Views about tara

[BFR from Paris]

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Tara is definitely more of a cult figure because she has always been on the sidelines in Buffy, been missing from the credits etc. and also I guess because she has always been a bit mysterious in some ways.

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I totally agree with you there!



And I also understand why some people wouldn't like her and think she's boring... After all, I don't like Xander and I think he's boring



I really couldn't explain why I love Tara so much, but I can definitely relate to her shyness and her outsider feeling



And of course she's so beautiful and cuddly



I'll miss her on screen but I'll definitely keep on reading her adventures in Pens!

[Tara22]

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I really couldn't explain why I love Tara so much, but I can definitely relate to her shyness and her outsider feeling

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me too! It's really hard to explain, but I relate to lots of things about her...

Tara: Every time I... even when I'm at my worst, you
always make me feel special. How
do you do that?





Willow: Magic

[Mrs Vertigo]

You know what, themagicpixie, that's really interesting right there. What is it about Tara/AB that's *more* cult-y than Willow/AH? There have always been interesting sideline characters on every tv show... I can't even begin to count them, they're a constant. But Tara has a HUGE fandom.



Anybody's got a theory about that? I'd love to hear your takes on it, as I really can't quite explain it.

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“You know, if you weren’t such a bitch-queen from hell you and I would’ve gotten along just fine” – Me making with the friendly at Glory, in a dream where I was Buffy and she was crucifying me.

[Urn of Osiris]

Tara touches so many insecurities that most people can relate to. Being an outsider, in almost every situation during S4 she found her place by the end of S5. She confronted every fear and overcame them without trampling over the innocent. She was tough and tender, never cruel and always forgiving. She is who you'd want as a best friend. The true essence of humanity. She is how you'd hope to one day be.

Damn, What's not to like.

Urn of Osiris
_________________**

"Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses."
— George Washington Carver
Voice your opinion about Tara http://www.petitiononline.com/Tara/petition.html

[Sheridan]

Willow was in a way a classic TV device, in that she was obviously very attractive but they kitted her out in dowdy clothes and you aren't supposed to notice, the 'Clark Kent' syndrome if you will. Tara seemed more solid, more real in someways than any of the other characters, pretty but not in a Hollywood way.

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Willow: ...I have to tell you....

Tara: No, I understand you have to be with the
person you l-love

Willow: I am

[Mrs Vertigo]

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the 'Clark Kent' syndrome if you will

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humm. but if so, her 'secret identity' has been pretty much blown to hell in the end of season 3, with the whole "makeover" and boyfriend-in-a-band thing. do you think that was still Joss's outline for her up to S6? i'm curious...

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“You know, if you weren’t such a bitch-queen from hell you and I would’ve gotten along just fine...” – Me making with the friendly at Glory, in a dream where I was Buffy and she was crucifying me.

[Sheridan]

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humm. but if so, her 'secret identity' has been pretty much blown to hell in the end of season 3, with the whole "makeover" and boyfriend-in-a-band thing. do you think that was still Joss's outline for her up to S6? i'm curious

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I think by then the secret was out, and may have played a part in the orignal blueprint for Tara. She took on some of the characteristics of early Willow in her shyness and being more grounded than the others. I really don't think Joss originally planned the big romance, Tara was simply someone to make Willow happy until Oz came back. Chemistry and SG's movie career changed his mind. As to S6 and what happened with Willow I think Willow's character development had become a problem, it was increasingly hard to portray Willow as a 'sidekick' when she had more power than the Slayer, so something has to be done...

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Willow: ...I have to tell you....

Tara: No, I understand you have to be with the
person you l-love

Willow: I am

[sam7777]

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it was increasingly hard to portray Willow as a 'sidekick' when she had more power than the Slayer, so something has to be done...

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I addition, they wanted to protray the 3 nerds as a real threat and wanted to kill someone to do that. Tara was the easy choice because the actress was not a regular with a contract for season 7. So far the major characters that have died have all been recurring characters: Tara, Joyce, Jenny Calendar.

I see dead lesbian cliches.

Edited by: sam7777  at: 9/23/02 5:07:50 pm

[SisterDebMac]

I think the following from Amber's Q&A at Sidewalk explains perfectly well why I love Tara. Because Amber's words about her own feelings toward life could very easily be Tara's. What we have here, people is a kind of osmosis. What was little more than a character sketch on the page (and perhaps always a pllot device) as brought to living, breathing reality by a remarkably talented, brilliant, soulful and beautiful actress. If you change one name in this quote --- from Patrice to Xander --- it could be Tara talking.



I didn't hear the question that provoked this heartfelt answer and I would love to know what it was so if anybody got that, please post it.



Amber 9/22/02:



"You know what, life is short. And this film is actually dedicated to a really close friend of mine who passed away. She was thirty years old and she had cancer and one minute she was fine and the next minute she was gone. And that really hit home and made me realize that we are here such a short amount of time. And we're all interconnected. We're all human beings and we all go to the bathroom and we all have to eat --- Patrice a little bit more than the rest of us --- but (he's gonne hurt me later). But, you know, it's how you treat people. Regardless of who they're sleeping with, who they're in love with, what they do for a living, what color they are, what religion they're into. You know you gotta treat them with respect and compassion, how you would treat yourself. If I died tomorrow, I know that I'd be happy with how I lived my life. I've never purposely gone out to take somebody out. Well, maybe in elementary school once I did try and trip somebody, but it wasn't anything---, okay, I digress. But, you have to treat people like people, and treat them well, that's all we have. We have each other. That's it. It's a short amount of time we have."



That's why I love Tara.



