James B. South

An academic collection of essays and articles which applies philosophical theory to the popular television show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
This book is not for the casual fan. The concepts and themes are on a high intellectual level. Discussions are in-depth and not terribly enjoyable to read, but those looking for a deeper understanding of the show will be rewarded. Some essays will cause you to question your enjoyment of the show and some will challenge you to re-think your conception of show more your favorite characters. One in particular that got me thinking was Karl Schudt's "Also Spach Faith" which looks at the Nietzschean conception of happiness as it could be applied to Faith's behavior on both Buffy and Angel.
The oft taken for granted concept that Buffy is a feminist hero is also called into question by several authors, holding up a lens to ways in which Buffy reinforces patriarchal society even while kicking all that ass. Plus, far from being as subversive as most believe it to be, the show actually panders to typical Christian morality, even casting Buffy as a Christ-like savior in Season 5's "The Gift".
The editors should be applauded for including treatments which are critical of the show as well as those which praise it. However, die-hard "Joss can do no wrong" fans might become nonplussed after a comprehensive study of the text. Also, it is recommended that the reader does not attempt to devour the text in a protracted amount of time. A careful reading of each essay followed by some exploration into the concepts presented would be ideal. An entire collegiate class could be taught just using this as a textbook. Quite impressive. show less

Out of the 22 essays in the book, I felt that perhaps six, at most, were well-written and solid in their arguments. While the first "Codex", which dealt with Buffy and feminism in a fairly atrocious and patronising manner, nearly made me give up on the book altogether, Codex 3 (Buffy and Ethics) and Codex 4 (Religion and Politics in Buffyverse) saved quite a lot by taking a clear and concise look into the morals of Buffyverse.

Kudos to the editor for including the somewhat subversive final show more essay, "Feeling for Buffy: The Girl Next Door", that criticises many academics for giving the TV series qualities and merits it doesn't have, but even that ends with half-arsed Freudian analysis of the relationship between Buffy's character and the viewer. show less

I had not watched the "Mad Men" as it aired over the past five years. Instead I ended up watching it as a compilation of the episodes and I got hooked. The popularity of the series speaks for itself, this book takes it one step further by taking a look at the many life events and drama shown in context of philosophical meaning.

An interesting approach that allows one to think and ponder all the myriad issues philosophy brings about. Never easy, for me anyway, I found the philosophical topics show more raised in relation to the program provided an enjoyable and thought provoking angle. It opened up a vista of insights to its popularity and how our past historically and culturally has shaped where we find ourselves today. show less

I like Bond, I like some philosophy now and then too so I'd thought I'd like them together. The authors' use of Bond as a symbolic analogy to compare or to support philosophical points was unnecessary, unconvincing, and not even entertaining. It's clear that the authors are not really consummate Bond fans and do not understand the depth of the character. Reading this feels like they were intellectually torturing Ian Flemming himself. It seems using Bond was more of a way to sell a philosophy show more book that no one would have bought otherwise. show less