I was reading through some Buffy blog posts on fanpop.com, and the names "Bangel" and "Spuffy" hit me. I am so used to hearing "Brangalina," "TomKat," and "Bennifer," that I am surprised that I haven't heard any television series relationship pairings. I think that this is an interactive way to interest oneself into the series and relationships. In fact, the "Bangel" and "Spuffy" feud reminds me a lot of "Team Edward" and "Team Jacob" mixed with the "Brangelina" concept to create "Bangel" and "Spuffy." I'm personally a "Bangelier." Which brings up relationships:
It's really interesting to see how Buffy has touched so many people and how it's influencing popular media today. I also think that a television series relationship has a deeper affect with its audience than a real-life relationship. For example, if Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes decided to separate, it wouldn't flabbergast the world. It would just be another celebrity break-up - which is unfortunate, but highly occurring. Not that many people would take offense to their break-up either. Maybe their hardcore fans would be disappointed for a week, but the news keeps on going and they find their next relationship.
However, I felt personally offended for Angel when Buffy said that she wanted some space. Maybe this is just my reaction, but I've noticed this reaction for most television series relationship twists - I feel some of the emotions that the characters are going through. This is probably because I see it happen whereas I didn't see the hypothetical TomKat break-up happen. Does anyone else feel that way?
Here's the link for the fanpop website: http://www.fanpop.com/spots/buffy-the-vampire-slayer/articles?sort_method=recent
I agree, it feels much more emotional when there are relationship twists with these fictional characters than with celebrities. They are certainly similar, with the widespread publicity and even the goofy nicknames, but for some reason the fictional romances seem more real and more lasting. I think it's because the actors and the stories make the fiction real to us as we experience the whole emotional ride that goes along with the relationship, like you were saying, while with the celebrity romances we only get the big milestones in lieu of the emotions behind them.
ReplyDeleteIt definitely makes sense that fictional breakups have a greater impact on us than do real celebrity breakups. Audiences really get to know characters and even fall in love with them just by watching every week. Audiences do not really know much about the celebrities who play these characters or about their relationships. They do not have much emotional attachment and celebrity breakups and hook ups are more just fun gossip.
ReplyDeleteOn television shows, you literally follow the characters lives. You see every important thing that happens in their life. With celebrities, all you hear is about is whatever the tabloids want you to hear. When you watch a television show, you fall in love with the characters who are in a relationship, and you want their relationship to work out and for the characters to be happy.
ReplyDeleteWe get so emotionally attached to the romantic relationships of fictional characters because we get to know them so well. We were "there" from the first moment they met, their first kiss, their first fight, and every major moment of their journey as a couple. Celebrity couples, all we see is random paparazzi shots of them going shopping together, and all of a sudden we hear that they broke up for one alleged reason for another. There's no point in crying over something we barely knew anything about in the first place.
ReplyDeleteI think our attachment to TV relationships vs. to celebrity relationships is comparable to those present in our own lives. Hearing that our favorite couple we'd always love to third-wheel with has just broken up affects us much more than one that we barely knew. I think it's a matter of familiarity, for the more one knows, the more connected and involved one feels, and the more one feel's the break-up's effects.
ReplyDeleteI think this is so true because the tv relationships we follow them and we know what is actually happening, we learn to love or hate some relationships whereas the celebrity relationships we do not actually know what is going on.
ReplyDelete