5. Comparison to VERONICA MARS

Veronica Mars: Seasons One Through Three. Dir. Rob Thomas. Rob Thomas Productions, 2004-2007. DVD.

Many comparisons have been made between Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the recently cancelled TV series Veronica Mars. In fact, Buffy creator Joss Whedon was such a fan of Veronica Mars, he even appeared as a guest star on one of its episodes. Both shows offer a refreshingly independent (anti-Bella) heroine who serves as a role model for young women. Although I (and most critics) believe Buffy is the superior show, the television series Veronica Mars mirrors Buffy the Vampire Slayer in several ways. In both shows, an attractive young blonde girl with a troubled past becomes a feminist icon. Buffy is physically strong, while Veronica is intellectually powerful, but their motive remains true: take down the bad guys, and stay cool in the process. Buffy has a single-mom, Joyce. Veronica has single-dad, Keith. Both parents had rotten relationships with their spouses for whatever reason, and their daughters love and support them almost solely. The similarities with the parents pretty much ends there, though, as Keith plays a much more active role than Joyce. Each series has episodes that easily stand on their own, one way or another. They also have one "big bad" or primary evil of the season to be defeated. Throughout the season, we get some advancement to that final episode where everything comes to a head, and it keeps the viewer anxiously awaiting each new episode with bated breath. The setting of both shows is also similar. Both shows start out in a beautiful, California high school. The school principal in each series singles out and antagonizes Veronica/Buffy, but luckily each heroine knows how to make this villain's life just a little more difficult with every meeting.

4. Feminism in Buffy

Chandler Holly. "Slaying the Patriarchy: Transfusions of the Vampire Metaphor in Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Slayage: The Journal of the Whedon Studies Association. August 2003. Web. 2 January 2013. http://slayageonline.com/Numbers/slayage9.htm

In her article, Chandler asserts that Buffy the Vampire Slayer argues, not for women’s rights, which are now ostensibly guaranteed, but for women’s inherent power and independence, which are still ignored or demonized on many TV shows. The war between Buffy and the vampires was originally intended to mirror the real-life feminist battles against rapists, domestic abusers and other side effects of male-dominated society. However, the show evolved beyond its original concept. Vampires on the show do more than embody the dangers of a patriarchal society; they are fluid metaphors, changing to allow the show to reflect different facets of feminist problems. Drawing on the horror film tradition, Buffy adapts popular metaphorical meanings of vampires for a feminist narrative, not only to portray the unhealthy consequences of patriarchy, but also to offer a fantasy in which one woman successfully disrupts this oppressive system. Whereas in the classic horror film Dracula, vampires represent a threat to society that must be contained by good men, on Buffy the vampiric threat is ultimately traced back to these same men. The show does not recommend that women take on sexism in America by blowing up schools and stabbing people with swords. Rather, it offers the knowledge that women are strong enough to confront the dangers fearlessly and successfully. Instead of cowering in fear, Buffy confidently yanks the ugly face of the patriarchy out into the light of day, where, she hopes, it will be burnt to a crisp.

3. Review

Tucker, Ken. "Buffy the Vampire Slayer Review." Entertainment Weekly. 6 November 1998. Web. 2 January 2013. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,285582,00.html

In Entertainment Weekly's glowing review of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, television critic Ken Tucker praises the show's "unguarded, unironic emotionalism in a slam-bang series that prides itself on its blithe knowingness and sarcasm and just keeps getting better at juggling hilarity, gothic romance, and horror." Writing this article during the third season of the series, Tucker also admires its skillfully rendered martial arts scenes and quick, witty use of language. Tucker feels that if the obvious joke behind Buffy has always been that vampirism and lycanthropy are metaphors for raging hormones, the series has sustained itself by regularly exploring the serious side of the joke. He feels that Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz are good at playing out the fatalistic love between Buffy and Angel. Unlike the romances on other prime-time teen soaps, Tucker feels, this one carries dark emotional weight. In light contrast, the most delightful development on the series has been the hotsy dating that wisecracking Xander and withering Cordelia are indulging. Give series creator Joss Whedon credit, Tucker says: No other show balances so many elements as deftly, without a trace of corniness or melodrama. Tucker gives the series an "A" and closes his review by stating: "Week in and week out, Buffy just slays me."

2. Biography

"Biography for Joss Whedon." Internet Movie Database. Web. 2 January 2012. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0923736/bio.

Joss Whedon is the middle of five brothers - his younger brothers are Jed Whedon and Zack Whedon. Both his father, Tom Whedon and his grandfather, John Whedon were successful television writers. Joss' mother, Lee Stearns, was a history teacher and she also wrote novels as Lee Whedon. Whedon was raised in New York and was educated at Riverdale Country School, where his mother also taught. He also attended Winchester College in England for two years, before graduating with a film degree from Wesleyan University. After relocating to Los Angeles, Whedon landed his first TV writing job on Roseanne, and moved on to script a season of Parenthood. He then developed a film script which went on to become Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992). Whedon was very unhappy with the final film - his original script was extensively re-written and made lighter in tone. After this he earned screenwriting credits on such high profile productions as Alien: Resurrection (1997) and Toy Story (1995), for which he was Oscar nominated. He also worked as a 'script doctor' on various features, notably Speed (1994).

In 1997, Whedon had the opportunity to resurrect his character Buffy in a television series on The WB Network. This time, as showrunner and executive producer, he retained full artistic control. The series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer was a popular and critical hit, which ran for several seasons, the last two on UPN. Whedon also produced a spin-off series, Angel, which was also successful. A foray in to sci-fi television followed with Firefly, which developed a cult following, but did not stay on air long. It did find an audience on DVD and through re-runs, and a spin-off feature film Serenity (2005) was released in 2005. Other projects have included comic book writing, the sci-fi drama Dollhouse and the screenplay for Marvel blockbuster The Avengers (2012).

1. Primary Source

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Seasons One Through Seven. Dir. Joss Whedon. Mutant Enemy Productions, 1997-2003. DVD.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer centers on the exploits of its titular vampire slayer, a mystical "Chosen One" who finds herself living in Sunnydale, CA, an idyllic small town situated atop the mouth to hell. Plucked from a vapid life of cheerleading and parties and forced by her mystic destiny to slay vampires and vanquish demons, Buffy initially views her superpowers as an imposition. By the end of the series, however, she has embraced her role as steely general in a never-ending war against the forces of darkness. Joined by an ever-changing array of allies known collectively as the "Scooby gang," she spends three years learning that high school is literally hell before navigating college and grown-up responsibilities in the later seasons. As the show's tangled mythology grows, Buffy's friends begin to acquire magical abilities of their own -- all the better to fight each season's "Big Bad" villain. Science fiction and horror fans love the show for its tight continuity and sustained world-building. As numerous fans and critics have pointed out, however, the supernatural trappings function on a deeper, metaphorical level: they mirror the complexities of growing up, going out into the world, and accepting one's destiny.