The philosophy of Buffy’s hair
Do not adjust your web browser. You are now entering the Retro Squad, where we are reviewing past episodes of classic TV shows.
Allow me to get in touch with my feminine side just for the sake of this article. Having my girlfriend as a sounding board also helped.
When Buffy the Vampire Slayer hit the airwaves in 1997 as a television adaptation of an unremarkable movie, no one ever expected the show to be a success let alone establish itself as a part of modern philosophy.
Books that philosophize the adventures of the Slayer have become the source for understanding the hidden meanings and subtle details in the BTVS universe. While these books appeal to the couch potato philosopher, they miss one crucial bit of analysis: Buffy’s hair.
Probably one of the reasons Buffy’s hair has never become the topic of graduate thesis is that it’s really not what the show’s about. But if various minutia of the show can be the focus of a philosophical essays, then Buffy’s hair is fair game. With that being said, here is a season-by-season analysis of the slayer’s locks:
Season One
In season one, Buffy predominantly has an LA look. Her blonde hair with dark roots is sprayed carefully to attain that elusive, rebellious LA rock look. This style of hair clearly reflects the state of mind she is in. She is rebellious, a bit edgy and tough. Her hair is statement on its own it says. “I’m a teenage girl who wants to have a good time but can’t.” Buffy is shackled with all these new responsibilities and the only thing that she has control over is her style.
Season Two
Throughout most of the season, Buffy has a short, straight look. Gone is the hairspray and rank teen rebellion and in its place is a more innocent looking Buffy. This season reflected, among other things, the innocence of first love and the harsh realities of abusive relationships. Buffy’s hair outwardly reflects her feelings and really brings out the innocence that she has as a young woman in love.
Season Three
Throughout most of the third season, Buffy had her front bangs lighter than the rest of her hair. This was a popular look for women in the late ’90s. Buffy carries this look well but is it a reflection on her character or a just a fashion statement? Season three is the first season that Faith the Slayer makes an appearance. Faith has dark hair and … a darker personality. Buffy, on the other hand, is fair-haired and this particular season, almost bleach blonde. It’s possible the contrasts in their hairstyles are supposed to represent their characters’ personalities and opposing values.
Season Four
Buffy goes to college and so does her hair. Co-ed Buffy’s hair is longer and straighter style. It’s still a lighter blonde similar to the shade of blonde in a previous season but the color is more even through out her hair. Buffy’s longer hair is a commitment to getting loose and letting go a little. She’s at college to learn and to have fun. While her slayer duties are still important, she has a life to lead and she is committed to being a normal college student.
Season Five
Buffy now has even longer, wavier hair. It’s a solid shade of golden blonde. Hair does not predict the future but ,since this is the Buffy-verse, anything is possible. Her hair can only be a sign of hard times to come. The “waves” are going to crash down hard on Buffy. Season five was a season of changes. It’s important to note that Dawn was first introduced in this season and that this is the season where Buffy’s mother passes away.
Season Six
Buffy has two main hairstyles in this season. The first being the longer wavier style the second being the off the shoulder cut.
In the episode “Gone”, Buffy’s hair is used as a plot device to get the story moving. While it’s not the focus of the episode, it is still important because it establishes the conflicted feelings Buffy has toward Spike. In this episode, Buffy’s hair is a metaphor for her relationship with Spike. Buffy wishes she could cut the relationship like she could cut her hair. In this instance Buffy feels the only thing she has control over is her hair.
Season Seven
Buffy’s got “mom” hair. Well, not really, but she worries that she does. She has come a long way from being a rebellious teen to a semi-responsible adult and, even though her character is still developing, she has made considerable progress as an young adult and human being. Her hair in the seventh season reflects that. It’s shorter and often tied back. It’s a bit more manageable than previous seasons. Buffy doesn’t have time to fuss with it.
In short, when the creators of this show were thinking about the philosophies behind this landmark series throughout its evolution, they thought of everything. Right down to the hair.
