What Would Buffy Do? Notes on Dusting Edward Cullen
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Posted by Guest Blogger July 1st, 2009 |
By Guest Blogger Jonathan McIntosh
I usually try to stay away from the forces of darkness, but last week I killed a famous vampire – and let me tell you, it was fun! Actually, I didn’t stake him myself — I used new media tools to allow one of the strongest female television characters of our generation to do it. OK, let me back up a minute. Last week, at the Open Video Conference at NYU Law School, I debuted my feminist mash-up video, Buffy v. Edward. It’s an example of transformative storytelling which reinterprets the movie Twilight by re-cutting and combining it with the TV series Buffy: The Vampire Slayer.
Five months in the making, Buffy vs Edward is essentially an answer to the question “What Would Buffy Do?” My re-imagined story was specifically constructed as a response to Edward, and what his behavior represents in our larger social context for both men and women. More than just a showdown between The Slayer and the Sparkly Vampire, it’s also a humorous visualization of the metaphorical battle between two opposing visions of gender roles in the 21ist century.
The response online has been swift, enthusiastic and overwhelming. Apparently I touched a nerve. Seems a lot of people thought it was about time the Slayer did something about Edward Cullen from the Twilight series (who, in case you are not familiar, is a vampire that glitters like diamonds in the sunlight to attract prey — sorta like a stalky My Little Pony with fangs). In the 11 days since I posted the remix online it has been viewed more than 950,000 times (and growing by the day), and has been translated by volunteers into 16 languages, including Slovenian, Tagalog and Bahasa Indonesian via the website dotSUB.com.
On the whole, the reaction to the video has been tremendously positive — even in such outlets as Perez Hilton’s blog, on Entertainment Weekly’s Pop Watch. Jezebel.com, a popular blog on celebrity, sex and fashion for women, headlined their post: “Buffy Shuts Down Edward Cullen In The Best Clip Ever.” And just yesterday, the top of the front page of the Los Angeles Times’ online entertainment section links to their TV blog’s post about the mashup (they interviewed me and sought responses from viewers):
With that kind of prominent placement, I wouldn’t be surprised if more than a million people see the video by the end of the week (maybe even by tomorrow). The remix has been posted on hundreds of websites and blogs, and is still circulating through Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. It has sparked a wide-ranging and timely online conversation about how obsessive and predatory male behavior passes for romance in too much of our pop culture. Some of my favorite debates about the mashup have appeared on Pandagon.net, Smartbitchestrashybooks.com, Pixiepalace.com, and there are also long discussions on many Twilight fan blogs, such as Hisgoldeneye.com. I’ve been pleasantly surprised to find that the exchange on YouTube – where I often dread reading obnoxious comments on videos about gender – has also been exciting and constructive. Statements such as the following, from commenter LillSenorita, have been common:
“Yes! That is a hundred times more likely reaction from any girl! Seen from this view, it really takes the “SPARKLING*ROMANTIC*AWW” from stalking.”
Perhaps most exciting is that young girls, who have so few positive role models in media, are finding that the mashup speaks to them, too. Twilight fan Dawi Zarni, age 10, told me:
“It’s really good, I liked the girl power it showed. I’ve watched it like 10 times and showed it to my friends. It’s the best thing I have ever seen on the internet!”
Since publishing the video, everyone from fellow YouTubers to Los Angeles Times reporters have been asking me why I decided to created this remix. It all started six months ago when my partner, Anita (also a media literacy advocate) and I watched the enormously popular movie Twilight, based on the book of the same name by Stephenie Meyer. Coincidentally, we had recently finished re-watching the final season of Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, our favorite television show ever. As huge Buffy fans we couldn’t help but compare the two stories. We were troubled by how the main characters in Twilight seemed to embody antiquated, sexist gender stereotypes. Teenage protagonist Bella Swan is written as passive, co-dependant and perpetually the damsel in distress. Edward Cullen, her love interest, is written as over-protective, domineering and possessive.
Over the course of the film Edward is in turns patronizing, condescending and just downright creepy. He spies on Bella, he stalks her (for “her own good”), he sneaks into her room to watch her sleep (without her consent) and even confesses to a deep, overpowering desire to kill her. We marveled at how the film attempted to present this behavior as sweet and deeply romantic – and how the larger pop culture discussion continued that framing for millions of young Twilight fans. At several points during the film Anita and I found ourselves asking each other: “What Would Buffy Do?”
Each answer we came up with conjured increasingly hilarious and satisfying mental pictures of a very different narrative. Imagine if Edward Cullen met The Slayer at Sunnydale High: what kind of story would unfold if their responses were consistent with their personas, and with the value systems of the movie and TV show they represent? (Even as I type this I can imagine Buffy rolling her eyes at my idea of transplanting Edward into her universe, scolding me with this line from episode 96: “Please don’t be suggesting what I’d have to kill you for suggesting!”)
In sharp contrast to Bella’s story, Buffy’s narrative is one in which gender equity is sexy – and powerful, complex and independent women are the norm. So successful is this normalization of female strength on the show that in the few alternative reality episodes that find Buffy magically weakened, we see her lack of power as utterly absurd. Imagine Buffy being helpless, ridiculous! The very thought is played for laughs. Throughout Buffy’s seven seasons, males that display the type of behavior Edward does are ridiculed or portrayed as dangerous (or both). Buffy is not without its own controversies (especially around race and LGBT issues), but the writers did often succeed in actively and brilliantly subverting expected sexist Hollywood themes.
At first I wasn’t sure if it was possible to take footage from the movie and television show and splice them together in a convincing way. I had made remixes of popular culture before but never tried to re-construct an alternative narrative. But I knew I had to try when I realized that the stalking scene in Twilight was extremely similar to a scene in episode 13 of Buffy.
In both sequences a female protagonist walks alone at night and is followed by shadowy figure(s), while dramatic music amps up the suspense. The similarities end there. Both scenes have radically different outcomes and narrative lessons. In Bella’s case, she is confronted by a group of aggressive, drunken frat boys, and actually starts to defend herself – until she’s interrupted from the act of self-protection when the writers have Edward swoop in and save her in the nick of time. Turns out Edward has also been stalking her (supposedly in case she might need his help). In contrast, Buffy stops in the dark ally and, annoyed, confronts her pursuer – who turns out to be her own vampire love interest, Angel—and who, you guessed it, is following her in case she might need his help. Buffy’s having none of it, delivering her brilliantly pointed line (which I use in the remix): “You know, being stalked isn’t really a big turn on for girls.” She tells Angel she doesn’t trust him and that she can take care of herself, leaving him standing rejected and alone in the ally. To the show’s credit, it’s not ultimately a message of tough female individualism; Buffy does learn that working together with her friends and allies (many of them also strong female characters, alongside resourceful and supportive men) she can overcome any challenge, including saving the world—a lot.
As an aspiring feminist guy, I wanted to speak out about issues of sexism and gender oppression in media but I wanted to do so carefully and intentionally. That’s why I chose to focus my critique on Edward’s patriarchal behavior in Twilight rather than on Bella’s actions. I didn’t feel it was my place to lecture her on desire (even in remix form), especially since her character is already disempowered by the original screenplay to the point of absurdity. So I built each scene around Edward, and then looked for appropriate responses from Buffy. Sorting through seven seasons worth of witty dialog and dramatic footage from Buffy was a lot of fun, and telling the tale through her and her friends’ perspective allows us to understand the messages underlying the mythology of the film and the TV show in a new way – and to enjoy the process. I should note that I am not the first to make this critique of the Twilight series, nor did I invent the process of re-imagining pop culture stories. I was inspired by women who have been creating fan fiction as self-conscious creative communities since before I was born. I was heavily influenced by fannish vidding as well as by feminist critiques of popular culture, especially those of bell hooks, whose writings have helped opened my eyes on issues of race, gender and love.
Although my remix is not a “vid” – a fannish music video made by pairing clips from a TV show or film with a song that creates an argument or illustrates a theme – it was inspired by vidders such as Francesca Coppa and Laura Shapiro, who have both taught me much about the art form. I was also inspired by political remix videos such as Jackie Reem Salloum’s amazing “Planet of the Arabs,” which she describes as “A trailer-esque montage spectacle of Hollywood’s relentless vilification and dehumanization of Arabs and Muslims.” At their best, mash-up videos can serve as a form of critical media literacy, exposing myths and messages embedded in media typically masked by glossy Hollywood productions.
In the end the only reasonable response was to have Buffy stake Edward – not because she didn’t find him sexy, not because he was too sensitive or too eager to share his feelings – but simply because he was possessive, manipulative, and stalkery. Lastly, interspersed among the avalanche of positive feedback are a small handful of responses from people dismayed at the death of the beloved Edward Cullen. Often these notes express concern that my mash-up is a condemnation of the fans of Twilight or of the actor Robert Pattinson, who plays Edward. I would like to say that the video is not intended as a stab at the fans. Rather, it’s an argument against the specific way in which romance and gender roles are constructed in the Twilight series. Ultimately, Buffy’s triumph over Edward is only one small part of much larger story: the story of our collective journey towards a world of gender equity and empowerment.
[UPDATE: You can now watch and compare the original stalking scenes from both Buffy and Twilight for yourself on CriticalCommons.org]
[EDITORIAL NOTE: We at WIMN appreciate Jonathan’s attempt to spark critical discussion about sexism in entertainment media, and ways to subvert such themes. Nearly a million people have seen the mashup, and we hope as many have the opportunity to learn more about the critical media literacy goals for this project. What do you think about the remix — and about Jonathan’s vision and process? Share your thoughts in the comments below.]
Guest Blogger Jonathan McIntosh is a video remix artist, a photographer, a new media teacher and a social justice activist. His work can be seen on his website, RebelliousPixels.com. He is also a co-editor for the blog PoliticalRemixVideo.com
July 2nd, 2009 15:12
I have not seen the video yet, as I am currently on a commuter train with very low wireless access, but after reading this post I can’t wait to get home. My partner and I have stayed away from Twighlight without even being aware of Edward’s stalker tendencies, but more creeped out by his being about 200 and pursuing a 16 year old girl. Certainly, your arguments are more productive and compelling. Looking forward to being one in a million viewers. Keep up the good work. I’d say your more than an “aspiring feminist guy.”
