I barely remember those episodes, so I can't comment. :/ But I will say in general, a lot of the messages are very dated. The hyenas episode comes to mind. For the 90's, it's actually pretty good because it tackles "boys will be boys" and how bad behavior escalates. On the other hand, Xander is never forced to really confront the actions he took, which is problematic, nor does he correct his Nice Guy behavior. (As the Nice Guy was a pretty excused trope well into the 2000s, as was the "Innocent Creepy Guy." A subject I want to tackle in my own post.)
Even Buffy herself isn't as progressive as she was way back when. Don't get me wrong - I love Buffy, both the show and the Slayer. But it takes much more than snappy dialogue and kickass punches to be a "strong female character" anymore. (In fact, the notion of a strong female character itself has become seen as problematic, since it holds up a certain ideal. I don't know. Media feminism is confusing sometimes. Says the media feminist.)
Xander not being held responsible is another problem with the metaphor - because on the show, Xander was under the influence of the supernatural, and it's a question as to how accountable he is for his actions. But in real life, that kind of supernatural influence does not happen. So once again, the metaphor undermines the message.
Buffy herself definitely holds a lot of sexist attitudes.
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Even Buffy herself isn't as progressive as she was way back when. Don't get me wrong - I love Buffy, both the show and the Slayer. But it takes much more than snappy dialogue and kickass punches to be a "strong female character" anymore. (In fact, the notion of a strong female character itself has become seen as problematic, since it holds up a certain ideal. I don't know. Media feminism is confusing sometimes. Says the media feminist.)
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Buffy herself definitely holds a lot of sexist attitudes.
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