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A popular American TV show from the late 1990s through early 2000s, Buffy the Vampire Slayer has had a tremendous influence on popular culture that has attracted serious scholarly attention. Even the language used on the show has affected modern colloquial expressions. [1]
Buffy and its spinoff, Angel which employed pop culture references as a frequent humorous device, have themselves also become a frequent pop culture reference in video games, comics and television shows, and has been frequently parodied and spoofed. Sarah Michelle Gellar, the actress who played Buffy, has herself participated in several parody sketches, including a Saturday Night Live sketch in which the Slayer is relocated to the Seinfeld universe, [2] and adding her voice to an episode of Robot Chicken that parodied a would-be eighth season of Buffy. [3] There are also several adult parodies of Buffy, web comics, and music.
There have been a number of spoofs of Buffy on notable TV comedy sketch shows. In chronological order:
In the international release of the 2004 Russian film Night Watch , a major character is seen watching television which is airing a scene from the show where Buffy meets Dracula in the cemetery – dubbed into Russian. On the DVD version when the movie is dubbed into English the original audio for the episode is used.
In the 2004 family comedy Johnson Family Vacation one of the main characters is seen watching the episode "Chosen" where Buffy is seen fighting ubervamps during the climactic battle seen within the Hellmouth.
In the 2004 American comedy White Chicks , Marcus refers to the self-racist, black, football player Latrell as "Buffy the White Girl Slayer".
The 2005 Australian film Hating Alison Ashley also briefly refers to Buffy. When brainstorming plots for a school play, two girls talk about "a normal girl, who's beautiful..." and "one day as she is walking through the cemetery she realises she's...BUFFY!" Their idea is knocked back immediately.
In the 2007 film The Jane Austen Book Club , directed by Robin Swicord, also starring Marc Blucas who played Riley Finn on Buffy the Vampire Slayer , Jocelyn finds herself surrounded by Buffy fans as to she is around a "Buffy convention" called the "Buffy Contingency."
In the 2010 American vampire spoof Vampires Suck , based in most part on Twilight film series, Buffy is portrayed by Krystal Mayo. She uses an outfit similar to Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight No. 1 cover.
In 2011 film remake Fright Night vampire hunter Peter Vincent (David Tennant) refers to Charley (Anton Yelchin) and his girlfriend Amy (Imogen Poots) as their "little Scooby Gang" because of their desire to kill a vampire.
At the end of My Name Is Bruce , Bruce Campbell tells Jeff and Kelly to call Buffy the next time they unleash a demon from Hell.
In 2012, adult entertainment company, Adam & Eve Pictures, released a pornographic parody film based on the show starring Lexi Belle as Buffy.
In 2014, the character Stosh "Piz" Piznarski in Veronica Mars refers to the main setting of Neptune, California as sitting on top of a Hellmouth.
Fan films parodying or paying tribute to Buffy have become more common, as computer and digital technology has advanced and become affordable, and distribution over the internet has become easier.
In the French fantasy novel "Mattew Whiter et la dague de Midas" (2009) by Alexis Pichard, Mattew, a young sorcerer who just discovered he is a sorcerer, is appalled at the magical community's knowing who he is. Trying to comfort him, his talking cat then ironically asks him whether he wants to change names, saying: "do you think Buffy and Harry changed names? Well, they didn't! You are who you are."
DC Comics' Young Justice title made numerous references to a television series called Wendy the Werewolf Stalker, including a two-part story, during #33–34 where several of the book's heroines actually go to Hollywood to take part in an episode. [16] WtWS is a pretty straightforward "homage" to BtVS, with the twist that show creator "Joe Westin" is revealed to himself be a vampire.
Archie Comics character, Betty Cooper, dresses up as Bunny the Vampire Slayer for a Halloween costume party.
In the webcomic YU+ME:dream by Megan Gedris, the Cheese Man, from the Season Four BTVS episode "Restless", makes a cameo. [17]
Buffy is parodied in an issue of Bart Simpsons Comics titled "Lisa the Vampire Croaker", in which Lisa Simpson is trained by janitor Willy to fight vampires.
In the webcomic Little Alice, the creator frequently mentions Buffy as one of his most prominent influences. Buffy is credited as the creative outlet for the story, characters, and many of the panels. [18]
Buffy is referenced throughout issue #11 of the Marvel Comics series The Unbelievable Gwenpool, in which the titular Gwen Poole is hired by the Mayor of Doodkill to defend his village from a vampire (who turns out to be the dhampir Blade, who nicknames Gwen "Pink Slayer"), mentioning the television he has watched (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) to indicate the best vampire slayers to be teenage girls, to which Gwen thanks him in agreement, stating that they have "seen the same television".
Anarchy Online (June 27, 2001) features a decorative statue called the "Marble Statue of the Goddess Buffy Summers".
