BSV Forum - General - The Bloodshedpub

Best way to introduce people to Buffy

Oct 11 2007 07:16 am   #1Guest
What is the best way to introduce people to Buffy, without sounding too obsessive? Most people just scoff at it as silly because of its title, but the show really does have some of the best themes (feminism, redemption, love, death, etc.) of at least television, and is often poetic, using metaphors, rhymes, and symbolism to function.

I dunno. How would you go about introducing it to someone? What has worked for you in turning people? >.>

I guess watching Welcome to the Hellmouth, Once More, With Feeling, Hush, or Becoming Part 2 could be key?  Or perhaps attempting to describe some of the show's wonder, without sounding too fanboyish?
Oct 11 2007 07:41 am   #2Scarlet Ibis

I'd personally start with "School Hard..."  or "Hush," cause that one in particular forces you to pay attention and watch.  Or "The Body," another good one.  It's an atypical ep that mostly stays away from the fantasy aspect of the show (till the end with the vamp in the morgue), and engages you fully in the characters' pain. 

And if you just meant how would one bring it up into a discussion, well...there's no way to do that without sounding like a dorky fan (been there, done that).  If you show them, they will watch...or something  :P

"Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly."
https://www.facebook.com/FangirlNovel
Oct 11 2007 08:30 am   #3Guest

It probably depends on the person.  I've had three converts.  Two just trusted me when I told them they *had* to see the show.  They both loved it (though not season 1 so much -- so they really had to believe me when I told them to stick around for season 2)  The third was a roommate, and I sold her by both talking it up and watching the show myself when she was around.  She vaguely paid attention as I worked through 3, 4, and 5.  She started getting sold toward the end of five.  And 6 sealed the deal in a big way.

Oct 11 2007 08:55 am   #4afgrulerofthepen

I was introduced to Buffy by my friend right from the start with season 1. She had recorded the first 3 episodes and made me watch them and from then on I was hooked.

We brought fresh blood to the show during season 2 after School Hard. All we had to do was tell our other friends about the hot blonde British guy and they watched it! Heehee. And for the ones who wouldn't watch just for Spike, we had them watch What's My Line Parts 1 & 2 and that pretty much converted them.

Recently I got a friend addicted by literally shoving the OMWF soundtrack in his face and forcing him to listen to it. He loved it and has been borrowing my DVDs since. He's currently on season 5 and is also an avid Spuffy fan :-D

I tend to just show my favorite episodes that have some of the usual Buffy themes like Helpless, Checkpoint, and Intervention. I try not to show any eps from seasons 6 and 7 though, since those require a lot of background information.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Oct 11 2007 01:50 pm   #5goldenusagi

I got my sister hooked.  I kept going on and on about how great a show it was, and finally got her to watch it.  Of course, we had been into other shows like Xena and Alias before, so it wasn't too much of a stretch.

I had her watch Welcome to the Hellmouth, Angel, and Prophecy Girl as an intro, and then jumped straight into a season 2 marathon, skipping some of the eps like Some Assembly Required, Inca Mummy Girl, and Go Fish.  Mainly because they had that season 1 vibe, and I was trying to get her to see what awesome arcs Buffy had.

She says she's not obsessed, that it's just okay, but c'mon....  You don't watch a whole season in 2 days if you don't like it.   :)

Oct 11 2007 09:36 pm   #6Scarlet Ibis

You know what?  I am so slow...I got three of my cousins hooked.  Whenever they came over, they had to watch what I wanted to watch (that whole "guest" rule be damned).  And of course, I watched our fave show.  Yeah, they love it.  They were a tough crowd too.  Called the show all kinds of name (before ever really watching it, of course).  And my mom used to watch it...Before the whole "Buffy had sex" for the first time thing, then she just tuned it out.  Thought it was too "deep" for me.  Pfft.

"Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly."
https://www.facebook.com/FangirlNovel
Oct 11 2007 10:40 pm   #7JoJoBird

 

Yes ive sold it to a few people. And man did they come screaming and dragged. Like scarlet, Tough Crowd.

I got my boyfriend hooked on it during our first 6 months together, i had us marathon season 1-7 and 1-4 of angel, as angel was on its last season back then.

Some have loved it, some loved Angel more, some hated s3 and got lost then. Id suggest that you takeit from the start, remind anyone that the Pilot/first ep is never a representation of the layout over all the eps and that the first season is never produced as well. Once they reach season two and School Hard, their loving it, some have to push season 3 but weather their men or women it does appeal, and does win out in the end. Id suggest maybe marathon first 6 eps and then taking them an ep a day/2days so they dont rush it nor get bored

Oct 12 2007 01:56 am   #8Immortal Beloved

I've never converted anyone, nor was I converted.  I just started watching reruns on my own and love every aspect.  There was a woman kicking ass, girl power, magic, hilarity, love, sex, death, and everything was so multi-layered.  I majored in English and Psych, so I had--and still have--a field day analyzing the characters and the imagery and everything else.  

Anyone else that I know that likes Buffy I found out by accident.  Like only when I mentioned it casually, and they were like, "I LOVE Buffy."  It's kind of like we're all a part of this secret club :-)

I will say that my husband was not too keen when I first started watching the show.  I used to tape the FX reruns and watch them everyday.  He wasn't allowed to talk to me until I was finished with the day's episodes.  Pissed him off royally, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do :evil:  Eventually, he started to break, little by little.  Now, he may not watch on his own, but every once in awhile, I catch him unknowingly quoting a bit of dialog or he'll ask me questions about the characters.  It's not a full conversion, but I'm still working on it :-)  That man is stubborn as all hell...

Give me Spuffy, or give me death.
Oct 13 2007 08:56 am   #9Diesa

I really would not know how to convert somebody to the show because I was one of the ones that was converted to the show. I refused to watch cause I could not stand the movie I have always hated the airhead valley teenager are stupid stuff but my best friend loved the show and I just happened to be over at her house on a tuesday night when she was watching and she convinced me to give it a shot that it was nothing like the movie so the very first episode I saw was Tabula Rasa and I was hooked from then on.

Oct 13 2007 12:27 pm   #10Enisy

A friend converted me, by encouraging me to buy the DVDs and even listing "highlight" episodes to accommodate me. And I, in turn, converted my brother (who also turned out to be a big Spike/Buffy fan).


Oct 15 2007 08:23 am   #11Guest

(TC)

Thanks for the input. It just seems like something that would be tough to introduce, considering the first season (while good in retrospect because Buffy is somewhat happy that year) isn't a good representation of the show's greatness.

It's almost like starting someone on a drug. o.O

I really liked goldenusagi's idea. Best episodes of season one followed by the season two greatness arc. They can always come back to the episodes they missed.