As the prologue reiterates, the slayer is always female. This is a significant part to the vampire slayer lore because only a woman can possess the superhuman strength to defeat the vampires and other forces of darkness. Since the show aired in 1996 (and the original movie a few years before), Buffy has given girl power a boost. In a "heroine starved"culture, Rachel Fudge argues that Buffy is the beginning of a female revolution on the television. Before and around this time, there were not many shows that portrayed women as the dominant protagonist that could stand up for herself. The only others were La Femme Nikita and Xena the Warrior Princess. Buffy crossed over from the big screen to kill bad guys for an hour once a week and continue to thrill audiences for seven seasons.
This article written by Rachel Fudge has amazingly been referenced by many scholars who have analyzed Buffy as a revolution in the horror genre. I found this shocking because I personally did not perceive Fudge to have made a profound argument regarding the Buffy show. In regards to portraying a genuine female role model, I believe that Buffy is a wonderful character. She kicks butt and looks pretty for her date. Fudge's main grudge against this peppy blond is that she shows a little cleavage. Has she seen Lara Croft lately? At least Buffy lives in California where skimpy skirts and halter tops are at least realistic. Regarding Buffy's wardrobe, it is more than just clothing for this young slayer - it is her signature. While Superman has his cape and tights (no one ever criticizes Clark Kent for blue tights!), Buffy marches to the Hellmouth in her halter. In the episode "The I in Team," Buffy disregards adorning military garb saying that "this halter has seen many patrols." Buffy's wardrobe is not just an eye-catcher, though Laura Mulvey (a media critic known for her analysis of the male gaze) would argue otherwise. Also, this slayer's clothing is her statement to the world. Teenagers would not take her seriously if she did not dress like them. What teenage idol become popular with conservative clothing. This show became popular on the WB network and fans of all ages and genders could not get enough of Buffy. It was not her cleavage that attracted audience members, but her wit and spunk. She was not created to become a feminist controversy, as some have made her out to be, but a role model in a genre were women were the screaming victims. David Gauntlett quotes Joss Whedon, the creator of Buffy. "Buffy is a good role model for not just girls but for everybody, because she has to use her wits and her physical strength to win. Yet, she still has to get high marks in all her courses at school." I am not sure about the accuracy with the grades aspect since she rarely is passing high school and struggles in her college psychology class, but he states his point and gets across the idea that she is a role model for the modern teenager. The interesting fact is that most people believe that Buffy is a female craze, but it has been the men in my life who have gotten me addicted to the phenomena known as Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I love to watch the shows not only to see a woman as the heroine, but to analyze all of the aspects within the show. This may sound extreme that I analyze a television show, but it is really hard not to. Some of my favorite college memories have been discussing Buffy with my roommate and making an argument about how powerful the character is not just for women, but for revolutionizing an entire genre. Horror has not been the same since Buffy came slaying into the big screen with her halter top and witty comebacks. In a genre that sent women screaming from monsters and away from the television, Buffy has attracted women to the horror and science fiction genre. Now horror is not just for men. Through Buffy, the horror genre has become a communal gathering of both men and women. Now this may seem warm and fuzzy for a girl who slays anything but fuzzy demons. However, her fan gathering has been rather surprising given the nuance of the trend.
Another feisty lady to cross the medium border was Lara Croft. Originally a video game that allowed both generations to enjoy the game console, Angelina Jolie brought this character to life on the big screen. Creating a highly sexualized woman for the screen, Lara Croft transformed the dirty work of tomb raiding into high energy, smoking hot action. The perspective of Lara Croft that is most favorable for both genres is not her looks, but her intelligence. She is not just a sexy body for the big screen, but a smart woman who uses her physical strength as well as her brains. Being an archaeologist definitely wins her bonus points. So many times women have been portrayed as just an object. Here, Lara is the commanding subject who can outwit a group of specialized men all by herself. Throw in the latest cool gadgets, a sharp wit, and awesome artillery and the action is good to go!
These two fictional ladies have assisted in spicing up the heroine world for the entertainment of both men and women.
You write: "It was not her cleavage that attracted audience members, but her wit and spunk."
ReplyDeleteIs it possible that *both* Buffy's cleavage and her character were attractive? It may be that some people were attracted by her sex appeal and others by her personality and behavior and others by both.
And I guess the next question is if that's ok? You seem to imply that it is (and I'm not arguing with that). But there are some who say that her sex appeal blunts the statement made by her other personal qualities--in other words, that if a strong woman has to be made hyper-sexy to appeal to the "masses," then are we watering down the idea of a strong woman?