Buffy the Vampire Slayer Versus Dracula: Gender Representation

               

               For my first time watching an entire episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I was kind of impressed. I was surprised that over three hundred pages of Dracula were condensed into a forty-five minute episode.  I was also shocked how the gender roles were portrayed throughout the show. I couldn’t believe how weak the female characters were made out to be, and as the show went on, the men looked just as bad as the women did.  The producers did an excellent job of mocking how ridiculous gender roles are while showing that these problems still exist. While most of the women were made out to be weak, male- dependent characters, most of the males were made out to be jealous, cocky, and could be easily described as what we call pigs.

                There were similarities in both the TV show and the novel. Both works had this Dracula character that was able to seduce male and female characters. He sensed when there was a feeling of sexual frustration/oppression, and he went after whoever was feeling it. Dracula had the power to control people’s minds and their dreams. He also had the power of shape shifting into different forms to disguise himself. In both works we see him as the vampire, a wolf, a bat and a mist. In order to travel, he needs dirt from his homeland. He is only present at night. And lastly, we don’t get to see his perspective.

                The differences are quite obvious. In the novel, no one knows what a vampire is until Van Helsing introduces the idea, people witness it themselves, or until they are in the process of transforming into one. In Buffy the Vampire Slayer, everyone knows what a vampire is. Buffy doesn’t even believe that Dracula is the real Dracula when she first meets him, because she has dealt with many vampires claiming that title.

                The women are not seen as how women wanted to be represented. Take Willow’s character. For my first time meeting her, I’m not impressed. She is the definition of what most men feel women should be. She is seen as weak, dependent on men, and she can’t think or do anything for herself. For example, when Giles tells her that he’s thinking about going back to London, she responds with “We still need to be watched.” Even during the scene where Dracula turns himself into a bat, she states that she wishes Giles was there “because he would know what to do.” God forbid if she thought for anything by herself.

                Next is Anya. Anya is what society calls a “slut.” Why? Because she is not afraid of admitting who she slept with, and even if she was afraid to, everyone already knows.  The character of Spike (who doesn’t even seem close to this friend group) was surprised as hell when Dracula came back for her, but he learns quickly that Dracula is really there for Buffy. If that’s not enough proof for her “slutty” character, her attire is enough to convince you otherwise. Her deep V-neck spaghetti strap top doesn’t leave a lot of room for the imagination.

 

                Then we have Buffy. Her attire is modest for the most part, but what’s really to focus on is how flawless her skin and makeup are the entire time the film is on her. Even in her sleep her makeup is on point. Let’s be real, no one looks that good with makeup on in the middle of the night. The show features her as your typical blonde, almost valley girl. At one part she calls herself a “repeat-o girl” because she can’t stop repeating the same thing. And they also show her being kind of weak when Dracula turns himself into a bat. Instead of worrying about how she can destroy him, she worries about the bat flying around her head. Besides her perfectness, she is an ideal female character. She thinks for herself, fights for herself, and is very independent. Though she technically does have Giles there “watching” her, she’s been kicking butt on her own. Unlike the other two females, Buffy is able to step away from the norm. She doesn’t fall entirely into Dracula’s thrall and ends up defeating him. What a woman.

                As for the men, we don’t get very good vibes from them either. First is Xander. His character can be summed up as a tool. He is cocky, is always looking for a fight and is jealous when claiming what is his. The best part of the entire show is when Dracula seduces him, making Xander obsessed with him. Xander loses his manliness as he is in his own thrall with Dracula. And even when Buffy defeats Dracula, Xander tries to reclaim his manliness by saying that he will no longer be the “spider eating man bitch who eats insects and gets funny syphilis…he is done being a butt monkey.” What a manly man.

                Giles starts off as being a senex/father figure to the group, which is great. However, as soon as he enters Dracula’s castle, he is seduced by three sisters in red. All of his morals fly out the window when these girls are ripping his shirt apart, tickling his bare skin and licking his body. Who could resist all three? Obviously one woman wasn’t good enough, but add two more to the mix and we’re in heaven. Riley comes to rescue him and he doesn’t even want to leave. Instead he states, “There was no possible way of escape…Oh, I forgot my shoe.” Anybody else getting the sense of male voyeurism?

Riley is the best man here. He is logical and perfect for Buffy. He is confident in himself so much, that when Buffy was seduced by Dracula, he couldn’t get mad. His only flaw was telling Buffy that she “throws like girl.” Which he was right, that next throw she made was so good, Riley couldn’t catch it and ended up hurt.

Then we have Dracula. He has the power of seducing anyone, so he seduces men and women. One sex apparently isn’t enough though, and we see that in both novel and TV show. His other flaw is that in the show, he does not have an ounce of terror in his appearance. If he came up to me and told me he was going to bite my neck, I would expect a hickey, not two puncture wounds where he fed off of. He looks like the kind of person that you would invite to have coffee with. Another flaw of his is that he can sense when people are sexually frustrated. That being said, when someone isn’t getting it in, he seduces them, forcing them to sexual bliss. Have I mentioned the term “pig”? It’s kind of surprising for a character that doesn’t come across as masculine. He doesn’t look very muscular and his long hair and nails seem natural to him.

In tying these ridiculous gender roles to the story of Dracula and entwining with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, we see how sexual frustration/oppression is dealt with in the works. In the TV episode, it bluntly shows how Dracula is beyond willing to sexually heal the person in need. In the novel, the sexual oppression is there in the females, but it’s not as blunt as the show. Either way, if you don’t take care of your girl, Dracula will (as it seems).  You wouldn’t be able to see this if it wasn’t for the crazy gender roles society has given to its characters.