Latest news with #BuffyTheVampireSlayer
The Guardian
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
My cultural awakening: Buffy gave me the courage to escape my conservative Pakistani upbringing
I was 10, cross-legged on the floor of my parents' living room in Newcastle, bathed in the blue light of a TV. The volume was set to near-silence – my dad, asleep in another room, had schizophrenia and frontal lobe syndrome, and I didn't want to wake him. Then, like some divine interruption to the endless blur of news and repeats, I stumbled across Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The show may have been barely audible, but it hit me like a lightning bolt. Before Buffy, life was like a pressure cooker. I secretly yearned for a more alternative lifestyle, but even wearing jeans would have been a big deal in my family. I had an assisted place at a private school as my parents were quite poor. Mum would say: 'If you don't study, we'll have to put you in the other school, and you'll just get beaten up.' It sounds like fear-mongering, but she was right: the students in the local school were known to beat Pakistani people up every Shrove Tuesday. So I dedicated my life to working hard. After Buffy, the foundations of my world imploded. I made a secret Myspace account, and got into metal bands such as Kittie and Murderdolls. I started wearing lipstick and eyeliner, got tattoos and bought a PVC skirt on eBay. For a while I felt like two people: I was the same old Sofia in the week, but on a Saturday I'd step into my new identity and hang out on Goth Green – a patch of grass near a couple of shops selling alternative music and clothes. As a young Punjabi person with conservative Pakistani roots, my future felt predetermined and grim. But Buffy cracked open my understanding of feminism: suddenly it wasn't just some abstract, academic concept; it was cool and empowering. For Buffy, defeating the series' villain, the Master, seemed impossible, but she always kept going. Her resilience became a lifeline, especially during one particularly dark incident. It was my cousin's wedding, and I wore a black sari – an incredibly liberating act for me at the time. A family member came to our house afterwards: he was angry, and, as well as not approving of my clothes, claimed I'd spoken to him disrespectfully. After a heated argument, he beat me up. I remembered how Buffy always got back up, no matter how broken she was. That image of defiance really stuck with me in that moment; it gave me the strength to get back on my feet. Because my dad was ill, we had a lot of people, mostly men, visit our house and try to tell me what to do with my life. They said I should go to Pakistan and have an arranged marriage. Witnessing Buffy's independence made me realise I didn't have to follow a prescribed path. Instead, I took the leap and did an art foundation at Newcastle College, which was where I found a new community. Naturally, Mum found it hard to accept that her daughter was an art student – so much so she told people I was studying geography. I'm glad to say that she came around eventually. At first, she called Buffy 'rubbish' in Punjabi, and said what I was going through was just a phase. Thanks to some encouragement from my cousins, she started to realise the show wasn't too much of a leap from the south Asian dramas on Zee TV that she loved. She even got so at ease with my aesthetic that she bought me silver flame New Rock boots for my birthday from one of the Goth Green shops. Decades later, I now work as a freelance multidisciplinary artist. I'd never have guessed that a TV show would have been the catalyst that propelled me here. The most unexpected twist of all: Buffy made my mum go to Goth Green. You can tell us how a cultural moment has prompted you to make a major life change by filling in the form below or emailing us on Please include as much detail as possible Please note, the maximum file size is 5.7 MB. Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian. Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian. If you include other people's names please ask them first.
