Not Anonymous

It is often asked which Book changed my life (Jane Eyre), what Movie changed my life (Free Willy - do not laugh, the underlying meaning of the film is so important it's as relevant today as it was almost fifteen years ago).
But very rarely do people ask what television show changed my life.
Why is that?
Because the medium is so vast, it's easy to get lost in all the crap that it spews, it's very difficult to find shows that are really good and meaningful.
I can think of two shows that really shaped me into the person I am today.
"Captain Planet" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer".

"Captain Planet" is, again, as relevant today as it was then (when I was in elementary school), it presents the lowest and most basic of Human corruption and how a person really can make a difference, it saddens me that only now I can really appreciate the genius of that children's cartoon, it was instrumental in my environmentalist ideology (and only now am I thinking seriously of becoming a vegetarian, yeah I know, הצתה מאוחרת anyone?). I even dressed up at Purim as Linka, the Russian controller of Wind.
I hope I can get that show on DVD so I can influence the next generation of my family.

"Buffy", ahhhh, "Buffy". One can write almost endlessly about Buffy, I know because I've read many articles and books on the subject, one can watch the episodes again and again and again (except "the Body", which never fails to leave me dehydrated and in awe of the absolutely magnificent art of Joss Whedon), and every time you discover another level of humanity that you missed the fourth time you watched it.
Discovering Buffy at the tender age of 12 (along with my two bestest friends) affected me in degrees I cannot even begin to describe.
I wish Mummy had gotten into it along with me, I think she would have worried a lot less about my "obsession" if she had and as an "X-Files" fan, I don't know why she didn't, perhaps because it was young and in the moment and it spoke of problems she no longer though she had to deal with.
"Buffy" inspired me to become as strong a woman as possible, it opened my eyes to the fact that women (especially short and cute ones) are underestimated and disregarded, until they prove themselves (either by opening their mouth, like the Lovely Cordelia, or throwing a punch like the Goddess Buffy).
"Buffy" inspires me to get into martial arts, it inspired me to explore my spirituality beyond the default I was born into (I'm glad I discovered that being Jewish is compatible with being an Agnostic and a Gaiaist), it inspired me to become a writer, it inspired me to explore my other obsessions like various Comic Books, Fantasy and Sci-Fi, it showed me the power of books (don't speak Latin next to them) it showed me the power of words.
"Buffy" is beyond fandom, it transcends academia, it already has cult standing, I will not be surprised if "Buffy" and it's spin offs "Angel" and the comic book "Fray" become a sacred text for a new religion in a few hundred years, because despite it being of a certain time and place the ideas and concepts it shows and formulates are timeless and cannot be anachronistic, by their very nature.
I think "Buffy" as a fandom has the potential to out live "Star Trek".
When I go to Cons and I see the new fans of "Buffy", who caught the re-runs, or have a friend who has the DVDs, this New School of fans (I consider myself Old School - since I watched it when it first aired) will inspire more and more fans and more people will be changed for the better by this exceptional work of art in a disrespected medium.

That's what "Buffy" truly is, because every woman, man and child is a Slayer!

( This is how I felt about the Chanukah Buffy.con )

All in all, it was a great experience and I think I'll offer my assistance in volunteering at the next Con.
It's nice just sitting around and talking to people about the all mighty Joss.