Post on 02-Mar-2021
Portrayals of god inBuffy the Vampire Slayer
Or, Die, god, Die!
• If you meet a god in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, chances areyou’ll have to kill it…
• Evil gods - gods are real on Buffy, but they are ALWAYS evil– the “big bad” in Buffy is often divine (or a divine wannabe)– Other “divine beings” also evil - Olaf the Troll God (Triangle, 2001)
Die God Die!
The Mayor• Nice, polite, psychotic,
divine wannabe• His “ascension” is focus of
season 3• Never trust a politician, they
think they are gods?• Gods/religions devour our
youth?• Evil dwells beneath calm,
bible-belt exterior?• High School is Hell?• Episode foreshadows
Buffy’s solution at end ofSeason Seven
Die God Die: The Mayor
Glory• Psychotic, self-centered,
relentless, multiple-personality (and body!)
• Big Bad of Season Five• Exiled God (parallel to
Satan?)• God/religion looks
attractive, but is deadly?• Religion/god is two-
faced? (Shares her bodywith Ben)
• Even well-intentioneddevotees (Ben) arecorrupted by religion?
• Religion is insane?
Die God Die: Glory
The First• The first evil, predating
human beings• Takes the form of dead
humans• Origin story of world -
began in evil, only afterlast demon slain, wasroom made for humans
• Evil worshipped as divine- root of religion is evil?
• Fear, doubt, lies - root ofreligion?
• (Ex)Catholic priest, abuser ofwomen
• Servant of the First• “a woman-hating jerk”• Considers women “dirty,” stained
with “Eve’s sin”• Religion = anti-woman?• Religion destroys women?• Worshipper of evil• Attempting to become a god -
religious quest = evil?• Religion = demonic?• Power of church, clergy = evil?
Caleb
Caleb: Religion as Anti-Woman?
Caleb: Religion as Demonic?
Die [servant of] God Die: Caleb
Die God Die
• Theological implications of gods in Buffy - evilgods are active in the world - no other kind of godis shown in the Buffy-verse
• Even Buffy’s powers are shown to be evil at root
• Evil and male/patriarchal dominance go hand inhand
• Buffy’s solution to divine evil is a feministanswer to religion. Shared power, sharedresponsibility, this-worldly focus… refusal toaccept patriarchal limitations and priorities…