This blog is based upon "Children's TV," MEDST 322W, at Queens College/CUNY, Fall 2013. Comments here are provided by the students and professor, Dr. Joy Fuqua. The class examines the history of and contemporary media produced by and for children and teens in the US.
Monday, October 7, 2013
Hi Everybody,
Please feel free to post your blog comments here-- for the in-class work we tried to do last class regarding childhood mythologies and Buffy, the Vampire Slayer.
Watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer for the first time enabled me to recognize very quickly the teenage myths that were discussed. Buffy appears to be an average teenage girl who is trying to adjust to a new high school and make some friends; A very typical scenario that we find in a lot of teen shows and movies. Immaturity which was one of the myths my group discussed was definitely presented within the people Buffy comes in contact with. The so-called social hierarchy that we normally see in teen movies and tv shows is a myth that is seen in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The popular girl, Cordelia, is the typical stereotype. She is pretty and only associates with "cool" people. The quiet girl, Willow, is another character who's personality is not only represented in Buffy. Not only is she quiet but she is very smart and had a nerdy edge to her. Buffy herself definitely challenges teen myths. As we come to find, she is a Vampire Slayer which in reality is not something a typical teenager does for a living. She is way more than mature, she is a myth herself. Being the Vampire Slayer has great meaning to it. As much as she will try to fit in with her fellow peers, she can't fully because of her gift. She is more than just an average teenager.
I found the premise of Buffy to be a fascinating metaphor for the stereotypical teenage experience. Buffy personal struggle is being herself and performing her responsibilities. As a vampire slayer, and as a teenager, she has the propensity to clash with her surroundings, with almost anyone who asks anything of her, whether its her mother, school administration, peers, or vampire related acquaintances. All Buffy wants is to be normal, something which ironically can never happen. The teenage struggle, perhaps signified by Buffy's story, is to at once fully embrace oneself and ones own calling, as well as conform to the rigid structure and format that society lays out for its incoming adults.
The teenage experience illustrated by Buffy is a classic portrait of a high school society, wrought with superficial cliques, social climbing, bullying. There is the proverbial popular, more desirable circle to strive to impress, and circle of losers, of which to avoid. Likewise, Buffy, as a vampire slayer, Buffy's nature, however, is supernatural, both to the world and the mini-world of her high school. When Buffy comes to school on her first day, she simultaneously befriends the so-called most prominent, adored girl in her class, as well as the most outcast, nerdy girl. Buffy's nature is to eliminate destructive forces, and this is represented by her ability to break human social boundaries. What this might say about teenhood is that they teenagers have the capacity to change the world as they would like it.
Of course, I've only watched an episode and a half of Buffy, so I'm not sure if this tone is consistent throughout the series…
The role that Sarah Michelle Gellar plays as Buffy the Vampire slayers is an unnatural form of what a teenage should be. Teenager present a sence of innocence in which you see in the character of Willow. This sence of innocence is lost in Buffy. She is strong intelliegent, good attention to detail, and mature. The way she holds her self you can see right away that she is different from her peers. Cordelia catchs the fact that she is from California and she is pretty so she accepts her into her group of popular kids right away by showing her around in school and inviting her to a club. Backing up the description of Buffy's good attention to detail in the scene while she over looks the club with the professor she automatically looks out for tell tale signs of a Vampire. She looks out of the box and focusses on what a teenager looks like and an out of date dresser looks like (VAMPIRE). Buffy took complete control and was confident with her fighting skills against the vampires in the grave yard and the vampires noticed that right away. Like everyone has stated in their blog posts Cordelia is the typical popular girl. Every school has one and every teen movie or show has one. This is typical character goes back a long time, but Buffy doesn't just hop on the popular band wagon she is nice and shows compation for WIllow the nerdy socially awkward girl. Willow new her role as the nerd, no one was interested in her besides tutoring time. She made it clear to Buffy telling her"you don't have to be my friend it's ok Cordelia wont' like us being friend" with that said Buffy knocked down any interest in pleasing anyone besides herself, she stayed and became friends with Willow. This was a touching sight just because high school is a tough era in ones life. As a teenager going into high school one must accept the fact your life is going to be brought upside down because all the drama of friends and significant relationships and new experiences one is exposed too. Buffy shows these struggles, but also show how difficult it is going through that and having to deal with being the one and only chosen one THE VAMPIRE SLAYER. Another portayal of teenage myths involve the boys featured in the show. At first you watch one boy looking at the girls and the other boy trying everything he could to get Cordelia to notice, like, or go out with him. Tennage boys are girl crazed. There is no denying that fact. Its normal for a teenage boy to act that way because his body is changing. All supporting characters reinforces most myths because mostly all the things that are happening can be related to the normal teenage life. Teens and young adults can watch and feel there is a sense of reality presented in the show. Buffy on the other hand challenges teenage myths because she was chosen as the vampire slayer. This character could never be normal as hard as she tried to forget her past, it caught up with her pretty quickly. After watching the show in class i woul dbe interested to see how the show plays out. Whenever i have time for it with my already demanding netflick my list i will get into it. Thanks for showing it.
Watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer for the first time enabled me to recognize very quickly the teenage myths that were discussed. Buffy appears to be an average teenage girl who is trying to adjust to a new high school and make some friends; A very typical scenario that we find in a lot of teen shows and movies. Immaturity which was one of the myths my group discussed was definitely presented within the people Buffy comes in contact with. The so-called social hierarchy that we normally see in teen movies and tv shows is a myth that is seen in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The popular girl, Cordelia, is the typical stereotype. She is pretty and only associates with "cool" people. The quiet girl, Willow, is another character who's personality is not only represented in Buffy. Not only is she quiet but she is very smart and had a nerdy edge to her. Buffy herself definitely challenges teen myths. As we come to find, she is a Vampire Slayer which in reality is not something a typical teenager does for a living. She is way more than mature, she is a myth herself. Being the Vampire Slayer has great meaning to it. As much as she will try to fit in with her fellow peers, she can't fully because of her gift. She is more than just an average teenager.
ReplyDeleteI found the premise of Buffy to be a fascinating metaphor for the stereotypical teenage experience. Buffy personal struggle is being herself and performing her responsibilities. As a vampire slayer, and as a teenager, she has the propensity to clash with her surroundings, with almost anyone who asks anything of her, whether its her mother, school administration, peers, or vampire related acquaintances. All Buffy wants is to be normal, something which ironically can never happen.
ReplyDeleteThe teenage struggle, perhaps signified by Buffy's story, is to at once fully embrace oneself and ones own calling, as well as conform to the rigid structure and format that society lays out for its incoming adults.
The teenage experience illustrated by Buffy is a classic portrait of a high school society, wrought with superficial cliques, social climbing, bullying. There is the proverbial popular, more desirable circle to strive to impress, and circle of losers, of which to avoid. Likewise, Buffy, as a vampire slayer, Buffy's nature, however, is supernatural, both to the world and the mini-world of her high school.
When Buffy comes to school on her first day, she simultaneously befriends the so-called most prominent, adored girl in her class, as well as the most outcast, nerdy girl.
Buffy's nature is to eliminate destructive forces, and this is represented by her ability to break human social boundaries. What this might say about teenhood is that they teenagers have the capacity to change the world as they would like it.
Of course, I've only watched an episode and a half of Buffy, so I'm not sure if this tone is consistent throughout the series…
The role that Sarah Michelle Gellar plays as Buffy the Vampire slayers is an unnatural form of what a teenage should be. Teenager present a sence of innocence in which you see in the character of Willow. This sence of innocence is lost in Buffy. She is strong intelliegent, good attention to detail, and mature. The way she holds her self you can see right away that she is different from her peers. Cordelia catchs the fact that she is from California and she is pretty so she accepts her into her group of popular kids right away by showing her around in school and inviting her to a club. Backing up the description of Buffy's good attention to detail in the scene while she over looks the club with the professor she automatically looks out for tell tale signs of a Vampire. She looks out of the box and focusses on what a teenager looks like and an out of date dresser looks like (VAMPIRE). Buffy took complete control and was confident with her fighting skills against the vampires in the grave yard and the vampires noticed that right away.
ReplyDeleteLike everyone has stated in their blog posts Cordelia is the typical popular girl. Every school has one and every teen movie or show has one. This is typical character goes back a long time, but Buffy doesn't just hop on the popular band wagon she is nice and shows compation for WIllow the nerdy socially awkward girl. Willow new her role as the nerd, no one was interested in her besides tutoring time. She made it clear to Buffy telling her"you don't have to be my friend it's ok Cordelia wont' like us being friend" with that said Buffy knocked down any interest in pleasing anyone besides herself, she stayed and became friends with Willow. This was a touching sight just because high school is a tough era in ones life.
As a teenager going into high school one must accept the fact your life is going to be brought upside down because all the drama of friends and significant relationships and new experiences one is exposed too. Buffy shows these struggles, but also show how difficult it is going through that and having to deal with being the one and only chosen one THE VAMPIRE SLAYER.
Another portayal of teenage myths involve the boys featured in the show. At first you watch one boy looking at the girls and the other boy trying everything he could to get Cordelia to notice, like, or go out with him. Tennage boys are girl crazed. There is no denying that fact. Its normal for a teenage boy to act that way because his body is changing.
All supporting characters reinforces most myths because mostly all the things that are happening can be related to the normal teenage life. Teens and young adults can watch and feel there is a sense of reality presented in the show. Buffy on the other hand challenges teenage myths because she was chosen as the vampire slayer. This character could never be normal as hard as she tried to forget her past, it caught up with her pretty quickly.
After watching the show in class i woul dbe interested to see how the show plays out. Whenever i have time for it with my already demanding netflick my list i will get into it. Thanks for showing it.