The Willow and Tara tidbit thread

[Hemiola]

Don't know where this should go, so if there is an appropriate thread, mods please move this there....



This Sunday's New York Times has an article on the popularity of various baby names. It turns out that in spite of the considerable "cult" following attained by BtVS, the name "Buffy" has failed to achieve any kind of penetration into the consciousness of parents who are currently choosing baby names.



HOWEVER, guess which name HAS been becoming more and more popular since 1998: Willow!

Edited by: DrG at: 7/7/03 9:39 am

[urnofosiris]

Hey Hemiola, this topic may be a bit too small to support a thread but there isn't really another one where it would fit into, so we just renamed this thread a bit to make it a place where small WT related topics can be posted that don't fit into existing threads. Sorta like the General Amber & Aly tidbit thread.



Anyway, that's nice to hear, hee, but didn't it say anything about there being more Tara's perhaps?

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Coffee, Food, Kisses and Gay Love........Get it while you are hot

[iluvbtvs13]

well my aunt and uncle just named their new daughter Tara! and when i finaly have children i'm going to push for all buffy names Tara, Willow so on. lol

~Glenn

[xita]

Ahh that's cute, Willow , but really who would want to name their child Buffy, it implies things , none of them necessarily good. (apologies to any out there whose name might be Buffy).

- - - - - - - - - - -
"The suspense is terrible. I hope it'll last."

-Willie Wonka

[urnofosiris]

Hee Glenn, that is cool, but did they do it because of our Tara or is it just a coincidence?

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Coffee, Food, Kisses and Gay Love........Get it while you are hot

[willowsgirl17]

I'm a little young to be deciding this, I guess, but I already decided that when I adopt my kids (no natural births for me, cause EW! sex with men), my daughter will be named Tara Willow (first and middle names). I kind of wanted to name one kid Tara and the other Willow, but when they watched my Buffy tapes and DVDs it might be a little weird...yeah. But there is no question in my mind that that will be her name, and I'm not taking input from any "significant other" I may have. Although that might not be a good thing. Of course neither is planning my life. But it is, right? Okay babbling. Going to stop now.

[iluvbtvs13]

i wish it was our Tara but Tara is a very Irish name and they are very Irish but i'm only 6%. lol . i'm a lil young to talk about naming my kids (only 14) but Adam in Taboo had sex when he was only 14 so you never know! lol

~Glenn

[kajo 2000]

Posted by deborahthejudgeuk at the Bloody Awful Poet Society:

Quote:

---

Full text of James Marsters' quote in SFX magazine about W/T and Joss



SFX: Understandably, it's difficult to have a conversation about homosexuality with someone from BtVS without the subject of Willow/Tara romance popping up.



JM: It wasn't about being gay; it was just about being in love. Two human beings that were in love. It was beautiful, Joss pushed that envelope. The executives, the higher ups were very uncomfortable with that. He quit once, you know. He said: "You make me cut this and I'm out of the office; I quit." And they said "Fine" and he said "Fine". He hung up the 'phone and he started packing his desk. They called him back and he told his assistant "Tell them I'm busy packing my desk, I don't have time to talk to them, I need to get my desk cleaned out."



SFX: Wow. He was serious then?



JM: And they went away for a while, and when they spoke again he said: "They haven't kissed yet." They wanted him to eradicate the relationship and he said, you know, "They're kissing. They're kissing in the next episode." And he hung up.



It was a big envelope to push to have it being two girls. If you are gay and happen to be a fourteen-year-old girl, it's really wonderful to be able to watch that on TV and realise you're not alone. I am so proud of the show for that. A lot of times in my life I felt out of place or that I didn't fit in, and so I really feel for people who feel that way. And it's hard, it's really hard to be gay in America. Ten per cent of the viewership is gay, so they want to see that reflected on the screen, which is beautiful.

---

Edited to add: Additional comments by JM that I discovered in a full transcript of this interview at Spoiler Crypt.

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"I want to be Byron... because I want to date young boys." Amber Benson

Edited by: kajo 2000 at: 8/14/03 1:43 am

[sam7777]

Too bad Joss decided to "eradicate the relationship" by ending it in the Lesbian Cliche after fighting so hard to let them kiss. I guess the gay thing became passe for Joss come 6th season. Too bad. What James is talking about is news from 5th season's episode "The Body" and prolly does not reflect Joss' current attitude towards W/T.

