"It's racist, but..."

Tumblr Post: http://melinapendulum.tumblr.com/post/14746554290/its-racist-but

Fangs For Fantasy: Social Justice Review Site: http://www.fangsforthefantasy.com/

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[amyrat151]

About Buffy...all slayers die. I don't understand why this is an issue. All slayers die and there's a short turn over rate because of their occupation, it doesn't matter what race they are. There were white slayers who died too.

[MelinaPendulum]

@amyrat151 On Buffy, there were no recurring characters of color until season seven. The only past Slayers we see on the show are Nikki Wood (black) and Xin Rong (Asian) and they are killed off to prove points about Slayers. Then we Kendra (black) who is killed off and then replaced with Faith (white). We never see any white Slayers die (except Buffy who comes back). The First Slayer is the only black character on the show before season 7 who doesn't appear just to die soon after.

[amyrat151]

@MelinaPendulum

Also Nikki wasn't just for killing off since she motivated and informed Robin's character. Fun fact about Robin Wood, the writers didn't know if Robin was going to be a man or a woman till they cast a man in the part. So he was really written as a character first not "the black guy in season 7."

[MelinaPendulum]

@amyrat151 This issue is not why or how the characters were killed, which I think people don't get. MY whole point is that those are the only characters of color we got and they were killed off. It doesn't matter how or why, because by killing them off it's a continuation of bringing in token character to be killed off, by one means or another. Both Kendra and Nikki died to prove a point about other characters (or "fridged") them people women of color makes it problematic.

[MelinaPendulum]

@amyrat151 Also, I'm not saying that they made Robin "the black guy in season 7" (although he most certainly ended up that way), either way. The issue has nothing to do with the show by itself, it's a larger picture. POC do not live in a vacuum there are stereotypes about them that have been perpetuated throughout the media and by killing off Kendra/Nikki/Xin it is a continuation of that, regardless of intention. It doesn't make Buffy or Whedon racist, but it's still a race issue.

[BabesinBookland]

I love love love this video!!! Will be making a response to it! <3 - Chichi

[UnnamedAssaliant]

Can I just say I HATE MERLIN

Not the show the character

I SAID IT ONCE AND I WILL SAY IT AGAIN!!!!

Merlin = UNCLE TOM

Uther = HITLER (Genocide on a massive scale)

[MizzDiamonds]

i love fangs for the fantasy Paul Renee and Tami make me laugh. You can like it and watch it but you have to be mindful and weary of it

[cloudvol7]

@jawanza72 I think that's a good point, is that there probably need's to be more black sci fi,and fantasy fan's,ones that write letter's to fix this problem.I wouldn't mind seeing someone like Denzel washington in a fantasy or a Sci fi film,he was great in Book of Eli,or Hally Berry too.But I think it's bad in fantasy series's the most,because they don't like to take risk's,a popular Fantasy film makes way for a clone like series.Look at Twilight,and Vampire diaries,and Buffy was a movie first.

[jawanza72]

In the end I think our best bet is to write and promote black fantasy Authors. David Anthony Durham's Acacia series was good, Octavia Butler (RIP) wrote several good sci/fi novels with strong black characters. I don't think you will see a noticeable change until more of us become interested in scifi/fantasy. More black Authors and more black fans will change things for the better.

[jawanza72]

Robin hood prince of thieves had Morgan Freeman in it. He was written into the story in a believable way and the character helped to make the movie. I have not seen the new camelot series so I don't know the story of the black character in it. I am all for more inclusion of blacks in Scifi/fantasy. Sci/fi seems to be doing a better job at it then fantasy.

[amyrat151]

@MelinaPendulum

Kendra wasn't just for killing off. Kendra's appearance showed that the slayer line had been altered and she was also foil to Buffy, so was Faith. Faith may be white and American but she's still from a whole other world, from Buffy's pov. Kendra was the traditional slayer who's all business and Faith lived the violence and the fight even when she wasn't slaying. Buffy had to find her own balance between the two.