Josh Whedon, creator of the popular television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, is often quoted as saying, "If I can make teenage boys comfortable with a girl who takes charge of the situation without their knowing that’s what’s happening, it’s better than sitting down and selling them on feminism" (qtd. in Vint 4). The vision that Whedon creates through his character of Buffy is of a strong, independent woman who can take care of herself, as well as save the world from an apocalypse (six and counting). This vision is referred to as "a feminist role model for teenagers" (Thompson 1), one that Sherryl Vint views as a "practicing" one (8). Vint points out that the show works "through the desires and concerns of teenage girls (for acceptance and love, about sexuality and partnerships) rather than trying to ‘preach’ to them about appropriate feminist behavior" (2). Vint’s commentary speaks for the general critic of Buffy in that it focuses on Whedon’s vision of a strong woman in terms of a feminist perspective and how the image created by Whedon relates to teenage girls. What most critics, and even Whedon himself, overlook is that, according to Whedon, one of the purposes behind the show is to "make teenage boys comfortable with a girl who takes charge." In other words, Whedon attempts to make males at ease with and accepting of strong females in everyday life. While Whedon creates the image of a woman who can take care of herself, he limits/denies the possibility of positive male interaction with Buffy, indeed any male interaction with strong females in general. The males of the series are forced into feminine roles in order to become a part of Buffy’s world, forced to leave because they can not co-exist in Buffy’s world as alpha males, and/or forced to become insane just to survive in Buffy’s world. In essence, males in the series have one of three options open to them, and these options are themselves delimiting -- males [strong or otherwise] are feminized in the Buffyverse, and the only way they can achieve traditional masculinity is to leave Buffy’s scope of influence. Whedon’s Buffy may be a "comfortable" image of a strong woman for teenage boys to look at and accept on screen but an uncomfortable one for them to possibly exist alongside. In other words, the series leaves no room for them to interact with Buffy or even conceptualize being a part of her reality.