but as that Gross Characterization of Buffy exists, here's a broad (very) generalization to go with the Anti-Buffy in fandom --
As much as it boggles and Pains Me, there are people who do not like Buffy (the character) at all. They hate her, in fact. And that personal bias translates into sloppily conducted vengeance fiction, where the 'author' takes to task everything Wrong and Bad with Buffy and vents their (often it's a young woman writer)disappointment with her. They use a 'sympathetic' character often to mete out justice or be the Good!Foil to Evil!Skanky!Bitchy!31Flavors, all of them Shallow!Buffy (it used to be Willow-sue, or cleverly named doppelgangers like Gabrielle Vanessa Raven Ruby Gloriana Dominica Adeline Smith)but I've seen lots of Tara, Tara-sue, Anya, Dawn, Xander, (yes, Even) Spike fics, where the heavy hand of favoritism comes smack down on our favorite Slayer's head, and pushes her into the ground.
Or you get the contrast fic - which is where Faith kicks out the Jams and proves she's the Better Slayer at being Misunderstood, Pouty, Dressed to Slay, and Buffy is just chopped liver.
Mostly, BuffyasaBitch comes to play when you're dealing with a predominantly shippy fic, and the author can't think of a decent plotline or a characterization for Buffy to get out of the way of their One True Ship (and it's not just down to slash authors, plenty of het fics are antiBuffy breeding grounds), so they stoop to using the Bitch card. The more 'merciful' of the Buffy's a Bitch-she better get away from my Spike and Xander or Spike and Tara or Willow and Angel - just kill Buffy off in some mystical mojo accident, and then either spend a line - saying "oh. she's dead."
Then they break out the wild monkey sex between the Other Two - and Buffy's not touched on again, unless it's in a bitter flashback realizing just how 'flawed' she was.
gross generalization here....
As much as it boggles and Pains Me, there are people who do not like Buffy (the character) at all. They hate her, in fact. And that personal bias translates into sloppily conducted vengeance fiction, where the 'author' takes to task everything Wrong and Bad with Buffy and vents their (often it's a young woman writer)disappointment with her. They use a 'sympathetic' character often to mete out justice or be the Good!Foil to Evil!Skanky!Bitchy!31Flavors, all of them Shallow!Buffy (it used to be Willow-sue, or cleverly named doppelgangers like Gabrielle Vanessa Raven Ruby Gloriana Dominica Adeline Smith)but I've seen lots of Tara, Tara-sue, Anya, Dawn, Xander, (yes, Even) Spike fics, where the heavy hand of favoritism comes smack down on our favorite Slayer's head, and pushes her into the ground.
Or you get the contrast fic - which is where Faith kicks out the Jams and proves she's the Better Slayer at being Misunderstood, Pouty, Dressed to Slay, and Buffy is just chopped liver.
Mostly, BuffyasaBitch comes to play when you're dealing with a predominantly shippy fic, and the author can't think of a decent plotline or a characterization for Buffy to get out of the way of their One True Ship (and it's not just down to slash authors, plenty of het fics are antiBuffy breeding grounds), so they stoop to using the Bitch card. The more 'merciful' of the Buffy's a Bitch-she better get away from my Spike and Xander or Spike and Tara or Willow and Angel - just kill Buffy off in some mystical mojo accident, and then either spend a line - saying "oh. she's dead."
Then they break out the wild monkey sex between the Other Two - and Buffy's not touched on again, unless it's in a bitter flashback realizing just how 'flawed' she was.
Sorry, was that bitter in my voice?
Hmm.
It apparently is.
sff-proud fandom misanthrope.