Buffy Mention: In My Media Text Book!!!

J

Jacklyn

Now a Scapenerd too...
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So, I'm doing homework, and I come across the following paragraph in my media text book, Media and Communication by Richard Campbell.

As an example of more telling shifts in network television, let's examine Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Launched by UPN (yeah, now I have alot of faith in my text-J) in 1997, Buffy tapped into powerful and imaginative worlds and appealed to young viewers. Buffy best represented the new network strategy (by both UPN and the WB) of taking young viewers away from older networks. A 1992 movie, Buffy mixed together supernatural themes with the ordinary world of teenagers--negotiating normal school experiences by day, slaying evil vampires by night. Joss Whedon, executive producer of Buffy (and also Angel), once told a college audience that he intended the show as "a horror story about high school, and that's exactly what high school life is like...both literally and metaphorically." In fact, the program worked because the stories stayed grounded in everyday problems--identity issues, sexual tensions, popularity contests, and too much homework.
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The book later goes on to quote Caitlin Campbell, a 16 year old girl who was quoted in the 2001 Television Quarterly.

I've watched many episodes in which Buffy wonders if she's smart enough to beat up some baddies, and special enough for her friends' attention. Every teen has awesome abilities and potential, and just like Buffy, can't always see them.
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I'm finding it completely cool that Buffy was discussed in my text book 😀
 
P
ProphecyGirl
very cool....sans the upn faux paus
Thats awesome. I would be so pumped to open up a textbook ready for some boring reading and see Buffy mentioned. COOL AS HELL!!!!
 
When I was researching for my A-level coursework (which I posted in Raiden and will probably post here when I get my PC back) about Postmodernism, Simulacras and Buffy (the real title is too long) several books I read mentioned Buffy. Looking over my draft bibliography I can't think of a specific one but I think "The Media Students Handbook" used it as a 4 or 6 page case study into postmodernism which was fun.
 
(Um, Ash, didn't you post that one on the main boards as well or am I really confused? Ah well.)

Yeah seriously it would be very cool indeed to find BtVS mentioned in something like that. It wouldn't ever be mentioned in a Swedish book (well, until I've written some, that is.. I seem to be able to mention BtVS or Joss in everything I write), but now when I'm not studying in Sweden anymore, I guess that could happen, heh.
 
That is very cool Jacklyn! Thanks for posting.

There are also some classes at certain colleges that offer in depth look at tv and correlation to life, and I remember seeing that one of them was about BtVS. I thought that would be pretty cool, because we would all pass with flying colors.
 
That is awesome! I don't think any of my text books mentioned BTVS or ATS, but in my senior yearbook, there was a picture of BTVS and a paragraph about it. I thought that was pretty cool at the time. I am now going to check all of my textbooks for references...
 
I have also seen BTVS/Angel in "Vampires for DUMMIES". my friend had hired it out of the library (who to is a major btvs/a fan!) and it was actaully really interesting!!! It talked about the history/myths and media influence and how it effects wat vampires are and its just really interesting its like a 500-600 word txt book ( not school progam) but it is educational (not in school) amazon sells it.
 
My Philosophy professor was a Buffy fan and she also wrote an exerpt in the Sopranos and Philosophy book. For an extra side project I wrote a paper on Buffy as related to Philosophy and Plato's Leaky Jar theory and she loved it.

It really kills me when people don't recognize Buffy as SMART TV.
 
Another quote

As I went further on in the tv chapter, I stumbled upon this VERY true quote from Steve Vinneberg in the NY Times in 2000.

Buffy was the only show on television in which both the characters and the dialogue remind us of the way real teenagers interact--with adults, with one another, and with their own feelings and impulses.
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I know its only a TINY mention, and its NOT a text book, but have any of you seen Spaced..
Simon Peggs(Shaun of the Dead) brilliant TV show where he plays Tim. the Premise
The adventures of Tim and Daisy who rent a room in Marsha Klein's house under the pretense that they are a couple. Also in the house is frustrated painter Brian. Together with TA fanatic Mike and Daisy's girlfriend Twist the duo get into a series of situations with hilarious results, also spoofing movies and Tv and filled with pop culture references,....including my fave below

Tim: She's shallow, Brian. She's like Cordelia out of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and latterly Angel, the spin off series which is set in LA.
Brian: Don't know what you're talking about.
Tim: Brian, you're such a square!
 
It's great when you get to look at your favourite fan object academically.... that's why I am writing my PhD thesis on Buffy and identity. 40,000 words down, only another 40,000 and 2 years to go 😉

There are quite a few cultural studies books which mention Buffy. I'm trying to get hold of one now which has a chapter on Buffy fans who meet up for Buffy sessions in their pub. Another great one to read is by Asim Ali - Postmodernism at the Mouth of Hell, It's on the net somewhere......
 
Actually all your mortal help would be great, as my focus is Buffy on-line fan communities and how we all play with identities...... I've still got some interviews to do as two previous fan communities I was a member of closed down. If anyone is willing to volunteer, let me know! 🙂
 
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