Popular Culture Review Vol. 12, No. 1, February 2001 | Page 93

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feminine limitation in the series. Buffy’s strength and confidence
are not learned from the vast experiences of past generations
of women; rather, they are her mystical birthright as a slayer.
The series plays at transgression; as such, it is quintessential
television. But it remains to be seen whether transgressive play
can challenge institutional relations of power. (30-31)
And finally Tom Carson, in his review of the show in Esquire, responds from the
vantage point of popular culture critic:
C’mon, this society messes over adolescent females in all sorts
of ways, from denying them equal time in classrooms to
inculcating body images that lead the average thirteen-yearold to fret that Barbies are way too plump.. .Call me a traitor to
my demographic, but I think it’s great that these days girls are
getting fresher, livelier, flat-out better TV shows than their
parents or older siblings.. .and, one good reason to applaud the
trend is that it’s so at odds with the antiwoman bias that now
rules the rest of prime time. Sometimes in disguise, for sure,
but even so, my ideal Bujfy episode would end with her plunging
a stake through Ally McBeal’s heart. (36-37)
In a perfect world, television shows would consist entirely of perfectly
constructed representatives from the critical pedagogy of an enlightened, fully
represented, and unbiased perspective. Young people and adults would be content
to sit in front of their television sets soaking in the wisdom of these pedantic icons.
However, most of us all watch television to be entertained, first and foremost. A
program with the best of critical pedagogy will not see the light of day if it cannot
deliver on that entertainment promise first. If we’re lucky, our children will bypass
the worst of the lot and turn to something for which we can see some redeeming
social value. Classifying Bujfy as the best of the worst may seem like “damning
with soft praise,” but in an age where television programs seem to be getting more
violent and more insipid, Buffy offers hope to adults concerned about young people.

What might B u ff y teach teens and young adults about negotiating the
potential minefield between adolescence and adulthood?

As already mentioned, a television program, like any text, must appeal to the
audience. We approach television narratives from what Rosenblatt calls the
“aesthetic” stance. In other words, we wish to experience the narrative through
intellectual and sensual responses. Buff}^ appeals to young (and some not-so-young)