Buffy the Vampire Slayer

How do you think Buffy has influenced the contemporary vampire drama "True Blood" and the "Twilight" series of novels and films?

In 1997 Buffy aired as a series up until 2003, for 6 years the sensation influenced much of the genre proving to the world that the use of Monsters, Vampires and Demons was out of the ordinary, something in which was rarely done before targeting all types of viewers.

Buffy has always been based on the moralities and issues that I personally feel other viewers can relate to like social identity and cross-cultural and religious views. The Tv show was one of the first in years to bring back the trend of Vampire myths and legends while at the same time incorporating more modern themes and social ideas making it easier for the audience to connect with. At first while watching Buffy I wasn't a huge fan of it until I took into consideration how much of an impact it had on popular series and films nowadays like Twilight and True-Blood. In Twilight there are supernatural aspects in which may have been influenced by Buffy. For example Buffy aims to slay as many vampires as she can keeping the human race not to mention herself safe from harm, where as in the first Twilight movie the fight for Bella's safety is the aim but Edward must challenge his own kind.

This creates a more modernised version for a contemporary vampire drama due to the slight change in battles between humans and vampires. Nowadays films like Twilight and True Blood aren't so strict on who 'must' be the hero or the villain but more relying on who 'deserves' to be the good or bad guy. Buffy the Vampire slayer sets the barrier high to an extent where writers and directors of Twilight as well as True Blood can  learn from. "I wanted people to internalise it, and make up fantasies where they were in the story, to take it home with them, for it to exist beyond the Tv show." as quoted by Joss Whedon himself.

In conclusion Buffy influences both Twilight and True Blood through its classic rivalry of both worlds and the fight for what is right and according Wilcox (2002) it dares to take risks, it is honest and illuminating, it appeals to the intellect and touches the emotions and provokes thought.

references

Wilcox, R. & Lavery, D. (2002). Introduction, in R. Wilcox and D. Lavery

Josh Whedon The Tenacity of the Cockroach 375