The Vine, Anniversary Edition: April 25, 2010
Dear Sars,
You know how some people will refuse to watch a show because of the silliness of the premise, name, genre, etc.? Well, my question is basically how would you describe Buffy to someone like this? I am absolutely terrible at explaining why I love this show so much, and I have some people in my life that I know who would really enjoy it, but I cannot express properly the awesomeness that was Buffy (same applies to Veronica Mars).
Not just the “take my word for it because I personally loved it” reason but, you know, the actual reasons why it was such a good show and worth seeing?
Defending Buffy inarticulately since 1997!
Dear Defender,
At the top of its game, the show did a wonderful job of depicting ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances; of balancing real darkness with realistic humor; of amplifying the alienation many of us felt in high school without verging into melodrama. It’s funny and sad and sweet and smart, but it isn’t too in love with itself (well, not in the first three seasons; the focus kind of falls apart after that).
I was told repeatedly that I would like Buffy, but until I saw a couple of key episodes myself, I didn’t buy the hype either. Try showing your friends an ep or two (I wouldn’t go in order — the first season is too uneven) that will give them a good cross-section of the qualities that make Buffy what it is.
*****
My “can you find this book?” request is sadly topical, due to the Olympic tragedy in Vancouver. My heart goes out to the friends and family of Nodar Kumaritashvili.
It reminded me of what I remember as a short story in a collection of other stories that I read as a kid. It was about either luge or bobsled, and was fascinating in its terrifying description of the course.
I wish I had more details, but all I remember is that it was in a first-person voice, and that there were vivid descriptions of the unforgiving mountain, ice, and speed.
Can the Tomato Nation readers help?
Sliders are awesome (athletes and sandwiches)
*****
Hi Sars!
I have a children’s book that I’m hoping the mighty Nation might find for me.
This is a book for kids that are around 9-12 years old. The title of the book was something like Mulberry Kids, or Huckleberry Heights Kids, or something like that, but no amount of “-berry” Googling worked.
The book was about (I’m trying really hard to remember details) a family that moved to a new subdivision named after said “berry,” and for that reason the kids of that neighborhood called themselves the Somethingberry Kids.
The biggest part of the story I remember is that one of the kids (a boy) had taken an interest in gardening due to some project at school. One day he noticed that his neighbors were tending to their plants at night, and he thought this was very suspicious. During the day him and his friends peek over the fence and they become convinced that the neighbor is growing a marijuana plant. Wackiness ensues. Turns out the neighbor was just growing a plant that looked very similar to a marijuana plant.
I also remember them playing a game in an empty lot where (I think) they pretended to be survivors of a nuclear holocaust. The kid that found a living thing first was always declared the winner. I always thought that game sounded awesome (playing in a giant sand hole!) and also creepy (nuclear holocaust!)
It’s not T*A*C*K*, but I loved those too
*****
Hi Sars,
I’m in search of a book I remember vividly, but which is leaving Google so stumped I must be misremembering something. Maybe one of your readers can separate the real from the dreamt-up.
I read this book around 1999. It had a contemporary setting. The title riffed on “coming out”: Coming Around, or Coming In, or Coming About, maybe? On the cover, lots of yellow rubber ducks were swimming on a blue background, with one duck swimming in the opposite direction to the others.
The plot followed a gay man — an estate agent, or travel agent, or something? — living in Brighton, as he came gradually to the conclusion that he was in fact bisexual. The protagonist was named Simon, his love interests being Patrick (who was hot in a scruffy way) and Toril (who was Norwegian). Patrick was an ol’ buddy of Simon’s who was nominally straight, but became less so as the story progressed — just as Simon, falling for the charms of his female employee Toril, became less sure he himself was gay. Toril and Simon, I think, formed a relationship, the course of which did not run smooth.
There were some quite funny digs at the amount of social privilege Simon got to enjoy when he presented as straight (I distinctly remember the line “Simon is straight! Simon is white!”, followed by some sardonic comment to the effect that if the reader hadn’t figured out Simon was white they clearly hadn’t been reading very carefully). There’s another bit where Toril mocks Simon’s pronunciation of her name (“Awwight, Towiw?”).
If I’ve made it sound like some kind of hideous ex-gay gospel, it really wasn’t: it was very wry, and had a “don’t label me”/”binary preferences are too narrow” kind of vibe.
So… tons of detail, all of it leaving Google clueless. What am I hallucinating?