No Passes for Press in R. Kelly Trial
R. Kelly’s child-pornography trial just took a detour into a First Amendment case.
Cook County Judge Vincent Gaughan today ruled that Chicago Sun-Times music critic Jim DeRogatis, the first person known to have been in possession of the infamous sex tape featuring the R&B star and an alleged minor, must turn over his notes and take the stand.
DeRogatis has long chronicled Kelly’s personal travails in the newspaper and has been pegged by the singer’s legal team as harboring an extreme bias against the artist.
The music writer will be called as a witness for the defense, who plan to ask him how he came to possess the VHS tape and what he did with it between the time he received it and handed it over to police in 2002.
According to previous testimony in the case, DeRogatis came into possession of the tape after an anonymous tipster left the video in his mailbox.
The defense contends DeRogatis illegally copied the tape and screened it for Stephanie “Sparkle” Edwards, a relative of the alleged minor, to verify the girl’s identity. Should that prove true, the reporter would have violated state laws against reproduction and dissemination of child pornography.
If it’s not true, it would challenge testimony already given by Edwards, who claimed she viewed the tape with DeRogatis after the date he turned it over to police. With the potential to undermine her credibility, Kelly’s attorneys argued that the writer’s testimony was “crucial” to their case.
While Gaughan rejected arguments by the Chicago Sun-Times’ legal team that forcing the writer to testify would violate the First Amendment, the judge did set up certain parameters to be followed during questioning.
The defense will not be allowed to ask the writer about any of his sources or subpoena notes taken prior to his handing over the tape to police; anything taken after, however, is fair game.
DeRogatis plans on appealing the ruling.
Lindsay Made Unwitting Poster Child for Drunkards
Here's guessing Lindsay Lohan won't be renewing her USA Today subscription.
The actress' attorney, Blair Berk, is blasting the ordinarily banal publication as "idiotic" for running a full-page advertisement Friday that uses Lohan's mugand mug shotto rail against an anti-DUI device.
The ad, bankrolled for by the American Beverage Institute, a trade group for liquor companies, states that ignition interlockers, which prevent a car from starting if booze is detected on the driver's breath, "are a great tool for getting hard-core drunk drivers off our roads" (presumably including Lindsay, or "Lindsey" as the print version misspells it) but otherwise infringes on civil liberties.
Making such devices standard would create a doomsday scenario, per the ad: "No more champagne toasts at weddings, no more wine with dinner, no more beers at a ballgame. Let's stop drunk driving without eliminating our traditions."
And that made Lohan's lawyer apoplectic.
"USA Today is idiotic to run such an irresponsible advertisement suggesting that drinking and driving is some kind of American 'tradition' we should protect," Berk said in a statement to News. "Not identifying that this ad was paid for by the liquor and restaurant industries is profoundly reckless.
"Drunk white businessmen, drunk housewives out for girls night out and drunk wedding parties should be kept off the roads of America. Lindsay Lohan fully endorses ignition interlock devices, which have been well-proven to save lives."
A spokeswoman for the American Beverage Institute said the mug shot was part of the public record and Lohan was fair game.
"The reason that we used Lindsay Lohan is because she's had multiple DUIs that have been high profile," American Beverage Institute managing director Sarah Longwell told the Associated Press, adding that the lobbying group took out the ad in response to several states enacting laws forcing first-time offenders to use interlockers.
"We needed to create the distinction for the public what someone with multiple DUIs looked like versus a low blood-alcohol-level first-time offender."
USA Today, meanwhile, sought to remain above the fray, calling its ad pages "a forum for competing views."
Big Brother 9: live feeds report - Feb. 16
Of course, I’m writing this live feeds report on the happenings in the Big Brother 9 house from my quiet peaceful non-camera-filled home. I know all about the “judge not lest ye be judged” bit. But there’s a difference here, a big one. I would never choose to go into that house surrounded by strange (and I mean strange) people with cameras recording my my every move, and strangers reaming me on the internet. I’m smarter than that.
