Buffy!

Nursing a child takes time. Thanks to modern technology, I can sit in front of my iPad or computer and read books, watch TV shows, and surf the net. Because I have been spending piles of time just sitting, I have found myself a new obsession. Buffy. I never watched Buffy when it was at its hype, and truthfully, I probably would not have enjoyed it. I am not usually one for horror films, and certainly not into vampires of any kind (especially those that sparkle.) I had read several comments on a blog I frequent about how Buffy was a great role model, and how it was a feminist show. I also found out that I had a coworker, a man who is extremely intelligent and great at his job, who was a self-confessed Buffy fan. Finally, I found out that the creator, Joss Whedon, also created one of my favorites, Dr. Horrible. So I gave in. I have spent half of my FMLA becoming a Buffy fan. I confess that the first season was a little slow for me, and the special effects, although probably really cool when they first came out, seemed a little dated. However, being me, I did a little back research before giving up on the series. The first thing I discovered was Joss Whedon's whole inspiration behind Buffy. He apparently was raised by a very feminist mother, and always claimed himself to be a feminist as well. He decided that he wanted to turn the idea of the blond girl in every horror film who needs to be rescued around. Wouldn't it be great, instead, if the skinny little blond girl was the only one with the power and strength to save the world? When I read that, I figured I better continue to give this show a chance. Watching Buffy in that light, I found it much more entertaining and enlightening. I also found the writing and the dialogue extremely entertaining. Which apparently was the opinion of critics for the first four seasons. in fact, most critics stated that without the dialogue the show would not be a success. Joss Whedon then did something that truly makes me wish I could be his friend. He wanted to prove that the show was much more than just dialogue, so he created the episode "Hush". This episode was 43 minutes long, and there was only dialogue in 17 minutes of the show. You see, in the world of Buffy, there are not just vampires, but minions of demons with all sorts of powers. In "Hush" the demons had the ability to rob all the people in the town of their speaking voices. I was completely impressed with the fact that a show that had no dialogue for over half the show could be entertaining, but it was! Entertaining and creepy all put together. I was completely mesmerized. I think that "Hush" was what completely converted me to "team Buffy". Buffy addresses deep subjects, and does so in a way that allows a person to really think and question things whilst being entertained. It is also strongly feminist in its themes. Buffy is the strong one, and although there are others there to support her, in the end she has the power and capability to save the world. There are several other strong and capable women (such as my personal favorite, Willow, who really could have her own post) who teach young girls that they can be the saviors and superheroes. I really appreciate perhaps the more 'controversial' issues, such as choices regarding sexuality. In an interview I saw on youtube with Joss Whedon, he said that he intended to show that choosing to have sex is not a light decision for a girl, and a caution that in fact a young man could turn 'evil' afterward. And finally, seriously, who could not love a show that has a demon that can cause everyone to break into song?