Buffy Love... top ten reasons why

[palabravampiress]

Buffy isn't my favorite character in the Buffyverse. Giles gets that honor. Anya and Spike tie for second. Buffy comes next. But I still love her. She's a great character. And I can definitely relate to her. She's very realistic for a superhero -- kind of like Spider Man for chicks. So I decided she needs a thread on which we all write the top ten things that we love about Buffy.

10. She's petite, but far from helpless. As a petite woman (I actually look a lot like SMG, only without the stylists - in s6, when she has my haircut and frowns a lot, the resemblance is kind of weird), I really admire this.

9. She's girly without being weak or stupid. I'm not so girly, but I like that the show portrays her as a character who can appreciate a nice haircut or a pretty dress and still save the world.

8. She's got a close relationship with her family. It's nice to turn on the TV see a teen/young adult female who doesn't hate her mom. She's also a good big sister. She may be overprotective and overwhelmed at times, but she always has Dawn's best interest at heart. To Giles, her de-facto father, she's a good de-facto daughter. Buffy respects and admires her parents (even her "fake" parent, Giles) and takes care of her little sister.

7. She takes charge! No crusty old patriarchal council is going to tell Buffy what to do. She knows her own worth and skill. She's not afraid to flout convention and rely on her own judgment, experience, and circle of trusted advisers.

6. She can be in complex romantic relationships without letting them run her entire life. Even when she was with Angel, Buffy always had an outside life. She had her friends. She had her family. She had slaying. She had school. These things mixed a lot, yeah, but she had balance. Most girls/young women on TV act like their love life is their entire life. Buffy always communicated the message that, however important romance may be, a girl is more than a girlfriend.

5. She's a good friend. Buffy trusts, admires, and forgives her friends. She created a close-knit family out of her friends. That's really amazing. I wish I could do that. Heck, the bond is so strong that they literally follow her into hell... and some don't make it back.

4. She's funny. "Bidet of evil!" Come on! Gotta love a strong woman who also has a sense of humor.

3. This is related to #6, but not exactly the same. She's got a healthy sex drive, but she's still a hero. Usually, female characters who enjoy sex are relegated to "villain," "bitch," or "slut" roles. Sometimes, they might also be objects of desire or they might be comic relief characters. Rarely do you see a positive female character who isn't de-sexualized. Buffy lets us know that it's okay for us to get our groove on and like it!

2. She's very moral without being judgmental. She will forgive people for the most horrible crimes. She'll be understanding. She'll be sympathetic. But she won't let herself slide just because she understands why others might. She won't kill (people - or other creatures with souls). She won't charge people for saving their lives. She won't turn away a person in need. She won't use her powers to steal or do other dishonest things. She holds herself to a high moral standard even though there are few who have the strength or power to keep a renegade slayer in check.

1. She never gives up. Sometimes she shrinks away, but then she rallies and comes back even stronger. Like Spike, I love how she tries. We've all seen the best and the worst of her, and the best always wins in the end. She always tries her hardest to do what she thinks is right and necessary - even when it hurts or when it seems impossible or just not worth it anymore - and even when she fails herself. She's always got another fight left in her. Buffy has the courage of her convictions. I wish I had her strength.


Three cheers for Buffy!

[Wiccaness]

:cheering::cheering::cheering: :biggrin:

[leannaxo]

I totally agree, this was a really good list! This is the reason this show was so important and changed so many things for girls, even if it's fictional! Love it!

[palabravampiress]

I just re-read my list, and now I'm all excited about Buffy again. Gosh, I love this show.

Yay Joss Whedon for giving us such an awesome super-heroine!

[Violette]

Very well said, I completely agree. In interviews, Joss mentioned that it was his intetion - to remove the damsel-in-distress image, and replace it with a strong independent heroine that people can look up to. I love Buffy :)

[LorneyTunes]

1 - the way she speaks and doesn't correct herself

2 - she isn't selfish at all , she is always thinkin of others, but yet prepared to kill anyone to save everyone x

3 - love it when she runs down that hall in the blue jacket lol

4 - She has no luck with any men its a shame but good to see that shes not perfect x


5 - She is so cute when shes happy

6 - I like it when she sticks up for spike its so aww

7 - I like it when she trys to hide she was in heaven even though it was making her feel numb

8 - The way she is when she is with spike seems like the real Buffy pretending not to be the norm

9 - When she is in the lil red riding outfit with the basket o weapons lol

10 - just because she is Buffy the only slayer for me x

[definition of insane]

I only have one reason as to why I love Buffy...sure I could break it down in to lots of little pieces but to me, it comes down to one thing. She's flawed. She's has the human issues the rest of us may or may not have and even when she says she's going to quit, she still keeps fighting the good fight, and you can't keep her down.

[Spirit_Of_Fred]

there should be threads like this for other characters, for whom i can more easily come up with reasons, but i like buffy too, so ill try this :D. in no particular order:

1. she has a good sense of humour, villain banter and beyond
2. even when it looks like she will fail, she still makes an attempt, and tries to have hope when all is lost
3. she is just a normal, flawed, relatable human girl
4. she is just a normal girl, then she is thrown into extraordinary circumstances, and she manages to survive and succeed. thats can be both cool and inspirational.
5. she cares about her friends and family a lot, and most times makes saving them the top priority, even when the world is at risk (i.e. dawn)
6. she recognizes that both good and evil can come in any form
7. she will step outside the boundaries of the norm and try new and inventive strategies, rather than conforming to what it seems she's "supposed" to do
8. she both has the ability to swallow and accept her fate when she has to, and to resist it when thats the better option
9. even though she has her slaying, her friends, and other interests, she loves passionately (kind of exactly what palabra said, but also the opposite :silly:)
10. she is a good leader. she tries to consider everyone's needs, while also recognizing the bigger, "greater good", save-the-world picture, and still planning strategy, which is a hard job.

ooh, 10 :D.

[palabravampiress]

At work, my friends and I recently had this conversation. We talked about what a great female role model Buffy was. It was neat. One thing that we brought up was how she was different in that she never had to settle. Traditionally, male role models break society's barriers and defy expectations. Female role models, on the other hand, usually have to bow to society's demands in some way. Even Jo March got married and supported herself and her husband by opening a school rather than by writing. Supporting her family with writing came later -- much later -- and can be interpretted as a reward for her settling down and taming her wild ways. Boys' stories aren't about settling down; girls' stories, by and large, are about that. Buffy is groundbreaking in that she gives girls and young women a role model who never settles for being anything less than a hero.

Buffy is my hero, man!