July 2nd, 2009 16:34
Jonathan, we’re happy to have your post on WIMN’s Voices. It is my hope that a good percentage of the million or so people who saw your mashup will have the added benefit of hearing more about your reasons for creating the remix.
As an “aspiring feminist guy,” you are following in the footsteps of Buffy’s “sire” — Joss Whedon himself, who also is careful and intentional about creating strong, powerful, multi-dimensional female characters. Whedon’s speech at an Equality Now event several years ago explains why he writes such consistently great roles for women… and why he doesn’t understand why others do not: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYaczoJMRhs&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fcontexts.org%2Fsocimages%2F2009%2F06%2F22%2Fjoss-whedon-answers-the-question-why-do-you-write-strong-female-characters%2F&feature=player_embedded
My guess is that you’ve done him proud with this remix. And we’re happy to host your explanation behind it.
July 2nd, 2009 17:32
I’ve never seen the Twilight movie or read the books, as I found the previews to be creeptastic enough for my liking, but I am a HUGE Buffy fan. I think this remix is really great and helps to drive home part of what I generally don’t like about (what I have seen of) the Twilight phenomenon (the stalking bit; there’s also something to be said about the fact that Twilight seems to be abstinence porn - see http://bitchmagazine.org/article/bite-me-or-dont for a great discussion on that point). And needless to say, the time and effort put into the remix is evident in the quality of the work. Well done all around. We need more “aspiring feminist guys” like this!
July 2nd, 2009 19:32
The video was awesome, as was the explanation. Thank you so much for both!
July 2nd, 2009 19:55
This is so well done — I love the feminism of the Buffyverse, and I can’t stand how the Twilight-verse glorifies/romanticises teen angst, and villifies sexual desire. I love how Buffy’s clips are pulled from mysterious-Angel responses (”uh, stop being all creepy already”) and stalker-Spike responses (”um, ew?”) (with a bit of sleazeball Parker thrown in). Any woman with a sense of self-identity would be completely creeped out by Edward’s weird manipulative power/control game, and this mashup hits that on the head.
Only complaint: you couldn’t include the “She who hangs out in graveyards” line?
July 2nd, 2009 20:02
Have to comment again, just for: “Oh my god, are you twelve???” and for: “No – you know what I am? Bored.”
Hell yeah! Take that broody lame sparkly vamps.
Seriously, girls want to be Bella? I mourn for (wo)mankind.
July 2nd, 2009 21:28
First thing I wanted to say: the vis is just awesome.
Once I’ve said that, I have to tell you that this, exactly what you’ve said up there and what you wanted to tell everybody with this vid, is what I think. It’s exactly the same thing I always think about whenever I hear someone talking about Twilight or telling me that they’re his/her (normally her, what can I say) favourite book ever or something like that. I don’t know, I think I’m so used to strong female characters like Buffy to accept a story like Twilight. And it really worries me that a lot of people find this kind of relationship “romantic”, when Edwards’ attitude bothers me SO MUCH.
And that’s all, really. Just wanted to tell you that I felt the same way towards those books&films and that I really loved the vid (which I’m sending right now to all those friends of mine who love Twilight xD). I’m happy to hear that there’s other people that thinks like me.
July 2nd, 2009 21:38
The video is hilarious and spot-on; thank you for a brilliant and undoubtedly work-intensive rebuttal to the Twilight ridiculousness. I read the first book and skimmed the others out of protective impulse, because my fourteen-year-old cousin loved them and I wanted to see if they were as antifeminist as they sounded. Dear God - I’ve gotten blase when it comes to sexism, but nothing could have prepared me for the atrocious writing on top of the codependency. On the other hand, I’ve recently gotten into Buffy and I love it.
You’re funny, pro-feminist, and able to drop a bell hooks reference. BFF material as far as I’m concerned.
July 3rd, 2009 00:06
As an involved parent of a teenage girls I have read all the Twilight books and seen the movie and……… yeah. It’s scary how possessive, manipulative, controlling behaviour is portrayed as romantic. I have raised some of the issues of gender, sterotypes and romance with my 15 year old at times to get shouted down, this vid (which is fantastic by the way) gives me another starting point for the continuing conversation.
I mean really, if someone was engaging in that kind of behaviour with one of my daughters I’d kick their arses before taking out a restraining order. And if my daughters acted as pathetically as Bella, I’d kick their arses too!
Long live Buffy!
July 3rd, 2009 02:05
wow
i like the video!
when i first read twilight, i dont like edward’s behaviour, stalking and everything
buffy was right!
kick the stalker vampire!
July 3rd, 2009 04:27
This vid was posted on a thread of my favourite forum, the buffy-boards, Yep, I’m a buffy fan, since I was liddle, actually, anyway, something about dwards creepy, stalkery behaviour always bugged me, and my friends are all going on about it’s all romantic (I’m 14,you see) and I’m just thinking “No, It’s not” Bella is never empowered, she’s just protected and controlled. I hate the way he acts like either A) he’s her father or B) He owns her. I’m glad other people think this way too
July 3rd, 2009 06:34
Thank you for creating something so interesting. I found this link via whedonesque (that right there should tell you that I own all 7 seasons and have watched them…a lot), and just happened to have Twilight in my apt from netflix. So, before watching the mash up, I watched Twilight for the first time.
I’ve just now watched the mash-up and enjoyed it immensely. While Edward bothered me some in the movie, the way you bring out the flaws/creepiness of that character and contrasted it with Buffy’s strength really helped me see him for him. I think there is a movie watching phenomenon, where we excuse an attractive male lead his flaws, and we want to see him get the girl, mostly because we want to see if his shirt will come off. It’s not a good thing at all, because it does set these dark images (a man stalking you, watching you sleep, etc.) into our subconscious as desirable.
Thank you for reminding me to be a smarter movie watcher. And let’s just hope many young girls see this mash up and get interested in Buffy because of it, because I can think of no better role model(s) than Joss Whedon’s creations.
July 3rd, 2009 06:53
THIS IS GREAT!!!!
I read the Twilight books and what bothered me most was the notion “I can’t live without him.”
Not a message I think hormonal 12-16 year olds need to hear or accept. Edward was as Edward was, but Bella’s descent into co-dependency was, to me, the worst.
LOVED THIS VID!!!!
July 3rd, 2009 06:54
Jonathan,
I am a huge, ginormous Buffy fan, and although I have not seen Twilight, I am equally as annoyed by it’s strange popularity.
This rocks, I cannot say it enough! I especially love that you are introducing Buffy, and all of her positive feminist qualities, to a Edward-loving generation. Amazing.
~Lisa
July 3rd, 2009 07:03
[…] commentary track Published July 3, 2009 Buffy the Vampire Slayer , TV , btvs , pop culture Leave a Comment Tags: btvs, Buffy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, pop culture, TV, Twilight Well, the next bestthing: Jonathan McIntosh, the clever person who created the video mashup which imagines Edward Cullen of Twilight in Buffy’s Sunnydale explains it all. If you follow the link, vid is included, in case you missed it the first time. Five months in the making, Buffy vs Edward is essentially an answer to the question “What Would Buffy Do?” My re-imagined story was specifically constructed as a response to Edward, and what his behavior represents in our larger social context for both men and women. More than just a showdown between The Slayer and the Sparkly Vampire, it’s also a humorous visualization of the metaphorical battle between two opposing visions of gender roles in the 21ist century. […]
July 3rd, 2009 09:45
I saw the “Buffy vs Edward” video a couple of weeks ago and found myself utterly satisfied by the interplay of 90s Buffyverse with the brooding verbal cues of the heartthrob of the 00s. Watching the rise of the Twilight series through my daughter’s avid re-reading interest of the book series and her ultimate dismissal of the movie (directed by Catherine Hartwicke, who first came to prominence for the indie flick “Thirteen”), I too was troubled by Bella’s rescue narrative. While the book version posits her as more of a brainiac than the film does, this “rescue me” core disappointed. I assumed that in a post-Buffy world the Girl Power piece would not be lost in vampire storyland, but clearly Stephanie Meyer’s girlview differs vastly from Joss Whedon’s. What the mashup does is reinvigorate the telling, and put Edward in his place with the Slayer back in the game. It also underscores an interesting piece about female power and feminist authorship. Kudos to Jonathan McIntosh! What a great vid! And thanks to Jenn for the link to Joss Whedon’s speech on creating strong female characters….it’s illuminating!
July 3rd, 2009 10:26
[…] Comments from the video’s world-changing creator: My re-imagined story was specifically constructed as a response to Edward, and what his behavior represents in our larger social context for both men and women. More than just a showdown between The Slayer and the Sparkly Vampire, it’s also a humorous visualization of the metaphorical battle between two opposing visions of gender roles in the 21ist century. […]
July 3rd, 2009 11:22
Dude, thank you. Having read the Twilight series, I was left deeply disturbed by the attitude of Bella Swan, unable to live, or seemingly function without stalker boy lover. When I was a teeanger, I grew up on Buffy, the brilliantly woven feminist tale. Every character was incredible- from Willow who was smart and sexy, Cordelia who lost everything and worked her way back, Anya who built a new human life, Joyce who raised two teenagers alone, Buffy herself, and my personal favourite, Faith, and her tale of redemption. Equally, the men weren’t weak in the face of these strong women, they relished it and were stronger themselves for it. These were my role models growing up. The generation ten years younger than me have… sparkling vampires and the girls who can’t live without them. It’s depressing! Thank you for your brilliantly done video showing what the reaction should have been!
July 3rd, 2009 11:46
as a college educated, married, adult twilight fan (i’m 37), i didn’t see anything wrong with the dynamic of edward and bella. i think a large faction of girls and women can relate to bella (as is evidenced by the series’ popularity), while there’s another faction that’s more likely to relate to buffy. viva la difference! that’s what feminism is about, having the choice to do and feel as you like. i thought twilight was immensely romantic and realistic of the way girls feel for their first loves. and if you read the entire series, you see bella grow to be the strongest of them all.
