Monday, July 1, 2013

What Would Buffy Do?

Good grief this has been a busy summer. Trips, rehab, more trips, MOVING . . . which by the way, is the worst thing in the entire world. I am not looking forward to doing it again in 14-ish months when my lease is up. 

But I digress. With all that's been going on this summer, I've neglected my writing, my working out (not great during this bathing-suit heavy time of year) and of course, my blog. Which I will attempt to rectify in the oncoming weeks. 

However, the one thing I haven't neglected is my classic sci-fi TV show watching. My roommates and I have taken a walk down memory lane and started watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer from the beginning. And let me say, it's as wonderful now as it was when my mom insisted I watch it in the 6th grade. 

As my roommates and I hunker down on our couches every few days to blow through a couple episodes, we often find ourselves amused by the moronic high school teens who walk down dark alleys by themselves late at night, only to be attacked by blood-sucking vampires and subsequently rescued by Buffy. 

Which of course makes me think of my idol and Buffy creator Joss Whedon, who began  the series after being disgusted by the "little blonde girl who goes into a dark alley and gets killed in every horror movie. The idea of Buffy was to subvert that idea, that image, and create someone who was a hero where she had always been a victim."

Buffy was certainly a a hero to me. Someone for me to look up to as a young girl . . . and as a fully grown one sixteen years later. And she taught me many important life lessons that I carry with me. Including: 

1. Never face an apocalypse alone. Always bring your two best friends along as backup. 

2. When in doubt, ask a librarian. They know everything. 

3. Never fight the undead without really great shoes. 

4. Caring about others is a strength - not a weakness.  

5. Choose Halloween costumes wisely. Very wisely. 

6. Friends don't let friends turn evil. 

7. And most importantly, you don't have to be a muscular, cape wearing superhero to fight evil or save the day. You can be the petite blond who usually dies in horror movies. Or a nerdy redhead. Or the class clown. Or the stuck-up cheerleader. Or the once-evil-turned-good undead. Or the tweed-wearing librarian. Anyone with the courage to stand up to the darkness can be a hero. 

So thank you Buffy for imparting your wisdom to an impressionable young girl. And when in doubt, always ask . . . What Would Buffy Do? 

18 comments:

  1. We're watching Buffy and Angel with our kids, right now. It's a long process since the oldest one is so often not home. We're in season 2 of Angel, at the moment.

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  2. My kids and are watching Buffy right now too! I'd forgotten how much I love the writing, series and the way Whedon turns stereotypes on their heads.

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  3. I always ask myself "What Would Buffy Do?"

    I love that your mom insisted you watch Buffy. I can't wait to share it with my niece when she gets old enough.

    And those are some very important life lessons. Especially #3 and #5.

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  4. I'm such a fan of Buffy, and Whedon especially. The season where Willow goes bad...ZOMG...best tv ever.

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  5. I know I always ask a librarian for help. :P I loved Buffy.

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  6. I'm rewatching Buffy right now too! :D

    Allison (Geek Banter)

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  7. I suppose I'm going to have to actually watch that series at some point. There are a few that have been on my "to watch" list that never seems to rise to the top.

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  8. I only got through two and a half seasons before I was separated from my Netflix. But I did enjoy it. Buffy is an awesome heroine.

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  9. Great advice. Buffy was just the best. I really must introduce my daughters to her...

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  10. What I love about the series is that women are shown to be strong in different ways. I think Willow has the more interesting storyline; she expands from dorky, overalls-wearing researcher sidekick to a force to be reckoned with in later seasons. She doesn't have to physically kick butt to show her strength. I like that series began with the little blond fighting back, but it ended with a group of strong friends who all had their strengths, fighting together. Also, Spike. :)

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  11. I should re-watch Buffy and Angel.
    Sorry I've been so absent from the blog world lately. How have you been?

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  12. "Caring about others is a strength - not a weakness." I like that. I like that one a lot S.L. :)

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  13. I haven't watched Buffy in ages, maybe I should break out the DVD's this weekend.

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  14. Love Buffy! I agree, she's definitely a fantastic role model. :)

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  15. I feel kinship here because my mother made me watch Buffy too. Apparently my MUCH older brother watched it on BBC 2 at stupid o'clock as a kid and my Mum always liked it so two Christmases ago (wow, where does the time go?) we saw they were showing re-runs on SyFy and stuck it on whilst decorating the tree. Three hours later no decorating had occurred as eyes had become glued to the television. That's how my life changed forever (I can even tell you what the first episode I ever watched was; The Replacement, S5 ep3) and I've never looked back. I can personally blame my Mum for sparking my Joss obsession (who is, quite frankly, my idol)and for making me realise that a) I can do anything I put my mind to if I band together my reluctant friends and b) if I dress up as something cool for Halloween, maybe, just maybe... You know what, never mind. I adored this post!

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  16. Thank you for posting this! I am currently having a Buffy marathon. Been a huge fan since I was a girl and it'll never get old! Buffy has taught me many, many things, and to this day I always ask myself "What would Buffy do?" when things get hard for me :)

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  17. Stupendous post! & excellent advice. Here's one I learned from her...Anything can be used as a weapon. Love her.

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