A note on peer-review, and our lovely class

Although I love the idea of peer-review, I haven't always had ideal experiences with the exercise in the past. However, I can honestly say that I enjoyed reading my classmates papers and having them read mine over the course of two classes.

The first day of peer-review, I read two papers (by Anna and Adam) that exposed me to entirely different topics: humor and existentialism! I admired their unique approach to their papers and enjoyed reading them. Both Anna and Adam took an outside concept--both very challenging and broad ones, at that--and applied them specifically and skillfully to Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

The second day of peer-review, I had the pleasure of reading a different batch of papers. What stood out most to me about the second session was the unexpected similarity of my paper and Adam Otto's. Honestly, I was nervous about Adam reading my paper about Willow Rosenberg since he has vocalized and blogged about his distaste for Willow. My paper stemmed from the idea of Willow being impossible to write off and how she deserves careful consideration. I was pleased to read Adam's paper about Cordelia Chase in which he essentially embraces the same premise--there is more to Cordelia than meets the eye and she also deserves thoughtful examination.

From the beginning, our class has been a huge mixture of opinions, voices, and approaches. The papers have been a great culmination of that mixture. Thanks to everyone who read my paper and gave me helpful feedback; I really appreciate it!

Also, I'll just say that I absolutely loved this class--perfectly organized, consistent/fair workload, and oh yeah--FUN. I've noted progress in my own writing, and that feels pretty darn good. So, Dr. H, thank you!

Best wishes to everyone with your papers. I can't wait for the presentations. :)

Express Yourself!!

I'm sorry I didn't get to experience this episode with all of you! I'm sure it would have been more fun! Unfortunately, I had to watch it on my own. I will say that 8 minutes into the program I had the impulse to turn it off. It was right after the guy (with a back up chorus) was in the street singing, "They got the mustard out!" As I was about to press the stop button I remembered that I HAD to watch this episode...and so I did. All I can say is that I don't know what drug Joss Whedon was on when he conjured up the idea of making"Buffy" a musical but he needed to "Just Say No!"

Okay, let's move on. The characters are very honest about their feelings when they sing. Xander and Anya sing about their fears within their relationship. Tara sings about how much Willow completes her (as she rises off the bed like the exorcist girl). Giles sings about worrying he's standing in Buffy's way and Spike just wants to "rest in peace". Then there are the wooden-headed dudes. What do they represent? They have wooden heads and are the only characters who don't sing in this episode. That had to be intentional but why? If singing is honesty then not singing would result in lies. Maybe the wooden-headed dudes are like Pinnochio...they both have wooden heads and lie.

I'm reaching and reaching for symbolism in this episode but coming up empty...I think I just got lost inside the corny music!

Sometimes it's the little things that hurt the most (week 4- The Body)

I was so hurt by the little things in this episode. I have experienced a lot of death. I am not kidding, my mother never spared me open casket wakes, or depressing violent death funerals.

My family has always all gone together to every funeral of every person we have ever met that has ever died.

As the kid of a kind-hearted nurse, I always went to funerals of people I did not know. And let me tell you: I feel as though everything in this episode that deals with how you react and how you feel about death is spot on.

Little things like:

- Xander yelling at Anya when clearly she didn’t understand

- Willow not having the one shirt she wanted

- Xander saying “we help Buffy”

- the parking ticket

All these things are so real and so heartbreaking, and for me especially I related to one in particular, Willow’s reaction to meeting Buffy at the morgue:

The way all the people within the episode are varying levels of closeness to Joyce lets the viewer be able to relate no matter their relative closeness to death. For me, I felt like Willow in this episode, that is the position I have most been in, close to the person who died, but yet I don’t have the right to be the most upset. When I was 17 and my uncle died I had packed for a family vacation the night before and I found myself feeling exactly like Willow as I looked through the mess of clothes in front of my thinking which ones I should put on when the priest and coroner came over to our house. It seems silly, but it is so real, I found myself wanting to cry and laugh so hard at exactly the same time during this part of the episode. When you lose someone one, but it’s not really “your” lose, you feel so much pressure to not seem selfish, and to be put together, and to do everything right for everyone else. Every funeral I have ever gone to for someone in my family I have cried over clothes, it seems stupid but I’ll admit it.

You want power, you need to control something, and yes, you feel terrible about it. Hopefully you will have someone who loves you like Tara there to understand and to let you react how ever you need to.

OMG what should I wear to the morgue? Why I wanted to smack Willow in this part of the episode.

Firstly, let me say I'm probably being over-critical of the writers' choice to make this part of the episode. Willows desire to wear the perfect shirt to somehow comfort Buffy seemed sort of realistic and it was somewhat endearing. Little details like that can make character interesting.

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.