'Paper Towns' Review (with GIF's!)

Readers, welcome back to Teenage Fanatic! Today, I will once again be getting in touch with my inner film critic (who, let's be honest, isn't so inner), and giving you the low down of the new young adult book-to-movie adaptation 'Paper Towns'. Was it any good? Did the John Green novel translate well into film? All will be revealed shortly.

I may as well put you out of your misery now, I did indeed really enjoy the movie. Was I expecting to? I hadn't decided yet. But I'm pleased to say I was pleasantly surprised. The trailer didn't really let on whether the film was going to be overly cliche and angsty, or, you know, actually decent, so it really could've gone either way. However, I am obviously grateful that it didn't make me want to claw my eyes out or vomit everything I'd eaten in the past week. I don't know about you, but that's always a bonus for me.

The story begins as protagonist Quentin "Q" Jacobsen (Nat Wolff) introduces us to the enigma that is Margot Roth Spiegelman (Cara Delevingne) whom he lives across the road from.

The two were super close when they were young, however as time went on, Margot's sense of adventure proved to be too far from Quentin's comfort zone, and they eventually grew apart. Margot managed to work her way up the high school hierarchy, while Quentin chose to remain closer to the bottom, content to hang with his two closest friends Ben (Austin Abrams) and Marcus (Justice Smith).

All of this changed however when one night, Margot climbed into Q's window and asked for his assistance in a revenge plot against her cheating ex-boyfriend and the friends who helped in covering it up.

They then went out on the town and did just that, getting up to all sorts of mischief including wrapping a girl's car in cling wrap, exposing her cheating boyfriend and removing a boy's eyebrow.

The next day however, Margot had vanished. Where to? No one knew. But Q put it upon himself to find out, enlisting the help of Ben and Marcus, Marcus' girlfriend Angela (Jaz Sinclair) and Margot's best friend Lacey (Halston Sage).

How does it all end? Do they ever find her? I'm afraid you'll have to buy yourself a movie ticket and discover the answers for yourself.

As I've already disclosed to you, I was indeed pleasantly surprised with 'Paper Towns'. To be honest, not much happens, but that's a nice change from the mindless, action-packed films that seem to be taking over cinemas as of late. It actually made you think, and considering that the characters in the film were grappling with the prospect of graduating from high school, something that will be happening to me in just over a year, I could definitely relate. I actually can't even define what genre the film slots into. There was drama, sure, but it wasn't angsty or annoying, and everyone managed to survive, and although it had comedic elements, it definitely wasn't just a straight-up comedy. So honestly, I don't even know what it is, but I just know I enjoyed it.

Acting wise, the film was pretty solid also. Nat Wolff as Q did an excellent job, fitting into the role really easily and managing to be natural the whole time. Honestly, I can't really imagine anyone else doing a better job. Cara Delevingne as Margot I feel was also super fab. I didn't know what to expect considering she's only just transitioned from modelling to acting, but she really nailed it. It would be hard having to play a character who's super mysterious and randomly runs off all the time, but she did it really well, so we didn't ever totally hate her or anything, but at the same time we had no idea what she was going to do next.

I have to say, my favourite part was that there was no cliche ending. Without giving anything away, I have to tell you now, it's pretty cool. You rarely ever find a teen movie that could actually emulate life, but low and behold, this delivers just that. I have to admit, a part of me wanted a fairytale ending and for everything to be perfect, but the bigger, more logical part was really glad that art was finally able to realistically imitate life.

All in all, I highly suggest that you guys check out this flick when you have the chance. It really is super good, and manages to break the mould and appeal to the masses at the same time. How? I do not know, but I'm pretty sure John Green is some kind of magical creature.

That's pretty much all I have in store for you. Now please, do yourself a favour and check out this film as soon as possible in a cinema near you. Til' next time . . .

