1. Buffy is often described as cult TV - what characteristics do you think define a film or television programme as 'cult'? What relationship do these characteristics have with Thompson's (as cited in Wilcox and Lavery, 2002) description of 'quality television'?
2. Buffy questions the traditional filmic dichotomy between good and evil. How was this seen in the week 9 screenings of Buffy?
3. Buffy often makes reference to other genres or pre-texts. Do you think it is necessary to be familiar with these genres or pre-texts to understand or enjoy watching Buffy?
4. Although it is a fantasy, Buffy is often described as being more realistic than most 'serious' television. Did this come across in the week 9 screenings?
I think why people described Buffy as cult TV is that because it is not only famous but also attracted a band of aficionados and appreciators. “Cult TV” is kind of specific TV programs that everyone talks about it and interested in. And Buffy also successfully brought up the tie-in products. Furthermore, according to wikipedia, Cult TV is kind of series made for television that encourages its viewers to do more than just sit and watch it. And Cult film should be the same. For example, Transformers, I remember that when I was child, I was a fan of that; always asked parents to buy their toys and even drew their face on my table as well as wanted to join the TV events.
Buffy and me have come a long way, baby. I think I've been watching the Buffy series when I was probaby 12.
I must admit that I did not fully understand what Buffy was about when I was young. Mostly because I am a second language learner, and I have very limited English vocab when I was 12. I was watching it simply because I think Sarah Michelle Gellar is hot and I often fantasized of living the high school life of America. Also, I was rather intrigued with vampires and monsters. Believe it or not, I thought the series were rather scary. But, now rewatching the series again, I can't believe I was losing sleep over low end B-grade horror masks and props. -_-"
Ah, also, the soundtracks used in Buffy, I was really into them as well. The series used up-and-coming indie bands for music and I thought watching Buffy is a good way to know all the good bands before it became mainstream.
Watching the first episode of Buffy in class last week brought back heaps of memories and I think I certainly have a better understanding of the series as a whole now.
It is incredible how the series actually interlink with so many different genres from horror to typical high school teen-flicks.
It is undeniable that Buffy is an excellent series and I quote Russell T. Davies - the executive producer:
“ Buffy the Vampire Slayer showed the whole world, and an entire sprawling industry, that writing monsters and demons and end-of-the world isn't hack-work, it can challenge the best. Joss Whedon raised the bar for every writer—not just genre/niche writers, but every single one of us."
Oh, and to answer the question, Yes, I do like watching Buffy. ^-^
Hey Pear Jin, glad to know that you’ve watched the entire series and likes it so much. I watched the whole thing only about a year ago on DVD. It took me a couple of weeks to finish, watching about 10 episodes a day.
2) I like how Buffy questions the traditional filmic dichotomy between good and evil. One of my favorite parts of the series were the episodes at the end of season six, when Willow becomes addicted to magic, and turns into an Uber Witch that threaten to destroy the world. I think it shows how even the most good natured and innocent people have the potential to become extremely evil.
I don’t like how people and monsters are depicted as absolute good or evil in “traditional” films, because in reality, people are just far more complicated than that.
3) Buffy often makes reference to other genres or pre-texts. Do you think it is necessary to be familiar with these genres or pre-texts to understand or enjoy watching Buffy?
Jeez, what a big question to ask? I’d like to say that the script for Buffy is wonderfully written, with literally thousands of references to other works throughout the series. There are loads of such references in the series that I don’t realize, or don’t quite understand. I’ll give an example:
In the Season 5 Episode 7, “fool for love”, Spike and his “family” of vampires were in China during the time of the Boxer Rebellion in 1900. After Spike learns about Slayers from Angelus, he fights and kills a Chinese slayer inside a Buddhist temple. The slayer, with her last words, said in Chinese “Tell my mother, I'm sorry...”, only to get a reply from Spike saying “I'm sorry, love, I don't speak Chinese.”
