People's Opinion of the Buffyverse

[Five]

I'm here to talk to you about something that's been bothering me for years and that's still bothering me... what people think of "Buffy". Don't get me wrong, I couldn't care less about people thinking I'm a freak because I watch a show they don't like cos they don't get.

It just makes me so mad and sad that people are so convinced they know what it's all about and have an unbased opinion. I mean, around me, most people have seen a few episodes of "Buffy" when they were younger and it still aired in France (it got off air on the main channels because it was juged too violent, allow me to shrug). They therefore have the memory of a quite stupid show for teenagers, about a blonde girl fighting vampires. And it's just SO not that, I know you all know it, obviously, but sometimes, it's hard.

I generally accept that people don't like the things I like, as I said. But this bugs me, on one hand because "Buffy" is such a work of art to me that I find it unbearable to let them bring it down, on the other hand because I know that most of them don't like it because they don't know it. They think they do but they don't.

Hell, I used to hate "Buffy" because I didn't know it and it seemed like a stupid show (hello, have you seen its NAME?!), and I know that most people are in my case but ignore it, and if they took the chance to watch it, they'd fall in love with it or at least enjoy it.

I know there's a thread about whether you got people hooked on Buffy, but that's not the same thing... I'm wondering if you guys have people around you who hate the show and basically think you're an idiot for watching it, just because they don't really know it. And how you deal with that. And how you prove them wrong.

It's hard, because "Buffy"'s strength is mostly, to me, in its dialogues (which are shit in French, and unfortunately most people here won't watch something in English when they can watch it in French), and its character development, which you can not get by watching one episode or one bit of episode.

 

[Aleris]

It's hard to get people to like a show that was pulled off the air and didn't run it's full course.
Maybe if they had seen that it run on TV for the full amount of time they would realise that this was a show worth watching if it kept getting renewed and being aired series after series.

I think it's also a cultural thing. I'm not sure that shows like Buffy are terribly popular in France. I'm half French, and have been to France a number of times, and I've never gotten the feeling that sci-fi or fantasy genres are what people prefer to watch over there. Correct me if I'm wrong, it was just the vibe I got when I was there. 😀

The only thing you can do is to SHOW them what it's about. Show them some of your favourite episodes, or episodes you found to be the ones that got you hooked onto Buffy.

You say you used to be one of those Buffy haters, but something changed your mind, whatever it was that did that, show that to your friends and let them experience it for themselves, maybe they'll change their minds too just like you did. 😀

 

[Gideon]

"Buffy" and, to a lesser extent, "Angel" (though I actually prefer "Angel" as a show) impacted television in ways few can begin to imagine.
As someone who fancies himself an emotionally stable, mentally secure dude, I have to admit that this past week was just misery for me; it seems like both shows have been gone for so long. And the window for some sort of reunion has all but slammed shut.
Boreanaz is 40, Marsters is, what? 46? Gellar's 32 and pregnant.
My Buffy post-portem depression has driven me to read tons of fanfiction and register on a lot of forums. lol

 

[Silum]

Not really no, most people I know have at least seen a few eps, some have seen most of the series and just not fallen in love. I tend to be pretty good at convincing people its a decent show if I do get a laugh, I just point out a few award nominations, what is ranked higher than on IMDB, what it did for Television..they usually get put in their place... and go on to watch it, haha.

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

I have gotten quite a few people into the show. I've noticed that once people give it a chance they're hooked. Some people, unfortunately, just aren't really into fantasy. My mother, whom is usually not interested in stuff like that likes Buffy because she says the relationships and the emotional reality are as real as in any "realistic" show, and that's why she enjoys the show.

 

[laianna]

My parents refuse to get me anything Buffy-related for birthdays, etc.

They say it's a waste of money and is just a soap opera with random fighting.

I guess if you don't want to like it, an episode can seem silly like that, but most people I know who have watched it without prejudice seem to really like it.

But if they hate it at the sound of the name, then chances are they'll probably hate it once they see it.

 

[Skytteflickan88]

I actually have no people around me who hates Buffy, or have meet anyone online. But all the second hand info I get about these people annoys the crap out of me.