Deb

[Kendahl897]

God, I wish Amber could get this message through to Joss...

[emma peel]

SisterDebMac, I believe Amber is speaking about J.D.Peralta,who was Marti's Assistant on Buffy. The episode "Wrecked" that Marti wrote was dedicated to J.D.Peralta, as well as Amber's film "Chance."

I found this link :www.innerbuffy.homestead....vies.html, indicating J.D. had a part in "Chance," however, I don't remember seeing a bar scene during the screening.

Janice

By the way,SisterDebMac,it was nice to meet you at the Mill Saturday night.

[themagicpixie]

I think there are lots of reasons why Tara is more of a "cult-y" figure than Willow... Hey, I could make a little list instead of studying Law. Anyone agree with me over these?



1. Amber Benson has never been in the credits (apart from *sniff * Seeing Red). So this made her more of an "underground" character, if you will... her name isn't on the back of the video boxes, etc, and when you watch an episode you are waiting for her name to come up as a guest star to know if she'll be on. Plus, a lot of time in magazine reviews or TV documentaries about "Buffy", she isn't interviewed.



2. Amber Benson is less of a mainstream actress than Alyson Hannigan - I think American Pie brought AH to non-Buffy audiences' attention (certainly in the UK, anyway) - but "Buffy" is very much AB's big TV break... if you are a fan of hers you really have to scout around for her other appearances, rather than checking out the local multiplex.



3. Tara is gay, and not gay in the sense Willow is, that is, after having a boyfriend etc. Of course sexuality is a very big spectrum but a lot of young gay people maybe don't know anyone else who hasn't really been all that interested in the opposite sex at all, and who have always been gay. It is unusual in female characters on TV, at least ones that stick around more than one episode after "turning" a straight girl! If you are a young lesbian and everyone around you has boyfriends etc or has had them, and you can't relate to that... you can relate to Tara, who shows absolutely no interest in men sexually or romantically and who is secure in her sexuality and the fact she loves Willow.



4. Tara has been victimised but is a strong character at heart. Her mother is dead; her father and brother appear to emotionally and physically abuse her; she stammers, intially; she has to deal with her sexuality and the issues that brings; she's a witch... she's an outsider and a victim in a multitude of ways, but she's still a good person and over the course of the series grew in confidence. Look at her stand up to Anya in OAFA, the way she makes fun of Spike... you wouldn't have predicted that in Season 4! You really root for this girl.



5. Tara was made into more of a victim by the people who make "Buffy". She's always on the fringes of the Scooby Gang... she is brainsucked by Glory in "Tough Love" and now she is dead. This increases her cult status... being an outsider, being attacked, and sadly, being killed off. Have you seen how many Tara websites they are, how many people want her back?



6. Amber Benson's performance is pretty different to everything out there, plus the actress herself (despite being basically thrown off the show) has made every effort to promote the series and get involved in off-screen stuff e.g. writing stories and comics, attending conventions. Everyone who has met her has said how great she is, I don't think anyone has a bad word to say about this girl! She seems to have a lot of time for people, and has accepted being written off "Buffy" with good grace.



Tara is for me pretty much the ultimate cult figure. I guess I better get started on that tribute website. Not that it'll do any good, but it might look nice. Sigh.



Edited because I can't spell...

Edited by: themagicpixie at: 9/24/02 3:24:16 am

[Tara22]

Sister, wow... that was amazing... thanks for sharing! you are so right...

[Mrs Vertigo]

yes, you're right, themagicpixie, you should be writing Tara-lists instead of studying Law. *beams* that was a very thorough explenation. Thank you.

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“You know, if you weren’t such a bitch-queen from hell you and I would’ve gotten along just fine...” – Me making with the friendly at Glory, in a dream where I was Buffy and she was crucifying me.

[caged heart]

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If I died tomorrow, I know that I'd be happy with how I lived my life.

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I think this could be said for Tara as well. She was good and kind up until the end, so she can rest in peace.



That's a beautiful AB quote Sister, thanks for posting it.

[Shewolf]

I ended up defending Tara a lot to my mum. It's not that shemade homophobic comments (though she did made me ffforward the snogging scenes-but hey!To each their own). Her comments usually consisted of criticism about Tara's clothes (though to be fair, my mum comments on every single characters clothes) and her hairstyle.



Her attitude changed significantly in S6. When we first saw OMWF, she was all 'Is that Tara? She's so...pretty!' (duh!) and of course positive commments about her voice. She also took a definete liking to Tara when she displayed all the maturity in S6...



But well-comments about clothes/hairstyle does not a homophobe make. So I mostly ended up defending Tara's appearance, rather than hjer character or sexual preferences.



If my mum disliked one character it was Xander-and at least there we're in agreement.

"When authorities warn you of the sinfulness of sex, there is an important lesson to be learned. Do not have sex with the authorities."

- Matt Groening

[vix84]

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If my mum disliked one character it was Xander-and at least there we're in agreement.

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Heh, we've finally found what he's useful for; keeping the peace in BtVs arguments. "Well, we may as well call a truce, we both hate Xander at least!"



I wonder if he has any fans left?



*nods* I also find myself defending Tara's appearance more than her sexuality. People have really got it in for her!

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Alyson brought jelly beans as a gift for the local children, and those kids went nuts!
(Alexis, about their trip to Papua New Guinea)

[Mrs Vertigo]

Well, if its a boy basher I usually tell them to have one good look at her breasts. they shut up then; its hard to talk when you're trying not to step on your toungue.

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Joss Whedon: “And what if I kill you?”
Tara McClay: “Trust me; won’t help.”