In our semester finale of Buffy, the musical episode entitled Once More with Feeling, I was most affected by the opening song sung by the show’s protagonist, in which she ponders the reasons for living and continuing on in her never-ending pursuit to eradicate evil. Very existential in nature, this song can cause the viewer to be quite self-reflective about their own purpose on this Earth, and contemplate the value and meaning of their own life in a manner not typically inspired by a somewhat-corny Gothic television show. I would argue that Buffy’s plight, as we hear it expressed in song, is one that every human encounters at one point or another: a questioning of whether what were are doing with our lives is really worth it or if it is having any lasting impact on humanity at all. I believe that all people experience the same sort of exasperation with life that Buffy demonstrates with this song, but I think like Buffy it is necessary for all people to take what they have and believe in it. In a sense every person is their own “chosen one”, as they have the ability to determine the course and impact of their life through their direct actions and the adoption of projects much in the way that Buffy assumes the role of “slayer”. To find something to devote our lives to is all a human can ask for in this uncertain world, and I think Buffy and Joss Whedon illustrate this point quite well.
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