Buffy

[lilia2000]

Willow: Wait! 'Images of Pop Culture.' This is good. They watch movies, TV shows, even commercials.
Buffy: For credit?
Willow: Heh. Isn't college cool?
Buffy: How'd I miss that one?


So here's the deal. This semester I took a class called "Studies in Pop Culture" in the end it didn't turn out nearly as fun as I had hoped, but it is allowing me to write a paper on Buffy. So yays!

This is what I need, my paper is entitled "The Pop 'Cult'ure of Buffy" and I'm looking to fill 7 pages with the awesomeness that is Buffy. I'm looking for fan related stories about your experience wit Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Did it change your life?
Why do you love it so much?
Have any good fan relate experiences?
Did you meet your best friend because of Buffy?
What expereinces have you shared with others because of Buffy?
Are you a vidder? A fan fic writer? What do those things mean for you?
Is Buffy your escape? Why?
How did you start watching Buffy? From day one episode one? Or later?
Any interesting debates sparked out of Buffy?

Do you see what I'm asking? I have some of my own information I can put into this essay of course. So I'm not looking for any essay from you... just some experiences/stories whatever that can show what Buffy means to you. And that it still is its own subculture today.

(this is a public post so if you think you know some people with good stories, please feel free to share!)

Comments

[cee-m.livejournal.com]

http://countessmary.livejournal.com/216085.html

That's my post of love for Buffy. If you need more information, let me know.

[frodo-esque.livejournal.com]

Did it change your life? I wouldn't say it changed my life, but it certainly ranks as one of the best experiences ever in terms of TV show watching

Why do you love it so much?For so many reasons, the characters are multi-dimensional, the storylines are both real and fantastical, the humor is quirky and clever, and you actually feel for the characters on a deep, emotional level.

Have any good fan relate experiences? Yes, it was smoe fan friends of mine that suggested I watch this series and it was wonderful to continuously comment to them my thoughts as I watched the series. I'm not sure if this counts as a "good fan related experience' though, I've never really gone to a convention where I've met any Buffy fans. All the fans I know are friends of mine I've known for awhile either online or in person.

Did you meet your best friend because of Buffy? Nope, but I did convert my best friend into a Buffy-oholic. =)

What experiences have you shared with others because of Buffy? I'm not sure I understand... do you mean personal experiences that reminded me of Buffy? I related to a lot from that series, how Willow was the nerd who didn't quite fit in, to Xander being the one who didn't quite have any 'powers' to speak of except for his giving heart... it's endless. When I'd discover something I can relate to, it gave me something to discuss and share with friends.

Are you a vidder? A fan fic writer? What do those things mean for you? I don't know what a 'vidder' is and no I'm not a fan fic writer.

Is Buffy your escape? Why? It was at the time I was watching it. I was going through a rough time in my life at the time and Buffy helped to take my mind off things.

How did you start watching Buffy? From day one episode one? Or later? On DVD Season 1, Episode 1 to the very end.

Any interesting debates sparked out of Buffy? Hmm... I'm sure there have been plenty, but one that comes to mind [SPOILER WARNING!!] was whether or not Buffy should have killed Angel at the end of Season 2. People were so torn about that one!

[kimana83.livejournal.com]

I wish I could help, but I was never *that* into Buffy. Still - interesting idea for a paper! And I'm almost done re-watching season 2. Man, I love Spike more than ever - and he was always my favorite. Brooding Angel is so much better than Angelus, too. And Xander pretty much = Wash, great lines-wise.

[truexena.livejournal.com]

Did it change your life? Not so much, but it was always fun to watch on Tuesday night. ;)

Why do you love it so much? I loved the character of Willow, with Faith as a close second. Willow was the reason I'd tune in week after week. She was so powerful, yet very vulnerable. She wasn't the "Slayer", but the Slayer couldn't have stayed alive as long as she did without Willow's help, they couldn't have picked a better actress to play Willow than Alyson. Faith was just bad-assed. The 'rebel without a cause' type person I tend to gravitate towards in characters I like. She was just fun to watch, and Eliza played her well.

