Max Damerell: Buffy The Vampire Slayer (Cult TV Show) - How does Buffy deconstruct traditional literary notions of good and evil?

Traditional literary notions of good and evil usually follow a prescribed plan: a good woman, inevitably plain, shy and unassuming, maybe an orphan, is in romantic competition (for the dark, brooding hero who fails to notice her good qualities) with an attractive, confident, wealthy woman. Evil is often presented as a powerful male figure that wants to take advantage of the vulnerable, good person. Evil in literature can be easy to spot: frequently foreign, often old or overweight, and dressed in black it may present as a member of a religious cult or a corrupt businessman/ corporation. The horror genre has its own idea of good and evil. The horror arises when evil sneaks up on the good, messing up the world and scaring the reader/viewer with the outcome. Again, it’s inevitable; someone will die, and die horribly.

“Quality TV creates a new genre by mixing old ones” (Wilcox, Levery, 2002). The quote is from Joss Whedon, the creator of ‘Buffy The Vampire Slayer’. He liked the idea of reversing the roles in traditional horror genre, so when he created Buffy to fight the forces of darkness he gave her a name that suggested lightweight, frivolous and superficial (Wilcox, Lavery, 2002). ‘Buffy’ rhymes with ‘fluffy’ for a reason.

Joss Whedon: “I’ve always been a huge fan of horror movies…where there was that blonde girl who would always get herself killed. I started feeling bad for her…I thought ‘its time she had a chance to take back the night’” (Holder, 2012). Whedon goes on to say that his mother was “an extremely strong woman, uncompromising, fun and funny” and to honor her he wanted to make a “low-key, funny, feminist horror movie” (Holder, 2012). In ‘Buffy The Vampire Slayer’ the acceptedl literary ideas of good and evil are deconstructed using science fiction, humour, romance and even farce. The characters have to fight supernatural bad guys while still looking good and managing complex social lives.

In episode four of series one, Buffy is given advice by her science teacher: “Don't be sorry, be smart. And please don't listen to the principal or anyone else's negative opinion about you. Let's make 'em eat that permanent record” and Buffy, the slayer, chosen by fate to protect the world against vampires and other monsters, takes that role and runs with it. Each consequential episode is self-contained with a villain who gets defeated by the show’s end. Despite the deconstruction though, people and monsters die on a regular basis and always in a spectacular fashion.

Buffy the funny, feminist, high school student has the same concerns as other kids her age. Dressing for a night out she holds up different outfits to the mirror:

“Hi! I'm an enormous slut! Hello. Would you like a copy of the Watchtower? I used to be so good at this...” (Whedon, 1997).

She wants to fit in and be liked but evil monsters keep getting in the way. She’s aggressive and sarcastic and not a particularly good student. In episode four, series one Willow defends the science teacher to her classmates: “He’s one of the only teachers who doesn’t think Buffy’s a felon” (Whedon, 1997).

Buffy is the little blonde who won’t actually put up with being victimized. She is a teenager exploring the issues of friendship, jealousy and self-esteem while fighting evil, and horror, every week.

Giles: Buffy, while the mere fact of you wanting to check out a book would be grounds for a national holiday, I think we should focus on the problem at hand.

Buffy: Right. I'm sorry, you're right. Vampires. Oh. Does this outfit make me look fat? (Whedon, 1997).

She’s the girl walking onto the dance floor as the band ‘Three Days Wheely’ (1997) sings, “You're just a girl, just a girl who knows no shame”. Conventional literary heroines feel shame and they know their place. They are challenged by evil outsiders and succumb to peer pressure. Joss Whedon deconstructs that theory with “The joy of female power. Having it, sharing it, using it” (Holder, 2012). Here’s Giles in series one, episode 5: “Buffy, when I said you could slay vampires and have a social life, I didn't mean at the same time” (Whedon, 1997). Buffy has attitude and strength of character. There are human failings too, but presented as they are, with humour and a strong script, Buffy becomes the antithesis of the accepted literary heroine, capable of doing good works while kicking the butt of the latest monstrous challenge to Sunnydale.

  

References:

·      Holder, N. (2012). Buffy: The Making of a Slayer - The Official Guide (1st ed.). London, UK: Titan Books.

·      Whedon, J. (Head Writer, Executive Producer & Director). (1997). Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Season One (Collector's Edition) [Australian DVD]. USA: 20th Century Fox Television.

·      Wilcox, R. & Lavery, D. (2002). Introduction, in R. Wilcox & D. Lavery (eds.). Fighting the Forces: What’s at Stake in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield.