Grimm Realities

I think that this article did a great job highlighting the history behind the plots of Buffy. While the author seems a little too excited by his ex-students brilliance, the points he makes are nonetheless impressive. I found it particularly interesting that Joss Whedon was often inspired by fairy tales and nursery rhymes while writing Buffy. For example, Elizabeth Bridges noted that the eerie hymn sang at the beginning of the episode 'Hush' was reminiscent of the popular nursery rhyme 'Ring Around the Rosie' (Bridges 102). Bridges continues, observing, "The tune, the rhyme and its meter, and the subject matter all cue memories of these disturbing children's rhymes common in the English-speaking countries" (Bridges 102). I found it interesting that these rhymes were being used to relate Buffy's modern plot to more traditional tales. I think that Whedon's decision to use such rhymes in Buffy only solidifies the depth and complexity of the show's plot.