Annabel xx

The Most Awesome TV Show and Movie References in TV Shows and Movies

Blogosphere, I have returned once more! Today, because I'm strangely nerdy and find joy in dissecting every single detail of anything even vaguely related to on-screen popular culture, I've decided to take a closer look at some of everyone's favourite movies and TV shows. To share my findings with you all, I have decided to bring to you a list of some of the best references you will find within this fictional multimedia. Why? I don't even know, I just want to, so go with it. Relatively short intro complete, here they all are . . .

'Wicked' in 'Descendants'

End of Act 1. Elphaba in Defying Gravity. Need I say more? (BONUS: Watch the whole performance of 'Evil Like Me' here because it's actually amazing). 

'Juno' in 'How I Met Your Mother'

It would've been an amazing Halloween, that's for sure.

'Carrie' in 'Glee'

Oh well, at least everyone survived at this prom. 

'Dora the Explorer' in '22 Jump Street'

This whole scene though. 

'The Breakfast Club' in 'Pitch Perfect'

The fist pump literally makes the movie (also Skylar Astin is the bomb).

'Glee' in 'The Office'

I love it. I love it so much.

'Dirty Dancing' in 'Crazy, Stupid, Love'

This GIF doesn't really give you much because the internet seems to be against me, but if you haven't already guessed it, they do the iconic lift. So just watch the whole scene and experience the full awesomeness.

'Back to the Future' in 'A Million Ways to Die in the West'

Again, this picture in now way does justice to the epicness of this scene. 

'Meet the Parents' in 'Bad Neighbours' 

I know they reference a whole lot of Robert De Niro movies, but the 'Meet the Parents' reference was my fav. Pretty much purely because of the jinxy cat.  

'To Kill A Mockingbird' in 'Pretty Little Liars'

Boo Radley anyone?

'Les Misérables' in 'Orange is the New Black'

This made me so happy.

'Family Ties' in 'Arrested Development'

This one actually took me a while to get. If you're a fan of the show you would know it's jam packed full of references, but this would probably have to be one of my favourites (once I actually got it). In my youth, my mum exposed me to the 80's show 'Family Ties', so much so that I've pretty much seen every single episode. Anyway, turns out the actress who played Malory is actually Jason Bateman (aka Michael Bluth)'s sister in real life, so they made a little homage to the hit show in the title of the episode.

So that's pretty much all I've got for you. Hopefully I've totally enlightened you, and have inspired you all to go out and take a look at some of these TV shows and movies more closely. Til' next time . . .

Annabel xx

200th Blog Post!

Well hello and welcome readers! Today is very exciting, as I am pleased to announce that Teenage Fanatic has finally reached its 200th blog post! I'm not gonna lie, I'm pretty proud. The fact that I started this on a whim in August of 2013 and am still going strong today is pretty frickin awesome, and I actually cannot describe to you guys how excited I am. I don't know whether to say a massive you're welcome or apologise to everybody for burdening them with the strange inner workings of mind, but whatever I decide, I definitely know that I'm going to be celebrating my achievements thus far. So, to honour this awesomeness, I have decided to give you an insight into my musical preferences by listing the top 200 songs played most frequently on my iTunes. Will you be vaguely interested? I do not know, however I guess I also don't really care. So without further ado, here they are . . .

