Since it's Friday, I'm not going to apologize for my descent into nerdblogging: Latoya Peterson delves into the very binary approaches to sex in recent vampire offerings True Blood and Twilight as compared to Buffy The Vampire Slayer. In both series, sex is spiked with danger. A man’s protection and a woman’s desire are intimately connected to violence. Sookie frequently finds herself the subject of Bill’s wrath while he is trying to protect her. In Twilight, Edward’s penchant for pointing out all the ways in which he could maim Bella by accident borders on S & M foreplay. This would have never gone down with Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
I haven't, and won't, watch Twilight, but I actually prefer the portrayal of vampires in True Blood to Buffy in one sense--vampires' lack of free will in the latter show always disturbed me. The evil vampires in True Blood are evil by choice. But I'm definitely missing the subversive approach to gender Buffy brought to the table. Nevertheless, Peterson argues there's something of the good sex/bad sex dynamic in Buffy as well:
In Buffy, there is also a slight whiff of the virginity good/sex bad dynamic. (Creator Joss Whedon caught heat for having Angel turn evil after they consummated their relationship.)
I think this misunderstands that moment. Everyone knows someone who lost their virginity to some jerk who said they loved them and then made a complete about face once they got what they wanted--the dynamic there is more about the pitfalls of adolescent intimacy than a qualitative judgment about sex in general. While Xander also has something of a traumatic semi-consensual encounter with Faith, both of Willow's initial experiences--with Oz, and then Tara--are positive. Sex is "bad" on the show only when the personal motivations involved are selfish--like when Buffy uses Spike for emotional and physical intimacy. I think that's a far more realistic take than either True Blood or Twilight are offering.
-- A. Serwer