July 3rd, 2009 12:28
Tyra, I’m interested in your comment that in the book series, Bella grows stronger than her character appears in the movie. I haven’t read the books, so this may be true - if so, that would be great. Regardless, the books are a separate issue from the movie’s glamorization of abusive patterns in dating relationships.
The mashup/remix that Jonathan made was about the movie, not the books. His video critique, and the post above, illustrate how the character of Edward Cullen exhibits behavior that shows all the classic signs of abusive relationships: stalking, spying, overprotectiveness, possessiveness, control, threats and the like.
You are right to note that many girls and women can relate to Bella, but as Jonathan says above, his video is not intended as a critique of Bella or her desires. But just as you’re right that many young women can relate to Bella’s desire, I will respectfully add that you are missing the point of this mashup, and of the blog post explaining Jonathan’s critique: the issue here is not to police what girls can and can’t desire, it’s to critique a media culture that normalizes female weakness and submission at the same time as it normalizes dangerous patterns of male dominance and control (signs which, in real life, are very often found in the cycle of dating violence and domestic violence relationships).
I remember working on issues of violence against women with a batterer’s rehabilitation group in the mid-90s. Nearly every batterer who participated in the group talked about doing one or more of the types of things Edward does (stalking, spying, etc.), or feeling/saying some of the things Edward expresses (that they felt “provoked” into inappropriate behavior by the women they were with).
Yes, many girls and women identify with Bella. But that in no way discounts the negative sociological impact of media promoting abusive behavior as “romantic.” Of course, such media representations are one of the reasons why many young women believe that abusive behavior is romantic/sexy/acceptable in the first place.
Media images are certainly not the only factor in shaping our beliefs, but mass media do play a significant role in shaping how we think and feel both as children and as adults. The sad reality is that many teen girls are injured every day by abusive boyfriends, and too many of those girls are killed every year by boys and men who claim to love them. I have zero interest in blaming victims of abuse, but I have every interest in shining a spotlight on cultural notions that help us understand what to believe about desire, about love, about romance, about “proper” gender roles, about what is an is not acceptable to do to another human being.
July 3rd, 2009 14:36
[…] vs Edward Jump to Comments Thanks to Oregonian writer, Kristi Turnquist, for this link to one of the best video mash upsEVER. Creator Jonathan McIntosh explains what drove him to create it: […]
July 3rd, 2009 19:34
This was awesome, and I love seeing that a man wants respect for women, too. You guys are out there, obviously; it’s just heartwarming to see for myself.
July 3rd, 2009 20:28
I’m a huge Buffy fan, and just read the first Twilight book. I happened to get to the link for the video via a link from an Adam Lambert fan site where an article about Adam was right above the Buffy/Edward Cullen link. Lucky me! I recognized the Buffy clips and really like the way they were mashed together with Twilight. The only thing I can say in Bella’s defense (and I only read the book so Bella may come across differently) was that she did use her intellect to protect herself when she could. However, Bella doesn’t have Buffy’s super-human strength, so she cannot defend herself in the same manner as Buffy does. As in the street scene mentioned, she does try to think of how to get out of the situation and is ready to fight her way out. Again, the video was a real treat!
July 3rd, 2009 20:57
Thank you for speaking up for me, for all of us, that don’t find Edward’s stalking behavior adorable and sexy. Is this the message we want to give our daughters? I don’t think so. WWBD is much more empowering. Thanks again.
July 4th, 2009 14:37
[…] Creator Jonathan MacIntosh speaks: It all started six months ago when my partner, Anita (also a media literacy advocate) and I watched the enormously popular movie Twilight, based on the book of the same name by Stephenie Meyer. Coincidentally, we had recently finished re-watching the final season of Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, our favorite television show ever. As huge Buffy fans we couldn’t help but compare the two stories. We were troubled by how the main characters in Twilight seemed to embody antiquated, sexist gender stereotypes. Teenage protagonist Bella Swan is written as passive, co-dependant and perpetually the damsel in distress. Edward Cullen, her love interest, is written as over-protective, domineering and possessive. Over the course of the film Edward is in turns patronizing, condescending and just downright creepy. He spies on Bella, he stalks her (for “her own good”), he sneaks into her room to watch her sleep (without her consent) and even confesses to a deep, overpowering desire to kill her. We marveled at how the film attempted to present this behavior as sweet and deeply romantic – and how the larger pop culture discussion continued that framing for millions of young Twilight fans. At several points during the film Anita and I found ourselves asking each other: “What Would Buffy Do?” […]
July 4th, 2009 15:22
Jonathan, I love this video. You did a fantastic job with it. I actually yelled “Get him, Buffy!” during the chase scene and cheered like a dork when she staked him. Hilarious, fun, and uplifting. Well done!
I also appreciated your thoughtful comments. It’s especially nice that you made the effort to point out that this wasn’t a stab at Twilight fans.
Gb, remember that a lot of the other characters in Buffy don’t have superhuman powers either. Even annoying Dawn learned to stand up for herself! And even though I don’t care for the Dawn character a great deal, but the scene where she’s sad about not being a potential slayer and Xander tells her she’s extraordinary makes me teary every time I see it.
I know that Twilight is just not about the bigger topics that Buffy was, and that in some respects it is foolish to expect too much out of a silly teenage lust story, but I still find it incredibly disappointing and cynical.
I think one of the biggest ironies about Twilight is that Meyer dismissed criticisms about her portrayal of gender roles because the book, apparently, is about choice. Bella’s choice. That strikes me as ludicrous, but I wonder if maybe choice is a bigger issue for Meyer than it might be for the rest of us. For a woman who is a member of a religion that is so often guilty of practicing forced marriages, maybe granting Bella the right to make bad choices was the feminist thing to do. I don’t really buy that, but it did occur to me.
July 4th, 2009 19:36
I really loved the video. You did an excellent job with the editing and everything. But I’m kind of curious– some fans of both Buffy and Twilight have said that it’s hypocritical, because Buffy’s relationship with Angel is pretty much the same as Bella’s relationship with Edward. Do you have a response for this comment?
July 4th, 2009 21:06
Jonathan, that was AWESOME.
And aspiring feminist guys are hot!
July 4th, 2009 21:16
Sheila, I can’t speak for Jonathan, but from my perspective the dynamic within the Buffy/Angel relationship is not at like the Bella/Edward relationship. While some of the elements might seem similar on the surface, the narratives are polar opposites.
For example, take the stalking: in Buffy, when Angel follows Buffy, she calls out this behavior as creepy and tells him she can take care of herself (more importantly, we as viewers are meant to understand that Angel’s behavior is sketchy and inappropriate). When Edward stalks Bella, spies on her, etc., these actions are framed as romantic.
Eventually, Buffy and Angel form a relationship based not only on mutual attraction but on mutual respect, strength, teamwork, trust. As Buffy’s boyfriend Angel behaves as her partner, not as a controlling daddy figure.
Angel only becomes controlling, stalking her, threatening her, using violence, in later seasons when a curse forces him to “turn bad again” (within the show’s mythology, he loses his soul and becomes an evil vampire). Buffy doesn’t find his constant professions of threat-tainted love romantic, just upsetting and frightening. And she fights back against him, repeatedly, until she finally ends up having to kill him. Which she does. (Don’t worry… this being the Whedon universe, he figured out a way to bring him back.) But the key issue is the narrative: as viewers, when we watch Angel behave in dark, twisted, violent ways — we are meant to fear and despise these actions… and we see him rebuffed, rejected and ultimately we see him suffer fatal consequences for these betrayals.
See, that’s the thing: controlling, threatening, abusive behavior in the Buffy universe is always framed as creepy. Controlling, threatening, abusive behavior in the Twilight movie is framed as romantic, sexy, loving.
(And for those true Buffy geeks among us, I know some of you might have questions about Spike. For a long while, his desire for Buffy — and his own set of inappropriate behaviors — were seen by Buffy and all others in the show as the ultimate in ick. It was only in the season when Buffy was dealing with deep psychological trauma that she became romantically involved with Spike. During that storyline, we were supposed to understand that her hooking up with Spike was a sign of her making unhealthy choices based on her being psychologically damaged by recent events — again, not romantic, not sweet, not “true love” — but a form of self-flagellation.)
July 4th, 2009 22:09
thanks for that, jennifer. I really can’t stand Twilight, but I’ve recently watched the first 3 seasons of Buffy on Hulu and it’s pretty much my latest obsession. When I saw some comments on different websites pointing out that Buffy and Angel were very similar (as in, 16 year old with 200 year old vampire, etc), I kind of wondered if I was being a hypocrite.
I definitely agree with your points, though. When I read Twilight, I couldn’t help but feel that Edward really enjoyed having to protect Bella from everyone and everything. Angel on the other hand, liked that Buffy was strong and capable– a point that’s proven in the season 2 episode Halloween, where Buffy attempts to impress him by dressing up as an English noblewoman (she thinks that that was the kind of girl Angel liked when he was 16). To make a long story short, a curse turns everyone into their Halloween costumes, and Buffy turns into a damsel in distress. Angel is not impressed, to say the least. If the same thing had happened with Edward and Bella, he’d have been delighted! (Actually, Bella wouldn’t have been much different!)
July 4th, 2009 22:57
hai guyz! i liked the part in the movie with the vampire!
July 5th, 2009 11:12
Thanks for this post. I have to admit I was always a Buffy the Movie fan and not a fan of the show. I was a fan of the movie because I felt that Buffy grew as a person in the show and learned that there was more to life. When the show came out Buffy seemed more grounded in the things that Movie Buffy learned to appreciate. However, watching the movie you put together and the articles has made me look at Buffy the Show differently. I may have to rent the show and take another glance at what it offers as I see the message that the Show offered to people. I can say that both the Movie and the Show have great messages - different but great.
Best of luck!
