(written by Terry MacNeil, on April 24-25, 2024)
I saw almost every episode of the TV series Buffy The Vampire Slayer over twenty years ago – it was a show I enjoyed watching with my parents. We three were BIG FANS – and so were other relatives of mine. So after I saw the Series Finale back in 2003 – I spent over twenty years being careful to AVOID watching old episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Why? Because when it comes to every fictional TV series, I make sure I go back to watch the earliest episode, then watch every episode that comes afterwards IN ORDER. As far as I’m concerned, that’s THE ONLY WAY to properly watch a TV series – ESPECIALLY if it has storylines that are not self-contained within each episode. But I digress.
While re-watching the Season Finale of Season One of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (which was the episode titled “Prophecy Girl”) several things compelled me to write this note. First, I noticed the episode was written and directed by the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Joss Whedon. And second, in this episode, we see “Xander” (Nicholas Brendon) ask out “Buffy” (Sarah Michelle Gellar). “Buffy” turns “Xander” down, then he gets angry, and says mean things to her (even though she was as kind as possible). After hearing recently about the toxic work environment that Whedon created on the set of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I assumed that Whedon modelled the “Xander” character on himself. But bashing Whedon is not this note’s point.
The point, is that I saw an online comment from a Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan, who praised “Xander’s” courage in the episode “Prophecy Girl”. Sure, it’s WAY harder to ask out girls when you’re a teenager – which explains why I didn’t until my twenties. And it must be remembered the “Xander” character is a male teenage high schooler. And the typical teenager is unable to handle rejection in an admirable way. So “Xander” did show some balls by asking out “Buffy” – which is admirable (and he DOES risk his life to help “Buffy” later in the episode). But the way “Xander” reacted when he asked out “Buffy” was cowardly – and he should be condemned for that childish reaction (regardless of his age). And anyone in real-life who behaves like that (no matter what their age is), should also be condemned.
As for me, I have asked out women in the past – and none of them reacted with cruelty, so none of them gave me a reason to be angry. Almost all of those women turned me down – but when they did they treated me with as much kindness as was appropriate. One time in my thirties, I thought “On TV dudes ask girls they’re interested in if they want to ‘go for coffee’. I’ll say that, and see what happens!” Shortly afterwards, I said that to a female (face-to-face), and she gave me her phone number! And I thought to myself “That’s it? If I knew asking out girls was this easy back in the day, I would’ve made less of a fool of myself during my twenties.” Said female stopped answering her phone shortly afterwards. So there was no date for me – which made me sad, but not angry. Oh well. At least asking out women online is EVEN EASIER.
As for the “Xander” character? From what I recall, he has several INCREDIBLY HOT girlfriends in future episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (and if memory serves me correctly, he also discards them). Then at some point he realizes he wants to fuck “Willow” (Alyson Hannigan). She’s a female who had been in love with “Xander” for ages (but never had the courage to ask him out). However, that was before “Willow” realized she’s a lesbian. Oh well. There are clueless/insensitive oafs, and then there is “Xander”. Ⓐ
This is the website of TERRY MACNEIL: the (unpublished) Anarchist Novelist and Paranoid Schizophrenic! 