.
GILES : "What did I say then?".
BUFFY : "That girl would where cats strapped to her feet if the magazines told .
her too".
(Earshot, Season 4).
What more could she ask for? This strong character has done a lot for Sarah Michelle Geller, her strength now used for commercial ventures. Her group appeal was underlined when she became the face and spokesperson for a major cosmetics line, "Maybelline". She has branched out into film receiving numerous awards for her performance in "Cruel Intentions".
Buffy is viewed in the demon world she opposes as physically strong, full of audacity and subversive because of her immersion in popular culture. This highlights a major theme played to the audience, Buffy's resemblance to a normal teen.
PIKE : "Buffy, you"re not like other girls.".
BUFFY : "Yes, I am.".
These brief lines are from the 1992 film version of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". Pre-dating the television series by five years, it is the basis of the character Buffy as "The Slayer". Buffy's move from film to television changed her from being a socially popular airhead, to a role model who is no longer the centre of high school life. Buffy goes through the traumas and challenges of teenage girlhood like the average teenager. She wants to be normal, she wants a "normal" steady boyfriend, and she merely wishes to be thought of like everyone else. On one hand she tackles evil and on the other Buffy is more suited to the roles of prom queen or cheerleader. .
Here emerges the millennium girl: the 21st century tomboy, super girl, and teen heroine. Maybe that is why we like her so much. The show's commercial success depends upon this definition of femininity and sex appeal. Despite all her bravado and physical strength she is still girlie through and through. Part of her mass audience appeal, is that there is no doubting that she is gorgeous in looks and personality.