What Have you Learned from Buffy/Angel?

[sisterofmercy]

Can be either serious or funny answers, or maybe you've used concepts concerning Buffy/Angel/Dollhouse to help you remember things.

I only say this as Angel's "if nothing we do matters, then all that matter is what we do" reminded me of Nietzsche in my exam this morning, so it got me thinking whether there's anything we have actually 'learned' or taken from watching the shows.

 

[Washburne]

That a show with what sounds like a silly concept can be amazing.

And I love to say Bored now... Not that it happens a lot since you know, we don't speak english on a regular basis in everyday life here.

 

[zobothehobo]

"If nothing we do matters, all that matters is what we do" helped me on my sociology final for something, but I don't remember it now. haha

Spike's journey helped me to realize it's the actions we do that determine who we're going to be, it's not as predetermined as I thought. In other words, just because I've not been so sucessful in my life yet, doesn't mean I'm not going to or can't be.

Buffy's depression arc in season 6 and her epiphany in Grave helped me start to win the battle against my own depression.

Spuffy helps me believe in love. Like seriously, to think someone could love as much as Spike loves Buffy... it fills my heart with joy.

Chosen always makes me feel like I AM somebody. The first time I watched it, it taught me that I AM somebody.

 

[Goby]

Life is a series of battles---- good verses evil.

What side are you on? Can you engage in battle each and every day knowing that whether you win or lose, there will be another battle tomorrow?

Can you engage in the battle and not avoid it. It's much "easier" to avoid the battle, but spiritually and morally right to engage and defeat evil.

Have you engaged in battle today? It can be as little as a smile to a homeless person. It can be giving someone a quarter if they don't have money for the parking meter, or if they are a little short when ordering food at a restaurant. It can be bigger... putting yourself out there to help someone in need. Have you volunteered for your local food kitchen? Have you stopped a bully from picking on a school mate?

Angel and Buffy are heroes because they engage in battle and have a moral code that they never intentionally violate. They go out of there way to do good and confront evil... and we can do the same. No battle is too small. Engage in battle today, and if you don't find a battle, you are not looking hard enough. 🙂

 

[patriot1123]

I don't suppose I "learned" this from BtVS, because I already knew it, but I love how flawed people are still considered valuable. One example is Faith. Even though she was deeply flawed, Angel and Buffy and Giles tried to save her in season 3 and were upset when the Council got her. Another example is Angel - when he came back in Amends, Giles got over his initial shock and agreed to help him. Another example is Spike, although the un-Giles of season 7 (the guy who looks just like Giles but didn't act like him) did a complete reversal on Spike. Another example was dark Willow - they all knew their friend was in there somewhere and tried to get her back.

People are flawed. They're still valuable.

 

[Seeing Red]

I learned about Id, which totally helped me pass my English test. Thank you Dr. Wlash.
I learned that Death of a Sales Man is a real play.
BtVS and Angel helped me improve with my latin.
NEVER give up.
Also a ton of other personal things.

 

[Icarium]

I have learned that if a character is popular enough they can do everything up to and including mass murder and trying to destroy the world and will get away with it. Especially if they sleep with another important character.

 

[VisionGirl]

I actually posted this Buffy speech from Bring On The Night on FB when we were getting ready to go to a pro-union/pro-teacher rally:
"I'm beyond tired. I'm beyond scared. I'm standing on the mouth of Hell and it is going to swallow me whole. And it'll choke on me. We're not ready? They're not ready. They think we're gonna wait for the end to come, like we always do. I'm done waiting. They want an apocalypse? Well, we'll give 'em one. Anyone else who wants to run, do it now, 'cause we just became an army. We just declared war. From now on, we won't just face our worst fears, we will seek them out. We will find them, and cut out their hearts, one by one, until the First shows itself for what it really is. And I'll kill it myself. There is only one thing on this earth more powerful than evil. And that's us. Any questions?"

 

[prophecygrrl]

It filled in the gaps on a lot of my late 90's/early 2000's American pop culture knowledge. I don't think I was the right age at the time to notice much about that kind of thing lol.

 

[Tome]

- Fire bad, tree pretty.
- Evil tastes funny.
- To read makes speaking english good. 😕
- Antonio Banderas is not a vampire.
- Saying ''I love you'' wakes people up from comas.
- Billy Idol stole his look from Spike.
- Ben is Glory, Glory is Ben.

On a more serious note, I learnt that heroes come in all shapes and forms.

 

[Kanazaka]

I wouldn't say I learned it from Buffy, but I feel that the show--better than most--reinforced the notion that family isn't only blood. I also like the show's attitude that everyone has worth, whether or not they have superpowers. I really take these beliefs to heart.

 

[LoveLoveLovix]

I have learned that Japanese commercials are weird, it's okay to be gay if you're really cute about it (kidding, 😛), some shows WILL kill off the title character- twice, sarcasm is a universal cure-all, and even if you're below average height, you can still make scary faces and people will find you intimidating.

Seriously, I guess I learned that all you need is your friends and you will get by.

 

[Deus Ex Machina]

Bisexuality only exists if you're a vampire.

 

[Guiltypleasure]

The show helped me, like every other show i watch 🙂D), to improve my english!

especial in the sense of understanding real, spoken english and getting a feeling for the language, which is something you can't learn in school based english courses.

thanks to watching non dubbed shows and movies, i speak a pretty decent english and can actually pronounce words the way the are meant to be pronounced. thats a skill even the english teachers at my university don't posses, and i'm sure they are better english speakers in general.

 

[Scarlett Blade]

The main thing that helped me is Buffy's depression arc in season 6. I relate soooo much to her, it's not even funny (well, except for the part where I was pulled out of heaven 😀), and it's just made life easier watching her deal with her problems.
Also, the show made me realize the importance of family; not just blood family, but true family; and how any moment could be your last, so make the most out of life. All good things.
Another important thing the show has helped me realize is that there are grey areas, that nothing is all black and white. I was kinda brought up the black/white way, but this new way of looking at things has helped me understand life a little better.

 

[patriot1123]

<<KellGreen agrees: Off-topic - thank you for posting this. I am personally still trying to believe this. I know it is true, but I still don't think it applies to myself.>>

Of course it applies to you! Everyone has value. Believe it. 🙂

 

[Marisa]

That life sucks even for fictional characters.
On a serious note I would say I learned a lot about friends from Angel.

 

[spikecakes]

THAT BEING NERDY IS COOL!

I, nerd. That, cool.

Also, that you can't trust everyone. But it's okay to let your guard down for those special folk.

 

[KellGreen]

<<KellGreen agrees: Off-topic - thank you for posting this. I am personally still trying to believe this. I know it is true, but I still don't think it applies to myself.>>

Of course it applies to you! Everyone has value. Believe it. 🙂

Thanks. I try, but I was SO pushed to be "perfect" when I was younger that I still ascribe little value to myself most of the time. I know it's absurd, but I still feel like i have to be/do at least 110% just to get up to everyone else's level. The real challenge is not passing this neuroticism on to my daughter.

On topic, Buffy taught me that I find British accents incredibly hot😉

 

[VisionGirl]

THAT BEING NERDY IS COOL!

I, nerd. That, cool.

Also, that you can't trust everyone. But it's okay to let your guard down for those special folk.

Watching Buffy/Angel got back into Sci-Fi/fantasy- so yeah, deeper into geekdom & proud of it LOL!