July 5th, 2009 13:08
I enjoyed the video. I am disturbed by how little this generation of girls haven’t moved beyond their mother’s generation when it comes to the “boy-crazy” phenomenon. Actually, I think they’ve gotten worse than any other generations. They have completely picked up the idea of sexual power, but haven’t picked up the idea that it can also be a weapon, too. Or the “Cinderella syndrome” where all you need is a man. Young girls are still not getting the message that getting a man doesn’t make you happy.
That being said, I liked the video. But you left out the best anti-stalker scene in Buffy: the scene where Buffy kicks “evil” Angel in the nads. I’d like to see Edward get that!
July 5th, 2009 21:11
LOVE the video! I too had a problem with Edward being creepy and so many times I wish Bella was Buffy especially when she does get attack, I was waititng for her to fight back like buffy!
July 5th, 2009 21:53
I read the Twilight series but hated it, though like you, Buffy is probably my favorite show.
I love your video because it really exposes Edward as the creepy stalker that he is. If Bella had been half as strong as Buffy, the books/movie would have been much more appealing to me. Feminism is great and we SHOULD see it more often!
July 6th, 2009 07:36
It’s about frakkin’ time! I’m quite happy to see Buffy dust Edward; now the only question is can she hurry and stake the Werewolf boy too?
July 6th, 2009 12:44
[…] Here is a Twilight/Buffy the Vampire Slayer mash-up with a good explanation of what fair use is (thanks to Anthea for the link). Also, it is an excellent summary of why Edward could be considered a stalker: […]
July 6th, 2009 12:55
This was amusing, but as a submissive (in the BDSM sense), feminist female, I almost feel like the writer is saying that my kink is not okay. And if you don’t understand how you can be a feminist and sexually submissive, then you can contact me via my blog, and I can explain that viewpoint.
Thanks for saying that you are not critiquing female desire, but it seems to me that you are. In real life, do I want a guy (or a girl) who sneaks into my bedroom and follows me to make sure I’m all right? No, but as a fantasy icon, a telepathic vampire is allowed to. It’s like rape fantasies that many women have, which don’t mean that women really want to be raped, but in which they do not have to feel responsible for their own pleasure, even as they orchestrate it in their imagination. And please, let’s remember that even Buffy had relationships with Angel AND Spike, which furthers the “girl girl/bad boy” romance stereotype. I adore Buffy, but I also like Spike, Angel and Twilight too (maybe even Edward, although that’s pushing it).
As far as abuse, Edward does not try to isolate Bella from her friends and family, but encourages those relationships. He does not “accidentally” hurt her or get angry with her then apologize with gifts, or refuse to take responsibility for his behavior. Having seen this behavior up close and personal, I would argue that fantasy teenage obsessional love is not the same thing as real life abuse, teenage or otherwise.
I encourage you,however, to continue to express yourself through these mash ups and in any other way you feel inclined to do so, as I agree that we need to take a closer look at how our “rape culture” normalizes violence against women in the media.
July 7th, 2009 02:02
[…] “My re-imagined story was specifically constructed as a response to Edward, and what his behavior represents in our larger social context for both men and women,” creator Jonathan McIntosh explains in a blog post at Women in Media & News. […]
July 7th, 2009 09:52
As a response to evilgrrl:
I understand your point very well; I’m a male Dom, and have been for more than a decade now. But there’s something entirely different between a BDSM relationship and what is portrayed in the Twilight books. I read the first one and started the second before getting fed up and throwing it across the room. What comes across clearly in Stephanie Meyer’s writing is not a safe, sane, or consensual relationship between a strong male and a strong female who willingly accepts someone else’s domination of her; rather, there is blatant and obvious indication that without Edward, without his brand of ‘love’ and without him to take care of her, she’s pretty much useless. By the end of the first book Edward’s had to save Bella’s life half a dozen times. Bella’s big moment at the end of the first book? She passes out while the big, strapping lad protects her. He essentially stalks her–as has already been pointed out, without her consent. He wants to hurt her. He doesn’t want her to want him to do it; he just WANTS to do it. And there’s nothing safe or sane in offering yourself to someone who clearly states “I would like to kill you.”
Twilight is BDSM done wrong. More than that, it’s bull**** religious hypocrisy at its finest, telling us in that wonderful Mormon way that women aren’t worth a damn without men to tell them what to do and what to think. I enjoy my role as a male Dom. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with a woman submitting herself to a man; likewise, I think there’s nothing wrong with a man submitting himself to a woman. But doing so without having some idea of what you’re getting into, after being physically threatened by that same person, and while having no sense of self-respect or self-worth while you’re doing it is a recipe for disaster. It’s what leads to the horror stories you hear on the news about BDSM games gone wrong. It is, in short, what puts people like you and me in a bad light.
Joss Whedon’s writing and imagery has always had a not-so-subtle hint of BDSM and sexual adventure in it. It’s there, bold as brass for anyone who wants to see it. I’d argue he’s either in the lifestyle or knows people who are. But his characters are strong, male and female alike. They have their own identities irrespective of their sexual partners. Bella does not. Without her vampire lover, she has no purpose, no use. She’s a suicidal lemming. And she’s not the kind of rolemodel anyone, submissive or otherwise, needs.
And hey, there’s a level of personal taste to it as well. If I want a doormat, I’ll go to Bed, bath & Beyond, not on a date. Bella has got to be the most boring girl I’ve ever come across. There’s no point in having someone that damaged submit to you; it’s all they can do anyway. Give me a strong, sensual, intelligent, POWERFUL woman who isn’t afraid of what she wants, and only then will I be impressed by her submission.
IMO, of course.
July 7th, 2009 11:09
Jonathan, thanks so much for demonstrating how video art can crystallize a bit of social commentary in just a few minutes that it would take thousands of words in an article to describe. Artists are such important allies in our critique of pop culture. Your video is awesome. and since so many people here who love the video cop to being Buffy fans, I feel I have to represent us complete Buffy-haters. Yes, feminist Buffy-haters do exist! (the show might have had a chance with me if Sarah Michelle Gellar could act her way out of a paper bag.)
that said, i am huge True Blood fan and i am really curious to see how the “Bill protecting Sookie” dynamic plays out. we may need you to do another video by the time this season of TB is over!
July 7th, 2009 15:10
Ahahahaha Edward McCullen is such a douche. This is great editing.
July 8th, 2009 18:36
Thank you all for the fantastic feedback! For those of you that have pointed out the similar stalking element in the Buffy/Angel relationship; I have posted a few of the original vampire stalking clips from both Twilight and Buffy on the CriticalCommons.org website. There you can view the comparisons for yourself and read my short commentary on the topic.
http://criticalcommons.org/Members/RebelliousPixels/clips/Stalking_Buffy_s1e01_WEB.mov/view
July 9th, 2009 13:58
Nathan wrote:
“Twilight is BDSM done wrong. More than that, it’s bull**** religious hypocrisy at its finest, telling us in that wonderful Mormon way that women aren’t worth a damn without men to tell them what to do and what to think.”
Guess what? You’re wrong. I am a Mormon, and nowhere does my religion say that women are lower life forms than men and must submit to men. Get your facts straight before you bash an entire religion based on one author’s twisted Alpha Male fantasies.
July 10th, 2009 01:41
First off, finding this blog was the cherry on top of this evening, the icing being the video. What a fabulous video! I found myself yelling, “DUST HIM!!!” at my laptop. If only everything in life responded to my yelling so well.
I grew up in the same religion as Meyer. I was 8 years old, had the sacrament prayer memorized (can still recite it), had practiced handing out bread to my stuffed animals, and I could not wait to get the priesthood. My parents tell me now that when I found out only boys do that, I challenged, “you said girls can do whatever they want!” I stopped going to church that year. My parents, luckily open minded, also left. The rest of my extended family still pretty much ignores me. A female airline pilot? Unmarried at 34 (33 for one more week!), living in sin, with no kids? Tragic.
To me, the staking of Edward was the staking of the patriarchs that I have lived under all my life. The men (this relates to book four) who abuse their children and wives, and are told that it is not their fault. Those same children and wives who are told they need to listen to their husbands. Blamed for the hand laid upon them. I have heard countless (I literally lost count) stories from friends of this exact thing happening within that religion. My best friend was pulled out of her home and put in a detention center when I called the cops on her dad for coming to my house, hitting my mom, and then hitting her. She was punished while her dad stayed home and beat her mother up. He was never punished. My mom was too afraid to press charges.
The religion teaches that men are the direct voice of god. A woman can never hear god or speak to god except through her husband. When she goes to heaven, she will wait for her husband if he dies after her. He will find her, and give her her eternal name. I may be slaughtering some of this, but it is as it was taught to me in SLC. They believe a man will have many wives in heaven (to this day).
Women are still meant to be seen and not heard. To be childbearers and keep the house of their men. I am not insulting the wonderful women who are brave enough to have children and work hard to maintain a home, but it should be a choice not a destiny.
I told you it would be long winded! I could ramble on, but I won’t.. much. The thesis of this post, I guess, is that as a woman from the oppressive religion from which grew Edward, I want to thank you! What may have seemed like a fun side project for you was the slaying of my dragons. I had one huge book that told me I was to be quiet, submissive, and giving of my all to men who asked. Twilight may be a less worshiped book (maybe?) but the message is the same.
July 11th, 2009 11:22
[…] I found this here. You can read more about the creator’s intent here. […]
July 12th, 2009 03:53
[…] What Would Buffy Do? Notes on Dusting Edward Cullen […]
July 14th, 2009 13:17
Wow, Mara, I haven’t heard of these “Mormon urban legends” you’re alleging, and I’ve been in SLC and part of this religion my entire life!
I still maintain that the garbage Meyer writes is not based on things her religion teaches, but rather her own strange fantasies. Maybe her own warped views. The description you gave of these abusive Mormon husbands/fathers could actually fit all abusive men. You make it sound like ALL Mormons are that way. That is very much generalizing, which is an unfair thing to do. Unfortunately in every religion there are fanatics, and naturally they will use their fanaticism to terrorize the people in their lives. I’ve seen abusive, imbalanced marriages and healthy, normal relationships, both in and out of the Mormom religion. I do not see the Priesthood of the church being for men as sexist. If a religion had only women as the leaders, would that necessarily be sexist?
