In highschool, I spent a year studying the Horror Genre. It explained how the genre went from expressionism (such as in Nosferatu (1922), stemming from the expressionistic paintings such as the famous 'The Scream' painting (1893)) and grew to become post-modern, as seen in the topic for this week: Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The idea of post-modernism is for the genre to be made up of several sub-genres. It is defined as "a late 20th-century style and concept in the arts, architecture, and criticism, which represents a departure from modernism and is characterized by the self-conscious use of earlier styles and conventions, a mixing of different artistic styles and media, and a general distrust of theories." You can see an example of the self-conscious aspect in Buffy The Vampire Slayer in the episode 'Goodbye Iowa' where Buffy is watching Wiley-E-Cyote and says "That would never happen." to which Willow replies "Well, no, Buff. That's why they call them cartoons, not documentaries." Also, you see this similar type of thing when Xander refers to them as the 'Scooby-Gang'. Their gang is a tight-knit community, which Hill (2004) describes to be one of the defining characteristics of Cult TV. The characters on Buffy are all close and trusting, which is important in this genre. "Here, relationships are often bound together through... the acceptance of characters' extraordinary status." (Hill, 2004, page 512).
Hill (2004) explains further that the unresolved narrative between episodes is a key aspect of the Cult Tv, and the unresolved narrative would allow the genre to be in a sense like a soap opera. The questions you see at the end of each episode is replaced by new questions, thus creating an exciting and addicting series.
Buffy is post-modern because it takes aspects of the 'Teen', 'Romance', 'Horror', 'Comedy' and 'Action' category, among many others.
The monster in this episode is also taking from something in the past, as Post-modernism is known for. It already has taken the Vampire/monsters idea, and now Frankenstein idea (Frankenstein's monster) and allows it to play in out a new way.
(Buffy's Monster) (Frankenstein's Monster)
These post-modern qualities that are placed into the cult-tv world allow for the fanbase to become more enthralled in the storyline that takes place.
References:
Hills, M. (2004). Defining Cult TV; Texts, Inter-texts and Fan Audiences, The Television Studies Reader, in R. C. Allen & A. Hill. London and New York: Routledge.
Goodbye Iowa (Season 4 script from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) Retrieved 20 September, 2005 from: http://www.pukkie.net/reference/btvs_transcripts_season_4.pdf
Websites:
http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/postmodernism
http://www.thetvcritic.org/reviews/dramas/buffy-the-vampire-slayer/season-4/goodbye-iowa/
http://www.deadlantern.com/2008/01/09/famous-monsters-of-horrordom-1-frankensteins-monster-karloff/
Hi Keely,
ReplyDeleteI never even thought about the fact that Buffy's Monster looks like, or even resembles Frankenstein. But now that you have pointed it out - it does have very similar characteristics. Isn't it great how cult TV has evolved?! We can see new ideas being generated, but what I find really great, is that these new ideas are just re-incarnations of the original ideas. They are a reformed version. It's great that you have pointed this out. Do you think that because of this 'evolution' that it at all stops or hinders originality or creativity? Or do you think it enhances it?
I think that with the post-modern qualities television and film has these days, particularly cult TV, it enhanses creativity to a sense. If you look at something like 'Twilight' and think of the fanbase it has generated, although it is not a new idea. Vampires - Nosferatu, Dracula, ect. But with a new spin on it, they are making something creative from something borrowed.
ReplyDeleteIt's like... what's next? Mummy romance/comedy movies?
I think it's true that every year there is a upgrade of the latest things. Even with the characters from long time ago, Frankenstein has been upgraded into this monster in Buffy. If they just used the same characteristics of Frankenstein , it would have been boring or there would be nothing special about it. I think that nowadays with the new fan base, even the evil characters and the enemies are having many fans because of their different characteristics with pretty, handsome looks. Before it was only the main female and male characters who had the spotlight. For example, many of characters from twilight has huge fan bases for each characters from the evil ones and the good ones.
ReplyDeleteJust quickly going to mention that the monster in Buffy is not modelled after Dr. Frankenstein, but his Monster which has no real name but 'Frankenstein's Monster'.
ReplyDelete