_____________________

I see dead lesbian cliches

Edited by: sam7777  at: 8/12/03 2:30 pm

[Garner]

See I have heard that story before, basically. It still makes me wonder how Joss got from there to season sux, and why he decided not to bring her back. Was he that bored with the character or so in love with the idea of making everyone like her and then killing her off? I guess Joss' inherent sadistic streak and need to inflict pain on his viewers overcame everything else. Either that or he smoked/snorted/drank one too many and killed off the wrong brain cells. Too bad, he had his chance to be one of the great heroes to the GLBT community.



Garner

[justin]

I was wondering the same thing last night and the only answer I came up with was that Joss threatened to quit over W/T not because he cared about their relationship but because he didn't like people telling him how to run his show.



He probably would have reacted the same way if they'd suggested any major change to the show.



Or at least that's my theory.

I understand, you should be with the person you l-love


I am

[maudmac]

justin, you're definitely not the only one with that theory. It's made me reevaluate what I had thought to be Joss going to bat for something he believed in. It puts a whole new spin on that event, I think.



I now think he was like a spoiled brat stomping his foot and shouting, "You can't tell me what to do!"



But, you know what? Whatever. W/T are ours.

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Green green grass surrounding me / Wind is blowing through the trees / Sun is bright and I feel happy -- Shonen Knife

[Warduke]

justin, I think it' a combination of what you said and getting such a big hard-on from the fact that he knew what was ultimately going to happen to Tara and how the fans would feel about it. There was no way he wasn't going to give us what we needed instead of what we wanted.

---

Lil' Trevor : Always the life of the party.

[PieEyedDragon]

Pardon the interruption:



"Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Willow and Tara: Wilderness" by Amber Benson & Christopher Golden, has been nominated for a Gaylactic Spectrum Award: "2003 Best Comic/Graphic Novel".

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer - 'Seeing Red'" has been nominated for "2003 Best Other Work".

Winners will be announced at TORCON: the World Science Fiction Convention in Toronto (August 28 - September 1).



www.spectrumawards.org/2003.htm#bestcomic

[sam7777]

The news on the Spectrum awards was posted 7/12/02 in this thread: GLBT Spectrum awards. The Spectrum folks are not very Kitten friendly.

Quote:

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There was no way he wasn't going to give us what we needed instead of what we wanted.

---

Yep. One truism in this world is that is mean and petty. I'm glad I'm not watching his shows. He lost me as a fan after SR and all the spew since. It's telling that "it's difficult to have a conversation about homosexuality with someone from BtVS without the subject of Willow/Tara romance. W/T could have been a great legacy in gay TV but for the cliched end. We will have to look elsewhere for a gay landmark.

_____________________

I see dead lesbian cliches

Edited by: sam7777  at: 8/15/03 4:06 pm

[tyche]

This is the official Buffy magazine, so vote for Willow and Tara, and tell them exactly why:

Quote:

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Official Buffy & Angel Magazine is offering you the chance to vote for your sexiest Buffy & Angel characters of all time!

Simply email your Buffy & Angel favourites, along with a brief sentence explaining your choice, to:

Buffyfavourites@titanemail.com

by Friday 9th July, and you could see your name and nomination printed in an up-coming issue of the Buffy & Angel magazines!

"We get lots of letters here at the Buffy and Angel Magazines, from people asking for posters of certain characters, more interviews with certain characters and nominating their favourite Buffyverse couples. We try to address as many of these requests as we can in the magazines, but it’s not always easy! So now we’d like to give the fans the chance to really have their say, and possibly be printed in the magazines, by voting for their top sexiest Buffy and Angel characters of all time!"

---

If you think this world is bad, you should see some of the others.- Philip K. Dick

[Hemiola]

Couldn't let this pass without posting it.

The Rubin Museum in New York's Chelsea district is having an exhibit entitled "Female Buddhas: Women of Enlightenment in Tibetan Religious Art"" through January 15. Last Sunday's (8/7) N.Y. Times contained an extraordinary article by Kay Larson, illustrated by a "thangka" (=Tibetan Religous Painting) of the Goddess Tara. The main text of the article was:

