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Necrophilia and SM: The Deviant Side of Buffy the Vampire Slayer

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  • 14-03-2011 9:28pm
    #1
    Faith
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 30,655 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    I was doing some research for my thesis earlier, and I came across a paper entitled "Necrophilia and SM: The Deviant Side of Buffy the Vampire Slayer" :D. It's hilarious!
    FROM ITS INCEPTION, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER HAS CONTAINED A sadomasochistic subtext and presentation of necrophilia as with- in the range of normal sexual expression. Buffy’s sexual encoun- ter with Angel, despite its negative outcome, was presented as the ‘‘natural’’ culmination of their love for each other; that she was tech- nically making love with a corpse was overlooked entirely by the au- dience. There also have been numerous SM references throughout the years by several of the characters, from Willow’s joking reference to playing ‘‘mistress of pain’’ with Oz (‘‘Dopplegangland’’) to Angel’s voiced regret that he and Buffy never tried chains (‘‘Enemies’’); how- ever, in season six, the roles of SM and necrophilia escalate and take center stage in Buffy’s relationship with Spike.

    ...

    Over the years, a staple of BtVS has been Buffy’s relationship with vampire lovers—first Angel and then Spike. The connection between love and death and the acceptance of the undead or necrophilic lover has been presented, for the most part, as something not out of the ordinary. Buffy’s liaisons with Angel and Spike put a new spin on the old ideas of necrophilia, not the least of which is our acceptance of what psychologists refer to as deviant, antisocial behavior. In a majority of vampire films, the hint of necrophilia is always present; however, it is rarely, if ever, acted upon. In BtVS, though, the sexual attraction of the vampire has been emphasized from the beginning through Buffy’s innocent schoolgirl love for Angel—whom she does not discover is a vampire until after she falls in love with him—and through the sexual undercurrents present in most of her interactions with Spike. Of course, unlike traditional corpses, these men are animated, witty, and, oh, yes—very, very HOT.

    If you have access to a library or something, you should look it up :D

    Journal of Popular Culture, May2005, Vol. 38 Issue 4, p744-762; , 19p


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    #2
    nyarlothothep
    Registered Users Posts: 5,176 ✭✭✭nyarlothothep


    What the author seems to miss is that vampires are undead not dead! So the necrophilia aspect goes out the window. As for S&M, so two bits of dialogue which could be interpreted as such constitute a thematic subtext for it? And Buffy's relationship with Spike was just mutually abusive, it wasn't about freaky sex games. Some people just read into things what isn't there (ie everything is a Freudian phallus although sometimes a torpedo is just a torpedo) although humanities academics do this to justify their jobs!


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