Aaanywho, please give a warm welcome to our fandom friend Danner, who's joining us to write about her young generation's introduction to the Whedonverse. ::applause::
"A majority of Buffy fans these days are ones that began watching the series when it first aired on television, but there is also a fairly large portion of them that recently joined the fandom. People that jumped on the bandwagon a tad too late were often the ones that relied on DVD sets to get their Buffy fix. A great number of this new generation of Buffy fans are in their teens and are making strides in the online Buffyverse communities.
I joined the fandom late as well. Originally, I had only picked up the show on a whim. I knew very little about the plot and characters, though I had heard good things about it when I was younger. I was thrilled when I found that my local library had all seven seasons! I quickly made my way through all of the seasons on DVD and then began to watch Angel as well. When I finally decided to join online Buffyverse communities, I was startled to see that so many of the members were around my age (late teens and early 20s). The show has such a wide range of appeal that it is still attracting new people to the fandom years and years after the show first aired.
I think that the reason for this lies within the characters. They are very easy to relate to, no matter what age you are. For younger fans, the show makes the perils of high school seem insignificant when compared to the obstacles that Buffy has to face. The Scooby Gang is plagued with relatively 'normal' problems as well. The internal struggles that Buffy and the gang face are ones that everyone goes through at some point in their lives.
For some, Willow's struggle to fit in might be particularly hard-hitting. Buffy and Angel's forbidden love may echo personal experiences, or Xander's difficulties with girls might reflect the audience's. The relationships formed in Buffy are very realistic and create situations that draw viewers into the story even further. Though the clothing and technology might seem a bit dated to those unaccustomed to 90s culture (I know I was thrown for a loop when I saw the computer that Willow used in “I Robot, You Jane”!), the messages and dynamic nature of the characters remain completely intact. I hope that this stays the same for future generations that decide to join the fandom.
The number of fans is expanding as people share Buffy and the rest of the 'verse with their friends and family. I've introduced a few people to it, myself. How many young people do you know that have recently gotten into the Whedonverse?"
"A majority of Buffy fans these days are ones that began watching the series when it first aired on television, but there is also a fairly large portion of them that recently joined the fandom. People that jumped on the bandwagon a tad too late were often the ones that relied on DVD sets to get their Buffy fix. A great number of this new generation of Buffy fans are in their teens and are making strides in the online Buffyverse communities.I joined the fandom late as well. Originally, I had only picked up the show on a whim. I knew very little about the plot and characters, though I had heard good things about it when I was younger. I was thrilled when I found that my local library had all seven seasons! I quickly made my way through all of the seasons on DVD and then began to watch Angel as well. When I finally decided to join online Buffyverse communities, I was startled to see that so many of the members were around my age (late teens and early 20s). The show has such a wide range of appeal that it is still attracting new people to the fandom years and years after the show first aired.
I think that the reason for this lies within the characters. They are very easy to relate to, no matter what age you are. For younger fans, the show makes the perils of high school seem insignificant when compared to the obstacles that Buffy has to face. The Scooby Gang is plagued with relatively 'normal' problems as well. The internal struggles that Buffy and the gang face are ones that everyone goes through at some point in their lives.
For some, Willow's struggle to fit in might be particularly hard-hitting. Buffy and Angel's forbidden love may echo personal experiences, or Xander's difficulties with girls might reflect the audience's. The relationships formed in Buffy are very realistic and create situations that draw viewers into the story even further. Though the clothing and technology might seem a bit dated to those unaccustomed to 90s culture (I know I was thrown for a loop when I saw the computer that Willow used in “I Robot, You Jane”!), the messages and dynamic nature of the characters remain completely intact. I hope that this stays the same for future generations that decide to join the fandom.
The number of fans is expanding as people share Buffy and the rest of the 'verse with their friends and family. I've introduced a few people to it, myself. How many young people do you know that have recently gotten into the Whedonverse?"
-Danner
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