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Why is Buffy Summers, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997 – 2003), Still Considered a Feminist Icon within the Vampire Genre?
Jess Whitaker, MA Design History Student, 2025

​Why is Buffy Summers, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997 – 2003), Still Considered a Feminist Icon within the Vampire Genre?

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This dissertation investigates into why Buffy the Vampire Slayer remains a feminist icon in the vampire genre, two decades after its release. The dissertation focuses on the history of the vampire genre, feminist theory, and the TV series itself, assessing the relevance of Buffy Summers and other female characters. The discussion of genre, feminism, and historical context of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003), addresses cultural concerns illustrated in the series and the shows connection to its audience demographic. The objective of this dissertation is to fill gaps in existing literature, analysing viewpoints against theorists like Laura Mulvey and Stuart Hall, while also referencing to the theories of Vladimir Propp and Steve Neale. Examining the origins and evolution of the vampire genre and its portrayals of male and female characters. 

 

Read Time (Approx.): 22 minutes

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​​Jess Whitaker

MA Design History student, 2025 

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Download article here

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About

PAD (Perspective in Art & Design) is The Northern School of Art’s scholarly activity and research journal; a place for the publication of staff and student academic investigation. Covering issues as diverse as written and practice based research, PAD aims to bring to the fore new ideas, new approaches to existing debates, interpretations on written and visual practice, debates in art and design history, and issues of creative pedagogy. Our goal is to allow scholarly activity to be delivered through equality, where there is no hierarchy between the academic and the student, those with a record of publication, and those who will be shown here for the first time.

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