#also unrelated but they seem to have relaxed/loosened up a lot ever since they stopped using their main blog and I'm happy for them

[apollo-cackling]

[You often see it claimed that] season 6 is pessimistic and I actually don't agree. It's heavy, harsh, and dark, but I believe at the end of the day that this is actually one of the most optimistic seasons the show has ever produced, which is why I want to close this discussion off by focusing a bit on the show's tone. It gets dark, [and] if you were put off by these darker tones and themes, I can't say I blame you, but in a way I think that's why the season works so well. Contrary to escapist or comfort media, which offers an easy refuge from real life struggles, season 6 embraces conflict and human imperfection. There's nothing inherently wrong with wanting your art to be comforting, of course, [...] but at least in my opinion, a lot of what bills itself as escapist comfort media does so because it asks us to specifically look away from life's problems. #notallescapism obviously, but there's this sentiment that's gained traction lately which posits that the creation and consumption of such media is almost a form of resistance itself, and I'm not personally fond of that. Being cozy or wholesome or whatever becomes almost a moral prescription. I know creators whose work has been categorized that way who hate it for that same reason. Jay Dragon, designer of the amazing ttrpg Wanderhome (you really should check it out) has talked about how their work being labelled as wholesome can not only often imply a sort of derision toward works that focus on pain, but can also create limiting expectations for their art. And indeed, I've increasingly seen works that like to categorize themselves as cozy or hopepunk not just as a way of self-labelling but as an implied condemnation of uncomfortable or darker fiction. There's this pervasive implication that focusing on darkness, [and/or] not using fiction as a way to envision a better world is in some way contributing to harm. It suggests that there's this inherent virtue in optimism and depicting coziness that surpasses all else. That's not to say critics of Buffy season 6 should be painted under this light, of course — not at all — but I do think season 6 is an excellent response to it. Season 6 confronts this ideology head on by presenting a narrative steeped in realism and darker themes. It doesn't just offer escape or easy answers, it challenges the viewer by illustrating the complexities of life with a starkness that's often uncomfortable. And at the end of the day, despite all the pain and tears it gives us what I think is actually an incredibly hopeful message: life is still worth living. I haven't dealt with the exact same things Buffy has — I didn't die and come back to life twice (it was just the one time for me) — but I have been in those times where nothing seems to be going right where I just watch my bank account go down and wonder if I'll have enough to make it through it all. I've dealt with struggling with my mental health in a way I don't feel like I can approach others with, even the people I love the most, out of fear for how they'll feel. I've engaged in self-destructive behavior to give myself a temporary boost in feeling, or just to feel it. All these are all things that I and probably a lot of you have been through, and it sucks and we all know it sucks, but here in Buffy there's catharsis, something that tells me life is hard: sometimes you will struggle with depression, you will struggle with money, your friends will be imperfect support systems, but life is still worth it. It resonates far more with me than something that tells me life is always awesome, and your friends are always going to be awesome and perfect, and so you should be happy with life. I know that isn't always true. If you're going to tell me to smile, I need to know you see me first. Season 6 sees me first. Dawn and Buffy pull each other out of their grave, Xander pulls Willow from the brink. It will be dark. We are still human. We should still live.

so I finally got around to watching the new sarah z video. it's. good.