Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Feature article on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, reviewed from the viewpoint of a follower of Christ, by Ben Jeapes
Cast:
Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan, James Marsters, Anthony Head, Emma Caulfield, Amber Benson
Producer Joss Whedon's idea was simple: in clichéd vampire films, the undead traditionally prey on young, blonde women. Why not have a young, blonde woman who is able to fight back? The very title, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, is meant to raise a smile. In every generation, the Buffy legend has it, one young woman is born who is gifted with unusual strength and reflexes, and a special ability to stake vampires. In this generation, that young woman is a bubble-headed Californian High School cheerleader.
The original film starring Kristy Swanson, was not a success, but it did well enough to get Whedon recognized in Hollywood and to let him float the idea for a television series. The first season followed directly on from the film: our heroine, now played by Sarah Michelle Gellar, is forced to leave her old school after burning part of it down (the fact that it was full of vampires at the time cut little ice with the authorities), and moves to a new town. Despite her initial determination to steer clear of anything sensitive to ultraviolet, she soon finds that trouble comes to her. Aided by a group of friends and her Watcher, the paternal Rupert Giles (Anthony Stewart Head, the man from the Gold Blend advertisements), Buffy fights evil every week.
Up to this point, 'Buffy' more or less followed the traditional vampire story. The problem is that a weekly television series in which the heroine fights and slays vampires would soon become rather dull. So other elements were added. Every season has seen Buffy fighting a variety of supernatural evils, with - in particular - a series of skirmishes that culminate in a big show down with that season's particular enemy, or 'Big Bad'.
The occult in 'Buffy' - Hellmouths, demons and witchcraft
We learned in early in episode 1 that Buffy's new home town of Sunnydale is situated right on top of a Hellmouth, an opening straight into Hell. In fact, as we learn in season 3, it was founded 100 years ago by its demonic Mayor as a place where demons could feast on humans.
The hellmouth acts as a magnet for all manner of evil supernatural creatures -- vampires, werewolves, demons, warlocks, witches, the lot. Sufficient variety to keep Buffy challenged each week - and sufficient to make followers of Christ very uneasy.
Hell' in 'Buffy' is a very nebulous concept. It is clearly somewhere where 'bad' people go and 'bad' things happen to them, but Buffy, equally clearly, has no special fear of ending up there herself, despite having slept with every boyfriend she has had. (She is not alone in this -- by the end of the season 3 there wasn't a single virgin left among the lead characters.) Exactly what constitutes 'bad' is really a matter of consensus among the characters. There is no notion of original sin.
'Buffy' does all it can to present witchcraft as a positive, harmless, empowering force. Willow began experimenting with simple spells as far back as season 2; by season 4 she was a full-blown witch in a lesbian relationship with fellow teen witch Tara. There is a strong occult presence in 'Buffy'. Whether or not it is technically witchcraft, it is distinctly ritualistic, involving incantations, arcane symbols drawn on the floor, spell books etc.
Crucifixes have power against vampires in Buffy's universe, but this is never explained, since God himself doesn't get a look in. Buffy's best friend Willow is the daughter of a fairly strict Jew, though we have never seen him on screen -- but by and large there is no active, organized religion of any kind. Buffy's season 4 boyfriend, Riley, was a regular church goer, but he was also Buffy's regular bedtime partner, so his depth of commitment might not be as deep as it could be.
Buffy's popularity
So with demons, witchcraft, and immorality, why is 'Buffy' so popular -- with followers of Christ as much as with anyone else?
As a television program, 'Buffy' is very well made and well acted, with high production values and a consistently witty script. But this is not a good enough reason to enjoy a show that presents the occult in such favorable terms.
So try these:
In 'Buffy', there is never any doubt that evil is the fault of the evil doer. People are presented with choices, and they have to face the consequences of those actions. No one makes you do evil -- you are held accountable for your actions. Buffy's lover Angel, and her best friend Willow, at different times, have both been taken over by dark forces and have done terrible things. They have been redeemed, but have still had to atone for their sins.
Buffy has several times tried to give up being the Slayer, but has had to accept that if you are given especial abilities then it is your duty to use them to help others. There is no room for self-delusion in 'Buffy'; anyone who tries is brought back to earth with a bang. In a season four episode one of the minor characters, Jonathan, a perpetual victim, made a pact with a demon in which reality changed and he became a superstar superhero in everyone's eyes -- but it wasn't real. The illusion was punctured and Jonathan had to face up to his real world -- and, as a result, grow and mature.
The most powerful episode yet made was in season 5, when Buffy's mother Joyce dropped dead, the victim of a brain tumor. Apart from a brief tussle with a vampire in the closing minutes, the entire episode concerned Buffy, her sister Dawn (to whom Buffy is fiercely, protectively attached) and their friends coming to terms with the loss. There was no magical solution, no sudden cure, no easy way out of the pain. Joyce was dead, gone, and Buffy simply had to live with it. She faced her pain and she grew. In a later episode she almost called her mother back from the dead -- before finally accepting that she had to let Joyce go.
All this could be seen as faint praise for a show that so prominently features demons and witches. But are the 'demons' real demons? And is the 'witchcraft' real witchcraft?