I don't think you have the right to judge a show, movie, book if you haven't watched/read it, for at least one episode/chapter(you can judge quietly, but don't say it out loud if someone can actually be offended by your prejudice). And even then, you can't judge the entire show/movie/book. It's like walking into a house, seeing one room, and judging the rest of the house.

I admit, if I had heard about a show with a cheerleader staking vampires today(I was in a monsters-are-cool-phase and 10-ish when I first watched it) I'd judge and not watch it. But I really hope I would have kept the bitchyness to myself. That's why I read the Twilight books, to see if I had the right to bitch about lame sparkly vamps(turns out the books are enjoyable).

I usually deal with people who are ignorant by blowing up my ego. I go "la-la-la, everyone but me is prejudiced, I'm moral.". Generally workes with bullies. Not sure how I would act around someone who hates Buffy and tells me so, since I really love the show, but I think the same strategy could work.

Maybe act all mature and say "You have the right to hate whatever you want, but I still think it's weird to judge something you hardly know about. And then talk about it like you do know what it's about. Just sayin'."

 

[caitaintdead]

I'm jealous of all you people that don't have anyone around that thinks it's lame! My partner (although he likes Angel), flat out refuses to give Buffy a chance. I guess the mistake I made was not forcing him to watch it from Season 1 onwards so he could see the characters evolve, and really get all the little injokes. Instead he's just since snippets of episodes here and there when he's come from work and I've been half way through an episode.

It angers me, particularly because people are judging it based on something that don't seem to understand.

 

[itsxpaperdoll]

In Holland, (like in France?) there isn't a very big market for fantasy/sci-fi stuff either, so I'm not surprised that people around here are a bit sort of prejudiced about Buffy and Angel (I don't think Angel even aired here?). The people who did watch it, as far as I'm aware, were mostly the same people who also watched Charmed, and read tonnes of Harry Potter and, a bit later, Twilight, had lots of black clothes, occasionally fancied themselves witches and were all in the 10-15 age group. And girls. (Now not to be prejudiced myself, but I sort of got this image based on the times, places and magazines where the show was advertised). All this, I can imagine, has not done too mmuch for the image of the show in the Netherlands.

 

[The Ferg]

Yep I do have tardo friends where I'm from. It's like I'll try to tell someone about a hilarious quote, or action from a Buffy episode (I was gonna say 'Buffy or Angel episode', but Buffy has loads more), and (since I've done this more than once) they say... Well here's an example:

Me: Dude, this one time on Buffy...
Friend: God, shutup!
Me: Wha...
Friend: Your so obssessed with this stupid show that's not even on anymore!
Me: (now being defensive) You haven't even given it a chance, why would you say it's stupid?
Friend: I've seen it a couple times when I was little! It's so corny and dumb!
Me: Fine, you say the same thing every time I'm trying to tell you a funny story, so i'm just gonna stop.
(But remember, it's totally fine when they rave on about Twilight, or some other new show)

There's my (monthly) moments of piss-offedness with my friends.

 

[Crashing Doors]

I mentioned elsewhere that I had a friend who hated Buffy for God-knows-why.

Honestly I have no idea why people tend to give it a bad rap. Another friend of mine at work saw that I was looking up Buffy online during my break and was a bit stunned. What gives?

We (at least I--although I have a feeling that it's most of us) have an attachment to this show that goes beyond just entertainment value, and that maybe weirds people out a bit because it isn't "normal".

Plus there's the stigma that "fantasy" (although I don't really see Buffy as fantasy, beyond the fantastical elements) means trashy.

 

[Superstar]

Most of early Buffy condensed into less than 2 minutes:[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgCQSIQ9UdI"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgCQSIQ9UdI[/ame]

Sure, like Star Trek where people point to a very few specific and select episodes and believe that is the "norm", the rest is pretty much rote and forgettable.

 

[Fake Shemp]

Is it mean that I dont care about people who dont watch it (anymore)?

I used to be like "best thing ever WATCH IT!" but now I'm more like... "If you ever do watch it, then you'll realize what you missed.. tuff."

 

[Tasha]

yeah i really don't give a damn if people don't watch it, because it's their loss.
i hate people who slag it when they've not even seen it/ bearly seen it!
they think it's all about vampires and it's cheesy,( i know it is about vampires)
but you forget about the vampires , lol.
it's the drama, and the friendships tht make Buffy ,,Buffy.