A lot of it was in how confidentally she carried herself, whereas Michelle did more have that awkwardness and gawky body language that we generally associate with teens
Oddly enough Eliza looking "older" as Faith then works to advantage in S7, when Sarah is looking more her own age than Buffy's - then they match up very well and still seem the same age.
But then I can think of a few moments in S3 where Faith seems younger and sweeter (waiting at the window for Buffy & drawing the heart on the glass in Bad Girls for instance, and she's so disarming in those moments.)
but i do think there's a certain amount of the old stereotype with Faith that middle and upper class people have held for probably hundreds of years about the supposed sexual precociousness of lower class women (peasants, immigrants, WOC, etc) which allowed people to dismiss but also use such women without a thought in terms of sexual intercourse (servants, slaves, mistresses, prostitutes) and not have to justify it later.
I suppose it can be argued that the protective urges towards Dawn just naturally carried over from how they remembered always treating her
And again, her entire family has just died within less than a year (And Buffy violently so to save Dawn) so being overprotective and wanting to be sympathetic comes naturally; none of the SG are parents themselves and are barely 20yrs old. The only one I assume has caregiver experience would be Tara for her mom, but she was also a child at the time. Giles doesn't know how to parent.
And I think what I said about Dawn's memories not based in physical fact could also be applied to Buffy and the SG - they haven't had to deal with the physical reality behind the supposed memories and are just learning.
Weirdly enough none of that impulse to be sympathetic and overprotective comes Buffy's way after she's resurrected but I think there's a kernel of RL truth to that (although the show handled it badly sometimes for comedy and pushed it to extremes): strong, capable women are assumed to be able to handle all the shit and responsibilities that come their way, to handle everything and women are encouraged to do just that. To NOT ask for help, so that when a woman is finally is able to, the people around her don't know how to give it or there is no one around to even ask. (My mom endured that, people saying "Oh she's strong she'll be fine" through two abusive marriages, two divorces, widowhood, four small kids, etc.)
Asking for help is actually considered a weakness.
But boy did Dawn tick me off sometimes in S6, identity issues or no, and I love the Summers sisters, BUT - I wanted Buffy to delegate and tell Dawn to get her skinny ass out to the garbage cans or something. Your sister sacrificed her LIFE for you? Show some RESPECT. But then again I was a latchkey kid out of necessity with my siblings from the time I was quite young, so there are areas where I have sympathy with Dawn but not much patience at the same time. (So ok, not entirely objective here.)
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rosecarmine
(no subject)
Date: 2013-07-29 08:51 pm (UTC)Oddly enough Eliza looking "older" as Faith then works to advantage in S7, when Sarah is looking more her own age than Buffy's - then they match up very well and still seem the same age.
But then I can think of a few moments in S3 where Faith seems younger and sweeter (waiting at the window for Buffy & drawing the heart on the glass in Bad Girls for instance, and she's so disarming in those moments.)
but i do think there's a certain amount of the old stereotype with Faith that middle and upper class people have held for probably hundreds of years about the supposed sexual precociousness of lower class women (peasants, immigrants, WOC, etc) which allowed people to dismiss but also use such women without a thought in terms of sexual intercourse (servants, slaves, mistresses, prostitutes) and not have to justify it later.
I suppose it can be argued that the protective urges towards Dawn just naturally carried over from how they remembered always treating her
And again, her entire family has just died within less than a year (And Buffy violently so to save Dawn) so being overprotective and wanting to be sympathetic comes naturally; none of the SG are parents themselves and are barely 20yrs old. The only one I assume has caregiver experience would be Tara for her mom, but she was also a child at the time. Giles doesn't know how to parent.
And I think what I said about Dawn's memories not based in physical fact could also be applied to Buffy and the SG - they haven't had to deal with the physical reality behind the supposed memories and are just learning.
Weirdly enough none of that impulse to be sympathetic and overprotective comes Buffy's way after she's resurrected but I think there's a kernel of RL truth to that (although the show handled it badly sometimes for comedy and pushed it to extremes): strong, capable women are assumed to be able to handle all the shit and responsibilities that come their way, to handle everything and women are encouraged to do just that. To NOT ask for help, so that when a woman is finally is able to, the people around her don't know how to give it or there is no one around to even ask. (My mom endured that, people saying "Oh she's strong she'll be fine" through two abusive marriages, two divorces, widowhood, four small kids, etc.)
Asking for help is actually considered a weakness.
But boy did Dawn tick me off sometimes in S6, identity issues or no, and I love the Summers sisters, BUT - I wanted Buffy to delegate and tell Dawn to get her skinny ass out to the garbage cans or something. Your sister sacrificed her LIFE for you? Show some RESPECT. But then again I was a latchkey kid out of necessity with my siblings from the time I was quite young, so there are areas where I have sympathy with Dawn but not much patience at the same time. (So ok, not entirely objective here.)