I think that's just one of the pitfalls of having a favorite character. I'm not sure it's tied up in having any particular favorite character. We just tend to notice it more when people who have a different favorite character do it.
Very true. I do think there's at least a shade of difference (and maybe I'm making a rationalization for myself here?) between liking a character and recognizing why they do things in the larger scheme of the story, and whitewash/bashing? (These are not opposite IMO but two sides of the same coin, just as Xander's slut-shaming and hero-worship are, IMO.) One of the things about whitewashing/bashing is that one particular event or action tends to be either forgotten entirely or emphasized over everything else over that characters entire arc.
I've certainly seen a LOT of fanfics that also paint the Scoobies as evil evil evil as horrible friends to Buffy and terribly mean for absolutely no reason to Spike. Which is not what we see on the show, at least in Buffy's case, and whatever unresolved issues they have with one another there's nothing on the show to indicate they don't love and value one another. they sometimes behave badly towards each other and make mistakes - like honest-to-god human beings do in RL. (Show me the person who claims to have never ever hurt a friend or loved one even intentionally, and I'll show you someone who is deeply delusional or a liar.)
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Very true. I do think there's at least a shade of difference (and maybe I'm making a rationalization for myself here?) between liking a character and recognizing why they do things in the larger scheme of the story, and whitewash/bashing? (These are not opposite IMO but two sides of the same coin, just as Xander's slut-shaming and hero-worship are, IMO.) One of the things about whitewashing/bashing is that one particular event or action tends to be either forgotten entirely or emphasized over everything else over that characters entire arc.
I've certainly seen a LOT of fanfics that also paint the Scoobies as evil evil evil as horrible friends to Buffy and terribly mean for absolutely no reason to Spike. Which is not what we see on the show, at least in Buffy's case, and whatever unresolved issues they have with one another there's nothing on the show to indicate they don't love and value one another. they sometimes behave badly towards each other and make mistakes - like honest-to-god human beings do in RL. (Show me the person who claims to have never ever hurt a friend or loved one even intentionally, and I'll show you someone who is deeply delusional or a liar.)