When you say explicit, do you mean you wished that Xander's sexist attitudes and behaviors were explicitly dealt with? 'Cause yeah, that definitely never happened.
Yeah. I felt like we were supposed to really like this guy 'cause he's supposedly funny (though I don't find him so) and we're also supposed to feel sorry for him 'cause he's "normal" (even though normal is all Buffy ever wants to be) and so we're supposed to forgive the absolutely heinous way he treats the women around him. I just don't think the text acknowledges how awful his attitudes are.
Just like I need Willow raping Tara to be more explicitly explored. I still don't feel like anyone on the writing staff saw it that way, so it never feels explored in the text. It's just handwaved away. Things like this BOTHER ME, because so many people watching these shows aren't as wonderfully thoughtful as you are, and so they won't realize how messed up this all is.
Re: I don't have it in me to be a hater today (maybe ever, but definitely not today)
Yeah. I felt like we were supposed to really like this guy 'cause he's supposedly funny (though I don't find him so) and we're also supposed to feel sorry for him 'cause he's "normal" (even though normal is all Buffy ever wants to be) and so we're supposed to forgive the absolutely heinous way he treats the women around him. I just don't think the text acknowledges how awful his attitudes are.
Just like I need Willow raping Tara to be more explicitly explored. I still don't feel like anyone on the writing staff saw it that way, so it never feels explored in the text. It's just handwaved away. Things like this BOTHER ME, because so many people watching these shows aren't as wonderfully thoughtful as you are, and so they won't realize how messed up this all is.
Sleep well!