The Guardian
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
My cultural awakening: Buffy gave me the courage to escape my conservative Pakistani upbringing
I was 10, cross-legged on the floor of my parents' living room in Newcastle, bathed in the blue light of a TV. The volume was set to near-silence – my dad, asleep in another room, had schizophrenia and frontal lobe syndrome, and I didn't want to wake him. Then, like some divine interruption to the endless blur of news and repeats, I stumbled across Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The show may have been barely audible, but it hit me like a lightning bolt. Before Buffy, life was like a pressure cooker. I secretly yearned for a more alternative lifestyle, but even wearing jeans would have been a big deal in my family. I had an assisted place at a private school as my parents were quite poor. Mum would say: 'If you don't study, we'll have to put you in the other school, and you'll just get beaten up.' It sounds like fear-mongering, but she was right: the students in the local school were known to beat Pakistani people up every Shrove Tuesday. So I dedicated my life to working hard. After Buffy, the foundations of my world imploded. I made a secret Myspace account, and got into metal bands such as Kittie and Murderdolls. I started wearing lipstick and eyeliner, got tattoos and bought a PVC skirt on eBay. For a while I felt like two people: I was the same old Sofia in the week, but on a Saturday I'd step into my new identity and hang out on Goth Green – a patch of grass near a couple of shops selling alternative music and clothes. As a young Punjabi person with conservative Pakistani roots, my future felt predetermined and grim. But Buffy cracked open my understanding of feminism: suddenly it wasn't just some abstract, academic concept; it was cool and empowering. For Buffy, defeating the series' villain, the Master, seemed impossible, but she always kept going. Her resilience became a lifeline, especially during one particularly dark incident. It was my cousin's wedding, and I wore a black sari – an incredibly liberating act for me at the time. A family member came to our house afterwards: he was angry, and, as well as not approving of my clothes, claimed I'd spoken to him disrespectfully. After a heated argument, he beat me up. I remembered how Buffy always got back up, no matter how broken she was. That image of defiance really stuck with me in that moment; it gave me the strength to get back on my feet. Because my dad was ill, we had a lot of people, mostly men, visit our house and try to tell me what to do with my life. They said I should go to Pakistan and have an arranged marriage. Witnessing Buffy's independence made me realise I didn't have to follow a prescribed path. Instead, I took the leap and did an art foundation at Newcastle College, which was where I found a new community. Naturally, Mum found it hard to accept that her daughter was an art student – so much so she told people I was studying geography. I'm glad to say that she came around eventually. At first, she called Buffy 'rubbish' in Punjabi, and said what I was going through was just a phase. Thanks to some encouragement from my cousins, she started to realise the show wasn't too much of a leap from the south Asian dramas on Zee TV that she loved. She even got so at ease with my aesthetic that she bought me silver flame New Rock boots for my birthday from one of the Goth Green shops. Decades later, I now work as a freelance multidisciplinary artist. I'd never have guessed that a TV show would have been the catalyst that propelled me here. The most unexpected twist of all: Buffy made my mum go to Goth Green. You can tell us how a cultural moment has prompted you to make a major life change by filling in the form below or emailing us on Please include as much detail as possible Please note, the maximum file size is 5.7 MB. Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian. Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian. If you include other people's names please ask them first.
The Guardian
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The Alters: unintentionally the realest game about parenting I've ever played
Other than during that golden period when they were old enough to play games and watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer but hadn't yet become evil teenagers, I don't think I'm very good at parenting. When my kids were babies I felt unnecessary and useless, a feeling I have been reminded of most days since. That's OK. We can't be good at everything. I can read words backwards and upside down but I can never find my house keys. I am brilliant at dancing to the Cure's The Lovecats on Dancing Stage MegaMix but terrible at DIY. Don't get me wrong: I love my children. I like hanging out with them socially as young adults because they are smart, funny and entertaining, but then they remember I am their dad, and everything is ruined as they ask me to do stuff then blame me for everything wrong in their lives. So I took advantage of the fact that they all went away on the same weekend to have some uninterrupted dad time and sink my teeth into a game with depth, without disturbance. That game was The Alters. I loved the concept. You are stuck on a planet and have to clone different versions of yourself to operate the base and survive. That's really clever. Even better: you create the clones by looking at your life path and picking moments when you made certain decisions that led to you becoming the Jan Dolski that you are. For example, if you select the path where you went off to study rather than entering the mines like your dad did, then you clone Jan the Scientist, an ace researcher. If you went to work on oil rigs, you create Jan Worker, a load-lightener. If you decide that all you want to do is sit on your backside all day playing with words, you become Jan Writer. (Except you don't. There is no Jan Writer option, which shows how useless I would be in a survival situation.) It's a compelling game mechanic because you are not only exploring, resource building and problem