The Boxer Rebellion was an Anti-Western, Anti-Imperialist movement in China, and this part of the episode is certainly trying to ridicule that part of history. But I still ponder over what exactly this part of Buffy is trying to ridicule
Overall, I think being familiar with the pre-texts definitely helps us understand Buffy. But whether it helps us enjoy it or not, I really can’t say.
4) I agree that Buffy is more realistic than a lot of “serious” television. At its core, Buffy is really just about things that everybody encounters in life: high school, romance, family, friends, etc.
Almost all the demons and the paranormal are just loud metaphors for the difficulties we go through in life. Unlike in series such as the X-files, which looks at the paranormal for its own sake. This is not to say that I don’t like the X-files, that series has a totally different theme to it.
Yes, I like watching Buffy, especially like the question 4 reviews that Buffy is often described as being more realistic than most 'serious' television. Such like the Sunnydale is like any of the high school and the parents will never know what is going to happen to their kids. It seemed that teenager always in the island palm which was alone to face everything and make the decision to be good or evil.
One thing that I wound like to express my idea is about the relationship between Angel and Buffy. On Monday class, Darryl talked about the sexual and romantic relationship between them is also a metaphor refers to the realistic sexual relationship between female and male which was changed after the sexual action.
On the other hand to be my understanding, I thought it may also refers to the Lolita-complex which exists in the realistic society between adult and teenager. Cause the guy who loved Lolita finally driven himself into crazy and destroy him, and also affect some people who were in his community and caused the tragedy. In Buffy, Angel is a long lived Vampire (enough old to be a Lolita guy) and definitely had the desire toward to Buffy; Buffy is a teenager such as the Lolita. So, they had romance and made love, after then Angel came back into the demon. I think that is a very good metaphor to present the fatal destiny for the Lolita guy in the real world.
4.Yes. Because there're "real issues of teenagers" in Buffy. For instance, dillenma of relatioships between fridns, lovers and family. It also discusses issues of school, such as high school=the Hell.
5. Yes. It was really good at the beginning, but in my opinion, it went down on the hill since Angel left the series. (I have to admit one of the reason is that i was sad that a hot guy left)
I think it kinda lost its humor as the series went by.
2.I think in Buffy, forms of good and evil are not always depict clearly. Like Angel and Spike used to be “Bad guys”, but as the series go by, they begin to show different sides within them. For example, Spike fell in love with Buffy and Angel turned back to be Angelus etc.
However, the episode we watched in the class, these are expressed clearly. Good=Buffy and her friends Evil= Dr.Walsh and Adam.
4. In addition to my answer 4, just like Birdie,I've also found sexual issues of Buffy and Angel interesting.
It happens ALL THE TIME that guys change after having sex. No offence. Not all men ;)Some girls change too. Although the series depicted this matter as Angel turned back to be an evil Angelus by losing his soul(I kinda liked evil wild Angel but well, he really was too cruel sometimes), the intention of the creator is quite obvious. I mean, how many girls have experience this? How many of them have cried over it?
I reckon getting sympathy/emphathy from the audience was one of the reasons that it was/is still loved by people.
1. One of the interesting things about Buffy being described as 'cult TV' is how it has attracted so many scholars to study and analyze it. I agree with Yi-an's opinion as cult TV is often being portrayed as a genre that usually has a strong loyal audience thinks a lot about the show and do more than just sitting there to watch the show. (Wikipedia, 2007)
Wilcox and Lavery (2002) states that Thompson describe a quality TV has a memory. In a interview with Joss Whedon (the creator of Buffy), he told the interviewer about his disappointment with the lack of memory showed by the characters on The X-Files, particularly Scully’s inability to accept the truth of the supernatural despite weekly proof. But this is not the case in Buffy, as the characters in the show remember, and the viewers remember too. For instance, devoted fans of Buffy will recall the scene that Giles listening to Cream’s “Tales of Brave Ulysses” after attending the funeral of Buffy’s mother, as he had played the same song for Joyce Summer during their drug-induced reversion of teenageness in “Band Candy”, a night he and Joyce had sex together. (Wilcox & Lavery, 2002)
I suppose this fits the characteristic of encourages the viewers to do more than just sit there and watch the show as viewers talk and gossip about Buffy after they’ve watched it. (I’m not too sure)
5. Regarding to question 5, no, I personally don’t like Buffy at all (but I like Sarah Michelle Gellar), because I think it’s not my type of TV show. To be honest, I’m not a fan of any TV series dramas at all.
