Survey: Buffy and Columbine/Heritage high

[Vamp Jenny]

I have to do an essay for my English final exam and I decided what best topic than Buffy and the school shootings in USA (and believe me I had no idea there would be another one so soon after I made my decision....) By the way, thanks to those who gave me ideas for that essay.

So, for this essay I need a survey because there are so few articles with actual point of views available.

Here's the full question:
"When Buffy first aired, did it bother you that they delayed the showing of Earshot and Graduation Day part 2 due to the Columbine and Heritage high shootings? And do you agree with the idea of delaying those episode because of the possible meaning?"

For those of you who didn't watch on the first run, just choose whatever answer you think would have applied.

Please do not choose lightly. I need accurate results if I want a good grade 😉 (and I really need that)

Also, this poll will close on January 3rd, so that I can have time to compile the results and prepare my oral presentation.

Important: If you want to add something and don't mind being quoted in my oral (which will be only in front of a small group of 10 classmates and my teacher) please put it in bold and underlined. Otherwise I won't quote nor name anyone.

Thank you all very much!

 

[Joshua]

When "Earshot" was delayed, I understood because the episode was being released not too long ago after the Columbine tragedy. But GDP2 it was unecessary imo

 

[sk]

I'm not sure what to answer on this.

From a personal standpoint I'm sure that I wouldn't have any problem watching an episode like Earshot after a tragic event like Columbine.

And I really think we should be able to separate stuff that happens in real life and stuff that some TV show writer came up with months earlier.

I might understand postponing episodes after big traumatic events in general.
The interest of watching a Buffy episode, any episode, after a tragic event would not be very high so let's wait a week or so. Fine I can get that.

But when it's only because of the story in that particular episode I think it becomes a weird judgement call that I'm not sure how anyone can decide.
When will be it okay to show it? after a week? after six months? Is it okay just because we have forgot and moved on again?
Why not just let it be a TV show and go on with it without mixing in real life stuff.

This is just me though. Even if I would no be bothered with any similarities I realise that's not case for others.
It actually seems that most people think it is bad taste and with that in mind I can accept that it was the right decision anyway.

So I'm not sure if I should answer that I agree with the decision or not.
For me personal it would be annoying and not the right thing to do but as it seems for the majority it was the right thing to do...

/SK

 

[itssmiletime]

I understand Earshot, but I don't get graduation day part 2. Keep in mind that in the episode it isn't a student against other students- it's a group of students against a supernatural force. I personally found the scene where students take off their graduation cloaks to reveal holy water, stakes, arrows to be brilliant- if anything, it showed unity.

Earshot- it's an episode that I tend to skip because it does hit a bit too close for me with the whole bullied kid wanting to kill himself (and I do kind of dislike Buffy's monologue) and Jonathan's weapon is kind of stupid. Delaying it was the right thing to do.

 

[SlayerFest]

If a kid wants to blow up his or her school...they are going to do it, regardless of what they watch on television. If they had said, "we are delaying Grad Day Part 2 out of respect for the people affected by this tragedy" fine. That's fine. But to say that it might inspire some kids to blow up their school before summer vacation is just plain stupid. If someone is going to blow up their school, Buffy isn't going to give them that extra push that they need, and even if it did, it wouldn't be responsible for that person's mental state.

However, I do understand that airing Earshot may have seemed tasteless, but it's not as if they made the episode after the tragedy. They weren't trying to exploit the issue, it was merely a coincidence that it had been made and was set to air the following week. I understand why they didn't choose to air it and I wouldn't expect them to...but to tell you the truth, it would have been a nice change of pace if they had. While it might have seemed insensitive, the message was a good one. Every one has pain, everyone is suffering. I'm not mad that they didn't air the episodes because I didn't watch Buffy back then anyway, but their reason for not airing Grad Day Part 2 really rubs me the wrong way. Earshot I understand, because they did it out of respect...not fear.

 

[Buffy Summers]

I was peeved - I know at the time I thought it was such a stupid decision. It's just like when they tried to get the Basketball Diaries and the Jeremy video banned.

If it happened today it probably would be smart though. It's a different world than it was then.