Demons from outer space
The demons of 'Buffy' are entirely physical. They could just as well be 'Star Trek' aliens -- human actors in latex masks. About the only demonic thing about them is their name. They walk, they eat, they wear clothes and they are generally susceptible to physical injuries. The Big Bad of the season 4 was Adam, a composite 'demon' put together Frankenstein-like from a variety of body parts and powered by a nuclear motor. Anything less demonic would be hard to imagine; in everything apart from the name, Adam was a science fictional cyborg, with nothing remotely supernatural about him at all.
In short, the demons of 'Buffy' aren't demons at all. They are something else, existing only in the imagination of the scriptwriters - something that happens to be called demons. If the scriptwriters had given them a different name then there would be very little occult about them at all, and without the d-word there would be nothing to provoke the hostility of followers of Christ.
Which witch?
The witchcraft and spellcasting of 'Buffy' are another matter. These are distinctly supernatural. Spirits are invoked, powers are called upon. In the real world such activities can lead to the involvement of real demons -- not actors in masks, but spiritual powers in a state of war against God and his people.
Willow began to dabble with witchcraft out of curiosity, and though she generally uses her power in the service of others, she is quite capable of indulging in it for purely selfish reasons, or because it's fun. A major story arc recently has been her fall into darkness, driven by her own selfish desires and passions.
But even here, the magic of 'Buffy' is a very mechanical form of magic. In the real world, when you turn on a light, you close a circuit that enables electrons to flow along a piece of metal and ultimately across a high resistance filament, thus making it glow. There is no especial skill involved; anyone can do it with a bit of practice. It is simply how the world is.
The same principle applies in 'Buffy's fictitious magical system. Wave this wand, light that candle, say these words and you get the effect you desire. Anyone can do it. 'Buffy' does not see witchcraft as necessarily evil -- it is the wrong sort of witchcraft, or witchcraft done for the wrong reasons, that leads to trouble. In the fictitious 'Buffy', this too is simply how the world is. But this is not true in the real world, where witchcraft is a dangerous tapping into supernatural forces that we do not control - that may, in fact, come to control us.
The big view
I have said that 'Buffy' is a show with consequences. People make mistakes, and learn from them. People play with dark powers, and are burnt, and have to make amends. People have to take responsibility for their actions.
One problem is that very little of this happens in a single episode. For example, the story of Willow's journey to the dark side took a couple of seasons to be told. Thus you might turn on any one episode of 'Buffy' and see occult activity, or characters having sex, or general blood and violence. It is only by watching several episodes that any positive themes emerge.
Joss Whedon flatters the intelligence of his viewers -- he assumes that people will keep watching the show and will pick up on these themes. This may be at odds with the reality of the attention span of the television-watching public, but he is not to blame for that. If he wrote a novel, he would not be expected to tell the entire story in one chapter for the benefit of those with short attention spans. Why should each episode of 'Buffy' neatly wrap everything up? Like real life, it can take a long time for the results of our actions to become apparent.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think 'Buffy' has such wide appeal?
- Do the demons and witches in 'Buffy' encourage us to be interested in the occult?
- The Bible warns us not to make fun of the demonic (Jude verses 8-10). How does this apply to 'Buffy'?
- Is witchcraft 'positive, harmless, and empowering'? What does the Bible say about it? (See Deuteronomy chapter 18 verse 10 and Galatians chapter 5 verse 19-21)
- 'The demons of 'Buffy' aren't really demons at all.' Do you agree or disagree? Why? How will watching 'Buffy', affect the way someone understands what the Bible says about the demonic?
- Many stories that include witchcraft or wizardry are widely accepted by followers of Christ. Does the fact that a story includes witchcraft necessarily mean we should not watch it? If so, why? If not, does this mean that it is OK to watch all stories involving witchcraft? If not, how could we decide which are OK and which are not?
- The Bible says that some people will be able to do particular things with a clear conscience that for others creates a sense of guilt (See Romans chapter 14 verses 1-23 and 1 Corinthians chapter 8 verses 1-13). How might this apply to watching Buffy?
- How could we use the moral themes in 'Buffy' (for example, our responsibility for the choices we make, the consequences of evil choices) to share our faith with friends who are not yet followers of Christ?
Visitors respond:
'One may be funny, but 7 or 8 is a problem.'
'There are many good messages in the program for young people today.'
'Willow worries me.'
'One doesn't have to go back beyond the last nemesis of Buffy to find a spiritual demon'
I have no ax to grind, but I do believe that Mr. Jeapes may have been a bit hasty in his conclusions:
Regarding the assertion that BtVS presents witchcraft as a "positive, harmless, empowering" force, I just don't recall it that way. As I recall almost every instance of witchcraft resulted in a horrible mishap to the detriment of the practitioner. Perhaps there were a couple of spells that worked out as they were intended, but certainly the vast majority of them ended badly, often to the embarrassment of the witch.
As to the assertion that the demons were science
fiction creations, one doesn't have to go back beyond the last nemesis
of Buffy to find a spiritual demon. "The First" was a sort
of lightning being that had no corporeal existence except when it borrowed
the former being of a dead person. It called itself the evil before
the first sin. Surely, this is an occult demon and any Christians who
are provoked by demons should be provoked by this one.