buffy the vampire slayer - subject of serious study
(thunder bay - june 22, 2007) a new book by lakehead professors j. michael richardson and j. douglas rabb makes it easy and fun to delve into complex philosophic topics such as existentialism, ethics, and moral choices. their book, entitled the existential joss whedon: evil and human freedom in "buffy the vampire slayer," "angel," "firefly," and "serenity," examines the major works of contemporary american television and film screenwriter joss whedon.
j. michael richardson, professor of english, and j. douglas rabb, professor emeritus of philosophy, argue that tv and screen writer joss whedon is part of an existentialist tradition that stretches back from jean-paul sartre through fyodor dostoevsky.
both whedon and dostoevsky say that in each and every one of us "a demon lies hidden." whedon personifies these demons and has them wandering about and causing havoc. dostoevsky treats the subject only slightly more seriously.
chapters cover such topics as russian existentialism and vampire slayage; moral choices; ethics; faith and bad faith; constructing reality through existential choice; some limitations of science and technology; love and self-sacrifice; love, witchcraft, and vengeance; soul mates and moral responsibility; love and moral choice; forms of freedom; and whedon as moral philosopher.
"it is important to analyse the work of whedon because he deals with important moral, psychological, and philosophical issues, using a narrative and metaphorical method rather than more thorny abstractions," says richardson, "this allows him to speak to the youth of today directly, in a language they can quickly grasp. moreover, he is one of the earliest forces in american tv to try to create a strong and independent female hero with whom the males on the show can work comfortably."
what can those who are not familiar with buffy gain by reading the book?
"among other things, we hope, a sense of how narrative can be used to explore and clarify complex ethical issues. in short, there is much more going on than just silly fantasy stories for kids. with any luck, readers can also learn something about existentialism. it is not an accident, by the way, that the major 20th century existentialist (and the one whedon most admires), jean-paul sartre, frequently turns to narrative to explain his more difficult concepts, such as "bad faith" and choosing to be the chosen one.
"among other things, we hope, a sense of how narrative can be used to explore and clarify complex ethical issues. in short, there is much more going on than just silly fantasy stories for kids. with any luck, readers can also learn something about existentialism. it is not an accident, by the way, that the major 20th century existentialist (and the one whedon most admires), jean-paul sartre, frequently turns to narrative to explain his more difficult concepts, such as "bad faith" and choosing to be the chosen one.
"i hope that those who read the book enjoy it, and if they are not whedon fans, they give buffy, angel, firefly, or serenity a chance. and if they are fans that our book might encourage a slightly different way of regarding the shows."
award nomination --the existential joss whedon has recently been nominated for the long mr. pointy award. the mr. pointy awards are given by slayage: the online international journal of buffy studies for the year's best work in buffy studies scholarship. the short mr. pointy award is given for the best journal article, while the long mr. pointy award is presented for the best book. the complete list of nominees can be seen at http://slayageonline.com
book launch ¬-- the existential joss whedon is published by mcfarland & company, inc. publishers, and is available for purchase at a cost of $42 at the 阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜
alumni bookstore. a book launch will take place on tuesday, june 26, 2007, from 7 - 11 p.m., at the prince arthur hotel in thunder bay in salon e (second floor). everyone is welcome.
for more information, please visit the english department online at http://english.lakeheadu.ca/
media interviews - media are invited to contact michael richardson at (807) 343-8312 or 807-343-0321 email: mike.richardson@lakeheadu.ca and douglas rabb at 344-4894 email: rabb@tbaytel.net
if you have any questions regarding this media release, please call eleanor abaya, director of communications, 807-343-8372, eabaya@lakeheadu.ca
about lakehead
lakehead is a comprehensive university with a reputation for innovative programs and cutting-edge research. with a main campus located in thunder bay, ontario and a campus in orillia, ontario, lakehead has over 7,700 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 and 2,250 faculty and staff, and is home to the west campus of the northern ontario school of medicine. in 2006, research infosource inc. named 阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜 canada's research university of the year in the undergraduate category. for more information on 阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜 , visit www.hsbcwebinars.com
lakehead is a comprehensive university with a reputation for innovative programs and cutting-edge research. with a main campus located in thunder bay, ontario and a campus in orillia, ontario, lakehead has over 7,700 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 and 2,250 faculty and staff, and is home to the west campus of the northern ontario school of medicine. in 2006, research infosource inc. named 阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜 canada's research university of the year in the undergraduate category. for more information on 阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜 , visit www.hsbcwebinars.com
-30-