As for myself, I am in my thirties, I have chosen not to marry or have children, and I do not feel any pressure or inadequacy because of church doctrines. I just figure the whole marriage and family thing is not in God’s plan for me, because my life has never led me in that direction.
If the church really oppressed women the way some people claim, then Sheri L. Dew, a single Mormon woman, would not be “allowed” to be a White House delegate to the United Nations or the CEO of a book publisher/seller, and Meyer wouldn’t be “allowed” to get published.
July 16th, 2009 14:47
This article was incredibly helpful to me. On my own, I have been writing similar kinds of crytical fanfiction for the purpose of discussion and illumination of the subject matter that Jonathan accomplished in the video. I wasn’t aware, however, that there were any larger communities for this kind of expression. I just did it for the amusement and edification of myself and my friends. Now I am interested in learning more about other fan artists who have similar goals.
While I’ve had many intense discussions about Twilight with fangirls, I haven’t wanted to put in the energy to create a work like this to express my feelings. I just didn’t want to spend my time on Twilight, because it annoyed me too much. But this video is exactly the kind of thing that I have wanted to see out there, and I am very happy that it has sparked so much discussion. I have always been crytical of Bella’s co-dependency and lack of identity outside Edward, and would still like to see a treatment of her character. I appreciate Jonathan’s respect, though, in dealing with the male character rather than the female. And Bella’s character was still illuminated by the contrast of Buffy.
Knowing other people out there are creating this type of media makes me want to find communities for that kind of expression and become involved. Thank you for the information.
July 21st, 2009 06:19
THANK YOU. This needed to be said. I had been avoiding the Twilight hype, but recently I have started to hear things from many different people about how Edward’s “loving” behavior is controlling and abusive. I just wish that this had said earlier, before parents bought these books for their teenage daughters.
July 21st, 2009 06:28
the video is funny
but the message u want it to convey doesn’t work.
“Ultimately, Buffy’s triumph over Edward is only one small part of much larger story: the story of our collective journey towards a world of gender equity and empowerment.”
for me in the end this video holds the same message an afull lot of feminism stuff does. –> men are evil, women are so much better.
that’s not in unison with a gernder equity thought!
ah and i’m female just to make sure
July 25th, 2009 17:08
This was fabulous. I can’t wait to show it to my class tomorrow, and get their reactions. And it’s also great to see so many comments here from young and younger women who agree with the criticisms of Twilight and how Edward behaves (that he’s a creepy stalker and not romantic at all).
I love the way the clips show how Edward is weird and unsexy - OK, you’ve taken them out of context, but even so, each time I see him in your vid, he looks more and more ridiculous.
July 27th, 2009 21:11
“for me in the end this video holds the same message an afull lot of feminism stuff does. –> men are evil, women are so much better.
that’s not in unison with a gernder equity thought!”
No. It shows an abusive, supernatural, male stalker and a woman who refuses to accept his behaviour (to say the least).
July 28th, 2009 00:56
From day one of the series I have watched Buffy The Vampire Slayer and the “Scoobies” battle baddies on a weekly bassis until it’s end in 2002.It is my favorite show of all time bar non.
I had heard of the Twilight series inadvertantly from relatives and friends and the enormous online fan base it has and people where constatly saying it was better than BTVS(Buffy) I remember snarking to myself and saying “Will see.”
I watched the movie and I waa non to impressed. I began to think the same thing as you “what would Buffy do?” How upsurd would it be to have some random vampire fawn and swoon over her like a lost puppy dog until his crush became an obssesion to the point of wanting to kill her.
Words can not express how deeply I must thank you for finally unveiling the ugly truth about the Twilight franchise (no offense to any of it’s adoring fans) while showing in deep constrast the beauty and remarkablness of the Buffy series.
It’s not just about feminism it’s about men having control over women without their consent or knowledge or approval. “It’s about power..” as Buffy Summers says in the season eight continuaition of BTVS in comic form “…and it’s about women with power and you just hate those two words in the same sentence don’t you?” She says to “The General” the seasons “Big Bad” that tries to kill off all the slayer and take there “power” away “[because women with power must be evil]… [must be brought down].” It speaks volumes about this very situation.
Bella has no control over her actions she leaves it to a man to do all the heavy thinking. She does not once in that entire movie think for herself or even have the opprotunity to do so.
He takes away her power like a rape victime she is starke and naked without any degnity but because it is packaged in a glamorous and romantic way it is considered a great love story: That’s not the case it is again a case of power and the woman lacking any depth that not just Bella but any other woman in the world should have.
Buffy had depth. She is the one character to ever truly be a feminist icon in every sense! I mean she is more influential than Wonder Woman in many ways. Not to say she is better than her, or for that matter any of the men on her show or any of the characters on Twilight, but because she is just as strong fast, clever, conning, and powerful as any other cast member encluding any of the male persuation. She whares the same amount of clothes and doesn’t have to look sexually provocative subtextually to be sexaully atractive. She doesn’t have to be meak to be considered feminin.
She is that “contradiction” as far as gender stereotypes go but she overcame every one with flying colors because we all saw a part of ourselves in her, male and female alike. She wasn’t just a great female character she is one of the most complex and fantastic characters ever created. Joss Whedon is a true genius, but that’s an entirely different story.
She is just the same as the other cast members of the male sex in the show. She is a person rather than an idea of what a woman should be. She has faults and flaws that make her more human not less powerful but more powerful because in the end it isn’t about feminism and women triumphing over men as much as it is about equality and women and men coexisting on the same level as one another.
Well sorry I just had to get that out. Thank you so much for making this it is nothing short of remarkable.
Yours Truely,
Jaymes_e06
July 28th, 2009 18:16
I just saw the video a minute or two ago, and must say i was very impressed. being a teen girl, let me say first and foremost- i detest twilight. i have read the first 3 books( my English lit circle books in 9th grade) and found them the worst ‘books’ i have yet read. but what made me saddest was that not one of the girls at my church could see behind the sparkles. your video might help me convince them. thank you.
July 29th, 2009 03:35
I just wanted to say thank you for openning up the eyes of many people. I am currently in highschool and I had a required class called Christian Sexuality. For the most part, I hated it. But they did get some things right. We talked about relationships nd warning signs in relationships. Two big warning signs: Being too dependent on your partner and when your partner gets too controlling! I read the second book in the Twilight series, New Moon, and was sickened by how useless and crushed Bella was when Edward left. It is unhealthy to be attached like that, to any one person. Especially when the person is a CREEPER!!!!
July 29th, 2009 09:19
[…] Jonathan McIntosh writes a longer expose on Twilight/Buffy called What Would Buffy Do? […]
July 30th, 2009 20:49
I’ve got loads of comments but limited time, so to bullet points:
1. When making arguments intended by these Buffy fans, one can’t simply pick and choose what facts work and ignore the others. The idea that Buffy, beyond the first few meetings, was creeped out by brooding, stalking, love-obsessed vampires is ludicrous on its face. The facts are that Buffy refused to dust and had lots of steamy sex with, not one, but two stalking vampires like Edward Cullen. There is even a song referring to stalking. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7I83Igavwkk&feature=related Both the lyrics, if you are a fan and know the context, and the rather racy clips from the TV show are evidence enough of what Buffy would have actually done when faced with such a vampire, and this only touches the tip of the iceberg with Spike. There is a whole other body of evidence with Angel. But from the comments, it seems that someone, somewhere else has pointed this fact out. Could someone send me the link to that?
2. In the Notes on Dusting Edward Cullen, “… I chose to focus my critique on Edward’s patriarchal behavior in Twilight rather than on Bella’s actions…especially since her character is already disempowered by the original screenplay to the point of absurdity.” I agree that Bella is a much weaker character in the movie than in the book. This is a huge weakness in the movie. Therefore, in limiting the comparison to the movie, then the critique of Edward’s creepy stalking and similar behaviors is a little stronger as the movie also did a very poor job of showing the progress of Bella’s and Edward’s relationship. But the appeal of Twilight to young women is not based upon the movie. They fell for the books. So if you want to get to the root of the creepiness conundrum, then you must look to the books. Bella is stronger in the books. The progression of Edward and Bella’s relationship is much less abrupt and blind in Twilight. In the partial Midnight Sun, Twilight from Edward’s point of view—knowing Edward’s motivations and thoughts, the creepiness all but disappears. It remains because Edward is a vampire. He’s supposed to be creepy. Vampires are predators. Stalking is part of their nature. They are also socially awkward because they are “other,” because they live outside of human society. Angel stalked. Louis stalked. If this had been a story about a regular good looking, rich seventeen year old stalking a crush, well that is creepy. But the story isn’t set in the real world. One of the main advantages in setting a story in some alternate world, Middle Earth, Hogwarts, A galaxy far, far, away, Trantor, is that the author can, for instance, enhance or exaggerate certain aspects of human nature and thereby highlight that element, set it apart for scrutiny. This feminist critique falls flat for frankly being too literal, for assuming that “stalking vampire” is directly analogis to “regular Joe.” It isn’t. The creepiness is used, in part, to enhance the romantic tension. I think it is a mistake to assume that young women would accept stalking because of a fictional Edward Cullen. If I’m wrong, then this clinging to fantasy is actually the root problem. (see point 4, below)
3. Again quoting the Notes, “…I realized that the stalking scene in Twilight was extremely similar to a scene in episode 13 of Buffy. In both sequences a female protagonist walks alone at night and is followed by shadowy figure(s), while dramatic music amps up the suspense. The similarities end there. Both scenes have radically different outcomes and narrative lessons. In Bella’s case, she is confronted by a group of aggressive, drunken frat boys, and actually starts to defend herself – until she’s interrupted from the act of self-protection when the writers have Edward swoop in and save her in the nick of time. Turns out Edward has also been stalking her (supposedly in case she might need his help). In contrast, Buffy stops in the dark ally and, annoyed, confronts her pursuer – who turns out to be her own vampire love interest, Angel—and who, you guessed it, is following her in case she might need his help. Buffy’s having none of it, delivering her brilliantly pointed line (which I use in the remix): “You know, being stalked isn’t really a big turn on for girls.” She tells Angel she doesn’t trust him and that she can take care of herself, leaving him standing rejected and alone in the ally. To the show’s credit, it’s not ultimately a message of tough female individualism; Buffy does learn that working together with her friends and allies (many of them also strong female characters, alongside resourceful and supportive men) she can overcome any challenge, including saving the world—a lot.” The facts do not support this analysis. First, this scene from Buffy is not representative of neither the story arc of Buffy and Angel nor of Buffy’s character development. She is rescued multiple times and in multiple ways by the men in her life. She even sits back and lets them control. There is a song about that too. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlAR7Y2mV2A Giles has to leave to get her to step up, which of course, she does. Second, his comparison of the scenes ignores a major difference between the two. In the Twilight scene Bella is in fact under attack by 4 men. In the Buffy scene, there is no immediate threat; its just Buffy and Angel talking and Buffy needs no help with clever banter. The most important difference, however: Buffy is a super hero who can in fact take care of herself. Bella is not. She’s a normal girl. The book tells us that she is quite aware that she can expect to, at best, disable one of her attackers. She is staving off blind panic when Edward arrives on the scene and is throwing herself in front of the car to make whoever is driving stop. If I recall correctly, she even actually thinks though that she’d rather be hit than stay and suffer at the hands of her would be rapists. In short, Buffy has the luxury of being glib and dismissive with her wannabe protector. Normal women, by virtue of biology and nature, don’t. Modern feminism’s steadfast refusal to acknowledge this fact and other physical realities of women, say the effects of beauty or childbearing, is perhaps its greatest weakness.