200. 'Fixer Upper' - Frozen
199. 'Cannonball' - Lea Michele
198. 'It's Time' - Glee, Darren Criss
197. 'Hoedown Throwdown' - Miley Cyrus
196. 'A Little More Homework' - 13 The Musical
195. 'Touch A Touch A Touch A Touch Me' - The Rocky Horror Picture Show
194. 'Put Your Graffiti On Me' - Katerina Graham
193. 'Change' - The Lightning Seeds
192. 'Theme to St Trinians' - Girls Aloud
191. 'Little Girls' - Annie
190. 'Shake It Out' - SMASH, Katherine McPhee
189. 'Don't You (Forget About Me)' - Simple Minds
188. 'Smooth Criminal' - Glee, Naya Rivera
187. 'Mamma Mia' - ABBA
186. 'Evil Like Me' - Kristin Chenoweth and Dove Cameron
185. 'Ice Ice Baby' - Vanilla Ice
184. 'Rock Lobster' - The B-52's
183. 'Voldemort Is Goin' Down' - A Very Potter Musical
182. 'Baby, It's Cold Outside' - Glee, Darren Criss and Chris Colfer
181. 'Fancy' - Iggy Azalea feat. Charlie XCX
180. 'In Summer' - Frozen
179. 'The Hanging Tree' - The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Jennifer Lawrence
178. 'Wide Awake' - Glee Cast
177. 'Never Coming Down' - Willamette Stone
176. 'Mama, I'm A Big Girl Now' - Hairspray
175. 'On Lexington & 52nd Street' - SMASH, Will Chase
174. 'Barbie Girl' - Postmodern Jukebox
173. 'Uninvited' - Glee, Lea Michele
172. 'It Can't Be True' - 13 The Musical
171. 'Mickey' - B*Witched
170. 'Popular Song' - Mika feat. Ariana Grande
169. 'Give It Up' - Elizabeth Gillies and Ariana Grande
168. 'Let It Go' - Frozen
167. 'Whistle' - Glee, Nolan Funk
166. 'Bang Bang' - Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj
165. 'Let's Go to the Mall' - Robin Sparkles
164. 'Price Tag/Don't you Forget About Me/Give Me Everything/ Just The Way You Are/Party in the USA/Turn the Beat Around' - Pitch Perfect, The Barden Bellas
163. 'Blurred Lines' - Robin Thicke feat. T.I, Pharrell
162. 'Black Widow' - Iggy Azalea feat. Rita Ora
161. 'Fabulous' - High School Musical 2, Ashley Tisdale
160. 'Somethin' Stupid' - Glee, Heather Morris and Chord Overstreet
159. 'Uninvited' - Glee, Lea Michele
158. 'God Is a DJ' - P!nk
157. 'Anything Could Happen' - Glee Cast
156. 'Whipped Into Shape' - Legally Blonde the Musical
155. 'Problem' - Ariana Grande feat. Iggy Azalea
154. 'Love is an Open Door' - Frozen
153. 'Good Girl, Bad Boy' - Junior Senior
152. 'Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People' - Frozen
151. 'Since U Been Gone' - Pitch Perfect Cast
150. 'Sexy Silk' - Jessie J
149. 'Your Fault' - Into the Woods
148. 'All I Want Is You' - Barry Louis Polisar
147. 'Mickey/Like a Virgin/Hit Me With Your Best Show/S&M/Let's Talk About Sex/I'll Make Love to You/Feels Like the First Time/No Diggity' - Pitch Perfect Cast
146. 'Buenos Aries' - Glee, Lindsey Pearce
145. 'I Don't Know How to Love Him' - Glee, Jenna Ushkowitz
144. 'Agony' - Into the Woods
143. 'Grin and Bare It' - SMASH, Megan Hilty
142. 'Twist and Shout' - The Beatles
141. 'You're The One That I Want' - Grease
140. 'Cry' - Glee, Lea Michele
139. 'I Love You' - Eternal Summers
138. 'Seasons Of Love' - RENT
137. 'Granger Danger' - A Very Potter Musical
136. For the First Time in Forever - Frozen
135. (I've Had) The Time of My Life - Bill Medely and Jennifer Warnes
