Popular Culture Review Vol. 12, No. 1, February 2001 | Page 94

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Popular Culture Review

adults’ intellect and senses through the unique writing. The scripts and story lines
are unique because they offer ironic commentary on the world of adolescents through
the dialogue and the parodies of cultural institutions central to adolescent life while
remaining faithful to the values of mainstream youth. The symbolism of the dangers
Buffy faces and those faced by the average teenager is not lost on its young viewers.
However, it also seldom knocks them over the head with it. The scripts also provide
a subtext of linguistic structure that appeals to adolescents for its marked contrast
to the language of adults.
An examination of the plot lines and script excerpts of two episodes
demonstrates these traits:

Episode #45: “Gingerbread.”
Script Summary: B u ffy s mother, along with other adults, (infected with a dem onic

curse) organize into M OO — M others O ppo sed to the Occult— to search ou t texts
a nd p r a c tition e r s o f w itchcraft. The p rin cip a l, Mr. S n y d e r (p la y e d by A rm in
Shim erm an ), who com pares teens to ''locusts, m ind lessly b en t on fee d ing a nd
mating, " b eg in s a lo cker search f o r o ccu lt books o r evidence.
Principal Snyder.- This is a glorious day for principals everywhere. No pathetic
whining about students’ rights. Just a long row of lockers and a man with a key.
Xander.- A man, it’s Nazi Germany and I have Playboys in my locker.
Willow (who is learning to practice witchcraft): I have stuff in my locker. Henbane,
hellebore, mandrake root.
Xander: Excuse me Playboys. Can we turn the sympathy this way?
A fte r S n y d e r removes books fr o m the library, Giles a nd Buffy worry a bou t how to
continue to be effective without G ile s ’libraty o f reference texts on demons, especially
in ligh t o f the a ppa rent spell on the p a rents who are becoming more fr e n z ie d in
th e ir efforts to root ou t witchcraft.
Buffy: Giles, we need those books.
Giles: Believe me, I tried to tell that to the nice man with the gun.
Giles responds to B u ffy ’s question a bou t a plan.
Giles: I don’t know. Ordinarily, I would say let’s widen our research.
Buffy: Using what? A dictionary and My F riend F lic k a l
Willow s mother, Sheila (p la yed by Jordan Baker) who remains unaware o f Willow s
active d em on a nd w itchcra ft experiences, warns Willow aw ay fr o m teens who m ay
be in v o lv e d in the occult.
Willow: Mom, I’m not an age group. I’m me. Willow group.
Sheila: Willow, you cut off your hair. Huh, that’s a new look.
Willow: Yeah, it’s just a sudden whim I had— in August.
B uffy a nd h e r m o th er argue a bou t the book censoring activities o f MOO.
Buffy: Okay, maybe I don’t have a plan. Lord knows I don’t have any lapel buttons.