"WHEN BUDDHA CHOOSES TO BE A WOMAN"
Tibetans who trekked to the caves and forests of India to absorb Buddhist teachings a thousand years ago discovered female tantric masters, called yogini, practicing esoteric disciplines with bands of female followers. Fierce, independent and strict, yogini conveyed their secrets to men longing to be initiated, propelling the development of tantric Buddhism. Then these extraordinary women dropped out of sight.
But not out of mind. Their beatified counterparts dance in the heart of mandalas throughout the Tibetan pantheon. "female energy is as capable as male energy in the spiritual field," said Kyabje Gehlek Rinpoche, a Tibetan lama and Buddhist teacher ("rinpoche" means "precious one") sent to the West by the Dalai Lama's tutors. Gehlek Rinpoche, known in spiritual circles for his closeness to the poet Allen Ginsberg (and for ministering to Ginsberg as he died), is the founder of Tibetan Buddhist centers in Ann Arbor, Michigan and in Soho.
On a recent morning, he was sitting before the deity Tara, envisioned in the 18th century thangka (illustrated at right), on display in "Female Buddhas: Women of Enlightenment in Tibetan Mystical Art", at the Rubin Museum of Art in Chelsea. "The need of this time is for a female presence," he said.
Tara made a vow to manifest in the world as a female, Gehlek Rinpoche explained. "The Boddhisatvas all said, 'Tara, you could be anybody you want; you could be male.' Tara replied, 'Thank you, but no thank you.' " She chose a female body to illuminate the way for all beings. "Her image helps us envision the buddha within ourselves," he said. "It helps remind us we are not just physical beings."
In practicing tantric secret teachings, women are thought to have an advantage, according to the current Dalai Lama, whereas men get higher marks in the public forms of Tibetan Buddhism. The first Dalai Lama (1391-1475) composed a mystical song of 21 praises to Tara, who is said to have sprung from the ocean of tears flowing from Tibet's chief deity, Avalokitesvara, boddhisatva of compassion.
Tara, whose name means "star"-- as in the North Star, the guiding light of those who are lost-- is enlightenment energy personified. She is passionate mother, wrathful protector, swift and fearless subduer. Eyes flashing like lightening, she stamps her feet and sends tremors through gods and demons alike, correcting great wrongs and fulfilling her promise to bring divine female energies into the world.
Her exalted sisterhood is anything but meek or submissive, as is strikingly evident in the Rubin's show and a related exhibition of the same name at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, Connecticut. Tara and her cohort drink the blood of enemies of the dharma, prance naked on the bodies of those they have defeated, and join with male consorts in passionate sexual union. They are transcendent liberators, defenders of enlightened mind, the birthright of each of us, when we turn to the wisdom within.

The following are descriptions of elements within the "thangka" pictured in the article:



ATTRIBUTES
Young, beautiful, shape-shifting Tara is a virtual deity in a realm of light (think hologram) who takes on alternate personalities as the need arises. She may manifest in a beam of green, white, red or (as in the picture) gold, each color conveying a different set of qualities.
SETTING
Behind Tara's head is a radiant full moon, symbolizing enlightenment casting its light over the earth, far above the confusion, delusion and pain of samsara (cyclic Existence), but not apart from it. She is seated on a blossoming lotus and a moon disk. Rising around her is a blazing wreath of flames limned in gold, "like the fire at the end of this age," says the 21 praises.
FLOWERS
In each palm, Tara gently holds a long-stemmed blue-white flower, an uptala, a sweetly scented type of waterlily or lotus, which rises from the mud without so much as a drop of contagion clinging to its blossom. The uptala is one's pure nature, Gehlek Rinpoche said, "To make you think you are a pure being, it helps to act like a pure being."
HAND GESTURES
Tara's left hand, with three fingers raised, invokes the three jewels: the buddha, dharma and sangha (or, in simpler terms, the fully awakened mind, the teachings and the community of practitioners), symbolizing limitless refuge. Her right hand extends, palm forward, in the gesture of invitation. For "people who feel hopeless and helpless," said Gehlek Rinpoche, "Tara says, 'Join me, I'm here' ".
COSTUME
Her flowing silk robes, jeweled ornaments, elongated earlobes and graceful posture define her as a bodhisattva, who has made a vow to remain in this world and lead all beings to liberation no matter how many eons it takes. Buddhas, who represent the dharmakaya, or absolute reality, do not wear jewelry; in nirvana, why would they need it? Bodhisattvas have postponed their entry into nirvana for the sake of others. Tara displays jewels as a resume of her perfections, which glitter like beacons in the realms of worldly suffering where she does her work.

I sincerely regret that I have no means of reproducing this beautiful picture here.:(

[Dana5140]

I've been working o n, forever, it seems, a paper that demonstrates how our Tara is a representative of the boddhisattva Tara, and you can see why when you read the above description. Think- our Tara was the confessor to the world's protector (Buffy), was the mother to a woman who represented the forces of universal chaos (Dawn, as the Key), and was the lover and consort of the most powerful woman in the world, and her comforter in need (Willow, of course). But Tara was also the moral compass of the Scoobies, the one person who would do right no matter the cost (walk away from the woman she loved), and who came as close to perfection as anyone on Buffy- need I say more? :-)

BTW, there are some great websites that have picture representations of Tara- and you can buy the Tara Box at your local Borders, which has a small statue of Tara with a book all about her, and many pics.

