Age range for watching Buffy?

[mudslides]

Ages ago I was watching a programme, Spendaholics, and in one episode, the psychotherapist was walking around the womans house looking at what she spent her money on and what she owned and she had the complete Buffy boxset. He immediately said "oh look, Buffy dvds showing she has never grown up". I keep thinking about it.

Do you think Buffy seriously has an age range that "should" be watching? Do you think more supposedly age appropriate stuff (I guess like sex and the city although Ive never watched it) is more "proper" when past your teens?

I mean, I guess not because we are on a buffy board but I was just wondering what you all thought of a professional psychologist saying this.

 

[Buffy Summers]

I think she should have told the so-called psychotherapist to shove it.

Personally, I've generally felt that if anything people watch this show too young lol. But regardless I think it's ridiculous to tell someone that once they reach a certain age they have to stop liking something.

I could use my parents as an example. They watch the most boring (imo), formulaic tv shows, that I would go mad if I had to watch with any regularity, but they will criticize the shows I watch. So by this therapist's standards, we're supposed to turn our brains off once we turn 21 and start watching crap? No thanks.

 

[Evil Angelus 95]

I personally don't think there's an age limit on something that one enjoys. If you enjoy watching Buffy, it doesn't matter what age you are. It's what you enjoy, and therefore, you should enjoy it. If someone enjoys watching Scooby Doo from the time their a young child and continues watching it throughout their life, there's nothing wrong.

Bottom line, from the way I see it, if you enjoy watching a show, then no-one should judge you on what age you are.

 

[Blaze]

There's no upper age limit to watch Buffy. Actually, there isn't really an upper limit to any TV/movie. Heck, if you enjoy watching kids show and your 60yo, then please do so. Why would you prevent yourself from watching something you like just because it's viewed as "not age appropriate". Like for me, I personally love Disney movies, and so does many of my friends/family. Just because they are "kids" movie doesn't mean that they aren't good.

But for BtVS, I actually think that the show fits in the category of show that is very much so for adults, but also for a younger demographic. It really suits a wide range of age appropriateness. It is suitable for a mature 10yo to watch but they might not get all of the subtext. As an adult, the show has enough mature themes to be considered adult like.

 

[sk]

Yeah, that really seems to be a rather random generalisation.
I'm quite sure you can be quite the grown up and still watch BtVS.

But then... if that psychotherapist had said that about me after seeing my boxsets I would had to agree.
I was over 30 when I watched BtVS and I must admit that I have never really grown up. 😱

/SK

 

[Fuffy Baith]

Obviously the therapist has never seen Buffy or he would have been more excited. When I was in line at a comic con there was this older lady like in her 60's and she was there to see James Marsters (and so as I) so we started talking about Buffy the show and at first I thought it was interesting cuz when Buffy was airing she would have been in her late 40's or early 50's. But I thought that it's cool to see that no matter what age you can enjoy Buffy. That's like saying your too old to watch Disney movies or The Wizard of Oz. If you watched a show when you were younger that doesn't mean you can't enjoy it as you get older. Your views of it may change but we all like what we like. Sometimes I will put on old shows like the power rangers just to see if I still like it. And yes, I still love The Power Ranger Movie, but it has nothing to do with whether or not I'm a responsible, mature adult. That comes from the decisions that we make in life. You are never to old to enjoy Buffy, maybe too young, but never to old.

 

[Still a Scoobie]

I think the guy probably had never seen Buffy and just kind of went off his pre-suppositions (possibly not the best trait for someone in his profession) and also, was just looking for anything about which he could conceivably make that comment. A lot of shows like that are semi-scripted.

 

[mudslides]

I thought it was a really weird comment for him to make.

I'd love to snoop around his house and see what he has!

Everytime I watch Buffy I notice something different, and appreciate different characters more. To me its so nuanced and amazing that I could, and do, watch again and again.

But I see the point a few of you made, maybe he saw the boxset and thought "silly vampire thing". Wonder if he would say that to stevie nicks for loving twilight so much she wrote a song about it? Or about true blood (definitely not for kids :s)... or harry potter!

 

[white avenger]

Ricky never showed any interest in fantasy or sci-fi programs when he was a kid, so the issue never came up with "Buffy," "Dark Angel." or any of several shows of that type. If he had, I don't think that we would have had any problems allowing him to watch. Even by the standards of its day, Buffy and her friends didn't exhibit any really didpicable tendencies, other than the occasional attempt to end the world.

When he was younger, we did explain to him what the difference between fantasy and reality is, and that the morals and attitudes of some characters should not be taken as a pattern of how to behave in the real world.

