10 Things Non-Fans Don't Understand About Buffy The Vampire Slayer
The Golden Age of Television owes a lot to Buffy the Vampire Slayer...
One of the biggest issues with Buffy the Vampire Slayer is the title. The word ‘vampire’ has a lot of negative stereotypes associated with it. People automatically assume that Buffy is a show for teenage girls fully of soppy romance and corny dialogue.
Whilst many teenage girls do undoubtedly love the Scoodby Gang's adventures, the show is so good that it transcends its target audience. Ultimately, Buffy is a show for anyone who appreciates well-written television. Sure, not every episode is perfect, but many writers working in the industry today have sighted Buffy as one of their major influences.
Yet even those who are willing to put aside the title of the show might be put off by the general premise. A story about a group of high-school students fighting the forces of evil sounds like a ludicrous idea for a story, and that’s putting it mildly.
But those who gave Buffy a chance discovered a show that’s unlike any other. And though the first episode aired more than twenty years ago, there are many reasons why fans keep coming back again and again…
10. The Show Is A Mad Mix Of Genres
Buffy the Vampire Slayer sounds like a horror-inspired show, and it is – sort of. Whilst some of the villains will have you on the edge of your seat, most Buffy episodes aren’t particularly scary.
Instead, the show is an amalgamation of genres. Horror, comedy, drama, fantasy, and the supernatural are all thrown into the mix – there’s even a musical episode. This cocktail of tones may seem like a disaster waiting to happen, but thanks to the writing talents of Joss Whedon and his team, Buffy’s adventures feel distinctive rather than disconcerting.
The show’s self-awareness is a big part of why these genres mesh together so well. The characters often acknowledge the ridiculousness of their own predicaments. And thanks to the comedic chops of Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon, and Alyson Hannigan, these moments are often humorous as well.