Buffy Shrugged (or didn't)

A discussion of Ayn Rand's Objectivism and how Buffy the Vampire Slayer opposes it. Also discussed are Faith's nihilist tendencies and Anya's love of capitalism. 

Notes: 

2:05 - "Monster of the week" is a term originally coined by the writers of The Outer Limits. It describes an episode of a TV series that features              a standalone story with a villain that is created solely for that episode. 

3:32 - The basics of Rand and Objectivism 

4:22 - Atlas was a figure in Greek mythology. It is actually a common misconception that he held the world on his back. In fact, he is                             described as holding up the heavens. Rand would make this common mistake in using the image of Atlas holding up the world as the                 central metaphor  for her novel. 

6:04 - Gordon Gekko is the antagonist of the movie Wall Street, played by Michael Douglas. He has come to represent the greed of Wall                      Street businessmen. 

6:38 - Adam Smith was one of the first modern economists. He wrote about how a free market operates, coining the term "the invisible hand."

9:21 - Background on Buffy the Vampire Slayer 

9:32 - Few actually grow to be young women. The show makes it clear that most slayer don't live past adolescence. 

14:33 - Season 2, episode 9 (I Only Have Eyes for You) 

19:03 - Faith as a foil of Buffy 

21:38 - Faith and Nietzsche 

23:31 - This phrase captures Faith's personal philosophy. Season 3, episode 14 (Bad Girls) 

23:59 - Anya the capitalist 

25:43 - Side Rant 

Intro and outro music: "Swim below as Leviathans" by Fireproof_Babies (featuring Ben Shewmaker) is licensed under CC BY.