First let me clarify the title of this article. I did not mean BtVS fans who have "diehard" metals on Fanpop. I mean BtVS fans who truly appreciate the show, and who stubbornly and vigorously defend it. The people who live their lives consumed with Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Whenever I meet someone that loves Buffy the Vampire Slayer... or even just likes BtVS... or even someone who goes "oh yeah I saw that show a couple of times. it was pretty cool." I get so excited. Firstly, this is because I think the show is a masterpiece and deserves to be seen by as many viewers as possible. But secondly, I get so excited because I automatically feel connected to the person I am talking to. In my opinion there is something so extraordinary about the show and in order to TRULY understand the show and appreciate it- you must be an extraordinary person. It's not just a television show; it's a way of life. It examines so many different ways of looking at life, experiencing love, and finding ways to make the bad times not seem as scary and the good times not seem so brief and short lasting. Usually someone stops being a fan of a tv show once it goes off the air but with BtVS- that's impossible because it becomes a part of you. The show tugs at your heart strings so well and I often feel that it describes life, and the events occurring in life, in a way that no one else has. There is a reason there are so many psychology and philosophy books written about BtVS, Joss Whedon, and the Buffyverse. I'm not saying that people who don't like the show are stupid or shallow...definitely not. I'm just saying that the show is very deep and in order to really understand it and connect with it- you must be a deep, emotional, and complex person. People who embrace the show and truly understand it are people who live, think, and love in a certain way. The show is bursting with such passion and depth... and you either see that or you don't.

There are fans that love some story lines and hate others--- and then there are fans that love every single storyline. There are fans that love some couples and hate others--- and then there are fans that love every single couple. But what we all have in common is that we see that Buffy the Vampire Slayer is an extraordinary show.

I know not EVERY fan is like this. Some fans watch the show and don't think twice about it. And some fans watch the show... and I think they just don't get it. But the people I am talking about in this article are what I consider the "diehard" fans. The people who walk away debating the plots and the philosophy behind the show. The people who sit there crying every time Oz leaves Willow no matter how many times you've seen the episode because we know it's impossible to watch Willow cry without crying ourselves. The people who fall in love with the characters because they became a family. The people who find themselves using BtVS quotes as their mottos- not just on fun websites like Fanpop, but as their motto for life. The people who hear Buffy say "The hardest thing in this world is to live in it. Be Brave. Live." And REALLY understand what she meant. These are the fans I love.

Some people turn the show into a whole "Bangel vs. Spuffy" debate. I think both couples were very important to the show and meant a lot to fans. However, I think the show was so much deeper than love stories between Buffy and her boyfriends. I am not trying to underestimate the power of their relationships...I just think the relationships on BtVS were a representation of what was happening on the show, not vise versa. Buffy's relationships reflected on Buffy's struggle to find herself, to come to terms with her calling, and her growing understanding of how to be a young woman in a lonely violent world. Buffy's struggles were NOT a reflection of her relationships...her relationships were a reflection of her struggles. BtVS was one of the most intellectual and emotionally stimulating television shows ever created and while the romantic relationships on the show were important (and very important to story lines, character development, the representation of love and passion...) I think the show goes wayyyy beyond these relationships. But what's so great about so many BtVS fans is that THEY GET THAT! Or at least they don't let this "shipping rivalry" overpower the fact that we all belong to the same community: the community of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans.
I'm so sick of fans of other shows (i.e. One Tree Hill) who turn the entire show into a shipping rivalry. One Tree Hill is definitely more couple-centric than Buffy the Vampire Slayer... but it still stands to reason that if you love the same show you have a lot in common (and I'm not trying to bring down OTH because I like the show a lot...it's just certain fans make me crazy a lot of the time with the constant rivalries). I have seen A FEW BtVS fans really bash fellow fans for liking their rival couple or for insulting the couple they love. But thankfully I haven't seen many of those fans. I have no problem with people who love Spuffy and hate Bangel... or people who hate Spuffy and love Bangel. Of course arguing about television couples seems silly and trivial (though at times quite interesting), but sometimes these arguments turn brutal and are completely inappropriate. I've noticed that most BtVS fans have a preference when it comes to the couples on the show... but they don't let themselves become blindsided to the fact that what we all have in common is that we appreciate the ingenuity of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. We are all Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans... and maybe you identify more as a Willow & Tara fan than a BtVS fan... but by being a fan of any aspect of the show, you understand just how important the show is and how it has impacted each and every one of our lives.

So thanks for all being mature and not hating each other because you like different couples and characters... but instead loving each other because we found other people who understand and appreciate the brilliance of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Joss Whedon.