Written Analysis 3: Heroes and Celebrity in Xena, Buffy and Nikita


   In the article I chose, the concept of females as heroes is discussed.  The three television shows of Xena, Buffy and Nikita all offer a female hero to the audience.  The characters of all three are strong women who champion the rights of others.  All three characters fight evil villains doing bad things.  The women role models who have moral and ethical values.  The three are intelligent, spirited, women fighters who are dealing with hostile and violent adversaries.  The females triumph continuously over adversity.  Each show has a strong female character who the show advertises as a hero and spends each episode justifying your support of her as a fan.

      All three shows have had a large fan following.  The celebrity phenomenon can be seen in the way each of these shows still has fans even though they are long off the air.  People still watch these shows on platforms like Netflix.  People purchase copies of the shows off the internet and from local stores like Walmart.  The idea of a female hero has a timeless following.  Any age can be a fan of that type of hero.  Finding entertaining shows with strong female characters hasn’t always been easy.  The rarity of a female hero lead makes these enjoyable shows timeless and worth watching again.


References:

Magoulick, M. (2006). Frustrating Female Heroism: Mixed Messages in Xena, Nikita, and Buffy. Popular Culture, 729.

Browne, R. B., & Browne, R. B. (2005). Profiles of popular culture: a reader. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsin Press.



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