Entertainment
Buffy Cancellation Saved Franchise, Nobody Wants To Admit It
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Recently, Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans received devastating news: Hulu killed the upcoming reboot of the popular supernatural series. The fandom reaction to this news has generally been very grim, and many are sharpening their stakes and wondering who to blame. Buffy legend Sarah Michelle Gellar helped aim their ire at one unnamed executive, someone who never cared for the original show and allegedly took great delight in killing the reboot.
However, news of the cancellation made me let out a breath I didn’t even realize I was holding. The blunt truth is that we’ve gotten tons of awful television revivals in recent years, including The X-Files, Charmed, and Star Trek: Picard. Buffy’s own reboot getting canceled means our memories of a nearly perfect television show will remain unstained by what looked to be an awful revival. Plus, the cancellation means fans won’t have to face a very sobering truth: a reboot would be nothing without the involvement of canceled Buffy creator Joss Whedon.
Another One Bites The Dust
A year ago, the future seemed uncharacteristically sunny for Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Hulu had ordered a pilot for a revival with the name Buffy: New Sunnydale, and it had some serious talent behind it. The script came courtesy of Nora and Lilla Zuckerman, who are best known for writing episodes of Poker Face, one of the greatest female-led series in modern television. The pilot was directed by Best Picture Oscar winner Chloé Zhao. Most importantly, original Buffy star Sarah Michelle Gellar was returning to reprise her iconic role.
While Hulu ordered some changes to the pilot, everyone involved was generally confident that the show would proceed, resulting in an order for a full season. At the eleventh hour, the streamer canceled the show, and Gellar later blamed an unnamed executive for this decision. The executive seems to be Disney Television Group President Craig Erwich, a man who oversees the Hulu Originals division. Right now, Buffy fans want to drive a stake into his heart. But I can’t help but feel that Erwich just helped all of us dodge a bullet (or maybe it was a crossbow bolt).
Not Getting The Gang Back Together
The first reason I think a Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot was doomed to failure is that Sarah Michelle Gellar was the only member of the original cast to return for the pilot. That might have changed if the show had gotten ordered to series, but right now, she was the only connection to the original show. The connection also wasn’t very strong: reportedly, one of the changes Hulu requested for the pilot is giving Sarah Michelle Gellar a beefier role.
As great as Gellar is, the original Buffy succeeded because it was an ensemble show, and any genuine attempt to revive the original series would need to revive most (ideally, all) of the ensemble. Otherwise, you’re just watching a single popular actor going through the motions in a completely different television show. Weirdly enough, I think the best analog for how bad a Buffy reboot would be is the short-lived Frasier revival at Paramount. It brought back Kelsey Grammar, but he was surrounded by new characters, a new setting, a new job, etc. The network learned the hard way that fans want the whole ensemble back, not just the title character.
Personally, I wouldn’t want a Buffy reboot that is comprised almost entirely of new characters. It’s really the worst of both worlds. There would be a bunch of new people that old fans don’t really care about because they want to see more of Xander, Willow, and Giles. Meanwhile, the reboot would dangle Sarah Michelle Gellar in front of us without giving her much in the way of purpose or even screentime.
Hulu Was Right: The Buffy Reboot Was Really, Really Bad
According to the leaked script reviewed by Variety, the Buffy reboot pilot originally only had Sarah Michelle Gellar get a one-line cameo at the very end. After rewrites, she got more screentime, but her role will definitely upset the fandom. You see, Buffy now works for a major insurance company, and she has to return to Sunnydale because of a sudden high number of claims. On one hand, this new job proves that the Slayer was able to move on and finally live a normal life. On the other hand, it’s kind of depressing imagining the woman who repeatedly saved the world ending up as just another cubicle drone.
Most of the pilot focused on the new character Nova, a recently called Slayer who has to fight vampires with the help of her own Scooby Gang. She lives in Sunnydale, and modern residents know about the city’s shady supernatural history. But that knowledge won’t protect anyone because all the vampires Buffy seemingly defeated in the series finale have been reawakened, and they have all come back hungry.
Personally, I think this pilot sounds like a very lame retread of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer concept. Specifically, it sounds like a retread of Season 7, which teased that Dawn would be getting her own Scoobies before dropping that plotline like a hot potato. Speaking of Season 7, this pilot picks up decades later, but it does so in the worst possible way. There seems to be no solid explanation for why the vampires are back, nor is there any explanation for where all the other Slayers are since Buffy awakened them. In this way, the reboot makes all of Buffy’s actions and sacrifices in her own series finale completely meaningless!
Lost Without Joss
We’ve established most of the reasons why the Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot would have sucked: a major lack of Buffy, a complete absence of other cast members, and a plot that ruins the earlier show’s lore. However, the reboot was also doomed for a reason that most fans aren’t really ready to admit. Namely, the new show was being made without controversial Buffy creator Joss Whedon. Without his unique voice, the reboot was doomed from the very beginning.
