist dialogue or action, whether overt or subtle? Does it receive an explicit rebuke or does it pass uncommented on? Further, what can be deduced from the various gendered comments that are made by the characters?

• Protagonists (Buffy, Xander, Willow, Giles, Joyce, Jenny, Angel, and Cordelia)
  
  1. In the teaser, Willow's ribbing Xander about missing Buffy. He replies: "I'm a man. I have certain desires, certain needs..."
  
  As with last season, we're getting the construction of "man" as sex-driven. My mind springs immediately to Go Fish and the coach's comment that "boys have other needs". Sex is not a fundamental need for humans, though it's common to think that it is required for men. Lack of sex is used to excuse, justify, or explain a myriad of male behavior.
  
  2. In Act Two, Buffy does a sexy dance with Xander. During it, she asks him if she ever thanked him for saving her life. When he replies in the negative, she says: "Don't you wish I would?"
  
  The obvious implication is her offering up sexual favors in return for her life being saved. This plays into an age-old traditional narrative of women offering up their bodies in return for help from men (marriage was the ultimate example of this exchange of sex for economic security and protection). It's so traditional, it's become an expectation among some people. You see this during traditional dating scripts where women are expected to "put out" in return for guys paying for dates. It highlights how women are socialized to utilize their bodies in an attempt to gain some leverage in a society that grants them little actual power.
  
  3. After the aforementioned sexy dance, Cordelia follows Buffy out of the Bronze and confronts her: "Buffy. You're really campaigning for bitch-of-the-year, aren't you?"
  
  "Bitch", in this case, being a derogatory insult towards women, and it's not being used in a positive, reclamatory sense. Buffy returns the insult: "As defending champion, you nervous?"
  
  Just two scenes later, we'll have Willow use the word to describe Buffy: "...why else would she be acting like such a b-i-t-c-h?"
  
  Like a lot of the slut-shaming of the previous season, the word "bitch" is used to socially sanction women who are acting inappropriately. In this instance, it's used against Buffy when she's being mean. It's closest corollary is when Xander was acting mean under hyena possession in The Pack. In that instance, no pejoratives were used against him. Instead, they detailed his behavior as "cruel" rather than assigning him a negative identity.
  
  4. At the end of the Buffy-Cordelia confrontation, Cordelia says: "I'll just see if Angel feels like dancing."
  
  This is said with the intent to get a rise from Buffy. We're seeing Cordelia, again, placing a high value on being appealing to men and using that as ammunition against Buffy.
  
  5. After Buffy's on her way to rescue Cordelia, she senses Angel following her: "Y'know, being stalked isn't really a big turn-on for girls."
  
  It's interesting that she explicitly says this now when later Angel's stalking behavior will be presented as romantic. This appears to be later subverted when Angel loses his soul and the stalking is, again, presented as creepy. More on this in the Points to Consider section.
  
  6. At the end, Cordelia and Jenny are commiserating about their experience. Cordelia says: "It stays with you forever. No matter what they tell you, none of that rust and blood and grime comes out. I mean, you can dry clean till judgment day, you are living with those stains."
  
  Cordelia, of course, is being used to comically highlight female stereotypes of only being concerned about frivolous things. So her near-death experience is reduced to clothing stains. Think of the "I broke a nail!" cliche.
  
  Jenny rebukes this with a sarcastic response: "Yeah, that's the worst part of being hung upside down by a vampire who wants to slit your throat: the stains."
  
  
• Antagonists (Absalom)
  
  1. When facing off against Buffy, Absalom says: "Your day is done, girl."
  
  As the bad guys often do, he refers to her with the diminutive "girl" in an attempt to portray her as weak. Buffy doesn't abide by that nonsense, though.
  
  
• The Rest (Snyder)
  
  1. In Act One, Snyder laments about students. He comments: "Every time a pretty girl walks by every boy turns into a gibbering fool." This is then comically illustrated by Jenny and Giles running into each other and Giles barely being able to stutter out a conversation with her.
  
  There's a common cultural narrative of the self-assured "pretty girl" and all the awe-struck boys who are helpless in her wake. This narrative ignores the fact that a lot of these "pretty girls" may, themselves, be nervous. It has the result of situating men as disadvantaged in the dating scene due to the mental energy needed to approach such girls while erasing the difficulties that girls face in such situations.
  
  

IV. Objectification Watch

1. We have two shots of Buffy in her bed from Angel's POV - through her bedroom window.
   
   
2. When Buffy enters the Bronze, she's treated to the slow pan up her body. Her subsequent sexy dance with Xander is shown through both Angel and Willow's POVs.
   
   
3. When Buffy is discussing the ritual to bring back the Master - before they get interrupted by the note about Cordelia - there's a prolonged shot of her sitting on the table with Willow sitting at the table behind her. It seems to have been done to get both of them in frame, however it has the effect of giving us a sustained view of Buffy's cleavage as she hunches forward with a low-cut neckline.
   

V. Points to consider

1. There's a heavy emphasis on the amount of shopping Buffy did over the summer. When she's filling Willow and Xander in on what she did, she says: "Uh, just hung out, partied some, shopping was also a major theme." Later, Joyce and Hank talk about Buffy, and Joyce is aghast at how many clothes Buffy bought.
   
   

   Hank: She was just, I don't know, um... distant. Not brooding or sulking, just... there was no connection. The more time we spent together, the more I felt like she was nowhere to be seen.
   
   Joyce: Hence the shoes?
   
   Hank: (hands her the shoes) I may have overcompensated a little bit.
   
   Joyce: Hmm.
   
   Hank: It's so strange. You know, at least when she was burning stuff down I knew what to say.

   
   
   This marks "shopping", an activity traditionally associated with women, as a go-to stress relief for Buffy. It's held up in contrast to her more Slayerly (and masculine) activities, such as burning down buildings. Yet it's something that still provokes concern with her parents. Buffy appears to still be riding the line between feminine and masculine, often tipping further onto one side to compensate for trauma from the other.
   
   
2. The Buffy/Angel relationship is interesting in how it coincides with standard romantic tropes and then subverts them. As in this episode, Buffy points out that stalking behavior isn't attractive to girls, despite the fact that this same behavior is often presented as romantic at other times. Angel attempts to reframe his behavior as protective:
   
   

   Angel: (behind her) You need help. Someone to watch your back.

   
   
   And:
   
   

   Angel: You're not as strong as you think.

   
   
   How does the show handle the presentation of Angel as Buffy's protector? Does it manage to subvert this trope effectively?