To begin this panel (7) with a presentation by @harveygothick titled "Apocalypse, Beeped: Political Afterlives of Buffy the Vampire Slayer". Kate is live-tweeting all the panels and talks, so I will do my best to do her justice! #pohocon21

Was was most notable about Buffy was that it featured a small, blonde girl but who was strong and could save the world. At the time it was deemed radical and feminist.

(CW: school shooting) Kate observes the influences of the Columbine shooting on Buffy the Vampire and the opening of the Hellmouth. Overarching theme of high school as hell.

Many examples given such as March for Our Lives protests and more recently, the storming of the Capitol. The necessity of reforming gun law, but the unlikelihood of this happening in the USA anytime soon. School continues to be unsafe and a place of terror.

Buffy is a predominantly white space. Many characters of colour falling into problematic stereotypes. Spinoff series, Angel, handled this a bit better but was still a predominantly white space.

We move on to the lesbian relationship, Willow and Tara (a personal favourite for myself). The closest on-screen sexual scene between the two characters is the ecstasy seen during "Once More With Feeling".

Nevertheless, s*x is seen as something that is punished, as when Buffy loses her virginity to Angel, he literally turns into a monster.

Ending on the opening scene of Buffy! (One of the best, most iconic opening themes of all time, imo)