BTVS's misogyny and sexism is more apparent in wake of Joss Whedon abuse allegations

[TMC]

https://www.salon.com/2021/02/18/buf...e-allegations/

Charisma Carpenter's accusations last week "felt like déjà vu to me, like I was stuck in the Buffy episode where time keeps repeating," says Alison Stine. "I thought Carpenter had already come forward — but maybe I was remembering how her character was totally annihilated and died off-camera? (Most pregnant characters on Whedon's shows suffered similar fates.) Or maybe I was remembering the allegations from Whedon's ex-wife Kai Cole of serial cheating and decades of psychological abuse? Or maybe I was just paying attention to the show, which wears its misogyny on its sleeve. Casual sexism seeps through most episodes, certainly each one written or directed by Whedon; my partner and I realized early on we could tell. Is there a joke about breasts? A joke conflating witchcraft with lesbianism? Is Xander (played by Nicolas Brendon, who has not commented on the abuse claims) aggressively pursuing Buffy even though she has repeatedly expressed disinterest? As a teenager, the sexism of Buffy, which I watched faithfully, was such a part of my own daily life, it barely registered. Whedon's show kinda seemed to hate women — but didn't everyone?" ALSO: Whedon showed what he thought of females in Dollhouse, which relied on the abuse, exploitation and objectification of women.

[RetroGuy2000]

This article is really weird. I never found Buffy sexist, and millions found it empowering. What went on behind the scenes, however, with Charisma, is wrong. And the thing is, even at the time, had the viewers known, there would have been backlash.