Angered By the Stereotypical View of Buffy

[The Chosen]

God...

So, my XBox won't play DVDs. It makes them skip when the discs work PERFECTLY in both the computer and any other DVD player. So, I'm trying to watch Buffy S2 in the living room when I'm told to "take that crap out. No one wants to watch that crap." And I got extremely mad, because I know that the only reason anyone would think that the show is "crap" is if they hadn't ever seen it. No one can get over the stereotype that Buffy is "gay" and "stupid," and apparently a name can tell all about a series...

And now I'm sitting here, watching my Buffy S2 DVD on my computer (which bugs me because it hurts my neck and back for some reason) and I'm extremely pissed...

GRR!

 

[Blondie Bear]

I'm sorry. My hubby doesn't love Buffy, either, but he just ignores it if I'm watching it. He's not rude about it. Here's a suggestion: next time your roommate (?) is watching something you hate, tell her/him to turn that crap off.

 

[palabravampiress]

Who told you that?

Aww... well, if it makes you feel any better, I have Faith that he or she will one day change his or her stubborn ways. I was once a Buffy naysayer, too. Now, I am a fanatic! Keep watching it in the living room. Someday, your wayward friend or family member will find himself or herself addicted, too.

 

[The Chosen]

I'm sorry. My hubby doesn't love Buffy, either, but he just ignores it if I'm watching it. He's not rude about it. Here's a suggestion: next time your roommate (?) is watching something you hate, tell her/him to turn that crap off.

Not roommate, try parents. Yeah... *sigh* And I'll try that.

 

[TabulaRasa]

Most times people can't get passed the name. That is what puts people off. I happen to love the name.
Tell them that you wont watch it in the living room again when they are around if they will watch 2 episides with you. Maybe that will help. Either they refuse and let you watch it there all by yourself, or they agree, you put on a couple of great episodes, and then they're hooked.

I could be reaching but hey, it could happen.

 

[palabravampiress]

My parents won't get past the name, either.

I try to talk it up or show them an episode whenever they're in town (or whenever I'm in their town). Doesn't work. Alas.

 

[Clem Rocks]

Just tell them if they don't want to watch it, they shouldn't watch it. Tis your living room too

 

[DarklyDreamingDrusilla]

TC I have the same problem with my parents. They won't let me watch it in the main room unless I have a friend over or something like that. My mom kind of likes it though I think it may be starting to grow on her. ::crosses fingers::

 

[Joyce Summers]

I was lucky as a teenager; my Mom loved the show. It was our TV bonding hour of the week. But I've had plenty of friends over the years being like 'Buffy? Seriously?'. High School was a bitca for that. The whole school was probably split by Buffy Addicts and Buffy Ignoramuses..es...es....

And it is ignorance that makes people reject the show. That and the movie sadly. My friends were never Buffy fanatics or even brief watchers and I tried to appeal to them with the whole 'they're the same age as us' angle, but alas no. And any references to it were met with blank faces. Fortunately though my close circle of friends-You know how you have those in High School? People you know the names of, people you see in class, people you're friends with and then you have your inner circle or you know, Scooby Gang, hehe- well, anyway that close circle although they never watched Buffy were totally accepting of my obsession. Haha. Which is, you know nice of them. (Yes the few I've remained in contact with still put up with me over it...)

And I know they are your parents and when living with them you have to respect their rules, etc etc, but it is as Clem Rocks said, your living room too and so television viewage should be shared. I'm sure they watch things ou wouldn't like to have on, but you put up with it. You should be allowed 'TV time' too even if it's only for one or two episodes a day or whatever.

It is such a shame that people tend to dismiss Buffy without considering it. It's the whole 'I don't need to visit a pig sty to know that it stinks' syndrome. Tell them (In a non-bitca way of course coz, hello? Not wanting more issues, haha) that they shouldn't make snap judgements over something they don't even take the time to watch.

My husband doesn't really watch the show; he just can't seem to get into it. And whenever he comes home and he sees it on he just does this patient sigh thing and goes off to do something else or sits with me whilst his nose is in some book. Occasionally he'll watch one with me (He tends to be drawn in by the Tara centric ones and the Joyce centric ones- I think my Joyce fanosity rubbed off a little on him there, mwa haha) but otherwise, nope. Any references to it- jokes, comparison, even his freakin name haha- just go completely o'er his head'th. :sigh:....

 

[LittleMissLikesToFight]

my boyfriend is so against it, and never wants to see an episode, if he can help it. he hates SMG with a passion (and seth green) so thats all that is really stopping him, just preconceived notions about these actors. but...hey we dont live together so as long as i dont subject him to it, its ok. i just wish he'd be more open about it.

 

[alexa]

I have this issue if I watch Buffy at my mums house. Actually also if I watch it at my roommates place! lol. But they've played the game with me, which is odd, had one of them calling me up asking me how to get past levels rather urgently.
But they wont really give it a chance, even though I've been into Joss shows for so long that they have admitted to enjoying Buffy/Angel or Firelfy sometimes. I agree that it's the name, and the fact that it has supernatural themes. I'm not watching it because of the supernatural themes >.>

People need to get over their prejudices, and more importantly trust my judgement 😉

 

[babyo0ogirl]

My mom also tells me & my brother that Buffy is "crap", but yet she won't ever sit down & watch it. I'm not sure that she'd like it anyways, b/c it's not really her thing, but I wish she wouldn't call it "crap" and that we "waste" all of our time by watching it.

