Buffy vs. Evil

The long awaited sixth issue of Watcher Junior is here!

Ensley Guffey, in "We Just Declared War": Buffy as General", examines the eight seasons through the lens of Military Studies. The most famous use of Military Studies to look at BtVS is Anthony H. Cordesman’s “Biological Warfare and the ‘Buffy Paradigm’” (Center for Strategic and International Studies, 2002). That article uses BtVS as a lens to examine U.S. Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) policies and preparedness, rather than military science being used to examine Buffy. There's been other articles examining the series, whether it be through the literary inheritance of Beowulf, the traditions of the just female warrior, or simply a look at the weaponry on display in the series. But Ensley's paper uses John Keegan's The Mask of Command to critique the strengths and weaknesses of Buffy's leadership style, from her continual presence amongst her troops to her puzzling decision to have the Slayer Army forgo their powers. If you wanted a nuanced look at the pros and cons of Buffy's leadership style, this article's the place to begin.

Faith Parke, meanwhile, takes a look at her namesake in “I Hope Evil Takes MasterCard”: Faith the Vampire Slayer and the Image of the Bad Girl in Society". She regards the character as an example of second wave feminism from which the show's female protagonists distance themselves.

Jared Rose takes on similar issues, as he looks at how the series represents the masquerade of femininity by Buffy, Darla and others through the prism of the feminist debates about the legitimacy of sex-workers in his “You Know, I'm Extremely Youthful. And Peppy!”: Buffy, Playing Girl, and Popular Culture Representation of Sex-Worker Feminism". Here, he finds Buffy's status as an open, complex symbol requiring thoughtful investigation more important than whether Buffy is a good girl or a bad girl.