A matter of choice
Jan. 23rd, 2008 08:26 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
impy... You ever have a moment where you're absolutely, positively sure that you're dreaming, and hey, waking up right now would be awesome? Reading the paper and finding out Heath Ledger is dead? Total. Mindfuck. Because, as you see, I wasn't on yesterday afternoon to have the news broken to me gently via the ol' FL. My inner teenage girl's heart is broken. Broken, dammit. I have loved him [in a non-stalker, crazy sort of way] since Ten Things I Hate About You, if not a little before. Even when everyone said I was crazy, and they did, I would ignore them. Ignore. And oh, how they came back, groveling and admitting the error of their ways. Woe.
Moving along, I spent the weekend burning through the Pretty Little Liars series, not realizing book four hadn't come out yet. So I'm sitting here, ticked as hell because I do not do well with mysteries left hanging. I want to know, and I want to know now! Also, on a totally superficial note, you cannot convince me Hanna would let anyone take a picture of her where her face would look round. So, uh, what's with the model not angling her head or something a fraction of an inch, dude?
And now, for the ultimate frosting on the cupcake of what the fuck:
Somehow in the last four or five pages of the "Too Much Phoebe/Alyssa bashing?" thread, the topic veered off from "we bash because it's easy. We bash because SHE's easy. We bash because good lord, she's a self centered skank" and into "well, who says anyone super powered HAS to use their powers unselfishly? Who says you HAVE to use them at all? Why can't you think for yourselves, why do you have to help anyone?"
You, my friend, are Peter Parker right before karma kicks his ass. Great power, great responsibility. No one says you have to use these gifts you find yourself in possession of, but once you've stumbled into a world where you do use 'em because you've got them, you don't get to bitch about how stupid it is. Not just Charmed. Nope, nuh uh. We also get the Buffy bash and pretty much any story EVER [Spidey included] where a super power finds a person and the person choses to use it. Because this person doesn't see it as a choice. It's a pre-made thing. Uh, no. No, not really. I think each time you could do something you want to do and say to hell with the fallout of not saving the people being terrorized by a giant squid, but you chose to do what you've got the power to do and stop the people eating squid terrorizing wherever, you have, I dunno, made a choice.
Because I lost the ability to form fully coherant thoughts, I'll just cut and paste:
I disagree. Completely. The idea that someone is duty-bound to act like some supernatural cop just because he or she possesses special powers is RIDICULOUS. Even worse, it seems like coercing someone into a lifestyle or profession that can be dangerous, against his or her will. Like the military draft. How can anyone in their right mind support such an idea?
First of all, I think that Buffy was an idiot for staying in a profession she obviously disliked. Second, she was a bigger idiot for allowing Merrick and later, Giles to talk her into assuming Slayer duties. If she did not want to do it, she should have refrained from such actions. Three, even when she detached herself from the Watchers Council, she continued acting as Slayer because she rather stupidly believed that she had no choice in the matter. Even gone, the Watchers Council still managed to have an influence over her. Four, I understand the concept of superheroes perfectly. That's why I find it idiotic and dangerous. It's one thing to get involved in a lifestyle that turns you into some kind of cop with special powers. It's another to allow someone to coerce you into that situation, because you have special powers.
What is it about humans that they demand that heroes - fictional or otherwise - sacrifice themselves so unwillingly in this stupid manner? Are we really addicted to the idea of someone more powerful or special coming to our rescue all the time . . . instead of helping ourselves?
I do not like the idea of the sisters being born as witches. It smacked of the nonsense of BEWITCHED. I did not think of this when I first watched the show. The idea of them being born as witches reminded me of BEWITCHED and I thought there was nothing wrong with this. But when I learned that one becomes a witch out of choice, instead of simply being born one, I realized that the idea of witches being born did not sit well with me, after all.
The problem I have with the idea of them being born as witches was that Burge, Kern and their writers used this as an excuse for them to be obligated to "fight evil and protect innocents". No one should be "obligated" to do something like that. Even police officers are not obligated. The reason cops have this "duty" to protect innocents, (etc.) is because they MADE THE CHOICE to pursue that profession. They were not obligated to do so, because they were born with special powers or whatever. And even if they were born with special powers, I still believe that fighting crime should be A CHOICE on their part, not an obligation.
