The hyperbolic emphasis on shirt choice highlighted how grief can make mundane tasks such as picking out a shirt seem of monumental importance.
Still I could put it into a video of liberal, hippie propaganda as to why our culture is sooo damaged by consumerism. Your friends mom just died and you really are worried about what you are going to wear? Although it may have been an interesting detail, maybe a character like Cordelia would worry about something so shallow but not Willow. The trait of worrying about a shirt seems vapid to building on Willow's character. Who is supposed to be sincere and nerdy. Right? I may be over-simplifying though given Willow didn't respond to grief by going on a shopping spree.
This is just me nitpicking. After watching What Would Jesus Buy? (netflix link) last night made me think Willow's shirt fiasco. The movie is about Rev. Billy Talen and his choir traveling all over the country to deliver the message that the "Shopapocalypse" (over-spending at Christmas) must end. Rev. Billy seems a bit nutty, but I feel the overall message of the movie is positive. Nothing like a movie that highlights U.S. obsession with overspending on Christmas to make a girl want to rant about Buffy. I guess.
7 comments:
you make a good point by saying that the worrying about clothes is something Cordelia, but not Willow would do. It does portray the Willow's confusion as petty and untrue to her character... But tis endearing at the same time! I guess I'll just keep my stay in my nice cozy spot on the fence for this one. Its just easier that way. :)
I'll have to disagree. I thought that Willow worrying about what to wear fit her character pretty well. I think it was more grief than anything else. I think that if Cordelia would have acted like that it might come off more as a self-absorbed statement since she is the type to worry about clothes on a regualr basis. Interesting point though.
I'll have to disagree as well. I think that Willow worrying about small details is a very common coping technique. People who are grieving generally tend to focus on smaller details to avoid or escape the bigger picture, which will inevitably lead to an emotional breakdown and an inability to cope. A personal example I can share is that when my aunt died, I was only 9 years old, and the only thing I really truly recall from the funeral is that the tissues were orange instead of white, and this, for some reason, bothered me.
Sounds like a fierce movie. Willow annoys me on a regular basis, but I must admit that her focus on small details does seem to fit her character. She seems to be the most in denial apart from Dawn, fitting with my impression of her being the most childish character.
Roxanne, I get what you're saying about coping techniques. I just feel that everyone elses' reactions matched more of what I know of their character in that scene.
Xander punching a wall seems fitting given he seems to be defensive and is well... a dude. I've seen enough males punch holes in walls for dumb reasons to believe it.
Anya's humor is perfectly fitting for her character. I find it an interesting way to discuss the theme of grief by having a character just try to understand it.
Dawn's character actually grows within this episode. From the scene where she is crying over something as superficial as being called a "freak" or "freaky" to grieving over something more real.
And Willow's girlfriend being quiet and awkward b/c she isn't that close to Buffy makes sense. It is interesting that they show empathy is usually the best thing you can do for someone in the grieving process. At the age of these characters though, most of them haven't experienced death.
This confusion may just go with me not getting Willow's character completely. This class is my first exposure to Joss Whedon, so I've apparently missed a lot of character development that can go by in five seasons.
Holly-
So right about Dawn's character growth, from the initial tears over a classmates cruel words, to the numbness we see as she sees her mothers body is such and incredible and heartbreaking transformation, Dawn is exactly what I feel like a young women in her place would have done, and that is just honest, but hard to watch.
Another really interesting post and smart comments--a great conversation going here.
Also--orange tissues? That IS weird.
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