Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Philosophy

Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Philosophy

Author: James B. South

Publisher: Open Court

Published: 2011-04-15

Total Pages: 350

ISBN-13: 0812697472

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Twenty-three essays by young professional philosophers examine crucial ethical and metaphysical aspects of the Buffyverse (the world of Buffy). Though the show already attracted much scholarly attention, this is the first book to fully disinter the intellectual issues. Designed by Whedon as a multilevel story with most of its meanings deeply buried in heaps of heavy irony, Buffy the Vampire Slayer has replaced The X-Files as the show that explains to Americans the nature of the powerful forces of evil continually threatening to surge into our world of everyday decency and overwhelm it. In the tradition of the classic horror films Buffy the Vampire Slayer addresses ethical issues that have long fascinated audiences. This book draws out the ethical and metaphysical lessons from a pop-culture phenomenon.


The Existential Joss Whedon

The Existential Joss Whedon

Author: J. Michael Richardson

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2014-11-18

Total Pages: 205

ISBN-13: 0786455306

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This study examines the major works of contemporary American television and film screenwriter Joss Whedon. The authors argue that these works are part of an existentialist tradition that stretches back from the French atheistic existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre, through the Danish Christian existentialist Soren Kierkegaard, to the Russian novelist and existentialist Fyodor Dostoevsky. Whedon and Dostoevsky, for example, seem preoccupied with the problem of evil and human freedom. Both argue that in each and every one of us "a demon lies hidden." Whedon personifies these demons and has them wandering about and causing havoc. Dostoevsky treats the subject only slightly more seriously. Chapters cover such topics as Russian existentialism and vampire slayage; moral choices; ethics; Faith and bad faith; constructing reality through existential choice; some limitations of science and technology; love and self-sacrifice; love, witchcraft, and vengeance; soul mates and moral responsibility; love and moral choice; forms of freedom; and Whedon as moral philosopher.


What Would Buffy Do?

What Would Buffy Do?

Author: Jana Riess

Publisher: Jossey-Bass

Published: 2004-04-30

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780787969226

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

What Would Buffy Do? explores the fascinating spiritual, religious, and mythological ideas of television's hit series Buffy the Vampire Slayer--from apocalypse and sacrifice to self-reliance, redemption, and the need for humor when fighting our spiritual battles.


Why Buffy Matters

Why Buffy Matters

Author: Rhonda Wilcox

Publisher: I.B. Tauris

Published: 2005-11-05

Total Pages: 262

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

A celebration of TV's Buffy the Vampire Slayer from the woman CNN hailed as the *Mother of Buffy Studies*


Buffy Goes Dark

Buffy Goes Dark

Author: Lynne Y. Edwards

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2014-01-10

Total Pages: 234

ISBN-13: 0786452498

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Buffy the Vampire Slayer earned critical acclaim for its use of metaphor to explore the conflicts of growth, power, and transgression. Its groundbreaking stylistic and thematic devices, boldness and wit earned it an intensely devoted fan base--and as it approached its zenith, attention from media watchdog groups and the Federal Communications Commission. The grim and provocative evolution of the show over its final two seasons polarized its audience, while also breaking new ground for critical and philosophical analysis. The thirteen essays in this collection, divided into the perspectives of feminist, cultural, auteur and fan studies, explore the popular series' conclusion, providing a multifaceted examination of Buffy's most controversial two seasons.


Undead TV

Undead TV

Author: Elana Levine

Publisher: Duke University Press

Published: 2007-11-02

Total Pages: 228

ISBN-13: 9780822340430

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

DIVCritical studies of the popular television show, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER./div


Buffy Meets the Academy

Buffy Meets the Academy

Author: Kevin K. Durand

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2014-01-10

Total Pages: 231

ISBN-13: 0786453745

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This book presents serious academic scholarship on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It differs from other works because it uses Buffy as a primary text and not as a secondary instrument to explore other concepts. In doing so, it demonstrates that popular culture studies should be approached with the same serious attention that is paid to classic philosophy and other long-established fields. Essays assemble the Buffy canon and explore how Buffy treats Shakespeare, comics, power, sisterhood, apocalyptic revisionism, folklore, feminism, redemption, patriarchy, identity and education. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.


The Aesthetics of Culture in Buffy the Vampire Slayer

The Aesthetics of Culture in Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Author: Matthew Pateman

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2015-03-21

Total Pages: 289

ISBN-13: 1476606129

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

On the TV screen as elsewhere, there is often more than meets the eye. For decades, television has offered not just entertainment, but observations--subtle and otherwise--on society. This book examines the cultural commentary contained in Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, a show that ran for seven seasons (1997-2003) and 144 episodes. On the surface, Buffy is the marriage of a high school drama to gothic horror. This somewhat unusual vehicle is used to present, via the character of Buffy, fairly typical views of late 20th century culture-teenage problems; issues regarding a broken home; and the search for meaning and validation. In addition, subtler themes, such as cultural views of knowledge, ethnicity and history, are woven into the show's critique of popular culture. Organized into two sections, this volume offers an in-depth examination of the show: first, through the lens of Buffy's confrontation with culture, and second, from the complex perspectives of the individual characters. Issues such as values, ethical choices and the implications of one's actions are discussed--without ever losing sight of the limitations of a medium that will always be dominated by financial concerns. The final chapter summarizes what Buffy has to say about today's society. An appendix lists Buffy episodes in chronological order.


The Whedonverse Catalog

The Whedonverse Catalog

Author: Don Macnaughtan

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2018-05-21

Total Pages: 282

ISBN-13: 1476631603

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Director, producer and screenwriter Joss Whedon is a creative force in film, television, comic books and a host of other media. This book provides an authoritative survey of all of Whedon's work, ranging from his earliest scriptwriting on Roseanne, through his many movie and TV undertakings--Toy Story, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly/Serenity, Dr. Horrible, The Cabin in the Woods, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.--to his forays into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The book covers both the original texts of the Whedonverse and the many secondary works focusing on Whedon's projects, including about 2000 books, essays, articles, documentaries and dissertations.


Philosophy and the Interpretation of Pop Culture

Philosophy and the Interpretation of Pop Culture

Author: William Irwin

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2007

Total Pages: 310

ISBN-13: 9780742551756

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Containing thirteen articles, this book makes the case to philosophers that popular culture is worthy of their attention. It considers popular art forms such as movies, television shows, comic books, children's stories, photographs, and rock songs.