Comments on: Opposing Viewpoints: Dollhouse

By: Examined: What Went Wrong With Dollhouse?

Examined: What Went Wrong With Dollhouse? — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 12:41:15 +0000

[...] Genevieve Valentine rather succinctly offered up in a point/counterpoint discussion at darkfantasy.org: “Our heroine’s first assignment was to be hot. For this we need mind-wiped secret [...]

By: Examined: What Went Wrong With Dollhouse?

Examined: What Went Wrong With Dollhouse? — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 12:41:15 +0000

By: The Deviant, Disappointing, Often Dim-Witted Debacle of Dollhouse 1.0 | Fancast News

Sat, 22 Aug 2009 02:31:24 +0000

By: Fantasy Magazine » Taboos And Tropes: Part II “Rhetoric And Writing About Rape”

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 12:26:05 +0000

[...] will be quick to respond, as in the following excerpt from Fantasy Magazine’s column, “Opposing Viewpoints.” I’ve continued to watch Dollhouse because writers and actors that I enjoy work on it. [...]

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 03:01:16 +0000

The hardest thing for a fan to see is their favourite writer trying something new or different from the style or stories that made the fan fall in love with them in the first place. I read through a number of the reviews and so many people seem to be so disappointed in Dollhouse and they have a right to their opinions of course, but some of the comments make me frustrated. You can of course like or dislike a show based on what it is, but how unfair is it to dislike it because it’s not like previous shows from that writer?

Dollhouse is a fascinating show and I think it really demonstrates Whendon’s willingness to try something new. It’s scary and he should be commended for that. Though it doesn’t have the witty one liners that Buffy and even Firefly were riddled with, it’s not really supposed to have that tone to it. He’s doing something serious and he WANTS it to be serious. It is effectively a comdedy/fantasy/sci-fi writer attempting to move out of his comfort zone and write a modern day mystery with a touch of the future mixed in. He’s addressing a fascinating idea and demonstrating just how scary our world could become with what he’s doing. Even the issues he is looking at and exploring are questions that may one day need to be answered.

Right now he is using people as examples, calling them dolls and exploring what it means if a person is effectively treated like a machine. Is it right to program someone, an actual person, to be something they aren’t? There are advances in robotics in a number of places, to the point where they now have “sex dolls” being created, robots who are created solely for the purpose of sex. Sound familiar? I think Whedon should be commended for Dollhouse and I really hope it continues until he’s finished exploring what he wants to explore with his writing.

Generally, if you don’t like his current work that’s fine, that’s totally up to you, but give him some credit at the very least for stretching himself as a writer and doing something different. Firefly was fantastic, so was Buffy, but the biggest thing I have to keep in mind with Whedon is that he likes to start things off in the middle of things, it’s not often he starts at the beginning of a story. Even Buffy doesn’t technically start at the beginning of Buffy’s introduction into being a Vampire Slayer. Give it a chance and I’m sure Dollhouse will start to pull people in. He doesn’t write true one shot stories, and that is a strength as far as I’m concerned. I for one can hardly wait to find out what happens next!

By: Tweet

Tweet — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 15:49:15 +0000

I’ve continued to watch Dollhouse because writers and actors that I enjoy work on it. But week to week I am increasingly dissapointed in the shallow conceit of passing rape, submission and torture off as escapist fun because it’s housed in a hermetically sealed designer showcase. At the end of each show the “good guys” (FBI, NSA) fail and the “bad guys” (pimps, handlers and abusers of Dollhouse) win. As in The Prisoner, Gilligan’s Island and The Fugitive each episode ends with the heroes being thwarted in their escape and/or mission. As nice and sweet as Ballard is his job is to take Echo out so she can be at the mercy of men who rape, beat and hunt her like an animal — he may rescue her when things rough but only so that he can help the Dollhouse pimp her out again.
What’s truly troubling is the appeal this show has to the disturbed men who fantasize about kidnapping, drugging and raping women. These aren’t dolls or robots, they are real people. And sadly there are real criminals who probably think they’ve died and gone to serial killer heaven with this show. Any woman who’s been a victim of such abuse is not going to find the Dollhouse empowering. All it does is feed an abusive fantasy that probably should be left to SVU where at least the rapists get jail time. Why does a so-called feminist like Joss make a show that celebrates and glamorizes hurting women and men in this way? I guess that’s what I find the saddest. He should work the phones at a rape counseling service for a few hours and see if he finds the Dollhouse so enchanting after he hears from real people who were drugged into being submissive and were then raped.

By: Jaym

Jaym — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 00:41:04 +0000

Dollhouse has failed to catch more than passing interest from me, despite the fascination I have with former Whedon shows. There is no perception of strong characters so far, unlike Spike or Mal, who nearly scream character the moment they step on-screen.

On the other hand, how difficult must it be to have a show as great as Firefly just suddenly yanked? A lot of Dollhouse seems to be “hey, look, this is traditional TV, maybe it will stay on-air!”. If Dollhouse stays on air for a while, maybe the plot will loosen up and Whedon will find his stride with a non-fantasy/science-fiction plot.

By: Foxessa

Foxessa — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 16:40:17 +0000

If anyone's interested there's another Alas, A Blog, discussion re Dollhouse here. Love, C.

By: Rachel

Rachel — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 23:09:35 +0000

@ Foxessa
Thanks for pointing out that review. I thought it was very interesting, and there is a good discussion going on in the comments. I hadn’t even considered the institutional rape aspect.

By: Foxessa

Foxessa — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 20:37:07 +0000

A progress report, review, assessment of Dollhouse so far, particularly the most recent episode, on Alas a Blog. The episode appears to be about rape. It's a rave. Anyone else see the episode and agree with the poster's take? You can see it here.