Coming Up Blank
Dear Blank,
I can point to more differences than similarities, but a lot of your description reminds me of Bedrooms & Hallways. But that’s a movie, and other than that, I got nothing. Readers?
*****
Hi Sars,
I searched The Vine for an answer to this and came up empty, so I’m hoping you or the readers can help. I’m looking for a decent low-/no-back bra. I currently have the Victoria’s Secret 100-way bra, but it doesn’t dip low enough for my needs — the top of the bra always manages to show.
With some clothes I can tack it down with a safety pin, but a) that isn’t always an option (it can create weird bunching and gaping), and b) I’d kind of like to stop having to pin myself in all the time.
I’m a C cup minimum, so going braless isn’t really an option, and I’ve tried and rejected those stick-on cups — they didn’t really give my girls the support they need, and I was constantly checking to make sure they weren’t becoming unstuck. Something that dips down to the small of my back would be perfect. Thanks!
Lookin’ To Get Low
*****
First request: the smart pretty one
My sister loves to read. At the moment, she has a teen-aged son going through chemotherapy, so she sometimes finds herself in the hospital — he’s asleep post-chemo and she has a few hours to kill. She asked me for book suggestions, I didn’t have any great ones for her, so I am asking the readers.
- Fictional please.
- She loves Jane Austen, but a lot of Austen’s peers she finds too florid. So: fairly plot-driven.
 (As opposed to Herman Melville’s Ahab discussing apple dumplings while allegedly in the chase of his life for the white whale.)
- She likes Michael Crichton, John Grisham, Sherlock Holmes, that kind of thing, as light reading.
- She likes legal, medical, manners/social topics.
- She wants more upbeat — preferably not children dying from cancer (DUH!), serial killers, etc.– aiming to keep the body count per novel to less than 3.
- Not TOO racy please.
- She’s read all the Harry Potters and Percy Jackson books — YA literature is fine if it’s well written.
- Not sure if she’s read Twilight, but I know she’s read Dracula — vampire is fine, but would like NON-vampire suggestions. ALSO SEE: body count…
Second request: the grotesque stupid one
One time years ago, a friend and I were exhausted and watching late-night TV, and we both believe that we saw an ad for a table that transforms into 18 different tables (or transforms 18 different ways?) and it embodied absolutely everything that I don’t like about country clutter — pie-crust trimming, handpainted faux finishes, toile, AND my bete noire, ducks in kerchiefs.
We were both rolling around on the floor laughing in hysterics during the ad (we were both SO overtired that we were acting like crazy people) that we didn’t write down the information to order the table, and NOW we’re longing to order it as a gag gift for another friend. The ad had the high volume SHAM-WOW frenzied sales-pitch style and I’m pretty sure they offered “Three easy payments…”
I’m almost positive that we didn’t make this up ad up ourselves. Does this sound like anything the readers have heard of?
No serial killers, no ducks in kerchiefs
*****
Dear Sars,
Happy Anniversary! Thanks for all the great reading material!
Fifteen years ago I was teaching in an elementary school in D.C. and we had a program in the computer lab that was designed to help you learn how to type. It was the most fun typing tutorial I have ever seen. Each lesson took place in a room in a haunted house, and the objects in the room responded to your typing. The doors would open and shut, the toys would move or make noise, the baby would float in the air and spin.
Ever since then I have been trying to find this for myself and my Google-fu has failed me. Would you or any of your search-gifted readers know what I am talking about and how to find it?
Also, on a completely unrelated note, what is the minimum amount of makeup a woman should wear to work to look professional?
Still can’t type, but boy was that fun!
Dear Fun,
I can’t help you with the first one, but the second one will depend on what you do for a living. The awesome sparkly-green metallic shadow my hair wrangler had on the other day is perfect for a stylist, but I don’t know if I want to see that one someone drawing my blood.
Generally, though: some tinted moisturizer to even you out, lip gloss, mascara. If I have a meeting with a grownup, this is what I have on. Make sure your nails don’t look raggedy and that should do it.
Tags: Ask The Readers Buffy health and beauty Joss Whedon popcult retail Ron Popeil
Is Elizabeth Gaskell on of the “too florid” Austen peers? My friends who *loooove* Austen also love Gaskell.
For Buffy, I have two thoughts:
1) If you really want someone to watch the show because you think they’ll like it: see if they have a show THEY really want YOU to watch too. Then propose a swap, with a promise to at least get through [x] episodes and share thoughts. I’ve done this successfully with an Alias/Grey’s Anatomy switch. She loved Alias, I… kept up my end of the bargain with Grey’s.
2) If you’re just trying to explain to people why you love Buffy: the key is to present your thoughts without any hint of embarrassment OR zeal, because that turns people off. Then I just list its great qualities (excellent, funny writing, engaging characters, angsty storylines), and finish by saying, “But if you KNOW that you wouldn’t be able to get past the sci-fi aspects, then I wouldn’t bother.” Because that’s true. I never try to make anyone watch this show if they tell me that monster stuff is stupid.
Avis: There’s absolutely no reason to wear makeup to work if you don’t want to. Dress neat and professionally (based on your job’s dress code — or in jeans if you don’t have to!), and brush your hair, but beyond that I think it’s no one else’s business. I hate wearing makeup, so I don’t, and I’m doing quite well in my job.
Particularly if you work in IT and not the fashion world, why would you? If it’s uncomfortable, don’t. Sticky stuff on your eyes has nothing to do with being professional.
Pretty One/No Ducks: I second the recommendation for the Jane Austen mysteries by Stephanie Barron. They really satisfy, and feel like they could be real tales of Jane Austen’s life. Similarly, an Nth vote for the series by Laurie R. King featuring Sherlock Holmes & Mary Russell: it feels like a great continuation of the Holmes legend, with an interesting new perspective. The three books by Pamela Aidan that tell “Pride & Prejudice” from Mr. Darcy’s perspective are also great, especially the first one, “An Assembly Such as This” (though you have to be prepared for the book to end with Darcy & Elizabeth apart!). Again, it feels “real” to Austen’s characters.
For general mysteries, Martha Grimes’ Richard Jury series is a great mix of glum and funny, depending on whether you’re focused on Jury (rather morose) or his oddball friends and co-workers. The body count is low, but I can’t promise that nothing bad ever happens to a child in the books. I go back to this series again and again. I also second the Sue Grafton books. I find the Scarpetta series a bit too violent, and the protagonist too annoying in the later books for my taste.
A newer book I found quite enjoyable, with a fun kid protagonist, Flavia deLuce: “The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie” by Alan Bradley. I just noticed that there’s a new one out, which I am definitely going to get.
Sorry I’m of no help on the Amazing 18-Way Table, but I hope someone finds a link!
About Buffy…
1 – I totally agree with Carrie Ann above about swapping shows. I did this with my mom – she agreed to try Battlestar Galactica and I agreed to try Deadwood. We both ended up finding a new show to love that we both otherwise refused to try because we were willing to do anything to get the other to watch “our” show.
2 – For some people, they may have seen (or just heart about) the Buffy movie and that might make them hesitant to watch Buffy the series. So, reassure them the show is much better/different than the movie.
It is really hard to explain how awesome it is… but good luck. FWIW, “Once More with Feeling” is what got me hooked and what I used to hook my husband. So the whole what episode is best to try out on someone thing can really vary.
@Cait Both John Marsden (Tomorrow When the War Began) and Melina Marchetta (Looking For Alibrandi) are avilable and picking up popularity in the United States. We just got Finnikin of the Rock at the library and I’m sooo excited to read it.
@ Smart, Pretty- I agree that these are both great authors and you can probably find them at your library. I especially recommend On the Jellicoe Road by Marchetta. It takes a little mental power to follow in the beginning, but the payoff is amazing.
@Smart, Pretty
If your sister likes Grisham, she might like Dennis Lehane, who wrote “Shutter Island.” That book might be a bit too heavy for her, and admittedly, it’s the only of his books I’ve read, but I liked his writing style in a “I could finish this entire book on a plane and not notice how much time had gone by” sort of way.
Sounds like your sister and I have fairly different taste, but I love Christopher Moore (Some of his books have quite a bit of sex and bad language, but they’re hilarious) and Carl Hiassen when I want to laugh. If she’s never read the “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” books, it might be worth picking up the anthology that has all the stories.
Stephen King has quite a few books that are not horror and are pretty good. “Hearts in Atlantis” is great (The movie sucked).
Fannie Flagg’s books are fantastic too. She wrote “Fried Green Tomatoes,” but I love all of her books.
“The Poisonwood Bible” is wonderful, but I think a kid dies (not from cancer).