 

[Doppelgang]

Normal adult behavior and mature adult behavior are two very different things. Suggesting "never grown up", confuses/confounds the two. Never grown up to be a statistically "normal" adult, very true. Statistically they should be smoking, or drinking or reading a newspaper, or magazine, or watching some formulaic crime TV series. I'm sure he would have been happy to see evidence of those things! Never grown up in the sense of matured, not true at all. Buffy is a show from which just about anyone could learn something that may help them mature. And, anyway, its an outdated suggestion by this psychologist. We live in an era when even as adults we are expected for our own health to pursue some things purely for our own enjoyment.

I have thought about this a fair bit over the years, I think the reason psychologists/therapists like to talk about being normal a lot, and often confuse it with maturity, is because it does create a certain mental strain to go against the norms of a society, but for most of us some strain and stress is worth it for the sake of having something significant in our lives.

 

[The Bronze]

Ahhh of course. To be considered mature you must watch what you're supposed to watch, act how you're supposed to act and think how you're told to think. No thanks

 

[thetopher]

There is a whole fandom of men and women who love 'My Little Pony' - I mean seriously love it, the messeges it sends out to people about friendship and being yourself and empowerment and stuff.

Why the hell not? If you like something just go for it. 🙂

I would also point out that there are college courses about the themes/messeges/iconography of Buffy, so to say its 'just for kids' is factually wrong- if it can be studied, have theses written about it, has cultural significance then you can't just dismiss it as just for any age group.

 

[BuffyElevated]

Buffy is not for little kids. The themes in the show are VERY adult, and I see nothing wrong with adults watching the show. My daughter is 11, and while she's definitely too young for some of the show's story arcs, she is loving it so far. I'm watching with her to shield her from what I don't think she's old enough to see. I was about the same age as the characters when I watched it first run, and here I am now 32 years old and it's still my favorite show ever.

 

[The Chosen]

I started watching the show when I was 9. I'm 19 now, and I can definitely say that I don't anticipate that Buffy will ever be something not super important to me.

What I've been finding incredible lately is how the show changes as you age. There are things that I notice now that resonate with me that I would have never picked up on even a year ago.

Buffy's always been my handbook for life. If that makes me Peter Pan, so be it. Who wouldn't want to fly?

 

[Nowhere]

Discussing upper limits is ridiculous really.

The matter of lower limit depends on the individual. Some 10 year olds will be able to appreciate it, others won't.

TV executives would probably say that the general target audience of Buffy was the young adult demographic (18-34), which is the one advertisers desire the most. But that's only relevant in the sense of the majority of Buffy viewers probably falling in that age group.

 

[ILLYRIAN]

When I started watching Buffy the stated target audience was teenagers, the cast and crew were a bit surprised and pleased to learn the internet proved that older people (many of the parents of those teenagers) were part of its audience.
For anyone to say that 'older' people wouldn't like it, proves how stupid those people are/ were, and to prove that statement is correct; how old were the crew and the financial backers? They obviously saw worth in the show.
So why would a professional psychologist make any comments about the age of a shows viewers?
To get their name on tv, to get interviewed on tv. It's that old 15 minutes of fame thing.

 

[dtrain24]

I watched the show last year, at age 18, so I guess I fit their idea of a "demographic."

But it's absurd to say that adults are childish if they like Buffy. I guess this guy never saw the episode "Seeing Red," let alone any episode. They present some pretty strong story lines in the show and real life moral dilemmas.

I'll probably always love Buffy. I don't really believe in an upper limit in most cases. I bet this psychoanalyst guy would like Buffy if he sat down to watch a few episodes.

 

[Yosso]

I started watching at 9 and at 22 I'm still a fan - I know this show will stay with me for life now and the fact that it has fans that stick with it for such a long time is a good reflection on the high quality of the show. Yes, it may be about young adults in high school and college so for a 'teen' demographic but the underlying themes, characters and the connections the show makes with the fans really go deeper than that.

I do admit that on a purely storytelling level I relate more to the later seasons at the moment than high school, but I can still very much enjoy and appreciate the high school seasons as well. I think it's just unfortunate the show has such a silly name - if it had a hard hitting name and maybe wasn't high school set in the beginning then the show would be far more 'respected' and recognised. But, that doesn't matter - I like it being our little secret! 😀

 

[chasesummers]

He should have kept his personal opinions regarding her personal belongings to himself, but again... the women should have went to a real serious psychotherapist, most of the time when entertainment is involved these people like to play cool. Total bull, even the name of the show makes me cringe.

BTVS and ATS are shows for all adults, young and old, mostly for the ones with an open mind. The show, the books, the studies, this very forum has proved that Buffy-verse could be a very complex show and definitely not for the young ones. There is a lot to reflect on, a lot to share perspectives on, a lot to relate to. Not everybody is capable to do that, thats why it's not for everyone.
BTVS could be a wonderful show for children 13+ with someone older.

I am certainly not ashamed to have my Buffy and Angel boxset (hoping it will extend to Ripper or something 🙂 ), I'm very proud of the show and what it means to me.