134. 'Celebrity Skin' - Glee, Heather Morris and Chord Overstreet
133. 'Don't Stop Me Now' - Queen
132. 'Bohemian Rhapsody' - Queen
131. 'That's Life' - SMASH, Katherine McPhee and Megan Hilty
130. 'Redneck Woman' - SMASH, Katherine McPhee
129. 'Our Little Secret' - SMASH, Julian Ovenden and Katherine McPhee
128. '(Let's Start) Tomorrow Tonight' - SMASH, Leslie Odom
127. 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' - SMASH, Megan Hilty and Will Chase
126. 'Pour Some Sugar On Me' - The To Do List, Scott Porter
125. 'Girl On Fire' - Glee, Naya Rivera
124. 'A Thousand Needles' - Lea Michele
123. 'All I Ask of You' - The Phantom of the Opera
122. 'Give Your Heart A Break' - Glee, Lea Michele and Dean Geyer
121. 'Do You Want to Build a Snowman?' - Frozen
120. 'Beauty School Drop Out' - Grease
119. 'Party in the USA' - Pitch Perfect, The Barden Bellas
118. 'Human' - Darren Criss
117. 'Dig Deep' - SMASH, Megan Hilty
116. 'I'm Sexy, I'm Cute' - Bring It On
115. 'Oops!...I Did It Again' - Britney Spears
114. 'Que Sera Sera' - Sly & the Family Stone
113. 'Pocketful of Sunshine' - Natasha Bedingfield
112. 'Locked Out of Heaven' - Glee Cast
111. 'Crazy/(You Drive Me) Crazy' - Glee, Melissa Benoist and Jacob Artist
110. 'Lollipop Lips' - Connie Francis
109. 'Call Me' - SMASH, Katherine McPhee
108. 'Think of Me' - The Phantom of the Opera
107. 'A Hard Day's Night' - Glee, Lea Michele and Naya Rivera
106. 'Torn' - Glee, Lea Michele
105. 'Holding Out For a Hero' - Glee, Becca Tobin and Melissa Benoist
104. 'Lollipop' - Pitch Perfect 2, Skylar Astin
103. 'So Much Better' - Legally Blonde the Musical
102. 'Yoo Hoo' - Imperial Teen
101. 'Don't Dream It's Over' - Glee, Cory Monteith
100. 'Teenage Suicide (Don't Do It)' - Heathers, Big Fun
99. 'The Sign/Eternal Flame/Turn the Beat Around' - Pitch Perfect, The Barden Bellas
98. 'Simple As This' - Jake Bugg
97. 'Goin' Back to Hogwarts' - A Very Potter Musical
96. 'Mama Who Bore Me (Reprise)' - Spring Awakening
95. 'Don't You' - Darren Criss
94. 'Climbing Uphill' - The Last Five Years
93. 'On the Steps of the Palace' - Into the Woods
92. 'The Phantom of the Opera' - The Phantom of the Opera
91. 'Don't Speak' - Glee, Lea Michele, Darren Criss, Chris Colfer and Cory Monteith
90. 'Do You Hear the People Sing?' - Les Misérables
89. 'Blood Hands' - Royal Blood
88. 'Dark I Know Well' - Spring Awakening
87. 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You' - 10 Things I Hate About you, Heath Ledger
86. 'My Junk' - Spring Awakening
85. 'I Can Hardly Make You Mine' - Cults
84. 'Mine' - Glee, Naya Rivera
83. 'Us' - Regina Spektor
82. 'Pulled' - The Addams Family Musical
81. 'Dress and Tie' - Charlene Kaye feat. Darren Criss
80. 'There! Right There!' - Legally Blonde the Musical
79. 'There Are Worse Things I Could Do' - Grease
78. 'I Can Hear the Bells' - Hairspray
77. 'Greased Lightning' - Grease
76. 'Wannabe' - Spicegirls
75. 'Cupid Shoot Me' - Remi Nicole
74. 'Bring Him Home' - Les Misérables
73. 'A Miracle Would Happen/When You Come Home to Me' - The Last Five Years
72. 'Die in Your Arms' - Ariana Grande
71. 'Cups' - Pitch Perfect, Anna Kendrick
70. 'Baby Got Back' - Glee, Oliver Kieran-Jones
