Dear Sarah Michelle Gellar

[eilowyn]

First of all, I absolutely adore you. You are the consummate actress. Because you know what? I had no effing clue that at the end of the day, Buffy preferred Angel (except for loose interpretations of the cookie dough speech, but that's another post). Buffy's last words on the subject (and the show) were "I love you" and "Spike." I took her at her

Comments

I'm going to agree to disagree with you Lexi (just letting you know)

[red_satin_doll]

I really don't understand the big deal, to be honest. At the end of the day, Sarah's as entitled to ship Buffy with anyone she wants as we are. She was asked a question and that was her answer.

Every actor has their own take on the characters, the story etc. I was perplexed by the fact that she answered the question and then someone asked AGAIN, as if asking again would get a different response? (Like " I'm gonna keep asking until you give me the answer I WANT "?)

Sarah's interpretation doesn't change mine any more than anyone else's does.

your succinct answers make me think you don't really want to argue

Why should she have to?

But the text shows that in spite of herself, Buffy liked Spike more in the end.I'm a little perplexed about this - if we're quoting the royal anna, she also said "I don't know that we love in amounts. We love in ways." I love her essays as you know (and you also know I'm no Bangel shipper) but I don't deny Buffy loved Angel, either. The notion of "liked/loved more" is so subjective - how do we even

Re: I'm going to agree to disagree with you Lexi (just letting you know)

[kikimay]

Every actor has their own take on the characters, the story etc. I was perplexed by the fact that she answered the question and then someone asked AGAIN, as if asking again would get a different response? (Like " I'm gonna keep asking until you give me the answer I WANT "?) I think that the fans maybe wanted her to express a more articulate opinion? But, yeah. I mostly think that they wanted a little Spike appreciation from her. I can relate. I loved her work as Buffy, I think she should have won an Emmy (Or two?) for it and I think that she gave something unique and deeply human to Buffy, that makes me love her as a character

Re: I'm going to agree to disagree with you Lexi (just letting you know)

[red_satin_doll]

I agree that in a movie or tv show (or theater) the actors are also "authors" of the story (which is true of any collaborative work.) There are different degrees of course; some actors like Sarah are more active, others claim they just do what the director tells them to do, but actors have to bring at least some level of intelligence to bear in their work.

basically dismiss my favourite pairing. I think it's fandom that's basically guilty of dismissing one pairing or the other - shipper wars etc. "It has to be MY guy that Buffy loved and my guy only! The other guy didn't count!" Sarah is asked an either/or question, and she gives an either/or answer - after years of avoiding it or dancing around it altogether (Paleyfest 2008 for instance); and as this demonstrates, with good reason

Re: I'm going to agree to disagree with you Lexi (just letting you know)

[kikimay]

Personally I've always felt very "democratic" (I don't know if that's the word XD) towards 'ships in the Buffyverse. Someone loves her with Angel, another one with Spike, there are people who ships her even with Riley etc

[slaymesoftly]

Ah, so is this why you deleted your comment? So you could elaborate on your thoughts here? Good call. I love that you throw it back to her in that her performance was so good, we all believed her when she told him she loved him. Although, if I wanted to play Devil's Advocate, I guess I could say that loving Spike doesn't mean she didn't still love Angel. Buffy has a big heart. But I think for most of us, it's pretty obvious that what she had with Spike was much more real than her teenage drama-fest with Angel and much more likely to lead to long-term success

[red_satin_doll]

I guess I could say that loving Spike doesn't mean she didn't still love Angel. Buffy has a big heart.

I don't that is said often enough!

ETA - When I watched Buffy, I was on her side no matter who it was.

That was me, EXACTLY, two years ago when I first watched. (of course, now? Don't even TALK to me about Riley. Unless you've got a shovel *lol*)

I find the notion of Buffy being reduced to a "prize" depressing. It implies that she is of no importance in and of herself.

[eilowyn]

I mentioned in a comment to red_satin_doll that this was mostly a meditation on text versus the intent of the author/actor/producer, and using the word "more" made the discussion go in a different direction than I had intended (SEE? AUTHORIAL INTENT!).

I think I never shipped whomever Buffy was with because I started watching in the fifth season, and fell in love with the Dawn/Spike dynamic first. The relationship with Angel was so built up that when I actually watched the first seasons, all I saw was a supernatural after school special.

And yes, I deleted my comment to elaborate more. And make sure that as many people read that comic strip as possible, because it's like evangelism material to me.

[slaymesoftly]

That comic strip is wonderful. Sums things up so well and in an amusing format.

[spikesjojo]

FYI - Joss has already said he likes Spuffy more than Bangel. James Marsters, OTH, agrees with Sarah. He thinks Buffy and Spike would be a disaster.