Have any good fan relate experiences? Well, lets see. I once saved Buffy from the "Gaming Track". Being as I used to never sleep during Dragon*Con, I'd roam the halls looking for things to do, and saw the standee in the Gaming Track in my wanderings. I'd been 'camping out' in the Buffy Track during their 'all night sushi pajama party' where episodes of Buffy & Angel would play all night. I tended to pass out before a full episode could complete, but it never bothered me, since I was only there because they where the closest Track room open near the "Xena Track" room. I'd learned from the Buffy Track Director that the standee was missing, so I let her know where I'd last seen Buffy, and she was retrieved. There where reports that the Buffy standee had been riding the elevators for most of the night before ending up in the Gaming Track room. Even though I didn't stay awake long enough to watch a full episode of Buffy during that 'camp out', I was back the next year with enough knowledge about Buffy the Vampire Slayer to 'Stump the Geek' in a Buffy Trivia Contest. ;) (I also become part of the Track's official staff, a year or two later)

Did you meet your best friend because of Buffy? I met a LOT of friends because of Buffy, and I still hang out with most of them at Dragon*Con every year. Even though the show is over, we still celebrate the Buffy Verse and the friendships we've created through watching the show.

What expereinces have you shared with others because of Buffy? As mentioned above, I've met a lot of Buffy fans at Dragon*Con, and we continue to hang out together even though the show is no longer on the air.

Are you a vidder? A fan fic writer? What do those things mean for you? I have done a few vids in my time. Actually, I've done at LEAST 12 Buffy vids, where I've only done 4 Xena ones. (you can currently find my Buffy vids here (http://www.geocities.com/xena2011/xenamusicvideos.html)) I don't consider myself a fanfic writer, but I did co-write one Buffy fic with an online friend of mine (also a Buffy fan, and an actual writer) called "Reflections in Raindrops". It's a Willow & Tara fic, but I think it's well written and we worked really hard on it. I'm very proud of the finished product. (you can read it here (http://www.truexena.com/Buffy/buffyfic.htm))

Is Buffy your escape? Why? Sure it is, but then all TV Shows, Movies, Books, and Comics are a form of escape from the real world. Its the 'allowed' form of letting go of your baggage for an hour or two and just letting something else fill your head. Yes Buffy is an escape, but then everything else I read and watch is an escape as well. Is that a bad thing? I don't think so, as long as I can still understand that it is not REAL, and that these people are just characters thought up by someone else, and they are living UNreal lives just to give me some entertainment.

(continued in another comment, apparently I run off at the keyboard)

[truexena.livejournal.com]

(continued from above)

How did you start watching Buffy? From day one episode one? Or later? Much later than day 1 episode 1. LOL I actually started watching Buffy Season 6 episode 1. Willow standing ontop of that Tomb being all "Willow Witch" was just AWESOME Sauce! I had to see what the rest of the series was like. I did everything in my power to get caught up, and did so before Season 6 was at an end. The funny thing is, I'd had some oneline friends (Xena fans), who kept telling me that I should watch Buffy and I kept telling them it wasn't my thing. Those friends where the ones that convinced me to at least TRY it, so we watched the S6 premiere together (chatting online, while watching our TV's). So I have all those Xena/Buffy fans to thank for my Buffy Fandom love.

Any interesting debates sparked out of Buffy? Oh lets see if I can remember any debates sparked from Buffy. How about the "Spuffy" debate? Should Buffy be with Spike? Is he good for her, is he bad for her? How about the "Magic Bullet" debate? Could that bullet from Warren's gun really have killed Tara? Did something 'magical' twist the bullet onto that path? How about the "Willow Dating" debate? How soon is 'too soon' for Willow to date again after Tara's death? The list is endless. If it's on the show, it's totally debatable.

I hope this helped you in some way. I'm sure most of it is just drivel and probably the same stuff anyone else would tell you. Geesh, I've never had to actually SHORTEN any of my comments!

[lilia2000.livejournal.com]

Wow! Thanks for all the detail! I really appreciate it. :-) The more I have to go on, the better! I love the story about Buffy riding up and down in the elevator! Such a Con story. :-D

[bojojoti.livejournal.com]

I wrote this for something and saved it on my hard drive:
"I was resting in a hospital bed when Buffy entered my life in October 2004. I was suffering from an illness, perhaps a virus or an outworking of dysautonomia, which left my body weak and my mind in a fog. I couldn’t hold my thoughts together long enough to read a book, and television helped fill the long hours of hospitalization. I wasn’t familiar with Buffy the Vampire Slayer and flipped past the channel, thinking it was a silly teen show. There weren’t many channels to choose from, and I ended up back with Buffy. At that time, Fox network showed two episodes of Buffy back to back, and I began to delight in the witty writing and the unique characters. This was far more than a lightweight adolescent program. The writers dealt with very real life issues in a touching and thoughtful manner. I was hooked on the story of a girl who faced the unknown with courage and a sense of humor. I had my own unknown to face with my health issues, but I could face them with my friends and family—my personal Scooby gang. Once I was home, my family started watching Buffy with me. They became mesmerized with the story of the exceptional girl and her circle of friends who never gave up but kept fighting the good fight. With that same determination and the help of my loved ones, I’ve regained much of what I lost before the virus."

