Joss Whedon, a geek god amongst men for his creation of such amazing, nerdy, female-empowering and queer-inclusive series as Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Firefly and Dollhouse, has just released the super-secret recipe for what is (arguably) his greatest achievement. No, I’m not talking about the awesome Dr. Horrible’s Sing-along, nor the fame of the ever-evanescent Summer Glau; I’m referring specifically to the best example in the known universe of an ass kicking, deep, multifaceted female action hero – Buffy Summers.
According to Whedon, the following is how to whip up a Buffy. From Sci-Fi Wire:
There’s a whole recipe for how to make a Buffy. Take one cup Sarah Connor from the first Terminator movie; one cup Ripley [from Alien]; three tablespoons of the younger sister in [the 1984 post apocalyptic comedy] Night of the Comet; a few sprigs of A Little Princess – the book, not the movies; and a pinch of Jimmy Stewart for pain, because nobody does better pain. Bake those up. Once it’s cool, add a little Rosalind Russell from His Girl Friday. All of this must be in a P.J.-Soles-in-Halloween crust. That’s very important.
With a truly beloved TV series that’s spun off into the recent run of successful graphic novels, Ms. Summers is most definitely here to stay. So screenwriters, take note: we could use a few more good Buffy-style women in our entertainment. See the above recipe for inspiration.
Speaking of super-heroics, I seldom take internet quizzes, unless they offer that little something special, but the Hero Complex Blog has one of the coolest, funniest nerd quizzes I’ve seen in years. It’s appropriately tough, with a nice mix of trivia from comics, sci-fi films and other bits of geekery. One quick sample:
5. On the revival of Battlestar Galactica, what’s the appropriate response, according to flight-deck tradition, if you greeted a fighter pilot with the phrase, “What do you hear?”A. “Toasters and roasters.”
B. “A frakking symphony”
C. “Heartache and hardware”
D. “Nothing but the rain”
If you can’t answer that, Starbuck would be very disappointed in you. Very!
Readers, how did you do?