I like Spangel - so no dog in this race. Whatever happens, once Buffy has passed on Spike and Angel will still have each other. Not sure if any of the actors or writers have come out pro-Spangel - other than the fact that Whedon, Boreanaz and Marsters all seem to agree that Angel and Spike are the perfect couple.

All this means to me is that Sarah would go back to an easier time and have the great teen romance. Who the hell wouldn't even think of choosing that easy and relatively safe time? That's cool. I prefer complex to epic - not that big on star crossed romance.

[eilowyn]

FYI - Joss has already said he likes Spuffy more than Bangel. James Marsters, OTH, agrees with Sarah. He thinks Buffy and Spike would be a disaster.

For some reason I think James has a guilt complex when it comes to Spike, where he (much like AtS Angel), needs to atone for his sins, in particular Seeing Red. After reading how much that scene traumatized him to play, I really don't blame him.

All this means to me is that Sarah would go back to an easier time and have the great teen romance. Who the hell wouldn't even think of choosing that easy and relatively safe time? That's cool. I prefer complex to epic - not that big on star crossed romance.

I agree with your conclusion. Sarah (and often, Buffy), obviously preferred the time when things were less gray and confusing. "Epic" can be applied to "complex" relationships as well as star-crossed romance. But yeah. I prefer complex.

[spikesjojo]

I think what he had was a daughter - the one who stays out of sight, adopted from his brother. It's way different when you have a girl child who you need to protect - opens your eyes to realities that were once hypothetical. Oh yeah - and the Seeing Red scene was horrific, so I agree that is probably part of it!

Yeah - complex can be epic - but it's rare. I tend to see epic as built from predictable tropes - which I kinda why I have to force myself to watch TVD on Netflix. It's nice, and I do like Damon but it is seriously epic.

[shapinglight]

What surprises me is that anyone was surprised by her answer. She's always been a Bangel. Fans have known this for years.

I guess it is the first time she's come out and said it so flatly, though.

Not that it changes anything. I've 'shipped Buffy with Spike all these years while knowing that both SMG and JM were Bangel 'shippers (who knows about DB, but I expect he is too), so :shrug:

I can't help agreeing with one of the commenters, though, who wondered if she'd think differently if she'd read the comics. I also can't help wishing that in answer to the Angel/Spike question she'd said 'Riley'. That would have been hilarious..

[spikesjojo]

I get the impression that Marsters does not want younger teens to romanticize abuse. Spike and Buffy were equals. These girls would not be. I can see his point - some teens might well run off with the bad boy and find themselves raped or dead.

[shapinglight]

This is something he went on about a lot after SR aired. We got a bit sick of it really. You felt like you were being lectured.

I do appreciate we (that is, fandom on LJ) weren't really the demographic he was aiming at.

[frelling_tralk]

Yeah I've been surprised at all of the drama from her answer, I didn't think twice when I read it because I always knew that she was a much bigger fan of the high school years and the more straightforward romance with Angel, frankly I never expected so much of fandom to react like it was new and shocking info that Sarah feels that way!

From what I read Sarah did approach Joss about the possibility of a relationship between Buffy and Spike sometime during season 4, but she was really not a fan of how it went in season 6, or of season 6 in general for that matter. She openly named the public sex in Dead Things as her least favourite scene ever because she felt that it was out of character and against what Buffy stood for, I think that she was very into the idea of young girls watching Buffy and seeing her character as a role model

[spikesjojo]

Joss Whedon on Buffy/Spike

Katie Lucas: Who did you like together with Buffy the most: Angel, Riley, or Spike?

Joss Whedon: You know what, I liked Spike. With Angel it’s too “Romeo and Juliet”. Which means, as soon as it happens you’re bored. Riley, you know he was a well-adjusted person who loved her in a much, much healthier way than the other two guys. Nobody wants to see that. With Buffy and Spike, they had a real Beatrice and Benedick kind of relationship, in “Much Ado About Nothing”. I think with the wedding, she would have tried to do something fast, but he would have made it elaborate and done everything wrong. It would have been extraordinarily counter-intuitive, and awesome!

http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/spuffy/articles/159975/title/joss-whedon-on-buffy-spike

[infinitewhale]

Riley, you know he was a well-adjusted person who loved her in a much, much healthier way than the other two guys.

I think that statement throws a hand grenade on the comment, really.

[eilowyn]

Well, nobody wants to see that! It's like Piz and Veronica - Piz is really a wonderful guy (and Chris Lowell who plays him is a wonderful guy) but we still want the Logan/Veronica drama.

[infinitewhale]

But that's the thing, Riley wasn't a well-adjusted guy with a more healthy love. He wasn't very less bent than either vamp. People aren't interested in Riley because he wasn't written the way he was apparently supposed to be. Had he actually acknowledged in the text that Riley was messed up dude, he likely would be nowhere near as hated.