an introduction to the buffyversejporter/buffy1.pdf · horror conventions. –feminist –women...

Buffythe Vampire Slayer

An Introduction to theBuffyverse

• Horror film conventions– Misogynist?– Violence against women– Male gaze– Objectification of

women• True of TV too? TV

crime dramas = “die,women, die”?


• Joss Whedon (1964-)– Wanted to create a film, TV

series that deliberatelyreversed horror filmconventions

– Wanted show to play withquestion, ‘What happenswhen a pretty girl walksdown a dark alley…?”

– Created film “Buffy theVampire Slayer” first,wasn’t happy with it,rewrote it for TV

– First season (1997) = 12episodes; seven seasons intotal (1997-2003)


• Buffy deliberatelystructured to reversehorror conventions.– Feminist– Women hold power

(including power tokill)

– Female gaze– Objectification absent,

except for humour -Xander as object ofpredatory female gaze


• Buffy as “post-feminist?”– Individualist, but also

reliant of friends, family– Powerful, but questions

source, purpose of powers– Leader, but takes advice

from watcher, friends (onher own terms)

– Strong, powerful, feared(by evil beings), but pretty,sexy, fashionable,concerned with peeropinions?


• Feminism effectsportrayal of religion– Anti-hierarchical– This-worldly focus– Friends, family more

important than relationshipwith supernatural / divine

– Power resides in individual,community, not in ritual,hierarchy, texts, etc.


• Religion as Absent?• “Good” characters - Buffy and friends - never go to Church, with one

exception (Riley, in episode “Who Are You” 2000)• No mention, presence of God (when asked by new Vampire about whether

God really exists or not, Buffy says, ‘the jury is still out on that one.’• Religion as ineffectual?

– Wicca wannabes at UC Sunnydale.– Church goers in episode “Who Are You” (2000)


• Religion demonized inBuffy– Practiced by Vampires,

demons– Tool to bring about the

apocalypse– Episodes “Welcome to

the Hellmouth” and “TheHarvest” (1997)


Religious Affiliation of Willow• Willow is only character with a

developed religious identity.• Family background: Jewish.

Despite this, uses crosses andthe Latin language to ward ofVampires.

• Becomes a “Wicca” - Wiccan?• Once fully immersed in Wicca,

becomes evil - revisiting thereligion = evil theme.

• Buffy’s variation onthe “false god” theme= false church

• Those who seekcomfort, support,eternal life fromchurches are doomedto demonic fates…

• Episodes: “Anne,”(1998) “Lie to Me”(1997)


Case Study - “Anne”(1998)

• Religion lures the innocent,helpless, powerless with falsepromises.

• Religion exploits believers.• Religion is demonic.• Buffy’s Marxist critique?• Salvation lies in refusing to

submit to lies.• Salvation lies in refusing to

be nameless - Buffy’sfeminist critique.


an introduction to the buffyversejporter/buffy1.pdf · horror conventions. –feminist –women...

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