Weeks 10 and 11 – Buffy.
1) Q. Wilcox and Lavery
(2002) identify 9 defining characteristics of 'quality TV' - can you apply any
of these to other television series that you have viewed recently? Are there
any other characteristics that you could add to their list?
2) What role does Hills (2004) suggest the fans
play in the construction of cult TV? How is new media central to this?
3) Hills (2004)
lists a number of defining characteristics of cult TV that contain similarities
to the defining characteristics of pop genres (e.g. fantasy, science fiction)
discussed earlier in the Pop Genres paper. Can you identify these and discuss
why you think that these characteristics are repeatedly viewed as underpinning
popular genres?
The lonely, sensitive, misunderstood crusader against injustices of fate and cruelty of man (Rose, 2002), gangs of bad guys, prophecies, inescapable futures, the supernatural, forbidden love and the virginal maiden held against her will (Neugebauer, 2013). These are often the tropes of the romantic gothic tradition, along with an atmosphere and settings so vivid they become an entire character (Neugebauer, 2013). There is no mistake that Buffy the Vampire Slayer was influenced by this tradition, embodying a plethora of its tropes however in the modern framework it was necessary to provide a contemporary critique of this tradition as “anything else would have been hideously out-dated” (Stretch, 2007). Buffy the Vampire Slayer rather than an imitation of the tradition provides an alternative response and subversion with anti-patriarchal and postfeminist solutions to problems of the Romantic ideology (Rose, 2002). This is particularly evident in the season four narrative arc, predominantly episode 4013 and 4014 which provided a contemporary critique of Mary Shelley’s gothic romance novel Frankenstein.
ReplyDeleteIt is certainly evident that Buffy the Vampire Slayer was influenced in its production by the gothic romance tradition through a multitude of facets. First and foremost is the affection for the macabre and unexplainable (Rose, 2002) and dark themes. Obviously there are gangs of supernatural bad guys, dominated by the vivid setting of Hellmouth. Buffy Summers as the vampire slayer has been bestowed upon her a prophecy which ultimately presents her with an inescapable future. There are many notions of forbidden love including Buffy’s relationship with the vampire Angel, which has life and death commitments (Harris, 2015). However, this is where the subversion of the genre resides wherein Buffy the Vampire Slayer has taken the notion of the virginal maiden held against her will to confront complex philosophical and ethical questions surrounding the genre (Rose, 2002). In conjunction to this subversion, Buffy the Vampire Slayer also encapsulates the tone and shape from oft-dismissed genres such as daytime soaps, grade-B horror flicks, supernatural fantasies (Millman cited in Wilcox and Lavery, 2002, p. xxiii), teen angst dramas and crime solving texts to elevate the combined efforts of these genres and create a deeply profound storyline which has the ability to confront a multitude of issues far beyond its capabilities had it by simply imitating the gothic romance genre.
Finding a place for gothic romance in the modern psyche is a difficult task due to the positive shift in fiction trends tackling women’s issues, therefore these days heroines aren’t allowed to be damsels in distress (Stretch, 2007). Parody of such an out-dated tradition can certainly be a solution, such as Atwood’s Lady Oracle, however Buffy the Vampire Slayer succeeds in taking this tradition and reviving it in a contemporary framework in a way that we are still able to relate to the anxieties initially outlined in this tradition. First and foremost, Buffy the Vampire Slayer employs a female protagonist who subverts the damsel in distress trope into an independent, demon fighting girl who isn’t frightened and doesn’t need a protector. This trope is explicitly subverted in episode 1012 where Buffy runs towards danger of the Master in her white prom dress yielding a weapon, which directly contrasts the semiotic depiction of a female in a dress running away from danger.
The protagonist Buffy also reassesses the solitary, noble, misunderstood, romanticised hero (Rose, 2002) by undercutting this admiration through highlighting the importance of community support, exemplified in the Scooby Gang. This is especially evident in episode 4021 where the reimagined Frankenstein’s monster, Adam, is only able to be defeated with the collective forces of Buffy and the Scooby Gang. This is contrasted with Shelley’s original Frankenstein where the protagonist Victor Frankenstein pursues the monster alone and consequently dies, along with his family, due to his secretive self-indulgence.
ReplyDeleteIn its purest form, the gothic romance genre can be seen to have been dually influencing and critiqued by Buffy the Vampire Slayer in episodes 4013 and 4014. The episodes focus on the creation of the re-envisioned Frankenstein’s monster through the narrative arc’s villain Adam. According to Rose (2002), the Frankenstein story confronts issues of the relationship between creation and creator, the impact of love and acceptance on formation of character, the harm of disinterested science and the arrogance in the incessant quest for knowledge. These issues are at the heart of the Romantic ideology but in the 20th Century of Buffy the Vampire Slayer it explores the role and purpose of religion, the fragmentation of community, and the potential for science and technology to profoundly change our lives (Rose, 2002). The anxieties and fears of industrialisation and science and its effect on morality and humanity manifested the Romantic ideology has long since arrived in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Rose, 2002) The manifestations and permutations may have changed however the relevance remains (Rose, 2002). This is explored in a dichotomy between Shelley’s monster and Adam. Frankenstein’s monster longs for the love and acceptance of his creator however Adam kills his creator immediately, favouring technology, therein blurring the boundaries between creator and creation. Buffy the Vampire Slayer as a microcosm for modern society displays that hubris and arrogance for science through Maggie Walsh which has been taken for granted (Rose, 2002). Buffy the Vampire Slayer suggests that the possibility of retaining humanity in the modern world is a low-tech blend of magic, intuition, raw emotion and strong ties to the community to save the day where few innocents are killed (Rose, 2002).
