Should Buffy have just been Buffy?

[Clem Rocks]

The name "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" suggests that all she does is slay vampires, yet besides patrolling, the only real vamp problems she had was The Master, Angelus, Spike and Dru. The rest of the time it was demons or humans, no big bad vampires. In the show, she was referred to as "The Slayer" more than "The Vampire Slayer" and "Angel" was never called "Angel The Vampire with a Soul" so why wasn't "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" just "Buffy"?

Anyone else think the show should have been called just "Buffy" or even "Buffy The Slayer"?

 

[Crazy Flakes]

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" does sound ridiculous at first...plus, the whole "the Vampire Slayer" part isn't completely necessary. But I think, at the beginning, maybe Buffy was only supposed to fight vampires, but it later developed into witches, demons, etc. Plus, at the beginning, the show was supposed to be sort of silly, so the title suited it better than it did in the later seasons.

But yeah, I've actually been thinking about that for a while, and "Buffy" probably would have been a better title, even if the name Buffy still sounds a bit crazy. I would suggest just "The Slayer," but now that I think about it, that sounds way too dark for season one. Besides, it lacks the originality that the name Buffy has.

 

[Bangelxx]

hmmm i never really thought about it but now that you mention it, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" sounds like some cheesy horror show lol! of course, its no such thing. but if it was just "Buffy" or 'the Slayer" it wouldn't have quite such a good ring to it!

 

[Kean]

I know the name has been the cause of many people not watching the show but I have to say I'm fond of the name now, it wouldn't quite be the same to me if it was different

 

[Clem Rocks]

I know the name has been the cause of many people not watching the show but I have to say I'm fond of the name now, it wouldn't quite be the same to me if it was different

And yet, and i obviously can only speak for myself here, but when talking about the show, you don't call it "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" do you? You just call it "Buffy"

 

[Lou]

My best guess....because she was SUPPOSED to be the one to slay vampires. That she fought other things I thought was because they lived on the Hellmouth. They don't show other slayers actively slaying random things.
Other than that, I'm thinking just Buffy as a title could mean anything!

 

[Bangelxx]

And yet, and i obviously can only speak for myself here, but when talking about the show, you don't call it "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" do you? You just call it "Buffy"

I Admit, i call it "Buffy" or while typing "BtVS" but i still have a little soft spot for "buffy the vampire slayer"

 

[Kean]

And yet, and i obviously can only speak for myself here, but when talking about the show, you don't call it "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" do you? You just call it "Buffy"

No but that doesn't mean I don't have an attachment to the title and why would I spend time typing the whole thing anyway?

Edit:

I meant talking about it irl, face to face with someone, not typing it

If it's someone who isn't familiar with the show I would use the whole title first and then pobably slip into using Buffy but in fairness thats true of nearly all things you are familiar with. I would abbreviate my frinds names when I speak to them, people here would mostly call me Kean not Keanoite, people would call Machester United Man U or United...shortening the names of things is an everyday occurance

 

[Blondie Bear]

One of the sources I looked at for my thesis (my brain is pretty well blown and I can't remember which one now) broke down the title and its significance. Basically it came down to a purposeful contradiction and attention-grabber; a name like "Buffy" is hardly to be taken seriously. "Vampire Slayer" is either quite serious, in the vein of Stoker's Van Helsing, or also funny, as in "vampires are stoopid." Put them together and you either get a thought-provoking title that really tells you what to expect from the show--a serious yet tongue-in-cheek approach to mythology and life--or makes you go "*valleygirl snort* what-EVER."

So the entire title is really necessary.

 

[LittleMissLikesToFight]

as for her constantly being referred to as "the slayer" in the show...

I think part of it is, around the world people knew of her, but not her name. Most people don't know the name of the Slayer, they just hear the tales and exploits.

And also i think it emphasizes in a way the loneliness of the calling. To not even really have a name, but to just be this one entity until you die, and another takes your place...

 

[SpikedBuffy]

And when you think back to "Get it Done" while the gang are learning the mythology of the first slayer, if I remember correctly, first there was the Earth and then there were the demons. The shadow men created the slayer to defeat the demons that ruled the Earth. That's why she not only fights vampires, but various demons as well.

Now, for the title of the show, I always liked it. It never came across pointless or stupid to me.

 

[Joyce Summers]

Yes she fought other things, but primarily she was a Vampire Slayer because there are more vampires than there are other things such as demons I believe. Even Buffy said 'I don't think that you run out of vampires....'
Think of vampires as the pests of the demon world. Sunnydale and the world in general has an infestation and Buffy is supernatural pest control. But just because that's her main job doesn't mean she won't get rid of erm...other pests as well.

And I agree with what Dlou444 said about how we don't see any of the other Slayers fighting anything but vampires and so the frequent demon busting with Buffy might have had something to do with her being on a Hellmouth (I think Joss said it was the perfect excuse for everything. People ask why and he can reply 'because it's on a Hellmouth').

Plus as Kean (and others I believe) have said, I'm fond of the name Buffy, the Vampire Slayer. It adds the bit of seriously required to counter to fluffiness of the name Buffy.

 

[TabulaRasa]

I think if it had been just Buffy, we wouldn't have had a feel for what the show was really about. Even tho she slayed more than vampires, we knew what the show was about. We knew it was action packed butt kicking greatness.

 

[Entiel]

I love the whole name of the show..and maybe through the seasons vampires were not the biggest problem but it's where it all started...plus in greek Buffy means pot so I say the hole name cause I don't want to get misunderstood 😛

 

[white avenger]

I think I read once that Joss used that title on purpose because it sounded like a cheap horror/comedy where you would think that Buffy was this ditsy bimbo who was constantly getting into trouble chasing vampires all over the place waving a stake around and having a stumble bum boyfriend who was constantly getting into trouble. The movie turned out to be just about that anyway, which made selling the idea of the tv series that much harded a few years later.

 

[Hello Cutie]

Thing is, just calling it 'Buffy' is odd. Say you've never seen it, don't know what its about and you read 'Buffy' in the tv listing... i dont know about you, but i wouldnt watch it cuz it sounds weird and stupid.

'Buffy the Slayer'- okay so now im slightly more interested in watching it, but still not sure what its about.

'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'- ah okay so she beats up vampires and stuff, cool i'll watch that.

Also, the film is Buffy the Vampire Slayer, where Buffy slays vampires only... and the tv programme is a continuation of that, so it makes sense to have the same name!

 

[Angelic Slayer]

I can see your point for sure, but I think that the BtVS title matches the storyline, when you think about it. I mean for one; fans shortened the name quite often anyway (btvs, buffy) which kind of eliminates the problem. But I really don't think the show was about Buffy when I think about it.

I mean in the story Buffy was a regular girl with a funny name, just living the life.

Then came her calling as a slayer (she who slays vampires and other demons) and THAT'S really the event that fueled the series. It's what changed her life and brought together all of the characters who may have otherwise never joined forces.

Plus, the title does sounds nicely cheesey, adding that extra surprise when you see how well done the show is 😉

 

[anyatara]

Although I sometimes think Buffy The Vampire Slayer sounds better, I would honestly think it better if it were just 'Buffy' not because of the name, honestly, why? Because then I wouldn't get bullied for being some weird satanist...which I'm not. I like the name fine myself, and to be honest, I don't care what other people think, I just think a one word title would get the others to leave me alone...On the other side of things, 'Buffy' isn't as interesting a title.