I was recently binge watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer. (Hey! Tumblr is a judgment free zone!) While watching the show and reveling in all its 90s glory, I started thinking about the messages hidden within the episodes. At first look, you think Buffy is a feminist poster girl....but....then, you start thinking maybe not so much? How does a girl balancing school and vampire slaying still find time to maintain perfect hair and sparkly make-up? Doesn’t this send a message to girls that those things should still be a priority, even when you’re fighting for your life and the safety of others? Hmm....And what about the way Buffy dresses? I’m kind of torn on this one.On the one hand, it’s dangerous to feed girls (Buffy is supposed to be 16!) images of perfect blondes with perfect bodies that they show off in midriff tops and super short skirts. Because, think about it, teenage girls are not going to find it feasible to emulate Buffy by seeking out vampires to destroy but they can seek to have D-Cups and killer legs like she does. Does the girl power message get lost behind Buffy’s hyper sexualized look? On the other hand, I don’t think its healthy to teach young women that there’s something wrong with sexuality or feeling comfortable with their natural curves. Afterall, if the show was called Billy the Vampire Slayer,would I take issue with an alleged 16 year old boy with huge muscles, prancing across the screen shirtless? In other words, is Buffy hyper sexualized by the producers who styled her or the viewers who watch her?
There are so many issues at play in my mind. Femininity and feminism are not mutually exclusive. In fact, that concept itself is anti-feminist and chauvinistic. For me, the problem is how femininity is portrayed and defined by the media. Should all girls/women who don’t look like Buffy; who don’t maintain the perfect look while slaying their real-life-vampires (college, a career, kids, etc...) feel as though they aren’t feminine? What about girls/women who just prefer not to wear sparkly makeup and well-curled blonde hair? How can we encourage and promote healthy body image while the media pushes these types of role models?