For Lookin’ to Get Low, Wacoal made a long-line strapless bra that hits pretty far down in back. The only caveats are that it might be discontinued, since I got mine a couple years ago, and that the thing has some serious boning, which can take some getting used to.
Low here – thanks for the responses! Unfortunately I don’t have an Intimacy near me, but I’ll definitely check out moismycopilot’s Walcoal suggestion.
I’ll also join in on the Jasper Fforde love – his books are hilarious. I just picked up his latest, “Shades of Grey” and its really creative and egaging.
For Buffy, I also agree that Hush would be a good episode to show to your friends. There’s a reason they chose this episode as their Emmy submission – it’s well written and can stand alone. However, keep in mind that some people…just won’t like it. My bf LOVED Veronica Mars (strong female) and is completely hooked on Lost (supernatural element), but just can’t get into Buffy. Said he found it kind of silly (which broke my Buffy-loving heart a bit). Good luck!
Lookin’ To Get Low – The U Bra by Arianne was what I wore with my low cut wedding dress and it did wonders. Good volume and the boning didn’t hurt too much. One of our guests even told me that my rack was an architectural marvel. Seriously recommended.
@Natalie – that’s interesting, thanks for passing that along! If you’re interested in other Australin YA authors, I’d recommend Robin Klein’s work, in particular ‘All in the Blue Unclouded Weather’ (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blue-Unclouded-Weather-Robin-Klein/dp/0140349820) and ‘Dresses in Red and Gold’.
Thanks so much for all the books and all the well-wishes!
In case you are interested, nephew is doing as well as possible. He gets a break in chemo in order to have an operation (!!!) and then the chemo starts again.
@Sarah: I’m also dying to see the table. :)
Maybe we DID make it up during folie a deux…
Oooh, yeah, there are a few really emotionally cruel (and unnecessary to the plot, dammit) deaths of abused and disadvantaged, highly sympathetic teens in the Richard Jury books, awesome as they are otherwise. From memory, avoid:
The Grave Maurice
The one with the Baroness and the animal experimentation
There may be one or two more to avoid for the stupid pointless kid/teen death reason, but those are the worst. (Grr, Martha Grimes.)
Actually, as I think about it, lots of the Richard Jury stuff is pretty wrenching alongside the humor. For slightly easier Martha Grimes, try the Emma Graham series – Hotel Paradise, Cold Flat Junction, and Belle Ruin (which I haven’t read yet.) The central mystery of the series does concern the death of a teenager 40 years ago, but the overall ambiance is wistful and nostalgic and, while sad, it’s distanced enough to be fascinating rather than depressing, at least to me.
Wow, nobody has figured out my book! That’s amazing. Has that happened before?
Sorry, this is *T*A*C*K.
@ Smart pretty reading
Given her situation, I would take her the first 4 books in “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” trilogy. (Yes, you read that right. Now there is a fifth book. Drives me crazy.) But the point is, the Hitchhikers books are smart, funny, cynical, laugh-out-loud-able. They are written for adults, but could be read to a child, who would laugh at many parts. Such as Marvin, the paranoid, and depressed robot. It is full of quotable lines that Mom and teenager could laugh over now, and later.
It is what I would want to read.
@Low
I don’t know how much of your wardrobe has these super low backs, but I have a few (ballroom/latin dancing) dresses that have this issue. My solution is to buy the cheapest bra I can find, and then sew it into the dress, while cutting out the parts that would show. If the dress/top is to flimsy to give the sewn-in bra front stability, I’ll compromise by sewing a thin piece of gold cord across the back, which is usually pretty discreet.
@Fun, I’m a lawyer in my early 30s working at a big law firm in New York City, and I still wear little or no makeup daily. Maybe a little no-shine powder and blush once or twice a week, but never eye makeup or gloss. I don’t really stick out in my department as “the associate without makeup” either. I’d worry more about looking put-together than on the makeup itself. Just look groomed–there’s no makeup requirement in the workplace, unless, perhaps you’re in the makeup industry!
My favorite YA authors are Deb Caletti and Joan Bauer; I’d recommend anything they wrote for hospital reading. Also, Meg Cabot’s Mediator series is good. The stories are easy to get sucked into, and the teen characters have a lot more going on than just wanting a hot date for the prom.
Killer Ducks, have you checked the “As Seen on TV” website for that hideous table? http://tinyurl.com/fxnaq
@anotherKate–Nice to see another Jude Morgan fan. I haven’t read any of his more serious novels, but Indiscretion is a great read, very Heyer-like. In spite of the great reviews for that novel, not too many people seem to know about his work.