I feel the same regarding characters like the Halliwells, Buffy and certain costumed heroes like Spider-Man. The Halliwells do their little supernatural fighting because they feel that their powers and the Book of Shadows make them obligated to do so. Buffy seems to believe that having Slayer strength makes her obligated to hunt and kills demons of all kind. Spider-Man fights crime out of guilt for his part in his uncle's death. None of these characters are engaging in their activities BECAUSE THEY WANT TO or BECAUSE THEY CHOSE TO DO SO without any outside or inner pressures.
Now, I still like S1, because I like the early chemistry between the three leads, some of the stories and T.W. King. But I had hoped that the show would evolve beyond the simply morality of that first season . . . and it had failed to.
I realized that nothing could be done about the whole concept of the Halliwells being born witches, but I had hoped that the show would grow more complex and that the sisters would realize that they were not obligated to fight demons, warlocks, etc. Unfortunately, the show had failed to evolve beyond that mindset and I grew disenchanted with it. Then I stopped watching the show.
I'm sorry if you don't understand from where my attitude is coming from. But you see, I don't understand the attitude that someone has to fight evil due to acquiring powers via "accident of birth" or in Spidey's case, an accident. That does not make any sense to me. Nor does it make sense that I should accept this attitude because it is prevalent amongst shows and movies like CHARMED and BUFFY.
Dude, you are so in the wrong genre. And in a turn that'll surprise no one at all familiar with the Charmed-fandom, this is all from a frickin' McMahoniac, or whatever they're actually called, if they're called anything at all.
If not for the personal attacks and snotty attitude in the wrong thread, I'd say they've got a leg to stand on in terms of asking why, but, uh, dude, you are the last person I want bitten by a radioactive spider. :P
Moving along, I spent the weekend burning through the Pretty Little Liars series, not realizing book four hadn't come out yet. So I'm sitting here, ticked as hell because I do not do well with mysteries left hanging. I want to know, and I want to know now! Also, on a totally superficial note, you cannot convince me Hanna would let anyone take a picture of her where her face would look round. So, uh, what's with the model not angling her head or something a fraction of an inch, dude?
And now, for the ultimate frosting on the cupcake of what the fuck:
Somehow in the last four or five pages of the "Too Much Phoebe/Alyssa bashing?" thread, the topic veered off from "we bash because it's easy. We bash because SHE's easy. We bash because good lord, she's a self centered skank" and into "well, who says anyone super powered HAS to use their powers unselfishly? Who says you HAVE to use them at all? Why can't you think for yourselves, why do you have to help anyone?"
You, my friend, are Peter Parker right before karma kicks his ass. Great power, great responsibility. No one says you have to use these gifts you find yourself in possession of, but once you've stumbled into a world where you do use 'em because you've got them, you don't get to bitch about how stupid it is. Not just Charmed. Nope, nuh uh. We also get the Buffy bash and pretty much any story EVER [Spidey included] where a super power finds a person and the person choses to use it. Because this person doesn't see it as a choice. It's a pre-made thing. Uh, no. No, not really. I think each time you could do something you want to do and say to hell with the fallout of not saving the people being terrorized by a giant squid, but you chose to do what you've got the power to do and stop the people eating squid terrorizing wherever, you have, I dunno, made a choice.
Because I lost the ability to form fully coherant thoughts, I'll just cut and paste:
I disagree. Completely. The idea that someone is duty-bound to act like some supernatural cop just because he or she possesses special powers is RIDICULOUS. Even worse, it seems like coercing someone into a lifestyle or profession that can be dangerous, against his or her will. Like the military draft. How can anyone in their right mind support such an idea?
First of all, I think that Buffy was an idiot for staying in a profession she obviously disliked. Second, she was a bigger idiot for allowing Merrick and later, Giles to talk her into assuming Slayer duties. If she did not want to do it, she should have refrained from such actions. Three, even when she detached herself from the Watchers Council, she continued acting as Slayer because she rather stupidly believed that she had no choice in the matter. Even gone, the Watchers Council still managed to have an influence over her. Four, I understand the concept of superheroes perfectly. That's why I find it idiotic and dangerous. It's one thing to get involved in a lifestyle that turns you into some kind of cop with special powers. It's another to allow someone to coerce you into that situation, because you have special powers.