solving, you are questioning the whole nature of decision making. It makes you go back through your own life, wondering at the choices you made and what could have been different. This is horribly depressing though and I wouldn't recommend it. Stick to the game's story, not your own. The problem is that the more clones you have in The Alters, the more you have to work to keep them fed, healthy and entertained. And they are needy little bastards whose first language is Whine. It didn't matter about the fresh food I gave them, the movies I sat through or the games of beer pong I deliberately lost – the Jan Miner character was determined to be grumpy and confrontational, and Jan Scientist was constantly punchably irritating. Whenever I thought I was triumphing at managing the base – helped by a system that allows you to set up automatic production of important things like radiation filters to keep you safe, and allotting different clones to regularly do specific shifts – I would have to drop what I was doing and run around doing something else for my dependants to keep them happy. You see where I am going with this? Sign up to Pushing Buttons Keza MacDonald's weekly look at the world of gaming after newsletter promotion The Alters may be pitched as a sci-fi survival game, but really? It's a parenting sim. The very last thing I want to do with my free time. My failures in the game (and there are many) are accompanied by me screaming at the needy sods to give me a break for five minutes. My neighbours probably still think my kids are still at home. I have never felt so strongly that I am the wrong person to play a game that is so right. The script and story are strong, almost like an interactive version of Andy Weir's The Martian. Philosophical concepts are bandied around, such as Camus's idea that heroism is easy, and it's doing the normal things that is the real challenge in life. And the graphics are so distinctive and mesmerising they are works of art. The space base moves around like a futuristic take on Howl's Moving Castle. The game questions the very meaning of existence and what we're supposed to do with it, and it is moving to witness the clones react to their new reality. Some hate you, others are fascinated, but all at points bond with you over shared memories of everything from Mom's pierogies and beloved lava lamps to how you dealt with your abusive father. There is imagination and intelligence in abundance. It would make an incredible novel or animated movie. And 1990s Dominik, who had no kids or responsibilities, would have found marshalling a load of interesting, talented but whiny dependants a fun novelty. It's like The Game of Life, which was a fun board game to play as kids, but hell when we had two in the back seat of our car. Maybe The Alters is the perfect game for you to play if you are thinking about having kids. In fact I urge anyone of child-bearing or rearing age to play it immediately, to see if you are up to the task in real life or if, like me, it all turns out to be too much hard work.
The Guardian
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The Alters: unintentionally the realest game about parenting I've ever played
Other than during that golden period when they were old enough to play games and watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer but hadn't yet become evil teenagers, I don't think I'm very good at parenting. When my kids were babies I felt unnecessary and useless, a feeling I have been reminded of most days since. That's OK. We can't be good at everything. I can read words backwards and upside down but I can never find my house keys. I am brilliant at dancing to the Cure's The Lovecats on Dancing Stage MegaMix but terrible at DIY. Don't get me wrong: I love my children. I like hanging out with them socially as young adults because they are smart, funny and entertaining, but then they remember I am their dad, and everything is ruined as they ask me to do stuff then blame me for everything wrong in their lives. So I took advantage of the fact that they all went away on the same weekend to have some uninterrupted dad time and sink my teeth into a game with depth, without disturbance. That game was The Alters. I loved the concept. You are stuck on a planet and have to clone different versions of yourself to operate the base and survive. That's really clever. Even better: you create the clones by looking at your life path and picking moments when you made certain decisions that led to you becoming the Jan Dolski that you are. For example, if you select the path where you went off to study rather than entering the mines like your dad did, then you clone Jan the Scientist, an ace researcher. If you went to work on oil rigs, you create Jan Worker, a load-lightener. If you decide that all you want to do is sit on your backside all day playing with words, you become Jan Writer. (Except you don't. There is no Jan Writer option, which shows how useless I would be in a survival situation.) It's a compelling game mechanic because you are not only exploring, resource building and problem solving, you are questioning the whole nature of decision making. It makes you go back through your own life, wondering at the choices you made and what could have been different. This is horribly depressing though and I wouldn't recommend it. Stick to the game's story, not your own. The problem is that the more clones you have in The Alters, the more you have to work to keep them fed, healthy and entertained. And they are needy little bastards whose first language is Whine. It didn't matter about the fresh food I gave them, the movies I sat through or the games of beer pong I deliberately lost – the Jan Miner character was determined to be grumpy and confrontational, and Jan Scientist was constantly punchably irritating. Whenever I thought I was triumphing at managing the base – helped by a system that allows you to set up automatic production of important things like radiation filters to keep you safe, and allotting different clones to regularly do specific shifts – I would have to drop what I was doing and run around doing something