Buffering the Vampire Slayer is a spoiler-free, fan-created podcast about Buffy the Vampire Slayer, hosted by Jenny Owen Youngs and Kristin Russo. Each episode of the podcast analyzes one episode of the TV show, concluding with an original song created by Youngs and Russo, recapping the episode.
Hosts
is an American speaker, personality, and LGBTQ activist. She is the CEO and Editor-in-Chief of Everyone Is Gay and My Kid Is Gay, organizations that provide advice, guidance, and education to LGBTQIA youth and their families, and is the co-author of This Is a Book for Parents of Gay Kids. Jenny Owen Youngs is an American singer-songwriter. She has released three albums and a handful of EPs both independently and via Nettwerk Records, and has toured worldwide. Youngs is also a songwriting collaborator whose cuts include the 2018 Panic! at the Disco single "High Hopes", as well as songs with Brett Dennen, Ingrid Michaelson, Shungudzo, Pitbull, and others. Youngs and Russo began the podcast as a married couple, though they have since separated. Together they have a passionate, lively rapport, rife with humor and thoughtful discussion. They have been recognized for their contribution to a "golden age of queer women in podcasting".
Music
Each episode of Buffering includes an original song by Youngs and Russo, reflecting the episode they are discussing. Albums of all songs from each completed season of the podcast are available on Spotify and Apple Music, and lyrics are published on the Buffering The Vampire Slayer website. Youngs and Russo have also created short jingles honoring specific characters from Buffy, including Spike, Giles, and even Vampire Willow.
Guests
Special interviews and appearances on Buffering the Vampire Slayer have included:
Kate Leth, who provides sporadic "Buffy Fashion Watch" segments to the show
Charisma Carpenter, who played Cordelia Chase on Seasons 1–3 of Buffy and every season of Angel.
Mercedes McNab, who played Harmony in Seasons 1-5 of Buffy and Seasons 2 and 5 of Angel.
Motivation
Russo and Youngs created the show based on their shared love of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, desire to contribute to an existing culture of critically analytical fan podcasts, and cross-over interests in fandom, science fiction, and queer politics. They often focus on the politics and social movements within Buffy, including "analyzing the lack of racial diversity in the early seasons of the show, misogynistic and patriarchal themes as they pop up, and the queer subtext that rapidly becomes, well, text".
Reception
Buffering the Vampire Slayer has been recognized as:
One of the 15 best podcasts of 2018, by Esquire Magazine, as "a joyously creative labor of love," unafraid of discussing the show's "blind spots and troubling elements."
One of the 50 best podcasts available now by Time Magazine, for its insightful analysis of "one of the few shows on TV that did justice to a complicated female hero and still feels relevant today."
One of Buzzfeed's top 27 podcasts for 2018, particularly for its "character jingles, a fashion watch, and sexual tension awards."
One of Autostraddle's 14 best podcasts for escaping news & politics, and top 9 queer-run podcasts.
Community
Buffering the Vampire Slayer is financially supported by over 2,000 patrons on Patreon. Buffering has also hosted a number of community events, including live episode recordings and the "Buffy Proms" of 2018 and 2019.
Spin-offs
As Buffering the Vampire Slayer began its coverage of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 4, its sister-podcast Angel on Top, hosted by Brittany Ashley and Laura Zak, was born. Angel on Top, which derives its name from a line in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode Amends, discusses the TV show Angel, with a slightly darker, more subtle tone. Buffering the Vampire Slayer and Angel on Top are released on alternating weeks.