[dorksrcool]

(I hope this is the right place to post this....)

I was watching CNN Headline News earlier today (around 2:00 p.m. pst) and the anchorman was interviewing a guy from Time Magazine about an article he wrote about Gay Straight Alliances at high schools across the country. My interest was already piqued by the subject matter and then the anchorman said something like, "Okay, we've only got 20 seconds left, so what do you think the impact has been on gay kids now that there are more gay role models on tv?" He then went on to mention various television programs like Ellen, Will and Grace, and BTVS as examples of tv shows with "positive gay role models." I was so happy to hear mention of our girls (in an indirect sort of way) it literally made my day.

So yeah, that's pretty random, but I thought y'all would appreciate it.

[dorksrcool]

This is too funny! Alice and Vamp Willow? I love it!

http://fakegaynews.com/index.php/2006/01/alice-vamp-willow/

[potential_angel]

This is too funny! Alice and Vamp Willow? I love it!

lol I was sent that a few days ago by a friend of mine. I think I was laughing for like five minutes straight, though I do think that storyline would so be better than the one they have planned for alice.

Alas too bad its only FAKE gay news.

[tarawhipped]

Variety is reporting that Steven Spielberg is creating a series for Showtime called The United States of Tara, and while it has nothing to do with our favorite Wiccan, I went to a happy place just reading the title.

[kisstheviolets]

just saw this little bit on w/t on the entertainment weekly site and thought i'd pass it along:

pop-culture weddings

[DaddyCatALSO]

Personally I don't think show tunes are necessarily permanently linked to the characters who sang them or the plot situations in which they're set, so I don't see it as subversive. (Heck if I were a singer I'd be bugging my producers to let me do a cover of it.)

Just as cool!

[Moridin]

quote from whedonesque (thread 13859 comment #184196 (cant post links with such a low post count, even with over 5 years of lurking)):

"Anyone he reguretted killing?
Had secret plan to bring back Tara that never came to fruition. (In Season 7, he wanted to do episode where Buffy was given a wish. You used your wish on shoes? Of course not, and Tara standing there. Was going to be about three or four episodes in. But could not make it happen. So he made it about Willow moving on instead, and that's where JFK came from. Oh, so that's what being booed sounds like."

[kisstheviolets]

if you ever wondered what the love child of willow and tara would look like, the ladies at afterellen have hooked you up:

http://www.afterellen.com/blog/thelinsters/morphthing

[umgaynow]

morphthing extremely cool...but I always pictured the Willow/Tara child as a redhead...at least they got the eyes right...

reading above...I have a lovely image of the goddess Tara with a nice long writeup but alas too graphically rich to scan...the file would make my computer blow up...and I am just plain too lazy right now to type it up...but I can tell you the prayer to Tara...which I actually use as a mantra when I meditate...no wisecracks there, I don't do it often...hence the Willow-like spazzines...anyway...here it is...

Prayer to The White Tara

OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SOHA

[Hemiola]

Translation????

[gorn]

I wasn't sure where this should go; this seemed like the most appropriate spot.

Mrs. Gorn got me the "Chosen One" boxed set a while ago, and we've been surely & steadily working our way through it, one episode at a time starting at the very beginning. I'd never seen most of the earlier episodes and missed quite a few along the way; Mrs. Gorn has seen the odd episode from Season 4 or 5. A lot of the stuff that we're discovering for the first time is stuff the rest of you probably enjoyed 10 years ago. But we're having a great time - probably like the rest of you did, too, 10 years ago.

Anyway, we just finished watching "Something Blue," the episode right before "Hush." At the very beginning of the episode, Riley is helping put up a banner for the campus Lesbian Alliance. If you didn't know Willow's life was going to change forever in the very next episode, this little scene wouldn't really mean anything. I thought it was a nice touch.

That's all, just a little something - a tidbit, if you will - I happened to notice.



p.s. If anyone else wants to share tidbits like this, PLEASE use the "spoiler" feature (unless it comes before "Hush")!!!

[Hemiola]

Actually, the most famous "anticipation" of all of Willow's future is in my favorite episode from Season 3, "Doppelgangland".

Willow (staring in a horrified manner at the unconscious Vamp Willow): That's me as a vampire? I'm all mean and skanky. (With trepidation, to Buffy) And I think I'm kinda gay!
Buffy: Don't worry, Will. A vampire's personality has nothing to do with the person it used to be.
Angel: Acutally... (who immediately shuts up at a withering look from Buffy)