4. I want to touch on something not directly addressed by the Notes. “…interspersed among the avalanche of positive feedback are a small handful of responses from people dismayed at the death of the beloved Edward Cullen. Often these notes express concern that my mash-up is a condemnation of the fans of Twilight or of the actor Robert Pattinson, who plays Edward.” This hints at something worth investigating. Why do hundreds of young women in cities all over the world conflate Robert Pattinson with Edward Cullen? This confusion isn’t limited to the Twilight universe, to be sure, but why do so many young women have this disconnect with reality? I have some vague recollection of a discussion in college that such screaming fandom started this modern form with the Beatles. Regardless, I’ve not seen any writing on this and it is a complimentary problem of feminist thought taking art too literally. (see above) Personally, as a woman with 3 daughters, I’m a bit concerned with girls getting locked into a fantasy or being unable to see a fantasy.
5. An aside, how does this effect celebs like Pattinson? It is pretty much expected that child celebs (the list is long), those who rocket to fame (Susan Boyle), or those who are the famous of the famous (Elvis or Michael) don’t turn out so well. Living in London for the past 3 years, I have seen (used to see, really) the lifestyles and lives of the ridiculously and newly wealthy bankers, people who suddenly had all typical material needs, money, success, affirmation, toys, satisfied in spades. They often seem to be thinking what-the-hell-nothing-can-hurt-me to any vice that comes their way. I’d bet that hordes of adoring fans, and worse for Pattinson, fans who think he is some uber-romantic/ultimate guy can really destroy someone’s perspective. In fact, I was watching a panel interview of the director and 4 cast members from Comic Con last week. I found the comments on YouTube more fascinating that the interviews. But one part really stood out for me. Commenters were obviously hanging on every word of Pattinson and Launter, and were analyzing every minute detail of Pattinson and Stewart’s limited of interaction. But for all that, no one commented on, or even seemed to notice Pattinson’s comment regarding his life after Twilight that he is just “trying not to drown.” Poor kid. What little I see of this kind of success, the person usually doesn’t know they’re going down. He seems to. Maybe that means he has a fighting chance.
August 2nd, 2009 13:59
[…] Uansett om du liker Twilight eller ikke er denne videoen utrolig godt satt sammen. her kan du lese hva skaperen, Jonathan McIntosh, har å si om den. […]
August 4th, 2009 16:38
It’s a good thing seasons 6 and 7 of Buffy were carefully avoided (that’s when Josh Whedon declared his intent to rehabilitate rapists). Beyond that, nice job - very satisfactory.
I knew I was keeping my daughter away from Twilight (as well as the last 2 seasons of Buffy) - now I have the reason.
August 15th, 2009 20:07
Leslie, this reply is aimed towards you:
1. Buffy DID in fact have a relationship with Angel, however, unlike Bella, the relationship did not start until Angel accepted that he couldn’t make himself disappear and reappear into Buffy’s life whenever he wanted to (one of his early stalkerish tendencies). Buffy only got into the relationship when Angel realized that he had to treat Buffy as an equal, not a damsel which needed constant oversight in the shadows. For example, as her friend Willow asks about her about Angel, Buffy says: “Angel? I can just see him in a relationship. ‘Hi, honey, you’re in grave danger. I’ll see you next month.” Now, before this, Buffy talks about Angel’s physical attractiveness (she says “the lights dim when he’s around”), but brushes him off because of his stalker-like traits, something which Bella, enraptured by Edward’s physical attractiveness, could not do. Spike, on the other hand, Buffy NEVER actually showed that she was attracted, or much less in love with him. Mostly, she confided her dark secrets to him that she felt to ashamed to express to her friends while also having perfunctory sex with him – it was depicted as a twisted relationship and a low point in Buffy’s life – while Bella and Edward was depicted as a “timeless love.”
2. So what you’re saying is that, just because the vampires stalk, just because it is in their nature, means that human women have to accept it? Buffy left the relationship as soon as her vampire love interest turned controlling, violent, and stalkerish, no matter how much she loved him. Bella, however, could not, and went into a zombie-like state. Edward wired her car so it could not run, did not allow her to she her friends – the justification as being “for her own good.” Believe it or not, this DOES affect young women around the nation – there are many personal instances where a girl looks for traits akin to “Edward” when looking for a boyfriend, which is just one of the many ways. You also said that the creepiness enhances romantic tension, which I think is really disturbing, because it forges this connection between creepy, stalkery actions and being “romantic.”
3. And then, this gets to the part of Meyer’s writing. The four drunken boys were solely created as a plot device for Edward to “rescue” the damsel, Bella, from peril. It wasn’t part of the storyline – the enemies weren’t even supernatural, yet Edward had to rescue her anyway. Here, it isn’t a question of human weakness against the supernatural (which Meyer often uses as an excuse to justify Bella’s weakness), it emphasizes the weakness of a lone, stereotypical female damsel (Bella), confronted with HUMAN, masculine enemies. Of course the female would lose. There really isn’t any point to this scene besides the fact that Edward rescues her, and once again, proves how much Bella needs to be coddled.
Secondly, Buffy has been rescued by the men in her life (mostly this is used as a device to prove that Buffy’s support system is one of her strengths, teamwork, etc), but she’s also rescued them MULTIPLE times. First off, Giles was a father figure to her, which, if Edward was, would make sense, because he coddles Bella so. Yet, Edward is portrayed as a romantic interest that you compare to a father figure – which further emphasizes the inequality of the relationship. Buffy has rescued Giles many times – once is from her love interest Angel himself. Buffy also has the luxury to be “glib and dismissive” because she has the backbone to not accept Angel’s stalking. You talk of Modern feminism not accepting biological differences, but MODERN times have also allowed women a greater variety of ways to protect themselves, which Meyer, sadly, does not give Bella the cunning nor wit to do so, especially talking about a scene where she is up against HUMANS, not vampires or shape-shifters.
August 17th, 2009 03:27
[…] • Read my post on why I made this remix via WIMN: http://www.wimnonline.org/WIMNsVoicesBlog/?p=1272 […]
August 17th, 2009 14:24
You have a good point. Bella’s passivity bothered most people, though I must admit a little possesivety from my boyfriend makes me feel like he cares about me and who i hang out with, and I’m not the only girl to feel that way. It’s rarely seen that a modern man actually respects a woman and tries to take care of her - nowadays, women are like men, only weaker and paid less - back in the day, they were angels who were carried around and adored. Maybe that’s why this quality (or fault, as you see it) was so strenghtened in Edward, as were other oldfashioned characteristics. I’m not saying I’m a 100% right and you wrong - I’m just saying there’s two sides to every story.
But you know what REALLY bothered me?
This: “[The video] has been translated by volunteers into 16 languages, including Slovenian, Tagalog and Bahasa Indonesian”
My God, I’m Slovenian - we’re a small country, but we’re in the EU, we have top modern economy, we’re not a poor or a third world country, our literacy rate is in top three in the whole world and most Slovenians speak at least two languages… and you put us in the same bin as Tagalog and Bahasa Indonesian?
PLEASE, write an email to me and tell me how you came to that conclusion.
August 17th, 2009 17:53
[…] What sets this apart is that a) it’s really well done and b) it has a valid point to make. Actually more a). I’m slightly uneasy about jumping on-board a critique of Twilight when I’m not familiar with it – either in literary or movie form – but from what is said in the associated article, it does seem like it doesn’t compare too well with Buffy in the gender politics stakes. […]
August 25th, 2009 12:08
Beware Spoiler Alert!
I too have been intrigued by this Twilight obsession and read the first and second book when I had a case of the flu. My initial reaction being one of the biggest Buffy fans, is why isn’t Buffy out now!!! Oh it would be HUGE!!!! It makes me feel as though it came out at the wrong time, or maybe it paved the way for this. Buffy is the antithesis of Twilight. Unfortunately in the need to know exactly how the story ends I ended up reading all of the books. All I can say is that it is really poorly written, 1/2 of the book could of been taken out because of the constant thoughts of Bella has for Edward, yeah we get it…he is a god. (I can just imagine how long the book would be if we could hear Edwards side of the story). I got the movie, out of curiosity and sat my 14, 10 and 7 year old down to watch it. The line “your like my own personal brand of heroin” sparked peels of laughter from me and my kids. The whole idea of him sparkling in the sun! PLEASE….may daughter put on her myspace…”fear me I sparkle”. Among the inconsistencies with the story line, (Edward has not come to terms with what he is after 200 years? Please….I have always been drawn to the whole vampire lore and not once have I read that vampires become vampires because of just being bitten (the whole chromosome explanation is well ridiculous. They seem not to feel pain and when parts are removed from the body, they crawl and make their way back to congeal into human form again.