69. 'Make You Feel My Love' - Glee, Lea Michele
68. 'Look At Me I'm Sandra Dee (Reprise)' - Grease
67. 'Bad Reputation' - The Hit Girls
66. 'Come on Eileen' - Dexy's Midnight Runners
65. 'Public Relations' - Katherine McPhee and Christian Borle
64. 'Cut, Print...Moving On' - SMASH, Katherine McPhee
63. 'Tell Him' - Glee, Heather Morris and Melissa Benoist
62. 'My Type' - Saint Motel
61. 'On My Own' - Les Misérables
60. 'Shia LaBeouf' - Rob Cantor
59. 'Defying Gravity' - Wicked
58. 'All That Jazz' - Chicago
57. 'Unchained Melody' - Glee, Blake Jenner and Jacob Artist
56. 'Still Hurting' - The Last Five Years
55. 'Everybody Talks' - Glee, Becca Tobin and Jacob Artist
54. 'Prologue: Into the Woods' - Into the Woods
53. 'Here Comes the Sun' - Glee, Naya Rivera and Demi Lovato
52. 'Science Fiction Double Feature' - The Rocky Horror Picture Show
51. 'Teenage Dream (Acoustic Version)' - Glee, Darren Criss
50. 'Yesterday' - Glee, Lea Michele
49. 'The National Pastime' - SMASH, Megan Hilty
48. 'Don't Forget Me' - SMASH, Katherine McPhee
47. 'Brand New You' - 13 The Musical
46. 'I Dreamed a Dream' - Glee, Lea Michele and Idina Menzel
45. 'Omigod You Guys' - Legally Blonde the Musical
44. 'Our Love is God' - Heathers the Musical
43. 'Bend and Snap' - Legally Blonde the Musical
42. 'Help!' - Glee, Darren Criss
41. '(The Legend Of) Miss Baltimore Crabs' - Hairspray
40. 'Look At Me I'm Sandra Dee' - Grease
39. 'Take Me or Leave Me' - RENT
38. 'Dammit, Janet' - The Rocky Horror Picture Show
37. 'Good Morning Baltimore' - Hairspray
36. 'Popular' - Wicked
35. 'Positive' - Legally Blonde the Musical
34. 'Creep' - Glee, Lea Michele and Dean Geyer
33. 'Hopelessly Devoted To You' - Grease
32. 'Let Me Be Your Star' - SMASH, Katherine McPhee
31. 'A Summer in Ohio' - The Last Five Years
30. 'Let's Be Bad' - SMASH, Megan Hilty
29. 'The Me Inside of Me' - Heathers the Musical
28. 'SMASH!' - SMASH, Katherine McPhee and Megan Hilty
27. 'Seventeen (Reprise)' - Heathers the Musical
26. 'Don't Rain On My Parade' - Glee, Lea Michele
25. 'Cell Block Tango' - Chicago
24. 'Beautiful' - Heathers the Musical
23. 'Dead Girl Walking (Reprise)' - Heathers the Musical
22. 'Lifeboat' - Heathers the Musical
21. 'The New Girl in Town' - Hairspray
20. 'Shine a Light (Reprise)' - Heathers the Musical
19. 'They Just Keep Moving the Line' - SMASH, Megan Hilty
18. 'Shine a Light' - Heathers the Musical
17. 'Kindergarten Boyfriend' - Heathers the Musical
16. 'Yo Girl' - Heathers the Musical
15. 'Big Fun' - Heathers the Musical
14. 'Don't Say Yes Until I've Finished Talking' - SMASH, Christian Borle
13. 'Meant to Be Yours' - Heathers the Musical
12. 'I Am Damaged' - Heathers the Musical
11. 'I Never Met a Wolf Who Didn't Love to Howl' - SMASH, Megan Hilty
10. 'My Dead Gay Son' - Heathers the Musical
9. 'The 20th Century Fox Mambo' - SMASH, Katherine McPhee
8. 'Never Give All the Heart' - SMASH, Katherine McPhee
7. 'Freeze Your Brain' - Heather the Musical
6. 'Second Hand White Baby Grand' - SMASH, Megan Hilty
5. 'Seventeen' - Heathers the Musical
4. 'Fight for Me' - Heathers the Musical
3. 'Blue' - Heathers the Musical
2. 'Dead Girl Walking' - Heathers the Musical
1. 'Candy Store' - Heathers the Musical

