Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
Portrayals of god in<br />
<strong>Buffy</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Vampire</strong> <strong>Slayer</strong><br />
Or, Die, god, Die!
Die God Die!<br />
• If you meet a god in <strong>Buffy</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Vampire</strong> <strong>Slayer</strong>, chances are<br />
you’ll have to kill it…<br />
• Evil gods - gods are real on <strong>Buffy</strong>, but <strong>the</strong>y are ALWAYS evil<br />
– <strong>the</strong> “big bad” in <strong>Buffy</strong> is often divine (or a divine wannabe)<br />
– O<strong>the</strong>r “divine beings” also evil - Olaf <strong>the</strong> Troll God (Triangle, 2001)
The Mayor<br />
• Nice, polite, psychotic,<br />
divine wannabe<br />
• His “ascension” is focus of<br />
season 3<br />
• Never trust a politician, <strong>the</strong>y<br />
think <strong>the</strong>y are gods?<br />
• Gods/religions devour our<br />
youth?<br />
• Evil dwells beneath calm,<br />
bible-belt exterior?<br />
• High School is Hell?<br />
• Episode foreshadows<br />
<strong>Buffy</strong>’s solution at end of<br />
Season Seven
Die God Die: The Mayor
• Psychotic, self-centered,<br />
relentless, multiplepersonality<br />
(and body!)<br />
• Big Bad of Season Five<br />
• Exiled God (parallel to<br />
Satan?)<br />
• God/religion looks<br />
attractive, but is deadly?<br />
• Religion/god is twofaced?<br />
(Shares her body<br />
with Ben)<br />
• Even well-intentioned<br />
devotees (Ben) are<br />
corrupted by religion?<br />
• Religion is insane?<br />
Glory
Die God Die: Glory
• The first evil, predating<br />
human beings<br />
• Takes <strong>the</strong> form of dead<br />
humans<br />
• Origin story of world -<br />
began in evil, only after<br />
last demon slain, was<br />
room made for humans<br />
• Evil worshipped as divine<br />
- root of religion is evil?<br />
• Fear, doubt, lies - root of<br />
religion?<br />
The First
Caleb<br />
• (Ex)Catholic priest, abuser of<br />
women<br />
• Servant of <strong>the</strong> First<br />
• “a woman-hating jerk”<br />
• Considers women “dirty,” stained<br />
with “Eve’s sin”<br />
• Religion = anti-woman?<br />
• Religion destroys women?<br />
• Worshipper of evil<br />
• Attempting to become a god -<br />
religious quest = evil?<br />
• Religion = demonic?<br />
• Power of church, clergy = evil?
Caleb: Religion as Anti-Woman?
Caleb: Religion as Demonic?
Die [servant of] God Die: Caleb
Die God Die<br />
• Theological implications of gods in <strong>Buffy</strong> - evil<br />
gods are active in <strong>the</strong> world - no o<strong>the</strong>r kind of god<br />
is shown in <strong>the</strong> <strong>Buffy</strong>-verse<br />
• Even <strong>Buffy</strong>’s powers are shown to be evil at root<br />
• Evil and male/patriarchal dominance go hand in<br />
hand<br />
• <strong>Buffy</strong>’s solution to divine evil is a feminist<br />
answer to religion. Shared power, shared<br />
responsibility, this-worldly focus… refusal to<br />
accept patriarchal limitations and priorities…
Change language