Need to rant for a minute about how a certain bleached blonde vampire is tied with Warren as the most misogynistic character in that show, and yet he's the one who gets called 'queer-coded' (Painted nails and a bad dye job do not a 'queer' make!), 'feminist', and 'for the female gaze'. In a show where you have three ACTUAL lesbians, several female characters that are far superior to him in every aspect, and another vampire that was selected by a FEMALE casting director solely for his appearance. Not to mention the claim he 'respects women' but is the only main character who says stupid shit like 'not with the girl power bit' and takes a shotgun to a girl's house with the intent to kill her because she... Rejected his advances and was disgusted he tried to kiss her?
And this is coming from the fandom that rakes soldier boy and the zeppo over the coals for far less offences. Is being uncomfortable with your girlfriend's super strength a good thing? No. Is making sleazy comments about your lesbian friends or every hot girl you see something to ignore? Also no. But does it compare to tying her up and threatening to have your ex kill her, stalking to the point of essentially leaving an ashtray in her front yard, building a sex robot in her likeness, stealing her panties, making your girlfriend (who you abuse!) dress up as the girl you're obsessed with, gendered use of 'bitch' and 'bint' ONLY to female characters, sexualised framing of his killing slayers and double entendres or innuendos in the dialogue that are not present with male victims, blaming said female characters when he only has himself to blame ('why do you bitches torture me?' When it's him holding them captive... Okay?), groping her when she's trying to help people in The Bronze, having a stalker shrine in his crypt, listening to her and her boyfriend fuck from outside her house, making sexist comments about 'prying apart her dimpled knees' or 'things not being as high and firm' as to why her boyfriend left? Absolutely NOT. And it most definitely does not compare to his vile treatment of her in the sixth season which is not exactly misogynistic in isolation, but is absolutely informed by his misogyny. Nor the final season which should've been focused on Slayer lore, the Scoobies, and everything that made the show so beloved, and instead we get Miss Summers coddling her abuser and prioritising him over everybody she's ever cared about, including her little sister who she sacrificed herself for just a year prior, whilst not having a single moment that actually examines HER trauma, instead sidelining it completely! But that's a whole other can of worms.
If you call the hypocrisy of fandom out regarding this creep, especially because of how eager they are to berate the slayer's best male friend and her college boyfriend for far lesser offences, you will get called media illiterate, unintelligent, that this is 'not the show for you', etc. Apparently I missed the entire point of the show because I find Spike's scenes harder to stomach than anything other male characters aside from Warren or Caleb do! Wow, sorry for being bothered by misogyny no matter who it's coming from. Didn't realise evil beings got a pass for literally everything, except of course their 'good deeds' which prove they're 'the better man'... But I thought his soulless actions didn't count? That's right, only the ones that paint him in a good light can be discussed! Anything else he absolutely cannot be held accountable for because it's 'not real' and I shouldn't get 'mad over a fictional show' but you'll send me threats and question my morals because I don't ship B/S? Pot kettle!
Also the suggestion he is 'punished' in the narrative for being a misogynist (whereas X and R aren't and that's why people dislike them more... If only they lost their souls and then at least they'd have an excuse like Billy Idol, but how much do you wanna bet they'd still be more hated?) when the real reason the Scoobies want nothing to do with him is because he continuously tries to murder them or teams up with their enemies to foil their plans, NOT because of his misogyny. The only time he faces consequences specifically for that behaviour is when he makes a suggestive comment to April and she throws him out of the window. Then a few episodes later, even as he's being told how gross his own bot is, he's rewarded with a kiss for protecting The Key.
The Xan-Man is apparently 'possessive' over our prophecy girl, thinks that he deserves her love, interferes in all of her relationships, is jealous of and hates her boyfriends... Um, sound familiar? Except, X is pretty much over his crush by Becoming, and has other valid reasons for hating a certain vampire with a soul that are no longer solely guided by his feelings for B, as well as genuinely liking Cowboy Guy and having an actual friendship with him until he leaves. Whereas Captain Peroxide does all of the above and VIOLENTLY for two seasons straight and is considered a viable romantic interest? And I'm supposed to just accept that because he's 'an evil vampire without a soul' and 'the bloodlust is the point'? Sorry, but that doesn't make a lick of difference to me! Misogyny is not a prerequisite for villany, otherwise every single villain on the show would exhibit the same traits as William the Bloody Awful (has there ever been a more appropriate name?), but as it happens there are only two who even come close, and they're Warren and Caleb. Fandom isn't so keen on these two, soul or no soul, and will routinely call out their misogyny... Hmmmm, I wonder why? But then again, what do I expect from people who find watching a depressed young woman desperate to feel after being ripped from heaven get abused and isolated by a manipulative freak to be erotic and sexy, and consider this a 'mature relationship'.
For a fandom that supposedly hates misogyny and loves 'strong female characters', it sure does turn a blind eye when the perpetrator is Blondie Bear, even if it's their beloved Buffster in the firing line. Funny how life imitates art with how sympathetic they are to JM for being so traumatised after filming the attempted rape that he went to therapy and actually use that as a reason it shouldn't have been included, but don't understand why the actress who was on the receiving end in such a scene and felt degraded by the aggressive and abusive sexual content that entire season dislikes it and thinks it was the show's low point. Strange.