In the video games The X-Files: Resist or Serve (March 14, 2004) and Max Payne (July 25, 2001), a secret room contains a staked corpse with "Buffy" smeared on the wall in blood. [19]
The English version of Secret of Mana , a video game for the SNES which appeared shortly after the original movie came out, contains a boss named Buffy the Vampire.
In The Burning Crusade , the first expansion to the World of Warcraft video game, after defeating one of the raid bosses named The Lurker Below the player can obtain The Seal of Danzalar – an epic quality ring with the "From beneath you it devours" sentence engraved on it.
Also in World of Warcraft during the "Brewfest" world event, a human NPC with the name "Anne Summers" can be found as a Cheese Vendor in the event area outside of Ironforge. "Anne" being Buffy's middle name and the name she went by during her summer in Los Angeles and the NPC's status as a cheese vendor referencing when Willow tells Riley "She likes cheese... I'm not saying it's the key to her heart, but Buffy... she likes cheese."
In the video game Fable II, one of the optional quests the Hero can undertake consists of helping a farmer in Brightwood Farm called Giles take revenge upon a bandit called Ripper, or helping Ripper expand his operations by killing Giles. This may be a reference to Rupert 'Ripper' Giles (Farmer Giles' son is called Rupert).
A replica of Spike's crypt can be found in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas . [20]
In Transformice , there is a non-player character called Buffy, who was a vampire slayer. There is also a Halloween achievement title called "Vampire Slayer".
In 2005, a Trans-Neptunian object 2004 XR190 was unofficially named "Buffy", after the main character of the series. [21]
Buffy Summers is number 13 on Bravo's "100 Greatest TV Characters". [22] The show hits #3 on TV Guide's list of the "25 Top Cult Shows Ever!" (May 30, 2004, Issue) ""
Entertainment Weekly named the show No. 10 on its list of best TV shows in the past 25 years. [23] It also named the season 2 episode "Halloween" #11 on its list of top 25 Holiday Themed Episodes. [24] It also named Joyce Summers's exit on "Buffy" No. 20 on its list of top 25 Farewells. In 2012, the show was listed as No. 1 in the "25 Best Cult TV Shows from the Past 25 Years," with a remark on "the show's fierce following." [25]
In Dave Barry's 1999 novel "Big Trouble", main character Elliot Arnold is watching Buffy and eating Cheeze-its. When he receives urgent news and leaves the house, the narrative focuses on Buffy struggling against a vampire..."things didn't look very good for Buffy."
In the 2004 novel, Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris, Sookie Stackhouse has season one of Buffy the Vampire Slayer on tape, which was originally given to her as a gag gift from her friend Tara Thornton. She lets Eric Northman, a vampire, watch the show.
Sam, the heroine of Meg Cabot's "All American Girl (novel) novel, claimed Buffy as her inspiration, and makes frequent remarks about the franchise.
In January 2010, Sideshow Collectibles released Throne of the Slayer. [26]
The Big Finish Productions Doctor Who audio drama Minuet in Hell parodies Buffy in the form of a vapid American teenage girl named Becky Lee Kowalcyzk (Helen Goldwyn) who fights demons.
In November 2011 was announced that Facebook tapped Taiwanese cellphone maker HTC to build a smartphone that has the social network integrated at the core of its being. The phone is code-named "Buffy", after the television vampire slayer. [27]
English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran is a declared fan of the series and reportedly has drawn inspiration from the show for his compositions, and has sampled some of its background music. [28] [29]
British YouTuber Phil Lester is a notable fan of the series. He stated that his favorite episodes are Once More, With Feeling and Hush during a fan Q&A. [30] He also mentioned Buffy Summers as his favorite fictional character. [31]
In Jennifer Estep's first book in the Mythos Academy teen series, Touch of Frost, the main character says "I wondered if I was stuck in an insane asylum somewhere, just dreaming all this. Like Buffy." alluding to the episode in the sixth season where Buffy has flashes of being in an insane asylum and is not able to tell which world is real.
In honor of Syfy ’s 25th anniversary in 2017, Syfy did "25 greatest" lists, celebrating the last 25 years of all science fiction, fantasy, and horror:
Buffy Anne Summers is the title character of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise. She first appeared in the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer before going on to appear in The WB/UPN 1997–2003 television series and subsequent 1998–2018 Dark Horse and 2019–present Boom! Studios comic series of the same name. The character has also appeared in the spin-off series Angel, as well as numerous expanded universe materials such as novels and video games. Buffy was portrayed by Kristy Swanson in the film and by Sarah Michelle Gellar in the television series. Giselle Loren has lent her voice to the character in both the Buffy video games and an unproduced animated series, while Kelly Albanese lent her voice to the character in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight motion comics.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is an American supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. The concept is based on the 1992 film, also written by Whedon, although they are separate and unrelated productions. Whedon served as executive producer and showrunner of the series under his production tag Mutant Enemy Productions. It premiered on March 10, 1997, on The WB and concluded on May 20, 2003, on UPN.
