"The message here is not that when God calls, you have no choice. Rather, it is that vocation is more than just something you are asked to do; it is, as George Weigel aptly points out in his Letters to a Young Catholic, "something you are." Buffy fans know, as Buffy does, that her life would be a lot easier if she could just have a normal boyfriend, go to the mall and drink coffee at Starbuck's like everybody else. But she can't because she's the slayer. If she denies her identity, vampires don't get slain, and Sunnydale goes to hell (literally). She can't not be the slayer. Though God is not an explicit part of Buffy's calling, she cannot escape from the goodness inside of her." - Mossa, Mark, S.J. in "Buffy vs. Joan: A Vocational Smackdown."

Saturday, February 24, 2007

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

The cult classic, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, ran from 1997-2003 and sparked both controversy and a strange cacophony of fans, from teenagers to professional academics to feminist scholars.

What is it about this show that caught the attention of so many? Why was this pop culture clip able to grab such a diverse audience and fan base?

These questions are not easy to answer. But the universal story of humanity and calling that is evident within the show, is a theme that is found throughout the life of all people. With that in mind this blog seeks to bring the cult classic Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Christian thought (both historical and contemporary), and us (you and I) into conversation with vocation.

3 comments:

Pastorjewels said...

I'm just going on record as one who has never seen this show. I think I've been busy with other things...

James said...

Kim-

As one of those "professional academics" who has written about Buffy, I just wanted to mention that even a seasoned Buffy scholar can find lots of value on this site. Good work collecting all this.

Since I teach at a Jesuit school, I often talk about Buffy in the context of vocation. I'm sure I'll be recommending your site to many people. Thanks for providing this resource.

James South

David said...

it's unfortunate that you don't have more hits, or more posts. even a year and a half later, i'd be willing to interact with some of these thoughts! i'm about to post about Buffy on my current blog - check it out sometime.