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Buffy Studies is a subset of the academic field of cultural studies. It explores issues related to gender as expressed through the content of the television program Buffy the Vampire Slayer and to a lesser extent, Angel. Such work is concerned with the scholarly study and exploration of Joss Whedon's popular television series that take place in the fictional Buffyverse.

Neda Ulaby of National Public Radio describes Buffy as having a "special following among academics, some of whom have staked a claim in what they call "Buffy Studies."^[1] Though not widely recognized as a distinct discipline, the term "Buffy studies" is commonly used amongst the academic Buffy-related writings^[2]. Such studies are also sometimes referred to as 'Buffyology'.^{[citation needed]}

Contents 1 Development as academic field 2 Online works 3 Additional Works 4 Areas of study 5 Notes and references 6 See also 7 External links 7.1 Key links 7.2 References in the media

The debut of Buffy (1997-2003) eventually led to the publication of a number of books and hundreds of articles examining the themes of the show from a wide range of disciplinary perspectives including sociology, psychology, philosophy, theology and women's studies. Since January 2001 Slayage: The Online Journal of Buffy Studies has published essays on the topic quarterly, and it continues to do so. Fighting the Forces: What's at Stake in Buffy the Vampire Slayer was published in 2002, and since then many more Buffy books have been published by academic book publishers with more books planned for release before the end of 2006. There have also been a number of international conferences on the topic^[3]. "College courses across the globe are devoted to the show, and secondary schools in Australia and New Zealand also provide Buffy classes." ^[4] The topic can even be undertaken as part of a Master's degree in Cult Film & TV at Brunel University, London^[5]. Increasingly Angel is being analyzed alongside its predecessor, e.g. in the recent 2005 publication, Reading Angel.

The creator of Buffy, Joss Whedon has responded to the scholarly reaction to his series: "I think it's great that the academic community has taken an interest in the show. I think it's always important for academics to study popular culture, even if the thing they are studying is idiotic. If it's successful or made a dent in culture, then it is worthy of study to find out why. Buffy, on the other hand is, I hope, not idiotic. We think very carefully about what we're trying to say emotionally, politically, and even philosophically while we're writing it... it really is, apart from being a pop-culture phenomenon, something that is deeply layered textually episode by episode."^[6]

The response to this scholarly attention has had its critics. The English lecturer Mary Graber is unimpressed with the growing presence of Buffy in universities: she wrote in an article "most parents who send their children off to college have no idea of what is being taught in the humanities classes: pornography appreciation, analysis of the clothing of transvestites, Native American scalp dances, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."^[7] Jes Battis who authored Blood Relations in Buffy and Angel admits that study of the Buffyverse "invokes an uneasy combination of enthusiasm and ire", and meets "a certain amount of disdain from within the halls of the academy"^[8].

All Things Philosophical - A comprehensive guide to philosophy and ethics relating to the Buffyverse.

Buffy Studies Bibliography - Extensive list of all published materials such as essays in print and online journals and collections, theses and dissertations, books on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and other Joss Whedon-related works such as Firefly, and some unpublished conference papers.

Slayage: The Online Journal of Buffy Studies - A fully electronic peer-reviewed journal dedicated to the scholarly exploration of the creative works of Joss Whedon - especially Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It is edited by David Lavery and Rhonda Wilcox. New issues appear approximately every three months.

Tea at the Ford - Literary discussion of Buffy/Angel.

Additional books include:

Image	Book Title BtVS = Buffy the Vampire Slayer	First released
	Aesthetics of Culture in BtVS	January 2006
	Matthew Pateman's examination of the cultural commentary contained in Buffy.
	Buffy the Vampire Slayer (BFI TV Classics S.)	December 2005
	Extended overview of the history of Buffy.
	Why Buffy Matters	October 2005
	Rhonda Wilcox, presents an argument for Buffy as an art form as worthy of respect and acknowledgment as film or literature.
	Reading Angel	September 2005
	Collection covering many topics including the cinematic aesthetics of Angel, its music, shifting portrayals of masculinity, the noir Los Angeles setting, and the superhero.
	Blood Relations	June 2005
	Explores conceptions of family explored in Buffy and Angel.
	Sex and the Slayer	April 2005
	Sex and the Slayer provides an introduction to feminism through Buffy.
	Five Seasons of Angel	October 2004
	Science-fiction novelist and other writers contribute a collection of essays on Angel.
	Televised Morality: The Case of BtVS	April 2004
	Book arguing that TV helps shapes society's moral values, and in this case specifically Buffy.
	What Would Buffy Do: BtVS as Spiritual Guide	April 2004
	Look at the spiritual guidelines on display in Buffy despite the atheism of the show's creator.
	Reading the Vampire Slayer	March 2004
	The book gives in depth analysis highlighting the many hidden metaphors held within Buffy and Angel.
	Seven Seasons of Buffy	September 2003
	Science-fiction novelist and other writers contribute a collection of essays on Buffy.
	Slayer Slang	July 2003
	An in depth study on the post-modern youth language used in Buffy.
	Bite Me: Narrative Structures in BtVS	May 2003
	Relating narrative structures with: audience pleasure, mise en scène, and the use of symbolism and metaphor.
	BtVS and Philosophy	March 2003
	Links classical philosophy to the ethics in Buffy.
	Fighting the Forces	April 2002
	Looks at the struggle to examine meaning in Buffy.

