A strong insightful chick

At long last, after decades of work on the part of feminist groups, women’s rights activists, and let us not forget the good old-fashioned witch trials, women have moved out of the proverbial kitchen and into the…graveyard?

Buffy Summers is certainly no Donna Reed! I’d like to see Donna take down a pack of vampires in a mini-skirt and a pair of leather knee-high boots without messing up her hair…at least not so much that it isn’t still wicked cute (I really honestly would like to see this, and if anyone has video, please contact me immediately).

Portland State student Allison Higginbotham has brought Buffy to PSU through a new Chiron studies course, “Exploring Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” The course aims to look at the cult phenomenon’s pop culture significance and the metaphors behind its monsters. As Higginbotham told Willamettelive.com, she also wants to look at “Buffy through a feminist lens.”

The series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” presents us with a tough, willful hero who makes it pretty clear that she can save the world while keeping her own identity as a female (feminists rejoice!). On more than one occasion, viewers watch as Buffy gives the ever-dictating council the “Mr. Pointy” and does exactly as she feels is best, and despite male-centric conditions, this seems to actually work. This is especially true in the season-three episode Helpless, when the council drugs the slayer in order to remove all of her super powers and then traps her in a house with a psychotic vampire, just to see if she can survive with her smarts alone. Needless to say, Buffy does survive, and tells the council where to go and how to get there. Viewers were enthralled.

Four to six million viewers watched and adored the sarcastic and witty blond in her slayage-action every week for a grand total of seven seasons between 1997 and 2003. People of all genders, ages, classes and cultures can still be witnessed calling upon the series. This is the epitome of a popular culture icon, and she is a chick!

That’s right, I said chick.

Buffy is a chick, no question. There’s nothing wrong with that, but let’s be honest about the situation. I mean, she says things such as, “What kind of girl travels with a mummified corpse? And doesn’t even pack a lipstick?” or “I’m the one that dates dead guys. And, no offense, but they were hotties.” The slayer is a chick. Now, the important question: Is Buffy a positive female role model because she is a chick and also a strong independent woman, or is she merely camouflaging the same gender ideals underneath that trendy little crucifix and bottle of holy water?

Let us start by acknowledging that the slayer is always a female. This can be viewed as a good thing, a privilege, if you will—the same can be said for the menstrual cycle. I’m going to leave that up for your own contemplation.

Then there’s the fact that the girl is destined to be a slayer and has no choice in the matter if she is “called.” Once called, the vampires will come for her and she must embrace her role happily. Honestly, I’m having flashbacks to the days (and current cultures) of arranged marriages. The only way out is to die.

Speaking of which—guess how the next slayer gets “called?” That’s right, the one before her dies. This brings me to the ever-present question: How many times did they actually kill Buffy? Three times? Five? 122? I lost count. My point is, the time it actually almost nearly sticks, the time Buffy willingly gives her life to stop everything from falling apart, literally, they still bring her back to continue to hold everything together! A woman’s work is never done.

Then there’s Dawn. A secret order of monks creates Dawn from Buffy’s blood without her knowledge or consent, and then dumps the kid on her. Oh, the underlying connotations of force. Also, the fact the decision is made by male religious monks…it’s not their body after all.

On the other hand, Buffy is strong, insightful, brave and clever. Not a bad role model, really, if you look at it that way.

So what’s the verdict? Is Buffy Summers a good feminist role model or is she enslaved by the expectations of her gender? Perhaps a bit of both, and maybe that’s more useful than we realize. ?