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Sex and the Slayer
A Gender Studies Primer for the Buffy Fan
Sales Date: 2005-04-15
An introduction to gender studies through one of TV's most popular shows.
During its seven-year run, Buffy the Vampire Slayer attracted a wide range of viewers and almost unprecedented academic interest. Sex and the Slayer explores one of the most talked-about topics in relation to this pioneering TV series—gender. As fantasy, Buffy potentially opens up a space for alternative representations of gender. But how alternative can popular television be?
Taking a feminist cultural studies approach, Jowett explores the ways in which the series represents femininity, masculinity, and gendered relations, including sexuality and sexual orientation. Written for undergraduates, Sex and the Slayer provides an introduction to the most important theoretical and historical underpinnings of contemporary gender criticism as it examines a range of thought-provoking issues: role reversal, the tension between feminism and femininity, the "crisis" of masculinity, gender hybridity, the appeal of bad girls, romance, and changing family structures. Through this introductory analysis, Jowett shows that Buffy presents a contradictory mixture of "subversive" and "conservative" images of gender roles and as such is a key example of the complexity of gender representation in contemporary television.
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Girl Power
Good Girls
Bad Girls
Tough Guys
New Men
Dead Boys
Parental Issues
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index
LORNA JOWETT is a Senior Lecturer in American Studies at University College Northampton in the U.K. and an avid Buffy fan.
"Ultimately, Jowett's analysis of the genres and gendered negotiations of Buffy provide both a useful introduction to gender analysis of popular culture artifacts and a commentary on femininities and masculinities in post-feminist society. Because Jowett includes an introduction to the terminology of gender studies and grounds her analysis in the specific events and characters of the show, her book would make a good resource for undergraduate courses in gender studies or pop culture analysis, provided the book is paired with clips from the television show (all seven seasons are currently available on VHS and DVD)."
~Terri A. Fredrick, National Women's Studies Association Journal, Summer 2006
"A highly nuanced, jargon-free discussion of the nature, role and place of gender in Buffy. Anyone who thinks Buffy is post-feminist, feminist, or just a silly television show needs to read this book."
~James B. South, editor of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Philosophy
"The book is not only an excellent introduction to gender studies but also contains an insightful, original, and erudite chapter about the men of Buffy. It is a must-have for all serious Buffy fans and scholars. An impressive achievement."
~Justine Larbalestier, author of The Battle of the Sexes in Science Fiction
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