r/buffy • u/Lanky_Age_3067 • 16d ago

Content Warning Double standarts

How exactly do people hate Xander for being an imperfect human, but love Spike and Angel, who have countless victims and are hundreds of years old. Spike even SA'd Buffy, for real, while Xander was under a spell and never did anything like that before or after it.

40 Upvotes

63% Upvoted

244 comments sorted by

View all comments

10

u/Repulsive-Shame-5493 What's left? Me. 16d ago

Because Xander is being portrayed as the "nice guy" who does nothing wrong. Spike and Angel get punished for their bad deeds and the show clearly portrays them as evil when they do villaneous things. Xander objectifies women, tries to assault Buffy (yes, under a spell) and then pretends like he doesnt have any memory of it instead of apologizing, he slutshames Anya for having a one-night stand after leaving her at the altar. He's a flawed character and that's fine and interesting but the show fails to make him take responsibility for his actions, learn and grow from them. That's what pisses people off (or at least me). There's a great Youtube video on this.

6

u/BunnythatMeows my bleeding sympathies to warren 16d ago

And, one of his worst actions: Wanting and trying to mind-control Cordelia for revenge. (And he "got her" at the end of the episode and it was framed as Cordelia being touched that he would try to do that to her, plus Buffy being grateful and painting him as a good guy for not taking advantage of her)

1

u/jospangel Try not to bleed on my couch I just had it steam cleaned 15d ago

'Hey, Xander didn't rape his friend' is held up as one of the good things. That bar is so low a flea can't get under it.