My kids and I have seen every single episode of Buffy more than once, every year we have a Buffy month where we watch all the episodes from beginning to end. We have just gotten into the comic for Season 8 and though a little darker than the show, it is nice to hear a continuation of a story from the person who originally wrote it. As Joss said when he first thought of Buffy…what happens to the girl walking in the dark alleyway turns around and kicks is more powerful then her attackers.
As far as Twilight goes it will be very interesting to see how they do finish the story in movie form, as her being covered in bruises from their love making (though the idea of feathers all over the room is quite funny). Her constantly being lied to by Edward, for her own good, and the total lack of a climatic ending, will need to altered in some way.
My 14 year old is just entering high school and I can remember way back when, having a crush on a boy and every time he looked my way my stomach would lurch. Thinking about Bella and her voice over at the beginning and almost ending of how she thought dying for the love of someone else was a good way to go, really struck a nerve. I can just imagine the kids who watch this and then make comparisons to their own lives….scary.
I guess girls will either relate to Bella (the victim) or Buffy (the heroine).
August 30th, 2009 12:11
[…] and the commentary of the author of the remix […]
September 7th, 2009 15:37
[…] Not long after some friends from Toronto, the brilliant Anita Sarkeesian and Jonathan Macintosh, swung into town for the Allied Media Conference (but I suspect they really came to the D to try our delicious food). I love these folks. Anita runs the clever pop culture feminist vlog Feminist Frequency (vlogging sounds so intimidating so I gotta give her props for that alone, blogging’s hard enough for me). Jonathan is the guy behind the Buffy vs. Edward vid, a witty and inspired feminist critique of the Twilight series that got something like over 400,000 hits in it’s first week. You can check out his article on WIMN’s Voices explaining the vid and a report about it from the LA Times Entertainment blog. […]
September 7th, 2009 18:10
[…] (There is an extensive background on the video by the masherupper over at WIMN’s Voices (What Would Buffy Do? Notes on Dusting Edward Cullen) For more culture-jamming fun, visit Adbusters […]
September 10th, 2009 10:52
[…] (There is an extensive background on the video by the masherupper over at WIMN’s Voices (What Would Buffy Do? Notes on Dusting Edward Cullen) For more culture-jamming fun, visit Adbusters […]
September 18th, 2009 07:08
[…] That’s why this video is so exciting: it’s an in-your-face example of art with a rhetorical purpose, of brazenly creative remixing designed to tell an important story. (The creator, Jonathan McIntosh, even wrote an awesome description of why he created it.) My hope is that this kind of work will lead others to see other forms of remix and say, “Wait a minute, I think there’s a really important point here, too.” We could all use some training in reading (and making!) purposeful, world-changing aesthetics. […]
September 18th, 2009 17:40
[…] WIMN’s Voices: A Group Blog on Women, Media, AND… » Blog Archive » What Would Buffy Do? Notes on Dusting Edward Cullen […]
September 22nd, 2009 11:59
[…] • Read my post on why I made this remix via WIMN: http://www.wimnonline.org/WIMNsVoicesBlog/?p=1272 […]
October 2nd, 2009 21:52
I have been a longstanding fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I love the show, not just because it was beautifully done, because it was, but because of the way they portrayed the character of Buffy. She is the Chosen One. She is the Slayer, the one who will stand against the darkness, bump back against the things that bump in the night, and save the world - a lot. But, she is also a normal human teenage girl who wants to be just that - normal.
The story plays and subverts a variety of tv tropes in order to reveal female power as well as comic relief.
I found the movie Twilight, to be an insult to the vampire genre. I saw the movie, and I found Edward’s behavior to be border-line schizophrenic. He wasn’t romantic. He wasn’t cute. He was an obsessed stalker with repressed homicidal tendencies that glitters like a firefly’s butt when caught in direct sunlight. They twisted the image of the vampire to nothing more than a walking nightlight with fangs.
I always imagined what it would be like if Buffy and her friends came across several people, for example, what would happen if Buffy and Willow met The Charmed ones from , of course, Charmed. Or what would happen if Buffy ran into Edward. And when that question popped into my mind, “What would happen if Buffy ran into Edward?” immediately the first thing that popped into my mind a second later was, “Poof, big cloud of dust. “Somebody got a vacuum to clean up this mess?”
October 9th, 2009 10:52
[…] Though Death Cab for Cutie has shattered my confidence in – well, humanity in general – by creating a song exclusively for Twilight, this here video did make me feel better about the world. […]
October 25th, 2009 16:43
This quote is exactly the reason why as a fan of the vampire genre, I refuse to have anything to do w/ Twilight. “Teenage protagonist Bella Swan is written as passive, co-dependant and perpetually the damsel in distress.” I love strong women in my books/movies. I hate women who are weak and pushovers. Stand up for yourself! Kick someone’s ass!
I think my preference stems from the fact that I was bullied in school and was never able to do that for myself. That’s one reason why I was so attracted to the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K. Hamilton. Anita may be short statured, but she doesn’t take shit from anyone. Bella’s an effing sissy. Women like Ellen Ripley(Alien series)and Sarah Connor(Terminator 1&2)are amazing because of their strength. I really look up to women like that.
October 29th, 2009 17:20
[…] More info on who made it, and why, here. (Worth a read if you liked it!) […]
November 6th, 2009 09:58
I always knew the Twilight series felt wrong. And you’ve just put into words what my mind has been cryptically saying to me for the past year or so. Thank you for your enlightning video (I
November 21st, 2009 20:27
Wow, just seen this mash-up video for the first time and just wanted to say job well done!
I’m rewatching the Buffy series now after many years and each episode takes me back to when I was about 13 - seeing the show for the first time and wanting to be a tough, witty badass slayer too. Vampires shows/movies haven’t really sparked my interest since those days and when I was eventually persuaded to go see Twilight at the cinema with some friends, I felt so disappointed. Where had the strong, independent, inspiring female character gone? All we had here was Bella. A tragedy. Its just horribly sad to think Joss Whedon worked hard to create a legendary and inspiring character - and then Meyer came along with Bella and Edward’s ‘romance’ to make millions of young girls swoon. After I saw the movie, my friends couldn’t stop sighing and saying how they wished they had ‘an Edward’ in their lives. Why!? Ridiculous.
On a side note, a girl I know says she’s doing her English literature dissertation on Edward. I thought maybe it would be a sophisticated look at the effect Twilight has had but no- she is going to focus on how he embodies the ideal male partner or some such nonsense.
November 22nd, 2009 05:01
[…] Read the great post from What Would Buffy Do? Notes on Dusting Edward Cullen and then watch the remix. Way cool. […]
December 7th, 2009 19:54
[…] Jonathan McIntosh’s ”What Would Buffy Do?” […]
December 8th, 2009 11:39
[…] Twilight Equated With Yet Other Things - Though not in the same stratosphere as this Buffy vs. Edward video (which I linked to before, but which has not yet been seen my all of mankind, and so must be linked to again, like that will actually complete the goal of humanity’s exposure), it’s . . . interesting. I’d use another word in place of Christianity.* Po-tay-toe, Po-tah-toe, as this, sadly, apparently, is the version of God that’s become the ubiquitous mainstream societal definition. […]
December 11th, 2009 14:01
[…] What I love about this video is probably obvious to those of you who know my feelings on Twilight and its problematic messages for young girls about love and romance and gender roles. Jonathan McIntosh, the video’s creator writes about his reasons behind making the video here. He says, As an aspiring feminist guy, I wanted to speak out about issues of sexism and gender oppression in media but I wanted to do so carefully and intentionally. That’s why I chose to focus my critique on Edward’s patriarchal behavior in Twilight rather than on Bella’s actions. I didn’t feel it was my place to lecture her on desire (even in remix form), especially since her character is already disempowered by the original screenplay to the point of absurdity. […] I would like to say that the video is not intended as a stab at the fans. Rather, it’s an argument against the specific way in which romance and gender roles are constructed in the Twilight series. Ultimately, Buffy’s triumph over Edward is only one small part of much larger story: the story of our collective journey towards a world of gender equity and empowerment. […]
December 13th, 2009 22:47
This video is AWESOME! I just love it… when I was younger, I watched Buffy… and reading Twilight (almost) makes me wanna throw up.
Bella’s character is empty and weak… such different from ‘Buffy’ as could be.
The editing is outstanding… really! Very well done… I posted it on my blog :].
Congrats.
December 15th, 2009 23:18
[…] The ultimate Vampire Slayer vs. the brooding, sparkly vampire who pushes patriarchy and abstinence. Guess who wins. […]
December 20th, 2009 03:20
I’ve been working my way through Buffy all year, with my 17 yr old female boarder, and we’re finally in Season 7. She has read all of Twilight and showed me this clip - we both think it’s great. I haven’t read the books nor seen the movie but in this clip, with Edward always walking away when he doesn’t have an answer - it’s infuriating! So emo. Sooooo gonna get staked.
December 21st, 2009 14:10
I love when people take humor and intellectualize it. For making this video you have my eternal love in a non-Twilightish sort of way.
I actually read Twilight (never finished it because it was just so bad) while simultaneously reading Lolita, and the whole ninety year age discrepancy between Edward and Bella stood out to me most. I ended up writing a satire which I submitted to my school’s literary magazine that sort of compared Edward to Humbert Humbert.
Also, I’ve been watching a lot of Buffy and I can definitely say I think becoming a vampire slayer is a much better career choice than becoming a housewife in Forks, Washington.
December 22nd, 2009 22:56
“Aspiring feminist guy”?? Honey, forget aspiring: You have ARRIVED.
