Buffy reboot showrunner assures fans she's not trying to stake the original
Reboots of beloved properties are always a tricky thing. But it seems even the blessing and/or involvement of the original creator of a piece of fanatically cherished pop culture is rarely enough to still the fears of fans worried it will…tarnish the original? Destroy their happy memories? Well, definitely something.
Maybe it’s just the idea that something not as good will bear the same name as something you love, which is a fair concern—no one likes cognitive dissonance. Regardless, there was plenty of that last week, after it was announced a new iteration of Buffy The Vampire Slayer would be coming to the small screen, with an as-yet uncast black actress taking over the role of slayer. Social media was immediately filled with responses, some hopeful about the new version of the show, and some notably less enthused. These ran the gamut from your usual “ruin my childhood” whining to legitimate concerns from black critics making salient points about the patronizing feel of reboots based on diversity, and how those reboots are used as excuses for continuing to not grant black actors their own original properties.