Q2. I agree with Maho for question two. I think in Buffy the good and evil are mix together. Spike is qutie a good example relay to this question, at first he was an enemy with Buffy and want to kill her but in the season two he fell in love with Buffy and while in the season 7 when Spike got his soul back he start to kill again. However, the Changes from Spike is from "Evil" to "Good" and return back to "Evil". So I think the Good and Evil character in Buffy is not as like as the traditional film.
***********************************
Q3. In the lecture, Darryl has mention Buffy has reference to many other pre-text and genres such as Frankenstein and some Horror vampire's stories. But I don't think we need to read or understand all these pre-text or genres before we watch Buffy because we can understand these people are "MONSTERS" and "BAD PEOPLE" then we can still enjoy watching Buffy without any problem.
***********************************
Q5 Be honest I did not really like watch Buffy. I think the act is not really good and I did not even know this drama before I study this paper haha..
yes, I agree with Maho and Vic for the third question. Just like what vic have mentioned. whatever Buffy is reference to the pre-text or not, it does not matter that cause my understanding into Buffy. In my opinion, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is an enjoyable show. It is a fun cross-genre display with several strong characters. However, it contained the barriers of teenagers in to comedy and horror. Sometimes I’m impressed that their dialogue was so classic and so cool. And I do enjoy watching Buffy.
15 comments:
Questions for discussion
1. Buffy is often described as cult TV - what characteristics do you think define a film or television programme as 'cult'?
What relationship do these characteristics have with Thompson's (as cited in Wilcox and Lavery, 2002) description of 'quality television'?
2. Buffy questions the traditional filmic dichotomy between good and evil. How was this seen in the week 9 screenings of Buffy?
3. Buffy often makes reference to other genres or pre-texts. Do you think it is necessary to be familiar with these genres or pre-texts to understand or enjoy watching Buffy?
4. Although it is a fantasy, Buffy is often described as being more realistic than most 'serious' television. Did this come across in the week 9 screenings?
5. Did you like watching Buffy?
I think why people described Buffy as cult TV is that because it is not only famous but also attracted a band of aficionados and appreciators. “Cult TV” is kind of specific TV programs that everyone talks about it and interested in. And Buffy also successfully brought up the tie-in products. Furthermore, according to wikipedia, Cult TV is kind of series made for television that encourages its viewers to do more than just sit and watch it. And Cult film should be the same. For example, Transformers, I remember that when I was child, I was a fan of that; always asked parents to buy their toys and even drew their face on my table as well as wanted to join the TV events.
Buffy and me have come a long way, baby. I think I've been watching the Buffy series when I was probaby 12.
I must admit that I did not fully understand what Buffy was about when I was young. Mostly because I am a second language learner, and I have very limited English vocab when I was 12. I was watching it simply because I think Sarah Michelle Gellar is hot and I often fantasized of living the high school life of America. Also, I was rather intrigued with vampires and monsters. Believe it or not, I thought the series were rather scary. But, now rewatching the series again, I can't believe I was losing sleep over low end B-grade horror masks and props. -_-"
Ah, also, the soundtracks used in Buffy, I was really into them as well. The series used up-and-coming indie bands for music and I thought watching Buffy is a good way to know all the good bands before it became mainstream.
Watching the first episode of Buffy in class last week brought back heaps of memories and I think I certainly have a better understanding of the series as a whole now.
It is incredible how the series actually interlink with so many different genres from horror to typical high school teen-flicks.
