Thursday, October 18, 2012

More 90's Style Social Indoctrination

Been watching the old TV Series 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' on DVD over the last few months.  One thing I've noticed is the portrayal of guns right out of the Joyce Foundation/EIC playbook, iow, as buffy puts it:
"These things? Never helpful."  Although she's perfectly ok using crossbows, swords, axes and even a rocket launcher to hack, slash and blow things up. Outside of the 'Government Conspiracy' (which later becomes helpful), let's take a look at some of the stereotypes and outright fabrications used in the show.

All civilian uses of firearms (few admittedly) in the show are in a negative light, the only intent is to hurt/kill the main characters.

In the episodes 'Seeing Red' and 'The killer in me', the character 'Warren' (actually a glamored Willow in the 2nd ep.) goes to an FFL, buys a handgun and walks out w/ it.  Sunnydale is in California.  California has a 10 day waiting period to prevent just such fictional 'crimes of passion'. Nor would Willow have had the 'Warren' ID, licensing or registration required as per CA law.  Apparently the police also never issued a warrant for him after his attempts at robbing an armored car, murder and attempted murder which would have shown up on his various background checks. 

That's California for you.

Interestingly, they KEEP the illegally purchased firearm in their home stored in a paper bag w/ numerous under 18 yr olds present. California has 'Child Access Prevention' and 'Safe Storage' laws requiring firearms to be kept in a locked device and away from 'Children'.

So yeah, I know. Silly drama/action/sci-fi show.  But this goes along w/ the clear trend at the time to manipulate views and propagandize using television and movies using funding by gun control lobbyists.

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2 comments:

Erin Palette said...

Yes, but Joss gave us the gun-friendly and eminently quotable "Firefly", so we'll forgive him this. :)

Publius said...

I've hung around these types a lot (even worked at a major production company for quite a while). Based on my experience, and conversations with directors/producers, I think a MUCH more likely explanation is that they honestly don't know what the law is, and are less concerned with strict verisimilitude than with trying to portray the subject in a certain way (typically negative). Also, the fact that the guy would resort to such measures is probably supposed to reflect on the character's inner moral landscape.