Ultimately, Buffy the Vampire Slayer was certainly influenced by a multitude of tropes inherent to the gothic romance tradition. However, it has remained relevant in the adversity of modern society by reinventing and subverting several aspects in conjunction to taking influences from other genres. Taking influences from the gothic romance genre alone would have been detrimental to the reception as in modern society “gothic romance is an inaccessible madwoman locked up in fiction’s unvisited attic (Stretch, 2007). Certainly however, this influence of “misunderstood and mistreated pop-art forms” (Millman cited in Wilcox and Lavery, 2002, p. xxiii) and clever re-imagination has contributed to the outstanding popularity and elevated platform of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in the cult television sector.
References
Harris, R. (2015). Elements of the gothic novel. Retrieved from http://www.virtualsalt.com/gothic.htm
Neugebauer, A. (2013). What is gothic fiction? [blog]. Retrieved from http://annieneugebauer.com/2013/11/18/what-is-gothic-fiction/
Rose, A (2002) Of creatures and creators: Buffy does Frankenstein, in R. Wilcox & D. Lavery (eds) Fighting the forces: what’s at stake in Buffy the vampire slayer. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield.
Stretch, C. (2007). Whatever happened to gothic romance? [blog]. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2007/nov/15/whateverhappenedtogothicro
Wilcox, R. & Lavery, D. (2002). Introduction, in R. Wilcox & D. Lavery (eds) Fighting the forces: what’s at stake in Buffy the vampire slayer. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield.
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ReplyDeleteI grew up watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer and remember being scared half of the time, and somehow relating to it the other half. Buffy deconstructs traditional literary notions of good and evil by bringing together real life situations with horror. I was in middle school when I started getting into this show and the fact that the show was based on high school characters made it that much more appealing. By using a high school setting, Buffy the Vampire Slayer tackled many of then and modern day issues such as sexuality, and relationships all the while making the show somewhat of a horror story given the monsters involved.
ReplyDeleteOne of the main representations of these two worlds colliding is the Slayer herself. Buffy is a young female who is the “chosen one”. She is given these set of skills that ultimately give her the power to tackle all evil. However, she is also a blonde, cheerleader; The typical depiction of a popular high school girl during this time.
The story lines of Buffy the Vampire Slayer are very complex and I believe is the reason why it was so popular. It is a cross over of typical teenage drama with problems in a mystical world. With vampires being the main “enemy”, the audience gets a taste of danger. However, this is yet another way in which the show deconstructs the traditional notions of good and evil. For example, Spike is initially an enemy, and is even in am abusive relationship with Buffy. However, after trying to rape Buffy and going away, he confronts his evils and is granted a chance to give Buffy “what she deserves” (Harrington, 2005). Once he returns, he makes the ultimate sacrifice killing himself in order to kill all vampires in Hellmouth.
The complexity of Spike’s character is something we see in the show as well. He goes through such an intense character development, that it defies what or who the audience considers good/evil. The same applies to all the characters in the show. The storyline is complex and developed in such a way, that it makes you question what is good and what is not, therefore defying the traditional literary notions of good and evil.
Harrington, Richard (September 30, 2005). "Joss Whedon's New Frontier". The Washington Post. One of the best, most influential, genre-defining television series in decades
2) What role does Hills (2004) suggest the fans play in the construction of cult TV? How is new media central to this?
ReplyDeleteCult TV has a special place within modern media. This is largely due to its highly dedicated audience and the way this audience treats its shows. In his text “Defining Cult TV - text, inter-texts and fan audiences,” Mike Hills talks about the audience/show relationship and what role the fans play in construction of what we call cult TV.
First and foremost, it is the fans themselves who define what is considered cult and what shows are elevated into the intertextual network of cult TV. Unlike most formats, the existent network of cult TV isn’t created by the industry but rather by the fans, linking different genres, and occasionally other media form together to form a cohesive group of media generally referred to as cult. (Hills, 2004)
The very nature of cult TV is very much constructed upon the behaviour of fans. Fans, who often group together to form what is called a fandom. ("Fandom", 2017) While most fandoms might not be particularly big, they distinguish themselves by the dedication of their members. Fans of cult TV don’t just appreciate their madia on a purely entertainment based level. Instead they are able to show critical appreciation of the material and have the ability to defend their fandoms. Fandoms have gained a spot in people’s lifestyles, and much of the analysis taking place is directed toward the fan’s own consumption rather than the text itself. (Hills, 2004)
This highly analytical behaviour on the side of fans results in the creation of secondary material like reviews, fan theories, and fan fiction. The latter of those emerges from the format of the shows, which often include cliffhangers between seasons that encourage viewers to imagine what will come next. The fandom then provides a platform to write about these ideas and share them with the rest of the fandom in the form of fan fiction.