Whedon isn’t involved with the reboot because he got canceled, seemingly for very good reasons. Ray Fisher claimed that Whedon was verbally abusive on the Justice League set, and costar Gal Gadot alleges that Whedon threatened her career so she would comply with his demands. Buffy and Angel star Charisma Carpenter also claimed Whedon was abusive, saying that her pregnancy made her fat and callously asking if she planned on keeping the baby. Her statements were supported by other Buffy actors who agreed that Whedon created a hostile work environment, including David Boreanaz, Amber Benson, James Marsters, and Eliza Dushku.
Hovering over all of this was the bombshell revelation from Joss Whedon’s ex-wife (Kai Cole) that, despite Whedon being such an avowed feminist, he had cheated on her with multiple women, including fans and Hollywood colleagues. He even had at least one affair with an unnamed actor on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Cole’s letter came out amid the #MeToo movement, which went a long way towards canceling Whedon. His cancellation was complete once Ray Fisher and Gal Gadot made their allegations, and even though no charges were ever formally filed, his career had a stake driven right into its heart.
All of this is to say that Joss Whedon was exposed as a hypocrite, and even though it took decades, it was rewarding to see him face justice for his alleged actions. However, nobody can deny that Whedon’s quirky humor and particular style of writing were the secret sauce that transformed Buffy the Vampire Slayer into such a cultural phenomenon. The reboot ultimately found itself in a terrible position: if they brought Whedon back, Hulu would be accused of condoning his alleged abuse. But by refusing to bring him on board, the streamer ended up with a script that fell so far short of the original show they killed the reboot altogether.
Here Lies Buffy Summers
The Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot is dead, and that’s a good thing. Instead of getting another crappy reboot, this franchise will remain an artifact of the late ‘90s and early aughts. We can enjoy streaming old episodes, dusting off our DVDs (remember those cool menu animations?), or even reading the surprisingly great comic books. In this way, Buffy will live as long as fans have nostalgia for its powerful pop culture impact.
Sarah Michelle Gellar and others are hoping to shop this reboot pilot around to other networks or streamers, but I’m hoping this thing stays dusted. Everything we know about the reboot makes it look like it would have been a sloppy, shoddy parody of everything fans loved about the original show. Plus, if there’s anything we’ve learned about Buffy the Vampire Slayer, it’s that nothing good happens when something comes back from the dead!
Entertainment
Moon phase today: What the Moon will look like on March 22
After several nights of near darkness, the Moon is finally illuminated enough that keen sky gazers can start to spot some features on the surface again. Keep reading to find out what you may be able to see tonight.
What is today’s Moon phase?
As of Sunday, March 22, the Moon phase is Waxing Crescent. According to NASA’s Daily Moon Guide, 14% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.
Tonight marks the return of enough of the Moon’s surface to see some exciting features. For example, without any visual aids NASA tells us you can spot the Mare Fecunditatis and the Mare Crisium. These are situated on the middle right of the moon, or middle left if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere.
With binoculars or a telescope, you’ll see these and also the Edymion Crater, positioned at the top right, or bottom left.
When is the next Full Moon?
In North America, the next Full Moon is predicted to take place on April 1.
What are Moon phases?
NASA says the Moon takes about 29.5 days to orbit Earth, going through eight different phases. We always see the same side, but the Sun lights up different portions as it moves, which is why it can look full, half, or just a thin sliver. These changing shapes are called the lunar phases, and there are eight in total:
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New Moon – The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it’s invisible to the eye).
Waxing Crescent – A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).
First Quarter – Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.
Waxing Gibbous – More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.
Full Moon – The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.
Waning Gibbous – The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)
Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) – Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.
Waning Crescent – A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.
Entertainment
This $430 MacBook Pro deal wont stick around for long — act fast to save
TL;DR: Get a near-mint Apple MacBook Pro (2020) for $429.97 (reg. $1,999) — featuring a Retina display, 16GB RAM, and 1TB SSD while stock lasts.
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MacBook Pros are known for their performance and build quality, but they’re also known for their price tags. That’s why refurbished deals can be worth paying attention to, especially when they involve higher-end models.
Right now, a near-mint Apple MacBook Pro (2020) is available for $429.97 (reg. $1,999) for a limited time. With Grade A refurbished condition, it arrives in like-new condition, while delivering the same performance the MacBook Pro line is known for.
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2GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost up to 3.8GHz
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16GB RAM for smooth multitasking and demanding workloads
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13.3″ Retina display (2560×1600) with Apple’s True Tone technology
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Intel Iris Plus Graphics for creative work and streaming
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Touch Bar for shortcuts
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Touch ID fingerprint login
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Four Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports
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Up to 10 hours of battery life for working on the go
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Optimized for the latest macOS
If you’ve been waiting for a reasonably priced MacBook Pro, this refurbished 2020 model is on sale for just $429.97 (reg. $1,999) while stock lasts.
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Want to see more deals? Visit the shop and use code MARCH15 to save an extra 15% sitewide through March 29. Exclusions apply.
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Entertainment
6 AdultFriendFinder features other hookup sites lack
For 30 years now, AdultFriendFinder has quietly positioned itself as the internet’s premier adult dating site and a go-to destination for singles chasing casual flings and hookups. Their success hasn’t been an accident. They’ve stayed on top of the game, and even survived the emergence of dating apps, by forging a unique identity to help them stand out in an incredibly crowded and competitive field.
