As i said over at Gabs LJ (in a discussion about "Go Fish" and casual jokes about gang rape), Giles speech about (male) teenagers acting less than human, as well as Xander's hyena personality, as well as Xander's amnesia at the end are part of what i call a "commentary on social norms/behaviour (especially at school)" which runs through most of the "high school/college seasons".
It feels like a comment on something (the said behaviour) we (and the writers) don't have an immediate answer to, but clearly feel is wrong. Thus, it gets commented on BtVS, but with no ultimate conclusion but the reaction "it is wrong!". Since it is difficult to go on when knowing that there is a severe problem in existance without a "simple" solution at hand, BtVS goes satire: Laugh when You feel like crying. That's what the jokes about grave situations are, to me: not a shallow joke but but a satirical "laugh when you wanna cry".
"Cool" and cruel (male) teenagers are reality. Machism and "might makes right" is a prevailent ideology. In this episode we get the contrast between Xander and "could-be-Xander": NOT acting on this social prosthesis is what makes (Xander) a better person.
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It feels like a comment on something (the said behaviour) we (and the writers) don't have an immediate answer to, but clearly feel is wrong. Thus, it gets commented on BtVS, but with no ultimate conclusion but the reaction "it is wrong!". Since it is difficult to go on when knowing that there is a severe problem in existance without a "simple" solution at hand, BtVS goes satire: Laugh when You feel like crying. That's what the jokes about grave situations are, to me: not a shallow joke but but a satirical "laugh when you wanna cry".
"Cool" and cruel (male) teenagers are reality. Machism and "might makes right" is a prevailent ideology.
In this episode we get the contrast between Xander and "could-be-Xander": NOT acting on this social prosthesis is what makes (Xander) a better person.