I can’t even read Mark’s post about “The Gift” without crying. 

I just really, really, really, really, really, really, really really love Buffy Summers more than any other fictional character ever, and I really love her more than about 98% of the real people I’ve known in my life, okay?

LOL at all the “serious academic” Buffy fans shitting all over the Mark Watches Buffy reviews. 

red-sky:

As someone who enjoys BOTH the serious hardcore meta analyzing of the show and Mark’s capslock flailing reviews, it is so clearly, clearly obvious that the “Serious Meta Writers” dislike Mark’s reviews not because his reviews aren’t “deep enough” or just aren’t “interesting enough.”

They dislike them because he is getting paid for what they consider to be less work.

That’s simply it. There’s no other explanation for being so goddamn bitter and snippy and harshly critiquing a body of work that is enjoyable, fun, and harmless. Mark is someone whose job is being a blogger with a certain niche. His niche is cataloging his reactions to TV shows he’s never seen before.  NO ONE WATCHES AN EPISODE OF A TV SHOW FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME THINKING ABOUT HOW THIS AFFECTS THE OVERALL ARC OR THEME OF THE SHOW OR THE CHARACTER OR THE PARALLELS BETWEEN THIS EPISODE AND THAT ONE. THESE SORT OF FEELS COME LATER, AFTER YOU’VE HAD TIME TO DIGEST THE EPISODE. Mark’s reviews are his VERY FIRST INITIAL REACTIONS AFTER WATCHING AN EPISODE. Of course they’re not going to be fully of super serious meta critique.

And the incredibly pressed snips at how they don’t care to read about Mark’s life? Two things about that. 1. Mark’s job is to be a blogger. The job description for being a blogger is taking a topic, discussing that topic, and how that topic relates to you, your life, and your experiences. 2. If you’re not interested in hearing his stories about how he relates to Buffy, or how he relates to certain episodes like Phases because of his sexuality, then here’s a helpful tip; stop reading his reviews.

And I say this as someone who is NOT a follower of him. I of course knew who he was thanks to the AFI fandom, but I didn’t start actively reading his blog until he began to review Buffy. Even now, I only read the Buffy/Angel reviews because I’m not interested in the other shows/books he reviews.

Simply put, Mark’s reviews are a harmless, enjoyable, and fun look into seeing someone discover Buffy for the first time. Buffy fans are just pissed off because THEY’RE not getting paid to fangirl/fanboy/fanperson. This is especially the case because it’s not like Mark is spouting outrageous opinions. So what if he flipped out over The Initiative? So what if he likes Riley for right now? I’m so sorry that he’s not doing Buffy fandom correctly, in that you HAVE to love Spike or Angel, not both at the same time, and you must NEVER EVER EVER ADMIT TO LIKING RILEY. I’m so sorry that he gets excited over episodes that have nothing to do with your Precious Flawless Amazing Perfect Bleach Blonde Hero (even though Mark DOES get excited every time Spike shows up and DOES like Spike, but he doesn’t WORSHIP THE VERY GROUND SPIKE WALKS ON SO OMG HE’S NOT A GOOD FAN AND IS SO TOTALLY ANNOYING!). 

But seeing as he is also a person, just like you, serious meta Buffy fans, he is allowed to like what he likes. You’re just incredibly, incredibly pressed that he’s getting paid for something you want to be paid for yourself. So drop the condescending shit and just admit it already.

I feel that this is relevant to reblog again, considering the reactions of some fans after his review of The Body. I know that the Buffy fandom had no idea who Mark was before he started the Buffy watches series, but Mark is a guy that’s developed a serious following from back when he was working for Buzznet and was heavily involved in the AFI fandom. Over time, that following has grown thanks to his series regarding Twilight, Harry Potter, and Battlestar Galactica. That following he has gained is because of the insights into his life and his experiences.

So newsflash: THIS IS WHAT BLOGGERS DO. THEY DEVELOP FOLLOWINGS BASED ON THE INSIGHTS INTO THEIR LIVES. I know that Tumblr is different, but this is pretty standard for blogs OUTSIDE of Tumblr/LJ.

So please get over yourselves, I know you’re pressed because he’s getting paid for this and becoming “famous” for it and has a tour in which people pay to see him, but get over it. As someone who’s not a huge follower and was watching Buffy before a good chunk of the fanbase was born, I’d rather read this “outsider’s” opinion and how the show relates to his life than read more pointless drivel about how hot Spike is or how Buffy is such a bitch, etc etc etc.