Chandler Holly. "Slaying the Patriarchy: Transfusions of the Vampire Metaphor in Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Slayage: The Journal of the Whedon Studies Association. August 2003. Web. 2 January 2013. http://slayageonline.com/Numbers/slayage9.htm
In her article, Chandler asserts that Buffy the Vampire Slayer argues, not for women’s rights, which are now ostensibly guaranteed, but for women’s inherent power and independence, which are still ignored or demonized on many TV shows. The war between Buffy and the vampires was originally intended to mirror the real-life feminist battles against rapists, domestic abusers and other side effects of male-dominated society. However, the show evolved beyond its original concept. Vampires on the show do more than embody the dangers of a patriarchal society; they are fluid metaphors, changing to allow the show to reflect different facets of feminist problems. Drawing on the horror film tradition, Buffy adapts popular metaphorical meanings of vampires for a feminist narrative, not only to portray the unhealthy consequences of patriarchy, but also to offer a fantasy in which one woman successfully disrupts this oppressive system. Whereas in the classic horror film Dracula, vampires represent a threat to society that must be contained by good men, on Buffy the vampiric threat is ultimately traced back to these same men. The show does not recommend that women take on sexism in America by blowing up schools and stabbing people with swords. Rather, it offers the knowledge that women are strong enough to confront the dangers fearlessly and successfully. Instead of cowering in fear, Buffy confidently yanks the ugly face of the patriarchy out into the light of day, where, she hopes, it will be burnt to a crisp.
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