Another as seen on tv site with a much better search! http://tinyurl.com/233t9uk
I wanna see this thing!
@T*A*C*K: I know this isn’t correct but your book reminds me of a book I read called “A Taste of Blackberries”…neighborhood kids, nighttime gardening and playing in a lot/field.
Another “seen on tv” site: http://tinyurl.com/24ha8sr
I know this comments ship has sailed but I couldn’t let it go without recommending Impossible by Nancy Werlin–it’s YA but riveting–it’s got everything you could want: a curse, an ancient Irish evil being, teen pregnancy, insanity, and a quest! All in a contemporary package.
Ducks Ditty, I recommend Dorothy Parker, most especially The Portable Dorothy Parker. It’s got a terrific cross section of her poetry, short stories, and reviews, with her mordant wit making you snort and pinch your nose while your eyes water. I also second The Crimson Petal and the White, while also throwing in for the author’s first book, Under the Skin. And I adore The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl, about a group of Danteists in 19th century New York trying to solve a series of murders based on The Inferno. There is a body count but it’s not too gruesome, as the murders are highly stylized. His latest, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, is supposed to be great too, but I haven’t read it yet.
Buffy, I feel ya. Just try to get people to watch Mystery Science Theater 3000 if you really want more frustration in your life. I agree that the “trade” idea sounds best–you might run into a new love as well! Plus, it’s always fun to introduce people to the “Drink When Buffy’s Bra Strap Shows” game.
Up Tails All!
book / author suggestions for the Smart Pretty One
first of all, hope all turns out well for your nephew
second – for a reduced amount of gore instead of the Sookie / True Blood series try the other Charlaine Harris series – Aurora Teagarden is the lead and is really enjoyable.
Robert Crais / Elvis Cole series are great.
Lisa Lutz has a very funny series – The Spellman Files
I second the Jim Butcher / Harry Dresden suggestion also.
@no serial killers: I’m looking over my shelves, and good lord, is the body count high.
I cannot recommend Terry Pratchett enough. His Discworld series is comedy/satire of high fantasy. They tend to be pretty quick reads, but Pratchett still has plenty of fun with language. There are sort of miniseries within the whole that follow different sets of characters, but the ones that follow the City Watch (their first book is Guards! Guards!) are murder mysteries with an acceptably low body count and a high sense of humor. Most bookstores will have many of them, if not all of them, but they do all stand alone well if you can’t find one in particular. But really, get her Guards! Guards! And if she likes Pratchett, there are something like 30 more, including a couple YA books. He also cowrote a book called Good Omens with Neil Gaiman that is just outstanding. It’s about an angel, a demon, the prophecy of end of the world, and a misplaced Anti-Christ, among other things.
I also second Pullman’s Dark Materials and Fannie Flagg, in particular Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man. John Irving does like his social commentary, but he can be dark and somewhat longwinded. And for something a little different, though certainly dark in places, Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove. She doesn’t like Westerns? Neither do I, but I can read that book over and over again.
Nonfiction may not be her thing, but some essay collections are a lot of fun. I like Sarah Vowell in particular, but there are quite a few authors in that vein.
The Diana Gabaldon books! I was so excited to see someone else mention the Outlander series. Once you get sucked in Jamie/Claire land, you’re stuck!
Seconding Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke. I gave it to a friend who’s an Austen/Dickens/mystery fan, and she loved it.
For No serial killers, no ducks in kerchiefs:
If she likes John Grishams as “quick reads” (I’m the same way) she would probably really like books by Lisa Scottoline. They’re smart legal thrillers and I like that they tend to have female protagonists. Also love Brad Meltzer.
I also second recommendations of Margaret Atwood (my favorite author of the twentieth century) and Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca.
Along the Harry Potter/Percy Jackson YA lines, there are the absolutely wonderful, multiple-Newberry-winning Susan Cooper “Dark is Rising” series and Lloyd Alexander “High King” Series.