Buffyology includes academic studies of Buffy in relation to:

• anthropology
• chronology (narrative and historical time lines)
• demonology (the study of demons)
• ecology
• existentialism
• film studies
• history (both ancient and medieval)
• homosexuality
• linguistics
• magic (the arts of enchantment)
• musicology
• narratology (storytelling)
• nomenclature (naming conventions and significance)
• philosophy (including ethics and metaphysics)
• psychology
• religion
• sociology
• theology* vampirology (the study of vampires)
• women's studies

• Girl Heroes
• Girl Power
• Third-wave feminism
• Science fiction studies
• List of women warriors in folklore, literature, and popular culture

• Slayage: The Online International Journal of Buffy Studies
• Buffy The Patriarchy Slayer - Bibliography of scholarly articles on Buffy Studies.
• All Things Philosophical - Comprehensive guide to philosophy and ethics relating to the Buffyverse.
• Buffyology - Extensive bibliography of academic articles available online or in print.
• Tea at the Ford - Literary discussion of Buffy/Angel

• National Public Radio - 'Buffy Studies'
• BBC.co.uk - Boffins get their teeth into Buffy
• Financial Times -
• Lancasteronline.com - "'Buffy' the academic slayer"
• Ajc.com - "Colleges' open minds close door on sense"
• Salon.com - Report on Buffy conference (article featured on front page in November 2002)
• Ctv.ca - Scholars lecture on 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'

v • d • e The Buffyverse
Canon • Index
Buffy	Characters (main) • Characters (minor) • Episodes • Quotes Comics • DVDs • Film • Novels • Pilot (unaired) • Season 8
Angel	Characters (main) • Characters (minor) • Episodes • Quotes Comics • DVDs • Novels • Corrupt (unaired) • After the Fall
Expanded Universe	Comics • Fray • Novels • Fan films • Slayer timeline • Tales of Slayer (prose) • Tales of Slayers • Tales of Vampires • Video Games Anywhere But Here• Auld Lang Syne • Asylum • Bad Bargain • Blackout • The Chain • Dark Congress • Deathless • Go Ask Malice • Long Way Home • Masks • No Future For You • Portal Through Time • Shadow Puppets
Auxiliary	Academia • Cast & crew • Rare promos • Unofficial parodies • Undeveloped productions Buffy Animated • Collectible Card Game • Guidebooks • Magazines • RPGs
Powers	Angel Investigations • Circle of the Black Thorn • Order of Aurelius • The First Evil • The Initiative • Knights of Byzantium • Monsters Old Ones • The Powers That Be • Ra-Tet • Scooby Gang • Senior Partners • Watchers' Council • Wolfram & Hart
People	Adam • Amy • Andrew • Angel • Anya • Buffy • Caleb • Connor • Cordelia • Darla • Dawn • Doyle • Drusilla • Eve • Faith • Fred • Giles • Glory • Groo • Gunn • Hamilton • Harmony • Holtz • Illyria • Jasmine • Jenny • Jonathan • Joyce • Kate • Kendra • Kennedy • Lilah • Lindsey • Lorne • Master • Mayor • Oz • Prof. Walsh • Riley • Robin • Snyder • Spike • Tara • Warren • Wesley • Willow • Xander
Places	L.A. • Sunnydale Bronze • Buffy's residence • Caritas • Hellmouth • Hyperion • Library • The Magic Box • Pylea • Sunnydale High
Music	• Music in Buffy & Angel Buffy album • Dingoes Ate My Baby • Film • Radio Sunnydale • Live Fast, Die Never • Once More, with Feeling
Key terminology	Demon • Slayer • Vampire • Watcher • Werewolf • Witch Children of the Senior Partners • Shanshu • Sunnydale Syndrome
Canon	Buffy • Angel Tales of the Slayers • Tales of the Vampires • The Origin • Season Eight • After the Fall • Fray