If you’re looking to let your freak flag fly, AFF offers you the greatest variety of ways to do it — here are six features AdultFriendFinder has that you won’t find on any other dating site.
Credit: AdultFriendFinder
Naked content
One of the first things you’ll discover after creating an AFF account is that the site doesn’t shy away from hosting nudity, nor is it hard to come by. In fact, it’s extremely common for people’s profile photos to contain genitalia or full-frontal nudity rather than the typical headshot you’re likely to find on most other dating sites.
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AdultFriendFinder
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readers’ pick for casual connections
Tinder
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top pick for finding hookups
Hinge
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popular choice for regular meetups
The nudity isn’t confined to photos, either. You can host videos on your profile, including explicit videos, and there are webcam feeds live at any given time that feature amateur and professional models in various states of undress.
If you find yourself distracted by all of the nudity or just want to browse the site in public without getting arrested, you can turn on the adult content filter by navigating to your profile settings in the top right of the screen, scrolling down to Content Filter and then selecting either No Nudity, Some Nudity or Everything (the default setting, naturally).
Live webcam feeds
There’s certainly no shortage of webcam sites on the internet, but it’s rare to find a dating site that hosts live webcam feeds, not only of professional models but also of regular men and women looking for connection.
Navigate to the Live Action menu at the top of your AFF window and choose between either Member Webcams or Pro Models. Once you’ve made this choice, you’ll be able to create even more specific search filters, including by gender (Men, Women or Trans), Nude or Non-Nude, and even by proximity to you.
The Looksmaxxing Glossary: Every term you need to understand the internet’s most unhinged subculture
One thing to note, however: while free members can view webcam feeds (including more than one at a time), only Gold members and above can actually chat with models.
Discussion forums, blogs, and group chats
Unlike traditional dating sites, which only seek to match people in one-on-one interactions, AdultFriendFinder encourages group dynamics, especially in their Community section. Here you’ll find not only personal blog posts by AFF users commenting on their experience, sharing stories or posting queries, but also group discussion boards organized around literally hundreds of interesting topics.
Many of these are sexual in nature (there’s a polyamory group, for example, and a “women who like older men” group), but many are organized around interests and hobbies, including politics, tech, travel, movies and music.
Mashable Trend Report
Best of all, you can participate in these communal discussions without having to subscribe to AFF’s Gold membership, which helps to keep these places more lively than they would otherwise be if only paying members could access these spaces.
Erotic stories
Fun fact: erotic fiction now accounts for approximately 25 percent of all fiction sold in the United States, so it’s hardly surprising that erotic writing (“literotica” for those in the know) would be a major draw. What is surprising, however, is how few online dating sites take advantage of it.
AdultFriendFinder members who wish to read or write sexy stories, real or imagined, can navigate to the Community menu and select Stories, where they’ll uncover a near-unlimited array of stories, novels, fan fiction and even erotic poetry.
If you’re feeling adventurous, you can explore the stories at random, but AFF also deploys a clever tagging system that allows you to search by topic, with popular options including First Time, Sci-Fi, TSTV (trans and transvestite), and Voyeur.
Popular stories achieve higher ratings and greater on-site visibility, and popular authors can actually build a large following on the site, so whether you’re eager to read more erotic fiction or aspire to write some, AFF has you covered.
Contests
One of the more fun aspects of AdultFriendFinder is that it genuinely seeks to cultivate a sense of community and actively encourages its users to spend more time on the site, especially in the public-facing sections. Their on-site contests are a fantastic example of this in action.
About once a month, the site hosts a themed photo contest, asking members to submit photos and then allowing the rest of the site to vote on which submissions best reflect or embody the contest caption.
The most recent photo contest theme was “Velvet Secrets: Valentine’s Masquerade,” while prior contests include “Naughty & Nice” for the holidays and “Midnight Mischief.” Winners get a special badge they can display on their profile, as well as tons more profile visibility, so there’s a strong incentive to participate.
To enter, scroll to the Community menu and then find Contests at the very bottom of the options list. If there’s an active contest and you are logged in to your account, you’ll be given the option of participating.
Kink-based profile search
Every online dating site or app has a profile section, where you can fill out pertinent personal information such as your sexual orientation, level of education, and whatever hobbies, interests or special skills you have that might make you stand out from the crowd, but AdultFriendFinder takes things a step further by offering members the opportunity to list their kinks.
If you navigate to your profile name in the top right of your AFF screen and then select Dating Profile and Edit Profile, you’ll have the opportunity to add to your My Kinks section. Popular options here include BDSM, voyeurism and cross dressing, but the full list is far more extensive.
Best of all, these kink lists aren’t merely decorative. If you have a premium account, you can actually search out other members by their chosen kinks, allowing you to find the people in your area who like exhibitionism or have a foot fetish, for example.
There’s no shortage of online dating sites, and even no shortage of hookup-first sites, but when it comes to adult dating, AFF clearly separates itself from the competition with its wide array of kink-friendly features and accommodations.
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