Buffy the Vampire Slayer, both the series and the character, are all about girl power. I guess that's why I love the show and why I'm looking forward to sharing it with my daughter, Shannon, in a few years. She's still a little young, I think for the violence. And the sex. But in a couple of years, we'll sit down and watch the complete series together. I hope, anyway, that she'll want to do that. By the time she's old enough to appreciate the show, it might be too painful to have to hang out with mom.
I remember reading that Joss Whedon purposefully wanted to have this strong feminine hero in Buffy and these days it's hard to believe that the network would balk at that idea! But he had to sell the heck out of it. And it seemed like every season, it was a question of whether it would be back.
Looking back at all of that now, the stereotype of the sexy woman sold the show. I mean once Sarah Michelle Geller was a little older, it was nothing to see her in tight dresses or that famous red leather bustier on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. So it's like sex object and hero all at the same time. And I guess, what ca you do about that right? It's partly just the way the world is and partly I think -- it's OK. Because I think I'm strong and sexy and Shannon can be too. I want that for her. You lose a part of yourself if you're only one or the other. So women who get mad about the sexy side of Buffy are missing something important about the idea of Girl Power -- it becomes Woman Power.
Each of the female characters in BtVS is strong -- but of course Buffy and Willow are the main characters, so they get the spotlight often. Looking at supporting characters from Cordelia all the way to Kennedy, the women are strong and independent. Maybe they follow the cultural norms, makeup and high heels, but they seem to decide for themselves that this is what they want. I don't care if my daughter wears makeup and skirts. She can dress however makes her happy. Because her strength isn't in the clothes she wears -- it's what is inside her heart.
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