 

[Wanabee-slayer]

I'm sorry about your parents TC! I was lucky enough to have a mother that adores the show! However my friends used to say it was 'gay' etc, but I used to talk about it so much or drop little tid bits of storylines that they became suddenly interested. And I've done the same for my Doctor Who obsession I showed one of my friends a fanvid of youtube of the Doctor and Rose which had a line at the end about Rose being with her family and being happy and then I said to bad that last bit is a lie and immediatley my friend wanted to know more! So maybe you could do the same thing with your family?

 

[JCC]

Xbox's don't play DVDs unless you buy a lil' DVD package thing. If you get that, you should have no problems watching it in the safety of your own where-ever-the-xbox-is room.

 

[November]

When I used to live with my dad and stepmum, Dad wasnt a fan, but I made him sit down and watch an ep with me (Dopplegangland I think It was) and he changed his ways 😛 He wasnt banging down my bedroom door to borrow my DVDs but he wouldnt mind if I was watching in in the lounge and would occasionally ask if I wanted to come out of my room and watch them with him. He even took me to Serenity when it came out at the movies! 🙂
My step mum was totally against BTVS, she even tried to convince my psyc that it was damaging my mental health! When I would have it on in the lounge she wouldnt want to be rude to me infront of my dad so she would hide behind her better homes and gardens magazines! I swear that she would peek sometimes. I caught her engrossed in "Lessons" once when I accidently left it in the DVD player.
My mum LOVES Firefly, she was banging down my door to borrow the DVDs!!!! She has only seen a few eps of Buffy but doesnt like to admit that she enjoys it.
My younger sis absolutly refuses to give it a chance but her new boyfriend is a fan so I think we will change that soon enough 😛

TC, maybe ask your roommate/parents or whoever to just give it a chance and watch a great ep together - maybe do a trade- you will watch something that your roommate/parents love if they watch buffy.

 

[VisionGuy]

Nobody in my house really has a problem with Buffy. My sister used to watch it with me because she could relate to Cordelia's bitch of a character. But that was when she was in high school. When I'm watching it in the living room, sometimes she sits down and watches it with me. My mom doesn't really like Buffy like that. The only reason she watches it is for Spike. She can't stand the character of Buffy and that puts her off completely. I think it's the puns. She loves Angel though. She has seen almost every episode and actually told me a few weeks ago that she wants to see them again from the beginning. She got so excited when season 5 started and she saw that both Spike and Angel were in the show together. She loves them. Also, my mom is a Cangel shipper. She likes Cordelia and Angel together. Eat your heart out Bangels! 😛

 

[Blondie Bear]

My mom, being an EXREMELY conservative Christian, found the whole idea apalling. Lucky for me, I didn't REALLY get into it until after I moved. Though for a while during S3, I was rushing home after work to see the episodes. Until they moved them to Tuesday nights, which conflicted with my youth group.

 

[JCC]

I don't get it when Christians get annoyed about a show that KILLS demons.

 

[Blondie Bear]

I don't get it when Christians get annoyed about a show that KILLS demons.

Let me 'splain. No, is too much. Let me sum up.

Some of this is from my experience growing up as a Southern Baptist. Some of it is from the research I'm doing for my thesis.

Christians believe that the Bible is literally true. Hence, the commandments that tell them not to suffer a witch to live or not to get involved with mediums, etc. indicate that magic is real and evil. Therefore, there are two types of power in the world: that from God, and that from Satan. If your power is not OVERTLY from God, it must, therefore, be from Satan. Guess where Buffy falls.

Also, Christians tend to have a moral disapproval of Fantasy in general, partly due to our Puritain heritage, in which anything that doesn't immediately glorify God is a sin (reading for pleasure, for instance), and partly because the statement that these things "aren't real" calls into question their entire worldview. If magic isn't real, God would have had no reason to caution them against it. If magic isn't real, their miracles (which rather uncannily resemble magic) might not be real, either.

In particular they despise Buffy and Harry Potter because these two texts (yes, I know Buffy is a TV show; it's still referred to as a text in literature studies) incorporate a real religion which practices witchcraft, and therefore are not only portraying magic as okay, they are serving as how-to manuals for impressionable children who may wish to turn to the dark side. There's an inherent contradiction in this; they believe that God is stronger than Satan, and yet they still fear Satan's influence on their children rather than trusting their own teaching and God to keep them safe OR realizing that sometimes kids have to make their own mistakes OR realizing that when their kids start waving sticks at each other and speaking Latin and NOTHING HAPPENS, the kids will get discouraged and either quit or just keep pretending while understanding that magic doesn't ACTUALLY work (or, if you believe in that stuff, it doesn't work the way Buffy and Harry Potter portray it working).

Wow, that was a long sentence. I hope it makes some kind of sense and helps you understand, though.

 

[The Chosen]

I am a Christian, and I have no problem whatsoever with Wiccans (love ya, Tru!) or the show. I guess I'm just one of those Christians that picks and chooses what I want to believe. Although I think it partly has to do with growing up with parents who understand those things and are alright with them. I guess I think that Christianity's values really are up to what kind of home you grew up in. Like how some Christians are homophobic, and some aren't. And like I said, the people you grew up with can really influence what you accept and what you mentally can't.

And back to the witchcraft thing: I think that all people should be able to practice their own religion, no matter what. It's my own little personal opinion and no one really has to agree to it. I'm just sayin, after all. 🙂