Buffy as a Role Model

[PrincessBuffy16]

See?? This is what is wrong with the media today. That is absolutely horrible that your 10-year-old cousin is already trying to starve herself from the foods she likes because she feels like she needs to to stay thin. My 8-year-old has told me before that she is chubby and needs to go on a diet. I went off! I was like "Um, NO. ALL kids your age are supposed to have a little extra weight; it's normal. You don't need to worry about your weight until you're much older, and even then you don't "go on a diet"- you live a healthy lifestyle so it's not a problem from the beginning."

When I was a little girl, the media didn't so much focus on weight and body types but my family was always making comments about everyone else's weight and who needed to lose weight and such. It gave me a real complex, and it's something I still struggle with today. I swore I would never let my kids grow up feeling less than comfortable in their own skin, so that is something I fight very hard for.

Shows today really piss me off 'cause all the female characters look the same. All the girls have long, luscious wavy hair and they're all stick thin with no curves. Look at the girls on "VicTORIous". They could be the same character except for their names are different. And iCarly and Sam are built almost exactly the same, except one is blonde and one is brunette. It's so frustrating. Shows like "Degrassi" are awesome 'cause they cast diverse actors in their roles. I wish they had something like this show for a younger audience.

I understand you. My grandfather used to pick me a lot about my weight when I was in elementary school. After 4th grade I spent 4 months in a hospital and got this extra weight. I just stopped playing tennis, and I was on different kinds of medication, plus my doctor said that for at least 2 months I shouldn't do anything exhausting, so I was excused from P.E as well. I have a slow metabolism I guess, so what kept me skinny all those years was me being active, and now that was forbidden to me due the circumstances. The point is, after that happened, my grandfather made me feel really bad about that, and he was doing that since few years ago, when I just had it and learned how to defend myself.

We live in a really nasty world, where media controls everything. Maybe by the time I have kids things will be different.. different good, not different bad I hope. I guess now it's parents duties to make their child feel comfortable in their own skin.. the problem is that some parents really do care if their child is skinny, even if that means being sick.

 

[Wild At Heart]

Buffy is a good role model because she is a real person. She doesn't always make the best decision or do the right thing but no matter what, she's a good person with a good heart. It gives people of all ages the message that it's okay to make mistakes & learn from them. We are all human & nobody's perfect. It sounds kinda cliche but it's true. If I ever have kids, I would want them to look up to Buffy as a real person because you're right, there aren't alot of great characters on TV anymore that are good role models. But I also think it's important to show kids the reality of situations instead of censoring so much & sweeping it under the rug.

 

[caritas08]

Interesting discussion guys. I agree with everything everyone has said.

I would also like to add that part of what makes Buffy such a great role model to me is that the show treats people of all ages respectfully from Giles and Joyce to Buffy/Willow/Xander in the high school years. Too many shows have the authority figures and/or the kids acting really dumb and exceptionally immature for their ages. Buffy respects its characters and its audience enough to not dumb it down.

---------- Post added at 07:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:29 PM ----------

Interesting discussion guys. I agree with everything everyone has said.

I would also like to add that part of what makes Buffy such a great role model to me is that the show treats people of all ages respectfully from Giles and Joyce to Buffy/Willow/Xander in the high school years. Too many shows have the authority figures and/or the kids acting really dumb and exceptionally immature for their ages. Buffy respects its characters and its audience enough to not dumb it down.

 

[Chosen Enemy]

Role model?

I ofted hear/read, when they talk about BtVS, that the show, and Buffy herself, are a role model to little girls. Because the show shows a strong woman (outside and inside) who is stronger than most humans, stronger than man, stronger than some evil. And it got me thinking. Do you see Buffy/BtVS as a role model? Do you think they're good role models, ones we should look up to?