It is undeniable that Buffy is an excellent series and I quote Russell T. Davies - the executive producer:
“ Buffy the Vampire Slayer showed the whole world, and an entire sprawling industry, that writing monsters and demons and end-of-the world isn't hack-work, it can challenge the best. Joss Whedon raised the bar for every writer—not just genre/niche writers, but every single one of us."
Oh, and to answer the question, Yes, I do like watching Buffy. ^-^
Hey Pear Jin, glad to know that you’ve watched the entire series and likes it so much. I watched the whole thing only about a year ago on DVD. It took me a couple of weeks to finish, watching about 10 episodes a day.
2)
I like how Buffy questions the traditional filmic dichotomy between good and evil. One of my favorite parts of the series were the episodes at the end of season six, when Willow becomes addicted to magic, and turns into an Uber Witch that threaten to destroy the world. I think it shows how even the most good natured and innocent people have the potential to become extremely evil.
I don’t like how people and monsters are depicted as absolute good or evil in “traditional” films, because in reality, people are just far more complicated than that.
3)
Buffy often makes reference to other genres or pre-texts. Do you think it is necessary to be familiar with these genres or pre-texts to understand or enjoy watching Buffy?
Jeez, what a big question to ask? I’d like to say that the script for Buffy is wonderfully written, with literally thousands of references to other works throughout the series. There are loads of such references in the series that I don’t realize, or don’t quite understand. I’ll give an example:
In the Season 5 Episode 7, “fool for love”, Spike and his “family” of vampires were in China during the time of the Boxer Rebellion in 1900. After Spike learns about Slayers from Angelus, he fights and kills a Chinese slayer inside a Buddhist temple. The slayer, with her last words, said in Chinese “Tell my mother, I'm sorry...”, only to get a reply from Spike saying “I'm sorry, love, I don't speak Chinese.”
The Boxer Rebellion was an Anti-Western, Anti-Imperialist movement in China, and this part of the episode is certainly trying to ridicule that part of history. But I still ponder over what exactly this part of Buffy is trying to ridicule
Overall, I think being familiar with the pre-texts definitely helps us understand Buffy. But whether it helps us enjoy it or not, I really can’t say.
4)
I agree that Buffy is more realistic than a lot of “serious” television. At its core, Buffy is really just about things that everybody encounters in life: high school, romance, family, friends, etc.
Almost all the demons and the paranormal are just loud metaphors for the difficulties we go through in life. Unlike in series such as the X-files, which looks at the paranormal for its own sake. This is not to say that I don’t like the X-files, that series has a totally different theme to it.
5)
And oh yes, I like watching Buffy a lot too ^^
Yes, I like watching Buffy, especially like the question 4 reviews that Buffy is often described as being more realistic than most 'serious' television. Such like the Sunnydale is like any of the high school and the parents will never know what is going to happen to their kids. It seemed that teenager always in the island palm which was alone to face everything and make the decision to be good or evil.
One thing that I wound like to express my idea is about the relationship between Angel and Buffy. On Monday class, Darryl talked about the sexual and romantic relationship between them is also a metaphor refers to the realistic sexual relationship between female and male which was changed after the sexual action.
On the other hand to be my understanding, I thought it may also refers to the Lolita-complex which exists in the realistic society between adult and teenager. Cause the guy who loved Lolita finally driven himself into crazy and destroy him, and also affect some people who were in his community and caused the tragedy. In Buffy, Angel is a long lived Vampire (enough old to be a Lolita guy) and definitely had the desire toward to Buffy; Buffy is a teenager such as the Lolita. So, they had romance and made love, after then Angel came back into the demon. I think that is a very good metaphor to present the fatal destiny for the Lolita guy in the real world.
I visited here last weekend, but there was nothing, so I couldn't comment!
3. I don't think it's necessary, but I suppose the audience can comprehend the contents better if there're something which they can compare with.
