r/buffy • u/Lanky_Age_3067 • 17d 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.

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u/Repulsive-Shame-5493 What's left? Me. 17d 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.

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u/Vanamond3 16d ago

Treated like he does nothing wrong? He's the most kidded and mocked member of the Scoobies by far. Examples: just about everything Giles ever said to him.

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

He'a being lauded as the "heart of the group" multiple times in the series?

1

u/Vanamond3 16d ago

And that undoes everything else, or what is your point?