What I love most about this video is that it not only shows WWBD (what would buffy do), but it also shows what any rational woman would do if confronted with an Edward-esque figure in real life.
December 30th, 2009 12:06
[…] …is this fantastic mashup of Twilight and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The link above takes you to the maker, Jonathan McIntosh’s essay about the whys and wherefores of the mashup’s making over at WIMNOnline. […]
January 3rd, 2010 13:29
[…] For more from McIntosh about this remix, see his guest blog post on WIMN’s Voices. And definitely check out his other works at Rebellious Pixels. var addthis_pub = ‘harlotofthearts’; var addthis_language = ‘en’;var addthis_options = ‘email, favorites, digg, delicious, myspace, google, facebook, reddit, live, more’; […]
January 3rd, 2010 21:50
I’m a bit bothered that you’re characterizing their dynamic as “gender roles.” It has nothing to do with gender. A person that acts like Bella, whether male or female, attracts a person that acts like Edward. In fact there are just as many examples of relationships where women domineer a listless man.
I’m very happy you’ve made this video that helps illustrate how toxic a relationship Bella and Edward have, but why do we have to focus on women? It’s a bad relationship for *anyone* who finds oneself in it. Remake it as two gay men and the relationship is the same. Where do the gender roles go now?
In every relationship there is a balance of power and you will usually find a dominant and a submissive. In bad relationships these roles are magnified. In this day and age let’s drop “gender” out of it. Women only need to be empowered if they lack power. Your video, I think, shows that women who lack power lack it by choice, and paradoxically if we try to remove that choice then we are actually disempowering them. Women shouldn’t avoid these relationships because they’re bad for women, they should avoid them because they’re bad for anyone.
January 4th, 2010 05:32
[…] Here is a quote about what prompted Jonathan to make the piece: Over the course of the film Edward is in turns patronizing, condescending and just downright creepy. He spies on Bella, he stalks her (for “her own good”), he sneaks into her room to watch her sleep (without her consent) and even confesses to a deep, overpowering desire to kill her. We marveled at how the film attempted to present this behavior as sweet and deeply romantic – and how the larger pop culture discussion continued that framing for millions of young Twilight fans. At several points during the film Anita and I found ourselves asking each other: “What Would Buffy Do?” (Source) […]
January 5th, 2010 19:02
Jonathan,
I actually like twilight, even with its flaws (love it a little, maybe: http://overbear.wordpress.com/2010/01/05/unapologetic-twilight-love-ok-maybe-a-little-apologetic/), but this video is even better. I’ve shown it to friends who haven’t watched either Buffy or Twilight, and even they liked it. Thanks, man.
(Maybe when Breaking Dawn comes out, you can give us a Buffy vs Bella showdown? The only thing better than a girl kicking ass is two girls kicking ass.)
January 10th, 2010 10:34
[…] • Read my post on why I made this remix via WIMN: http://www.wimnonline.org/WIMNsVoicesBlog/?p=1272 […]
January 13th, 2010 11:05
“”I’m a bit bothered that you’re characterizing their dynamic as “gender roles.” It has nothing to do with gender. A person that acts like Bella, whether male or female, attracts a person that acts like Edward. In fact there are just as many examples of relationships where women domineer a listless man.”"
I had to quote this because it’s so right. I like both Twilight and Buffy, and I don’t think there is a great contradiction between the do. Both Bella and Buffy do follow their own ways according to their values, and though Bella completely lost me after the I’m-gonna-die-for-the-baby decision and stuff - who are we to criticize her decision? If a real woman decides to die for her child or her husband - are we going to force the child out of her, or to tie her to a chair while her husband gets killed? Is it freedom if you’re only allowed to make the feminist decision? Bella is not the way she is because she is forced to be.
Second, what is stalking and what is romantic has to be decided between the two. How many sms a day is stalking? Where is the line between looking for occasions to meet the beloved, and following her against her will? And one thing is clear: Edward coming closer is in no way against Bella’s will. What is seen as romantic in a relationship will be seen as stalking after a break-up, and the other way round. Much depends on the context.
For Edward’s sneaking into her room: Yes, that’s strange. In my eyes. If I were a superhero and superfast and supersilent, and for hundred years far above humanity, maybe I wouldn’t find this strange anymore. Just ask yourselves: if cat women sneaks into a house for the greater good, does anyone call her a stalker?
To sum up my defense:
1. These are personal choices, noone forces Bella to react that way
2. It’s fantasy - even young girls are able to tell the difference between a godlike vampire sneaking into someone’s house to get used to her smell, and the neighbour’s kid breaking into their own houses to stalk
3. It’s not about gender, it’s about romance and dependency in relationships (which can make love stronger and seem more romantic, in an unhealthy way of course) - maybe the author is not emancipated, but that’s her decision and she clearly doesn’t seem unhappy with it.
That’s it.
January 15th, 2010 02:34
[…] • Read my post on why I made this remix via WIMN: http://www.wimnonline.org/WIMNsVoicesBlog/?p=1272 […]
January 21st, 2010 14:59
[…] http://www.wimnonline.org/WIMNsVoicesBlog/?p=1272 […]
January 22nd, 2010 04:36
[…] Jonathan McInthosh: Normalerweise versuche ich den Kräften der Dunkelheit aus dem Weg zu gehen, aber letzte Woche da hab ich einen berühmten Vampir getötet – und es hat Spass gemacht.(ganzes Interview) […]
January 23rd, 2010 04:48
[…] Update 23. Januar 2010: Just sind mir zwei Texte untergekommen, die sich mit dem Phänomen des Stalking in Buffy und Twilight vergleichend auseinandersetzen: “Buffy vs. Twilight – Stalking Comparison” und, ausführlicher, “What Would Buffy Do? Notes on Dusting Edward Cullen“, beide von Jonathan McIntosh. (via) Andere auf diesen Beitrag hinweisen –> […]
February 11th, 2010 16:29
Thank you Johnathon. My mother and I are both into the kinda Buffy/Anita Blake/Women of the Otherworld and she brought the Twilight books home, devoured them, then passed them on to me ‘You’re going to want to read these next, they’re great’ she says,
Well, I got eyestrain from rolling my eyes so hard in the first few pages.
When I was young, my mother was a strong feminist, she works to prevent domestic violence… it creeped me out she was RECOMMENDING these books to me. Thank you for making this video, so that I could show her what I was seeing.
February 15th, 2010 20:22
I can relate to Aelon’s post above me. I am a middle-aged mom, lover of Buffy, who is rather stunned and dismayed at other moms around me who are otherwise smart, strong women, fawning over Twilight and Edward Cullen. I’m not a bra-burning feminist, but I just don’t get it. Meyer’s writing is poor, the characters are flat, the story derivative. Bella is a whimpering idiot, Edward a creepy, borderline-abusive bore. How is any of this compelling? It’s disturbing to me that so many millions of teenage girls are reading this and considering it “romantic”. Thank you, thank you, thank you for making this video. I’m posting it on Facebook next….
April 8th, 2010 10:42
About time Buffy did something about that nest of Vamps in Forks!!!
April 26th, 2010 17:23
[…] Read an article from Jonathan McIntosh about why he made “Buffy vs Edward” at WIMN Voices where he discusses his pro-feminist interpretation of Twilight and also gives a big shout out to the vidding community which was a primary influence in making this video. His other remixes can be seen on his blog at www.rebelliouspixels.com […]
April 28th, 2010 23:18
How funny, I just saw the vid in Youtube and now I found this in a very unrelated web search, life is strange.
Im a Buffy fan myself, and when Twilight came up, I could not believe how we had backstepped on feminist empowerment, it almost felt that Whedon’s work went to the can. But actions like this remind me that the world isn’t becoming a submissive doormat.
But Im afraid how young women aspire to an Edwardian kind of love. Our generation was inoculated by Buffy, and even when im not a girl, I drew wisdom from Buffy too. She is my only superhero. I honestly think that Meyer screwed it up badly with these so-called romace novels.
You sir, have an amazing talent
May 8th, 2010 16:53
I feel that I really have to agree, I found this video extremely satisfying. Having grown up in the Buffy generation I have been really distressed by the types of role models young girls have these days, I’d really like to see another ‘buffy-esq’ show or at least characters on television.
I think it’s also worth pointing out that buffy isn’t just about physical stregnth, it’s also about mental and emotional stregnth when dealing with your problems. Thats what makes the character of Faith such an ironic character - she had the slayer stregnth but also a tendancy to run away from her problems, as opposed to the physically weaker characters in the series (for example Willow) who always faced up to thier problems..
May 11th, 2010 12:37
[…] Are you tired of TV shows marginalizing actors of color, or casting only young, skinny women? Create the kinds of media options you want to see. New media tools make it cheap and easy to produce, film and distribute alternatives, including video remixes and mash ups. Start your own blog, podcast, online magazine or social networking community. Create counter-ads to parody manipulative commercials. Start a pirate radio station, or produce your own cable access TV show. Distribute your media content via YouTube, Vimeo, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, SheWrites and other social networking sites. […]
May 17th, 2010 18:51
I was pleasantly surprised my own phone was able to view this kind of post, wonderful work.
May 27th, 2010 23:29
[…] http://www.wimnonline.org/WIMNsVoicesBlog/?p=1272 […]
June 2nd, 2010 01:11
Wow, super post, you realy know your stuff. Thanks for sharing!
June 4th, 2010 08:14
[…] Jonathan McIntosh annotates his Buffy vs Edward Cullen video (via Karunya Keshav) […]
June 13th, 2010 05:00
Firefly is one of the TV Series that was created by Joss Whedon. I love Firefly so much but it does not have Season 2.*:”
June 22nd, 2010 19:04
[…] Jonathan McIntosh annotates his Buffy vs Edward Cullen video (via Karunya Keshav) […]
July 18th, 2010 05:13
I really enjoy this Site. A good friend of my own invited me right here and it’s just crazy! Will share with all of you, if you are a twilight addicted, this secret site I uncovered! I got my copy and I am good to go!