4.Yes. Because there're "real issues of teenagers" in Buffy. For instance, dillenma of relatioships between fridns, lovers and family. It also discusses issues of school, such as high school=the Hell.
5. Yes. It was really good at the beginning, but in my opinion, it went down on the hill since Angel left the series. (I have to admit one of the reason is that i was sad that a hot guy left)
I think it kinda lost its humor as the series went by.
2.I think in Buffy, forms of good and evil are not always depict clearly. Like Angel and Spike used to be “Bad guys”, but as the series go by, they begin to show different sides within them. For example, Spike fell in love with Buffy and Angel turned back to be Angelus etc.
However, the episode we watched in the class, these are expressed clearly. Good=Buffy and her friends Evil= Dr.Walsh and Adam.
4. In addition to my answer 4, just like Birdie,I've also found sexual issues of Buffy and Angel interesting.
It happens ALL THE TIME that guys change after having sex. No offence. Not all men ;)Some girls change too. Although the series depicted this matter as Angel turned back to be an evil Angelus by losing his soul(I kinda liked evil wild Angel but well, he really was too cruel sometimes), the intention of the creator is quite obvious. I mean, how many girls have experience this? How many of them have cried over it?
I reckon getting sympathy/emphathy from the audience was one of the reasons that it was/is still loved by people.
1. One of the interesting things about Buffy being described as 'cult TV' is how it has attracted so many scholars to study and analyze it. I agree with Yi-an's opinion as cult TV is often being portrayed as a genre that usually has a strong loyal audience thinks a lot about the show and do more than just sitting there to watch the show. (Wikipedia, 2007)
Wilcox and Lavery (2002) states that Thompson describe a quality TV has a memory. In a interview with Joss Whedon (the creator of Buffy), he told the interviewer about his disappointment with the lack of memory showed by the characters on The X-Files, particularly Scully’s inability to accept the truth of the supernatural despite weekly proof. But this is not the case in Buffy, as the characters in the show remember, and the viewers remember too. For instance, devoted fans of Buffy will recall the scene that Giles listening to Cream’s “Tales of Brave Ulysses” after attending the funeral of Buffy’s mother, as he had played the same song for Joyce Summer during their drug-induced reversion of teenageness in “Band Candy”, a night he and Joyce had sex together. (Wilcox & Lavery, 2002)
I suppose this fits the characteristic of encourages the viewers to do more than just sit there and watch the show as viewers talk and gossip about Buffy after they’ve watched it. (I’m not too sure)
5. Regarding to question 5, no, I personally don’t like Buffy at all (but I like Sarah Michelle Gellar), because I think it’s not my type of TV show. To be honest, I’m not a fan of any TV series dramas at all.
Q2. I agree with Maho for question two. I think in Buffy the good and evil are mix together.
Spike is qutie a good example relay to this question, at first he was an enemy with Buffy and want to kill her but in the season two he fell in love with Buffy and while in the season 7 when Spike got his soul back he start to kill again. However, the Changes from Spike is from "Evil" to "Good" and return back to "Evil". So I think the Good and Evil character in Buffy is not as like as the traditional film.
***********************************
Q3. In the lecture, Darryl has mention Buffy has reference to many other pre-text and genres such as Frankenstein and some Horror vampire's stories. But I don't think we need to read or understand all these pre-text or genres before we watch Buffy because we can understand these people are "MONSTERS" and "BAD PEOPLE" then we can still enjoy watching Buffy without any problem.
***********************************
Q5 Be honest I did not really like watch Buffy. I think the act is not really good and I did not even know this drama before I study this paper haha..
yes, I agree with Maho and Vic for the third question. Just like what vic have mentioned. whatever Buffy is reference to the pre-text or not, it does not matter that cause my understanding into Buffy. In my opinion, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is an enjoyable show. It is a fun cross-genre display with several strong characters. However, it contained the barriers of teenagers in to comedy and horror. Sometimes I’m impressed that their dialogue was so classic and so cool. And I do enjoy watching Buffy.
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