However, they’re there and they’re fair game. They do something incredibly stupid and I’ll call them out on it. I call ’em as I see ’em.
Read beyond the jump for show spoilers including the nominations, Power of Veto, and stupid hamster tricks.
Although you should have already read or go back to read my previous reports, here’s the lowdown in 20 seconds:
- Nominations for eviction are Jen/Parker and Ryan/Allison.
- Everyone hates each other.
- Except for Adam and Sheila who have turned the page on their initial hate.
- Neil went home, Sharon returned to partner with Joshuah.
- Joshuah cried as he’s bereft without Neil.
- Jen and Ryan had sex in the bathroom stall.
- Natalie performed a Monica on Matt under the covers.
Okay, that covers the major (and a few majorly stupid) happenings up until Friday morning. I mean, Natalie and Matt have only known each other a week. Maybe I was raised wrong or something. Maybe I’m just old. But, unlike Natalie, I don’t run around with the Bible then romp around under the covers with a guy I barely know while being filmed live to an internet audience. Well, with the trashy approach to this season, I wouldn’t be surprised to see it on the show.
The really big news from Friday was the Power of Veto competition. Joshuah hosted it and Matt/Natalie were picked out of the hat to compete with the Head of House couple (Alex/Amanda) and the two nominated couples. They always block the feeds so we don’t see the actual comp, but we always find out who won shortly after they return. Either someone will be wearing the PoV necklace or it will be hanging on their picture on the Memory Wall. The winners were (drum roll, please) … Matt and Natalie.
Matt’s close to Parker, claims he’s the only one he can trust. If he were to remove Jen and Parker from the block, it’s likely Adam and Sheila would go up for eviction. Will that happen? The glitch in that plan is that if Adam and Sheila go on the block, they’d get evicted as neither is in with the two in crowds. Plus, people on all sides know that Jen and Ryan need to be split. One or the other has to go as together they’re the strongest alliance in the house (even though they throw each other under the bus and bicker). The only way that would happen with more expendable victims in the house is for both Jen and Ryan to be on the block.
Right now things are flopping around a bit on the vote. Each couple has to agree on their vote and getting a meeting of the mind(less) is a bit difficult in this house of hamsters.
Now, I’m not going to go into detail about every breath they’ve taken, but I’ll let you some of my observations and the various happenings which piqued my interest for one reason or another:
- Parker is still very confrontational. He likes to push buttons, gets in thorny snits, and likes to try to intimidate others.
- Adam wants to vote out Ryan, but he isn’t so sure what Sheila wants.
- Meanwhile, Sheila is conspiring with Joshuah who thinks it’s a “done deal” that Jen and Parker will be voted out 3-1.
- Joshuah doesn’t want Ryan to know of the plan and wants him to think he’s going home so he doesn’t somehow tip off Jen.
- Allison is looking forward to the day that they break down to individual players. They don’t know when that will happen, but they won’t be voting and acting as couples all season.
- Matt told Allison that she doesn’t have his vote. But she knew that.
- The PoV comp had to do with stamina, yet there were buttons.
- Amanda is still all over Parker. No wonder Alex thinks they have a prior relationship. I don’t think they do, but she’s all over him all the time anyway.
- Natalie told a group at the hot tub that she isn’t a slut, she’ll “do oral or whatever” but won’t have sex with just anyone. Um. Well. If it walks like a duck …
- Natalie has a crush on Matt. It’s basically unrequited, but he doesn’t seem to mind her under the covers moves.
- Sheila told them about how she dated Scott Baio. Natalie got all excited about that news.
- Matt wants to try to get Natalie to use the veto to save Jen and Parker.
And, there ya go. I’m still not picking out any favorites to cheer on this season. I don’t think I like anyone very much.Oh, I’ll continue to watch them, yes. But that doesn’t mean I have to like any of them.