William "Spike" Pratt, played by James Marsters, is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. Spike is a vampire and played various roles on the shows, including villain, anti-hero, trickster and romantic interest. For Marsters, the role as Spike began a career in science fiction television, becoming "the obvious go-to guy for US cult [television]." For creator Whedon, Spike is the "most fully developed" of his characters. The character was intended to be a brief villain, with Whedon originally adamant to not have another major "romantic vampire" character like Angel. Marsters says "Spike was supposed to be dirty and evil, punk rock, and then dead." However, the character ended up staying through the second season, and then returning in the fourth to replace Cordelia as "the character who told Buffy she was stupid and about to die."
"Once More, with Feeling" is the seventh episode of the sixth season of the supernatural drama television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003), and the only one in the series that is a musical. It was written and directed by series creator Joss Whedon and originally aired on UPN in the United States on November 6, 2001.
"Restless" is the 22nd episode and season finale of season four of the supernatural drama television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003), and the 78th episode of the series overall. The episode was written and directed by the show's creator Joss Whedon and originally aired on The WB in the United States on May 23, 2000.
"Surprise" is episode 13 of season two of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It was written by Marti Noxon and first broadcast on The WB on January 19, 1998. "Surprise" is part one of a two-part story. Part two, "Innocence," was broadcast the next day.
"Chosen" is the series finale of the American television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It is the 22nd episode of the seventh season and the 144th episode of the series overall. It was both written and directed by series creator Joss Whedon, and originally aired on UPN on May 20, 2003. The Buffy story would not be continued beyond this point until "The Long Way Home", a comic book, in 2007 and the Buffy and Angel saga would end in the Season Twelve series in late 2018.
"Becoming" is the season finale of the second season of the drama television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, consisting of the twenty-first and twenty-second episodes. The episode aired on The WB was split into two parts which were broadcast separately; "Part 1" first aired on May 12, 1998 and "Part 2" first aired on May 19, 1998. Both episodes were written and directed by series creator Joss Whedon.
"Real Me" is episode 2 of season 5 of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The episode aired on The WB on October 3, 2000.
"This Year's Girl" is the fifteenth episode of the fourth season of the American supernatural drama television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Written by Doug Petrie and directed by Michael Gershman, it originally aired on The WB on February 22, 2000. In the series, Buffy Summers is a Slayer, a teenage girl endowed with superhuman powers to fight evil forces. "This Year's Girl" is the first half of a two-part story arc featuring the return of the rogue Slayer Faith, who Buffy put into a coma in the season three finale. In this episode, Faith wakes up to find that months have passed and the Mayor is dead. She then exacts revenge by swapping bodies with Buffy in a cliffhanger ending.
"Who Are You?" is the sixteenth episode of the fourth season of the American supernatural drama television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It was written and directed by series creator Joss Whedon and originally aired on The WB on February 29, 2000.
The fictional universe established by television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel and the film Buffy the Vampire Slayer has been parodied or paid tribute to by a number of unofficial productions, most notably fan films and adult films.
"Welcome to the Hellmouth" is the series premiere of the American supernatural drama television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It originally aired on The WB on March 10, 1997 in a two-hour premiere along with the following episode, "The Harvest". The episode was written by the series creator and executive producer Joss Whedon and directed by Charles Martin Smith. "Welcome to the Hellmouth" received a Nielsen rating of 3.4 upon its original airing and received largely positive reviews from critics.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight is a comic book series published by Dark Horse Comics from 2007 to 2011. It serves as a canonical continuation of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and follows the events of that show's final televised season. It is produced by Joss Whedon, who wrote or co-wrote three of the series arcs and several one-shot stories. The series was followed by Season Nine in 2011.
The fourth season of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer premiered on October 5, 1999, on The WB and concluded its 22-episode season on May 23, 2000. It maintained its previous timeslot, airing Tuesdays at 8:00 pm ET. Beginning with this season, the character of Angel was given his own series, which aired on The WB following Buffy. Various Buffy characters made appearances in Angel, including Buffy herself; Cordelia Chase, formerly a regular in Buffy, and Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, who appeared in Buffy season three.
The fifth season of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer premiered on September 26, 2000, on The WB and concluded its 22-episode season on May 22, 2001. It maintained its previous timeslot, airing Tuesdays at 8:00 pm ET. This was the final season to air on The WB before it moved to UPN; The WB billed the season five finale as "The WB series finale".
The sixth season of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer premiered on October 2, 2001, with a two-hour premiere on UPN and concluded its 22-episode season with a two-hour finale on May 21, 2002. It maintained its previous timeslot, airing Tuesdays at 8:00 pm ET. This season marked the series' network change from The WB to UPN.
The seventh and final season of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer premiered on September 24, 2002 on UPN and concluded its 22-episode run on May 20, 2003. It maintained its previous timeslot, airing Tuesdays at 8:00 pm ET.
"Lovers Walk" is episode eight of season three of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It was written by Dan Vebber, directed by David Semel, and first broadcast on The WB on November 24, 1998.
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