Shades of Gray: Examples of Ethics, or Lack Thereof, in Buffy

I recently read a meta that raises an interesting point. What the monks did in creating Dawn, foisting a complete personality on her, is exactly what Topher does to the dolls in The Dollhouse. It's ethically problematic at best, if not downright evil. (Example: Dawn doesn't even have enough free will to choose her favorite color; it comes pre-programmed.)

I don't believe that the ethics of it are ever questioned in BtVS. Dawn was made into a human girl in order to prevent an apocalypse. Period. Sort of like Buffy sent Angel – now resouled – into Hell to prevent an apocalypse. So where is the line? It's okay as long as it does enough good? I don't have much more than questions so I'll go into a few examples.

Faith, in Consequences, about stabbing Alan Finch: "Buffy, I'm not gonna *see* anything. I missed the mark last night and I'm sorry about the guy. I really am! But it happens! Anyway, how many people do you think we've saved by now, thousands? And didn't you stop the world from ending? Because in my book, that puts you and me in the plus column."

Willow is also an interesting example when she's changing people's minds. Willow, because she's so convinced she is in the right, does not see the ethical issues of changing memories.

Anya as a vengeance demon. Notice that it's vengeance and not justice. Also notice how often the women making the wishes are harmed by them, for example the woman almost devoured after her ex has been turned into a giant worm demon. Are there any cases where the wishes that Anya granted didn't hurt the wisher?

The Initiative plays nicely with this theme as well. Soldiers such as Riley just assume their work is going toward the greater good. Military secrecy makes it easier to hide the less than ethical aspects of what's going on.

This secrecy aspect is played for comedic effect when Buffy thinks the Doublemeat burgers are made from demon bodies.

I think I'm getting away from any kind of a point, assuming I ever had one. Maybe the point is that BtVS shows us examples of things that should raise red flags. Maybe the point is that we're supposed to look more closely, not only at Buffy, but at our own lives.

rec: sentient buffybot

A rec reminded me of this story and I had to go hunting for it: I was made for loving you baby
Missing internal links so come back here to navigate: One:  In the Beginning / Two: Trouble the Waters / Three: Viva Las Vegas / Four: Substitute / Five: Dancing in the Streets / Six: Erase and Rewind / Seven: Everybody hurts

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I think. I think I am. I am Buffy. I am not  Buffy . Dawn is my sister. Dawn is Buffy's sister. I love Spike. I am programmed to go to  Willow when I am damaged. I don't think I know of a breed of humans this small. I helped make lunch today. Peanut butter and jelly.

Humans consume sandwiches. The size of a human stomach is finite. Humans cease consumption when the stomach is full. They do not consume more until they have used the food within their stomach and created space for more food. This process is called digestion.

Dawn has consumed pancakes for breakfast. She will have used most of that material by lunchtime but not all. There will be space for three sandwiches. Preparing more than three sandwiches would be wasteful. Sandwiches require bread and butter/peanut butter and a filling such as jelly. Bread and butter and filling have to be obtained by exchanging money for the goods. The supply of money available to the inhabitants of 1630 Revello Drive is finite. Making sandwiches surplus to requirements reduces the money available for other necessities. Tomorrow I will make three sandwiches and then I will stop and make no more sandwiches. I do not need to be instructed to stop.

I have made a decision.

I HAVE MADE A DECISION.

(no subject)

Day 5

In your own space, talk about a creator. Show us why you think they are amazing. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

Marcus Rowland is the king, no make that god, of crossovers. I mean it. Who else could write three as varying fandoms as Buffy, Galaxy Quest, and the Avengers in one 100 word drabble? And make it work? Honestly. That story is a thing of beauty.

Who else would even think to cross Wallace & Gromit with Buffy? Okay, Beer Good Foamy - whom I adore for crossing Buffy with Welcome to Night Vale - may have had that thought, but I'm pretty sure nobody else has.

I'm not even going to try to list all of the fandoms in Who Are You Gonna Call? Suffice it to say that Coulson, even as a ghost, is on the side of good.

Okay, now I'm just browsing but ... Oh. My. Goddess. He wrote a Lensman story. Not only that, he crossed the Lensman series with Battlestar Galactica. If I weren't too old, I'd be offering to bear his children for this alone.