Beyond werewolves and witches
At the end of May, a collection of 350 academics from around the world gathered in Nashville to present papers and discuss social issues, mythology and religion in...Buffy the Vampire Slayer. While many viewers dismissed the now-departed TV show as merely a blonde Californian teen and her friends going through the usual teen angst against a backdrop of monsters and fighting, academics and scholars embraced the show. It is seen as a work of cultural importance which encompasses a range of meaningful subtexts - a love-affair which continues even after the end of the "Buffyverse". They are not alone in their intellectual fandom of a cult television show: from Star Trek to Alias to Xena: Warrior Princess, certain American series have attracted a loyal base of academic support, the result being reams of papers and seminars on a wide range of literary and cultural topics.
But is the subtext actually there, or is this a case of intelligent people needing to intellectualise popular culture in order to justify their enjoyment? A concentrated study of DVD packages and internet fan sites proves that these shows do indeed incorporate a wealth of intellectual references for the more observant viewer who is wiling to look beyond fangs and spacecraft.
In the context of American television, this isn't as surprising as discovering allusions to Greek mythology in Eastenders. As multi-million dollar projects, these shows attract educated and talented writers who put their literary backgrounds to good use. Add to this the idea that there are roughly only twelve distinct stories that can be told, and it seems natural that these television shows will retell the traditional narratives while including obvious or covert nods to their sources.
The genres of Sci-fi and Fantasy are particularly suited to classical mythology due to the conventions of their premise. Alternate realities and a central character on a quest automatically allude to Achilles and his trials: Buffy is noted to have followed the principles of the hero in literature through the phases of separation, initiation and return identified by Joseph Campbell, as she rejects her calling, learns her craft and is resurrected following her sacrifice at the end of series five.
Meanwhile Xena reinforced the allegory by setting itself in ancient Graeco-Roman times, and some episodes have even directly referenced myths such as Hercules and Odysseus by including these characters in the plot.
Since family dynamics are an important plot issue in TV, it is not surprising that the classic tales of Oedipus and Elektra have also been explored. Buffy spin-off Angel saw the eponymous hero's son attempt to kill him, and embark upon a doomed liaison with the mother figure of the show, Cordelia (herself an ironic reference to King Lear, since the character initially was the antithesis of the non-materialistic and virtuous daughter). On Alias, Sydney Bristow spent a whole series in life-or-death power struggles with her mother, while Freud would certainly enjoy the implications of her romantic involvement with Vaughn, a man whose own marriage of betrayal and espionage exactly mirrored that of Sydney's father.
In addition to classic mythology, literary references are rife for the attentive viewer. Characters in Buffy directly quote greats such as Henry V's St Crispin's Day speech (in 'The Gift') while the character of Xander was laden with nods to Conrad's Heart of Darkness in his dream sequence during 'Restless'. Series four of Angel was based largely around Yeats' Second Coming, with the "slouching towards Bethlehem" line used repeatedly to emphasise the coming apocalypse.
Yet classic literature is also accompanied by less 'worthy' works, including hints to The Wizard of Oz and A Little Princess - used to comment on the Angel character Fred's evolution towards strength and autonomy. Star Trek too overtly references classic literature, and is well-known for having a long-running love affair with the Bard, weaving Shakespearean reference into plots and dialogue through episode titles and speech (even the Klingons quote Hamlet in their own language).
Religion and philosophy are often the backdrop for the programmes, sometimes explored in depth and usually questioning established faiths and embracing a more spiritual approach. Star Trek purports a decisive "science-over-faith" system of belief, where religion is used as a tool for domination, and spirituality is the preferable state, while the atheism of "Buffyverse" creator Joss Whedon is evidenced through the hell dimensions and fallible "powers that be" which immediately mark out a non-traditional message. Paganism and Wicca are shown in positive lights, and characters battle with earning redemption, rather than being granted salvation.
Philosophical depth can be seen in the utilitarian dilemmas faced in battle and conflict - killing innocents to prevent larger tragedies is a common trauma, an action usually taken by a member of the supporting character cast to absolve the hero of such guilt. In a critically acclaimed episode, 'Normal Again', Buffy faced Descartes' question of the nature of reality, as under the influence of a mystical drug she awakes in the 'reality' of a mental institution, believing that the reality of Sunnydale is in fact the fabrication.
The wealth of essays analysing ethnicity in Star Trek, or feminism in Buffy highlight the value of these programs as a reflection of social issues, and a cultural commentary within themselves. When, in teen drama The O.C, a father sarcastically threatens to bring in another child to jeopardize the community, "...maybe a black kid!", the writers are not only acknowledging the lack of non-white characters but also making a pointed reference to the middle-class viewers' suspicion of ethnic minorities in their wealthy gated communities.
Positive lesbian relationships and powerful female protagonists marked Buffy and Xena out as a new breed of feminist role models. The finale to Buffy saw a whole generation of young women empowered with supernatural strength: the Slayer powers previously limited to one girl who could be controlled by the patriarchal Watchers Council. The subversion of traditional male heroes and submissive female romantic interests were at the heart of the programmes, showing young women in a proactive and dominant position for often the first time in this genre.
So, next time you're ridiculed for watching a leather-clad spy or brooding vampire, remind your critic that literature and philosophy aren't the vanguards of dusty books alone, but are modern and relevant issues being explored on TV screens all the time. Of course, that is the only reason you're camped in front of the TV for hours on a Saturday afternoon...
10th Jun 2004