Is she awesome? Oh yes, she is!

[sarasvati]

I guess I'm participating in three_weeks_for_dw more than I first thought I was going to. Even aside from the drabbles I'll be writing, it looks like there's some interesting discussion inspiring me to throw in my two cents.

I suppose that was the point all along.

Anyway, this is the "Fuck Yeah, She's Awesome!" challenge, created by such_heights.

When I think, "Fuck yeah, she's awesome," my first thought is of Amber Benson's portrayal of Tara McClay on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.



Why Tara? Because in every way that I care about, she's awesome. Her very existance is an inspiration to me.

Point 1 - She isn't stick-thin, doesn't dress in the latest and most fashionable styles, and yet is still beautiful. Frankly, I think she's even more beautiful for having a little more roundness to her and for having her own style rather than being a fashion troll. Shes beautiful without wearing skin-tight clothing. She's beautiful while being comfortable, and most of all, she's beautiful by being comfortable.

Point 2 - She's intelligent. She is's fairly level-headed. When her character really starts to shine on the show, she's something of a magic advisor, she knows what's needed and is practical about it. She's not super-powered, but she's competant.

Point 3 - Hurrah for positive portrayals of lesbians on mainstream TV! I have some issues with how Willow's later romantic relationship was handled, but not her relationship with Tara. Tara was interested in women without making her entire life about being interested in women, and frankly, I think that's commendable. From some media portrayals of homosexuality, you'd think that all homosexual people made their entire lives revolve around everything gay, like the biggest defining word in their life was "gay." Not so for Tara. As a matter of fact, her actual sexuality wasn't really discussed at any point in time. The closest thing to it was when she and Willow got in an argument and Willow mentioned that Tara's been out longer and dating women longer.

Point 4 - She overcame a family that believed the place of women was to serve and take care of the menfolk. She overcame serious social anxiety. She thus is one of the very few female characters that I can really relate to. I like strong females in fiction and reality, but they all seem to be strong in ways I can't relate to, to have personalities or pasts that don't leave me much to connect to. Tara, initially, could have been me. Keeping her head down, keeping her mouth shut, scared of not obeying her father, afraid to connect while still craving social interaction. And over a few years, we get to see her grow stronger and overcome a lot of those issues, gain self-confidence and social strength, and I think that's more inspirational that a lot of people give it credit for.

Point 5 - Wow, that woman can sing! The way she sings makes me break out in delightful goosebumps, and I could listen to her voice all day!

In short, fuck yeah, she's awesome!

Comments

[yvi]

Oh Gosh, yes, Tara!

[sarasvati]

She is pretty awesome! I should probably make an icon of her, come to think of it.

[lunarwolfik]

Stopping by from three_weeks_for_dw and just wanted to say that Tara totally rocks! For all the reasons you list and then some, she's one of the more awesomer women from Buffy and certainly deserves some love.

[sarasvati]

Thanks! It's good to meet other people who think that Tara's awesome! :3

[scintilla10]

Also here from 3WforDW, and YES, Tara is definitely awesome!

[such_heights]

eeeee! Oh my goodness, I am so glad to see some Tara love - I adore her completely. A heap of word to everything you said! ♥!

[sophinisba]

Fuck yeah! I love what you say about being able to relate to Tara. She's one of my favorite characters on a great show.

[miss_haitch]

Here via the threeweeks feed, and yay, thank you for writing this! Tara seems overlooked a lot of the time, and I think she's brilliant. Her moving through her social anxiety really inspires me -- and her and Willow's relationship is the only same-sex female relationship in media I can think of that I actually relate to.

[sarasvati]

I don't know why Tara gets overlooked so much in fandom. There's so much potential there, she's so very realistic, and she's an extraordinary role-model to those who can't quite see themselves being as superpowered as Buffy or Willow.

[softestbullet]

TARA MACLAY <333

This post is a wonderful summary of her awesomeness.

[sarasvati]

Thank you! And I have total love for your icon!

[rainfall]

Taraaaaaaa /coherent and contributing really

[sarasvati]

She does tend to make one a little incoherent, doesn't she? ^_^

[inarticulate]

TARA ♥ Yes, yes, yes. Especially: And over a few years, we get to see her grow stronger and overcome a lot of those issues, gain self-confidence and social strength, and I think that's more inspirational that a lot of people give it credit for. and Tara was interested in women without making her entire life about being interested in women, and frankly, I think that's commendable. From some media portrayals of homosexuality, you'd think that all homosexual people made their entire lives revolve around everything gay, like the biggest defining word in their life was "gay."

♥ ♥ ♥

[gorgeousnerd]

I'm here from a couple of different recs, and OMG TARA YAY. She was the catalyst for discovering my own queerness! Beyond that, I love her for the exact reasons you've said here.

Great post!