else for my dependants to keep them happy. You see where I am going with this? Sign up to Pushing Buttons Keza MacDonald's weekly look at the world of gaming after newsletter promotion The Alters may be pitched as a sci-fi survival game, but really? It's a parenting sim. The very last thing I want to do with my free time. My failures in the game (and there are many) are accompanied by me screaming at the needy sods to give me a break for five minutes. My neighbours probably still think my kids are still at home. I have never felt so strongly that I am the wrong person to play a game that is so right. The script and story are strong, almost like an interactive version of Andy Weir's The Martian. Philosophical concepts are bandied around, such as Camus's idea that heroism is easy, and it's doing the normal things that is the real challenge in life. And the graphics are so distinctive and mesmerising they are works of art. The space base moves around like a futuristic take on Howl's Moving Castle. The game questions the very meaning of existence and what we're supposed to do with it, and it is moving to witness the clones react to their new reality. Some hate you, others are fascinated, but all at points bond with you over shared memories of everything from Mom's pierogies and beloved lava lamps to how you dealt with your abusive father. There is imagination and intelligence in abundance. It would make an incredible novel or animated movie. And 1990s Dominik, who had no kids or responsibilities, would have found marshalling a load of interesting, talented but whiny dependants a fun novelty. It's like The Game of Life, which was a fun board game to play as kids, but hell when we had two in the back seat of our car. Maybe The Alters is the perfect game for you to play if you are thinking about having kids. In fact I urge anyone of child-bearing or rearing age to play it immediately, to see if you are up to the task in real life or if, like me, it all turns out to be too much hard work.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sarah Michelle Gellar shares ‘Buffy' reboot hopes: ‘My dream is to bring back everyone who has died'
Sarah Michelle Gellar is offering fresh insight into the long-developing Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot. In a new interview with Vanity Fair Italia, the actress shared new details about the upcoming Hulu series and what finally convinced her to reprise the iconic role more than two decades after the original show ended. 'For so many years, I said no to a possible return of the series,' said Gellar, who received a Golden Globe nomination for Buffy but never had an Emmy bid (she did, however, win a Daytime Emmy for her breakout role on All My Children). 'I didn't want to reintroduce something we had already seen. I waited for the right time to come. Then Chloé [Zhao], a big Buffy fan, proposed the project to me, and I accepted.' More from GoldDerby Benson Boone reviews are in: Critics flip off 'American Heart' Why Simone Ashley is walking the 'F1' carpet - even though she was cut from the Brad Pitt movie The Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt 'Interview With the Vampire' feud rumors, explained The reboot has been in development quietly for several years. Nora and Lilla Zuckerman (Poker Face, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) will be the showrunners and Zhao will direct the pilot and executive produce alongside Gellar, original series producers Fran and Kaz Kuzui, Gail Berman, and Dolly Parton, who also backed the original under her Sandollar banner. While Gellar will reprise her role as Buffy, she won't be the sole focus of the new series. Instead, the torch is being passed to a new generation. Ryan Kiera Armstrong, 15, known for roles in Firestarter and The Tomorrow War, will play the new lead — a teenage Slayer navigating modern high school life and supernatural threats. Gellar will appear in the pilot and then continue in a recurring role, stepping into a mentor-like position. 'It will be lighter than the last few seasons of the original,' Gellar said. 'We will try to find a balance between new and old characters. My dream is to bring back everyone who has died, but space will have to be made for new stories as well.' The original Buffy the Vampire Slayer, created by Joss Whedon, ran for seven seasons from 1997 to 2003, first on the WB and later UPN. It followed Buffy Summers, a seemingly ordinary teenager chosen to battle vampires and demons. The show became a critical and cultural landmark for its blend of supernatural action, teen drama and feminist themes. It also launched the careers of stars like Alyson Hannigan, David Boreanaz, James Marsters, Seth Green, and Michelle Trachtenberg. In this new version, the creative team is reimagining what it means to be an outsider in a digital world. 'One of the surprising aspects of Buffy is that it's always been a crossover series,' Gellar explained. 'We're trying to figure out how to modernize the themes of the series, especially what it means to feel like an outsider in a world dominated by social media. What we want to explore are the space-time boundaries that affect society today.' While Gellar has long distanced herself from Whedon, who is not involved in the reboot following multiple misconduct allegations, she has expressed excitement about reclaiming the legacy of the series with a new generation. 'So. ... you might have heard some news this week, but I realize you haven't heard from me,' Gellar wrote in a Feb. 6 Instagram post alongside a photo of herself as Buffy and the character's famous quote, 'If the apocalypse comes, beep me.' She continued, 'I have always listened to the fans and heard your desire to revisit 'Buffy' and her world, but it was not something I could do unless I was sure we would get it right.' Best of GoldDerby Everything to know about 'The Pitt' Season 2 Adam Brody, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, and the best of our Emmy Comedy Actor interviews Kristen Bell, Tina Fey, Bridget Everett, and the best of our Emmy Comedy Actress interviews Click here to read the full article.