I
Smart Pretty One, I also endorse suggestions for Georgette Heyer, Patrick O’Brien and Dorothy Sayers, with the addition perhaps of Ngaio Marsh of the same period. Take a look at the Brother Cadfael series set in the twelfth century AD by Ellis Peters, starting with A Morbid Taste for Bones, they’re sweet and oddly uplifting for a murder series, and also her George Felse series, starting with Fallen into the Pit. Another excellent historical series is the Wilderness series by Sara Donati, the story of an English lady who arrives to teach school in the wilds of New York State in the late eighteenth century. They’re lengthy, meticulously researched, and thoroughly engrossing. The first one is called Into the Wilderness.
I love the Buffy question, but haven’t seen a response that quite works for my particular situation yet, and might be useful to the original poster too…i.e. totally not proselytizing or trying to get anyone in particular to watch it, but rather just a good, concise way to deal with the “OH my GOOOOOOOD I used to respect you but now I am going to make fun of you forever. Are you SERIOUS???” response that I have gotten from numerous people when I have just mentioned, in relevant conversation, that I adore Buffy. And for the record, I used to be one of those obnoxious naysayers until I actually watched it, and now I have seen the entire run through three times and am contemplating a fourth. LOVE.
That’s not an answer, sorry, but I feel you on the “…no, but you don’t understand. Really!”
Re: No Serial Killers – I further second the recommendations of AS Byatt books – esp Possession. Jonathan Strange was great. So was the Kostyra novel. Cryptonomicon I enjoyed, but there’s A LOT of math in there – another good Stephenson series is The Baroque Cycle – following the exploits of Isaac Newton and his peeps over three really big books. On second thought, maybe not those – there’s a disturbing scene with a dog at the beginning of the first one, and discussions of kidney stone surgery. I flipped by those when I was reading it…
Another good series, if you’re looking for a long lasting narrative, is the Lymond Chronicles or The House Of Niccolo by Dorothy Dunnett. These are my desert island books – all 14 of them. They also present me with the same problem the Buffy fan has – explaining to my pals why these books are so freaking awesome. Its been ten years – I’ve started to make peace with the idea that none of my friends will ever read them.
Hi Pretty/No Ducks,
I love the recommendations and after having a kid who went through similar circumstances, here’s what distracted me during those times:
Jill Churchill – Jane Jeffry series – loved those.
Charlaine Harris – Auora Teagarden – as mentioned above.
Charlaine Harris – Lily Bard/Shakespeare series – love those – I can’t remember them as being violent but the heroine had a bad experience that “leads” her to the solving mysteries phase that I loved the build up to find out
Joan Hess – Claire Malloy – bookseller in college town swept up in solving mysteries – cute and fun
Fannie Flagg – any and all – sometimes we all need a lift and her novels are just that – no really bad stuff but just…interesting especially from a Southern Lit front
Sue Grafton – the alphabet Kinsey Milhone – I know – those are talked everywhere and I didn’t want to believe they were good. But, they are.
As for Buffy, I can’t believe no one has mentioned “The Zeppo” – that’s the episode that got me hooked.
Thanks Sars for the years (10 years? Really? I’m not that old. Oh, damn, I am!) of awesome writing – here and elsewhere!
About Buffy TVS:
I’ve been thinking about this since I read it the day it was first posted. I love Buffy, but have also had a hard time explaining to friends exactly why. Watching the last 2 episodes tonight, it all came back to me. Buffy TVS is full of strong women. Not women who are fake men, not a caricature of women, not a fanboys lustful image of how a strong woman would satisfy him. And most of all, not the one-dimensional version of a strong woman that TV and the movies show us so often. Buffy ( and Veronica Mars) show us teenage girls AND women who have strong characters, strong opinions, sometimes physical strength, sometimes special powers- but not always. The overarcing story of Buffy is that she was stronger than the slayers before her because she had friends to care about, who cared about her. She could think outside the box – even outside the box that gave her special powers. Even if you put her in the category “superheroine,” her determination puts her on a seperate plane from superheroines in comic books. She is NOT Supergirl, a curvy, younger, slightly weaker verion of her cousing Superman. Nor is she Powergirl, a busty version of Superman. Buffy may start out as a teenager, but Buffy, Willow, Anya, Tara, and many other women on this show are strong – admirable role models for women of all ages.
Finally, Joss Whedon writes strong women characters, in whatever medium he is working. It took me several episodes to get hooked into Buffy ( and even his other series) but seeing a strong woman portrayed in a healthy way actually changed my thinking about myself, and about other woman. I know it sounds juvenile, but watching Buffy changed my mind about my own limits, about my life, about other women. That is a lot for any TV show to do, but one about slaying vampires? That just makes it fun.