So that's all folks! Not gonna lie, I'm actually pretty proud of how varied this list is. I mean sure,  everything between number 1 and number 20 is literally either from 'Heathers the Musical' or 'SMASH', but between 21 and 200, there's all sorts of different music. I urge you to go and listen to every single song on this list and find some new Teenage Fanatic inspired listening material. Trust me, it's all super amazing (and i'm not even biased). Happy 200th Blog Post y'all! Til' next time . . .

Annabel xx

Best Musical Theatre Comedy Songs

Blogosphere, greetings to you all! Today, I thought I'd once again unleash my theatre nerd and indulge in my love for all that is musicals by talking about some of the most awesome musical theatre comedy songs available out there on the interweb. Before we go any further, I should let you know that none of these songs are actually from musicals. If you're super confused, I don't blame you, it's tricky to get your head around. However, I'm here to make things a little clearer. Musical theatre comedy songs are a specific kind of musical genre. They're generally performed by stars from the great white way at some kind of intimate performance evening, and of course, uploaded for the world to see. They aren't always musical related, but they are certainly in the theatre style that we all know and love (well, at least I love it). So without further ado, may I introduce to you these comedy classics . . .

Alto's Lament - Lindsay Pearce

The life of an alto is a struggle that people tend to rarely take into account, but that doesn't make it any less real. Singing the melody is an ideal one can only dream about, and altos are forced to resign themselves to assisting the sopranos through their back-up harmonies. But now, the altos strike back, and Lindsay Pearce gives us all a piece of her mind. Who are we to deny her this opportunity to vent? In other words, just click on the link and be done with it, end of story.

Musical Theatre Boys - Alex Grace Paul and Katie R. Young

Alex Grace Paul and Katie R. Young take the time in this song to point out the heartbreak they've felt over the years at coming to terms with the fact that despite their dreams of finding their very own Fiyero or Marius, no boys they find in theatre seem to be straight. It's true, heterosexual males are few and far between, so the love story that they so long for will realistically never come to be. Pretty much, the two in this song are pretty much destined to be hags for their entire lives, and that's okay. Just watch it and see the struggle they go through for yourselves.

I Could Be Jewish For You - Barrett Wilbert Weed

Okay, so this song technically isn't about musical theatre itself, however it's definitely heavily cemented in the Broadway style. It's a cute song about a girl who wants to be with a guy so much that she's totally willing to convert to Judaism. It's funny, it's quirky, and contains a pretty fab Harry Potter reference. What else could one ask for in fantastic listening material? Nothing, that's what. So do yourself a favour and give it a listen.

The Understudy - Jessica Patty

Being an understudy is a struggle that most people in theatre have experienced at least once in their lives. They're basically the epitome of the saying close, but no cigar. Literally, understudies actually have the hardest job. They have the same amount of talent as the leads, have to learn two roles, and will most likely never get the chance to perform in anything but the ensemble. And what sucks is even if the lead gets sick and they do have to go on, they are so under prepared and have never actually had a chance to perform it properly. So basically, we definitely owe it to Jessica Patty to hear of her experiences, so do her a favour and give it a play. 

Taylor the Latte Boy - Kristin Chenoweth

All you really need to know about this song is that Kristin Chenoweth is amazing and we must all bow down to her, it's really that simple. Sure, it has a cute little plot about how she walked into a coffee shop to get a latte and started pining after a barista named Taylor, but what really shines through in this is how fabulous Kristin is. It's cute, it's quirky, it's funny, and although it's not strictly about Broadway, it's definitely a light hearted jab at some of the slightly improbable love stories at the centre of most musicals. I urge you to listen to this song right now and experience the awesomeness first hand.

My Party Dress - Colleen Ballinger

For those of you familiar with the work of Youtubers, you may notice that the version of this song that I'm discussing is by the one and only 'Miranda Sings'. It's from a list of comedy musical theatre-esque songs by Kerrigan-Lowdermilk, and I'm not gonna lie, it's pretty great. It starts off being about a girl's party dress before becoming a bit of a long-winded description of her life and supposed talents. It's kind of hard to explain, but it's just a song you have to listen to and experience for yourself. So just go do exactly that now. 