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ReplyDeleteOne of the most important parts of cult TV, which really distinguishes cult from mainstream, is the audience engagement. Fans will identify as part of a fandom, attend conventions, and buy merchandise. (Hills, 2004) There is such a strong idea of what a fan looks like that they can be stereotyped within journalism and even be represented in the shows themselves. This fan behaviour constructed a completely new market around cult TV that sells merchandise and let’s people talk about shows that aired years ago. Especially in recent years, the nature of fandoms has changed a lot with the popularisation of the internet and new media. While fans of cult TV used to be small isolated groups that would meet once a year at conventions, they are now able to communicate and share ideas with each other 24/7. However, this also makes it harder for new fandoms to be accepted into the status of cult TV. Now that every show has a designated fandom, the importance of the intertextual network of cult TV becomes less and less relevant. Cult TV isn’t very inclusive. (Hills, 2004) There are certain TV shows that were accepted into that category a long time ago and new shows with smaller followings don’t get recognised as cult because they aren’t part of the intertextualization.
ReplyDeleteIn general, the term “cult” has largely lost its relevance. In the day and age of Tumblr, the most dominant website for fandoms, there is no general canon of what is “cult.” Instead of addressing a widely accepted network of shows with active fandoms, the terms now describes shows that are old but remain relevant to the people who watched them when they were on air. The closest we have now to what used to be cult shows are things like the SuperWhoLock fandom, a combination of three unconnected TV shows that have formed a single fandom, a cult so to say. Even though it should be mentioned that most people who are not part of this particular fandom wonder why it exists in the first place. After all they are all independent tv shows that don’t really have anything to do with one another. The reason why cult TV doesn’t really exist anymore lies in the effect the internet had. Being in a fandom isn’t seen as abnormal “cult” behaviour anymore, it is mainstream. Hills was wrong in his assumption that the internet won’t change what is considered cult. The internet made the term obsolete.
References
Fandom. (2017). En.wikipedia.org. Retrieved 23 October 2017, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fandom
Hills, M. (2004). Defining Cult TV; Texts, Inter-texts and Fan Audiences, The Television Studies Reader, in R. C. Allen & A. Hill. London and New York: Routledge.
In what way is buffy influenced by the romantic gothic tradition? Yet how does Buffy also provide a contemporary critique of this tradition?
ReplyDeleteElements of gothic romance can be clearly seen in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (BtVS). Starting with the physicality/ settings of the gothic romance and how they compare to BtVS we see the similarities throughout the series with many scenes taking place in crumbling cemeteries and mausoleums. Other defining features of gothic romance include the intersection of horror and romance (lecture notes) and a central figure, typically a "pensive, frightened heroine" (lecture notes). In BtVS we definitely see this intersection of two polar opposite genres. I will be using the episodes "Goodbye Iowa"and "no I in Team"As examples. The horror aspect being the villains/ villainous acts, violence, mystery and grotesque creatures and the romantic aspect being Buffy's relationship with Riley. In "goodbye Iowa"these two themes are taken to the very extreme and then juxtaposed when Riley and Buffy are engaged sexual relations and the scene cuts between this and the death of Doctor Walsh.
BtVS also offers a female heroine, however it critiques the stereotype of the romantic hero through the character Buffy who unlike gothic romantic tradition is very proactive in defeating her oppressors. Rose (2002) suggests that this contemporary critique was influenced by the themes and characters in classic gothic romance novel by Mary Shelly, Frankenstein. In the novel, Frankenstein is definition gothic romance hero a "passionate, genius rebel who dislikes social institutions and is ultimately self destructive". Buffy however is strengthened by her community, is highly skilled in combat and extremely courageous. In "goodbye Iowa"we do see her vulnerability in scenes where Riley becomes mistrusting and 'sick' and also her general caring relationship with the 'Scooby gang'. In this way BtVS moves away from the typical gothic romance female and neither makes Buffy a typical 'superhero' 'macho' hero. Instead we see a combination of the two which makes her more realistic and relatable as a character.
Rose (2002, p. 133) explains BtVS's contemporary twist as a "reimagining of romantic ideology" where there is a "preference for emotion over reason" (lecture notes). We see this heightened in BtVS when emotions run high and often consume/ motivate the scenes between Doctor Walsh as a mother figure, Riley as a boyfriend and a grief stricken 'son' and Buffy as a caring girlfriend, friend and slayer. Because of this we also get a sense of 'moral ambiguity'(lecture notes) unlike traditional gothic romance characters where it is typically easy to draw the line between good and evil, BtVS critiques this idea, making it more difficult to identify the differences. An example of this is the scenes in 'Goodbye Iowa' where Doctor Walsh attempts to have Buffy killed but continues to try and care for Riley as a mother figure. When Doctor Walsh dies, Riley becomes physically sick but more importantly extremely grief stricken which ultimately leads to him becoming angry, mistrusting and sort of 'evil'. This affects his relationship with the initiative, Buffy and her relationship with herself and the Scooby gang.