My daughter's take on Buffy:
"When my Mom was hospitalized a couple of years ago, she didn’t have much to do except watch television. When my brother and I were growing up, our parents thought nothing good was on TV, and we didn’t even have cable. When Mom found Buffy, though, she was excited because she had found a show that was smart, funny, and endearing. When my Mom was released from the hospital, she ordered all the DVDs of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and she forced me to watch them with her. I say “forced” because I didn’t want to watch an old vampire show, but it turned out to be a great show. I fell in love with Buffy, Willow, Xander, and Giles. I really, really loved Angel and Spike! Soon, we had my brother and his girlfriend watching Buffy, too. My brother bought a life-sized cutout of Spike to keep us company on our weekend Buffy viewing nights. My Mom bought my brother’s girlfriend and me Buffy t-shirts. We named all our fish after the Buffy characters—you should see Spike: he is all decked out in black except for his yellow head! My cell phone plays the Buffy ringtone. For Christmas, my brother gave his girlfriend a claddagh ring."

I started reading fanfic online, which led me to LJ. I probably wouldn't be here today, if not for Buffy! Many on my friends' list love the Buffster.

[lilia2000.livejournal.com]

I love this story!!! This is so going in my paper! Thanks Bojojoti!

[lilia2000.livejournal.com]

Okay, seriously... I must be PMS'ing or something. I am nearly in tears writing this paper and reading over your story.

Buffy can make me so freakin' emotional!

[bojojoti.livejournal.com]

Buffy is so special to me, too. During my recuperation, I couldn't read or play on the computer (it seriously takes an amazing amount of brain power to do either), but I could watch television. Buffy and the Gilmore Girls were my bright spots during a long day until the kids came home from school.

[cynamin.livejournal.com]

Did it change your life? - I don't know about that, but it certainly was a big part of my life for a number of years. I had a lot of experiences thanks to Buffy that I wouldn't have had otherwise.

Why do you love it so much? - I have always had a thing for strong female characters. And then the relationships just drew me in and I was done for. :)

Have any good fan relate experiences? - Many! But here's a good one to share: I was invited to participate in a fanfic convention as a Buffy fanfic writer. Unfortunatly, the people who organized the event were really Xena fans, and that's the fandom they really managed to draw from, so there were about 9 of us there who were Buffy fans. We became our own little group, hanging out with each other for the whole con. By the end of it, several of us had decided that we could do a better job. Long bumpy road, but we ended up with 3 of us running a Buffy event as part of a convention the next year. We only managed to do it the one year, but it was tons of fun and I still look forward to seeing them at conventions around the country.

Did you meet your best friend because of Buffy? - Nope, but a lot of my friends are into it anyway.

Are you a vidder? A fan fic writer? What do those things mean for you? - I was an avid Buffy fanfic writer. I don't write it anymore, but I had a lot of stories going at one time. Now, I'm working on writing my own stories, with my own characters, and some of those writing skills were truly honed on fanfic.

Is Buffy your escape? Why? - It was on occasion. I still remember getting agravated with family one almost-Thanksgiving and retreating into my bedroom to watch Buffy and Angel. The world and the characters are still captivating.

How did you start watching Buffy? From day one episode one? Or later? - Funnily enough, I realized quite a ways later that the first episode I ever actually saw was "Ted" - I was flipping channels and had no clue what I was watching. But how I really started watching - I was running a fanfic site at the time, and someone sent me a Highlander/Buffy crossover story. He clearly liked the same elements of Highlander that I did, and I liked the Buffy parts that he included, so I had to watch. The first episode I intentionally saw was the season 2 finale. What a way to get hooked!

Any interesting debates sparked out of Buffy? - Not that I can think of, but Buffy does still end up in conversations with friends on occasion. The most recent conversation where Buffy ended up getting included I believe was on the nature of heroism. We got to talking about Xander, as the one without any powers.