What is it about humans that they demand that heroes - fictional or otherwise - sacrifice themselves so unwillingly in this stupid manner? Are we really addicted to the idea of someone more powerful or special coming to our rescue all the time . . . instead of helping ourselves?
I do not like the idea of the sisters being born as witches. It smacked of the nonsense of BEWITCHED. I did not think of this when I first watched the show. The idea of them being born as witches reminded me of BEWITCHED and I thought there was nothing wrong with this. But when I learned that one becomes a witch out of choice, instead of simply being born one, I realized that the idea of witches being born did not sit well with me, after all.
The problem I have with the idea of them being born as witches was that Burge, Kern and their writers used this as an excuse for them to be obligated to "fight evil and protect innocents". No one should be "obligated" to do something like that. Even police officers are not obligated. The reason cops have this "duty" to protect innocents, (etc.) is because they MADE THE CHOICE to pursue that profession. They were not obligated to do so, because they were born with special powers or whatever. And even if they were born with special powers, I still believe that fighting crime should be A CHOICE on their part, not an obligation.
I feel the same regarding characters like the Halliwells, Buffy and certain costumed heroes like Spider-Man. The Halliwells do their little supernatural fighting because they feel that their powers and the Book of Shadows make them obligated to do so. Buffy seems to believe that having Slayer strength makes her obligated to hunt and kills demons of all kind. Spider-Man fights crime out of guilt for his part in his uncle's death. None of these characters are engaging in their activities BECAUSE THEY WANT TO or BECAUSE THEY CHOSE TO DO SO without any outside or inner pressures.
Now, I still like S1, because I like the early chemistry between the three leads, some of the stories and T.W. King. But I had hoped that the show would evolve beyond the simply morality of that first season . . . and it had failed to.
I realized that nothing could be done about the whole concept of the Halliwells being born witches, but I had hoped that the show would grow more complex and that the sisters would realize that they were not obligated to fight demons, warlocks, etc. Unfortunately, the show had failed to evolve beyond that mindset and I grew disenchanted with it. Then I stopped watching the show.
I'm sorry if you don't understand from where my attitude is coming from. But you see, I don't understand the attitude that someone has to fight evil due to acquiring powers via "accident of birth" or in Spidey's case, an accident. That does not make any sense to me. Nor does it make sense that I should accept this attitude because it is prevalent amongst shows and movies like CHARMED and BUFFY.
Dude, you are so in the wrong genre. And in a turn that'll surprise no one at all familiar with the Charmed-fandom, this is all from a frickin' McMahoniac, or whatever they're actually called, if they're called anything at all.
If not for the personal attacks and snotty attitude in the wrong thread, I'd say they've got a leg to stand on in terms of asking why, but, uh, dude, you are the last person I want bitten by a radioactive spider. :P
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2008-01-23 04:18 pm (UTC)It doesn't make sense to compare Buffy or the Charmed Ones to cops. Cops have the same abilities as civilians, aside from the ability to bust people and shoot at them and all that. Superheroes rise above normal humanity. That's the whole reason why they're plights are so interesting.
And if you look at the first season of Charmed, a lot of their adventures weren't about saving innocents. It was about them being attacked and trying to defend themselves. Or discovering new supernatural pitfalls. Jeremy, Dream Sorcerer, Nick -- came looking for them. Javna, Woogie, Wendigo -- they accidentally stumble onto. But once they got their magical footing and demons realized it was foolish to attack them directly, they couldn't just stand by and not help others. They tried at the end of Season 7 and they couldn't stay out of it. Even when they had Billie.
The point that this person isn't getting is that people with superpowers, or the ones who are focused on in TV/comics/movies, can't sit idly by because it is not in their nature. That's why they are heroes and not just people-with-powers. That is why they get their own show and we're not watching "Witches Who Sit" or "Buffy the Bed Layer Onner."
I agree with you. Clearly this poster is in the wrooooong genre.