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A review by greatlibraryofalexandra
Sex and the Slayer: A Gender Studies Primer for the Buffy Fan by Lorna Jowett
3.0
Decent! I was beyond excited to read this, but I admittedly thought it would be more about ... well, sex, as in sexual activity, versus sex. Perhaps my first tick against the author is the use of the title as an eye-grabber when in reality she’s talking about gender issues specifically - and one would think a gender studies expert would be more cognizant of conflating the two.
I am NOT a gender studies expert, but I am an avid Buffy fan. I enjoyed the attention given to this topic and how well it was treated, but my enthusiasm I think is dampened by the fact that I just overall disagreed with a lot of what Jowett had to say. I thought her insights were interesting, but outdated, though I have tried my best to account for the fact that I am reading this in late 2020, and it was written in 2005.
I felt that ultimately it was too rigidly focused on binaries, and the constant juxtaposition of “feminist vs. feminine” behavior and coding was irritating, and a (in my view) useless dichotomy. I understand what Jowett was getting at, but as a feminist who is painfully “feminine” myself, I thought it was reductive, and it left a bad taste in my mouth. I also felt Jowett was too negatively focused on heterosexuality - she seemed to repeatedly imply that no one can be a good man or a strong woman if they are straight. Possibly an erroneous reading on my part, but that’s what I kept perceiving.
I thought the book really shone in its treatment of the male characters - the chapters “New Men” and “Dead Boys” were fascinating and enjoyable. But, that lends to the vague dissatisfaction with the book - its best chapters were about the men.
I think Jowett is flat out wrong in concluding that Buffy is not a feminist show, but she makes excellent and necessary points about the conservatism thats laced throughout the narratives, especially in relation to Buffy (vs Faith and Anya’s) sexual exploits. Jowett is also very good at sometimes pointing out where her opinion influenced her reading, and acknowledging she isn’t arguing that her word is law.
Lastly, I do not think this book is at all accessible to someone without a university level background in gender studies, which is disappointing to Buffy fans who may not have had that privilege. It reads like a dissertation, which is not great entertainment, but it’s a solid read that I’m glad I spent money on and sat and thought with.
I am NOT a gender studies expert, but I am an avid Buffy fan. I enjoyed the attention given to this topic and how well it was treated, but my enthusiasm I think is dampened by the fact that I just overall disagreed with a lot of what Jowett had to say. I thought her insights were interesting, but outdated, though I have tried my best to account for the fact that I am reading this in late 2020, and it was written in 2005.
I felt that ultimately it was too rigidly focused on binaries, and the constant juxtaposition of “feminist vs. feminine” behavior and coding was irritating, and a (in my view) useless dichotomy. I understand what Jowett was getting at, but as a feminist who is painfully “feminine” myself, I thought it was reductive, and it left a bad taste in my mouth. I also felt Jowett was too negatively focused on heterosexuality - she seemed to repeatedly imply that no one can be a good man or a strong woman if they are straight. Possibly an erroneous reading on my part, but that’s what I kept perceiving.
I thought the book really shone in its treatment of the male characters - the chapters “New Men” and “Dead Boys” were fascinating and enjoyable. But, that lends to the vague dissatisfaction with the book - its best chapters were about the men.
I think Jowett is flat out wrong in concluding that Buffy is not a feminist show, but she makes excellent and necessary points about the conservatism thats laced throughout the narratives, especially in relation to Buffy (vs Faith and Anya’s) sexual exploits. Jowett is also very good at sometimes pointing out where her opinion influenced her reading, and acknowledging she isn’t arguing that her word is law.
Lastly, I do not think this book is at all accessible to someone without a university level background in gender studies, which is disappointing to Buffy fans who may not have had that privilege. It reads like a dissertation, which is not great entertainment, but it’s a solid read that I’m glad I spent money on and sat and thought with.