That's pretty much all I have for you. In your spare time (which I'm assuming is now considering you're here reading this post), I urge you to take a listen to these songs, because I promise you your life will officially become fulfilled. Til' next time . . .

Annabel xx

Lessons We've Learnt From 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'

Hello and welcome back readers to a new month! Today, I thought that I'd take the time to truly celebrate the extreme awesomeness contained within the fabulous cult classic 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'. Why? Because I can. For those of you who have been reading Teenage Fanatic for a while (or at the very least have taken a look at my 'About' page), you would know that I am quite the fan of BTVS, and I can guarantee that you should be too. It manages to be funny, cute, poignant and totally bad ass all at once, a skill that few have mastered (massive props to Joss Whedon!). So, without further ado, I present to you some of the life lessons that we've learnt over the years with the Scooby Gang . . .

1. You Can Fight Demons and Still Look Fab

Let's face it, Buffy truly is an awesome example of post-modern feminism at its finest. Being tough and wearing a dress, who wouldn't want that? I know that sounds pretty good to me. She just proves that you can be the ultimate valley-girl but still intimidate the hell out of people. In the words of Hannah Montana, she shows everyone that you can have the best of both worlds. The patriarchy can be damned! 

2. Sometimes Authority Figures Really Do Have Your Best Interests in Mind

Although there were a few bumps along the road, there's no denying that Buffy and Giles were super tight. It could've been weird considering he was old enough to be her father, yet it never was. He diligently led the Scooby Gang as Buffy's watcher, and not only could they have not done it without him, but they gained a friend and mentor in the process. So occasionally, despite any resentment we may have towards them, adults actually can add some meaning to our lives, and perhaps aren't always out to get us. 

3. And Sometimes They Really Don't

On the flip side, we also learn that sometimes authority figures do a fantastic job of abusing their power and making your life miserable. Take Principal Snyder for instance. He walked in to Sunnydale High and instantly began targeting Buffy, Willow, Xander and even Giles, pretty much because he was a power-hungry control freak. Or, you know, the mayor, who totally messed up Faith, turned into a massive demon and literally destroyed the town. So basically, just be careful, and realise that sometimes you're not paranoid, and that a few adults are just evil. 

4. Live in the Moment

Basically, what the whole show is trying to tell us is that nothing in life is certain. In Sunnydale, on a day to day basis there can be anything from an apocalypse to an onslaught of demons or even outbursts of spontaneous song and dance, but does that get the Scooby Gang down? No, not for long. Just carpe diem your way through life, because literally anything can happen from one day to the next. We literally have no idea what life's going to throw at us, so why not just enjoy the present?

5. Friends and Family are Pretty Great

Buffy had a pretty phenomenal support network that one can only envy. Seriously, she had the core members of the Scooby Gang (aka, everyone's ultimate squad goals), her mum, and by Season 7, a massive onslaught of potential slayers. Over the years, her friends pretty much became her family, and in her slaying endeavours, she definitely had back-up, both physical and emotional, at all times. Really, we can only hope to have the same.  

6. A Sense of Humour is Always Welcome in Times of Adversity

For some reason, people always seem to think that if times are tough or something drastic happens, that everyone has to be morbid and depressed all the time, however thanks to Buffy and the gang, we know that this isn't the case. So what you're being attacked by a horde of bloodthirsty vampires? There's never a bad time for a good pun. Or a sassy catchphrase. Instead of solely moping around in self-pity or fearing for your life, inject a little humour into every situation and crack a smile once in a while. Come on, it (probably) won't kill you. 

Hopefully you've enjoyed and fully agree with my post, and have perhaps even taken on board some of these fabulous life lessons. Now, please excuse me while I binge-watch as many old 'Buffy' episodes as I can.

That's all folks. Til' next time . . .

Annabel xx