What’s significant, though, is that whereas Xander confronts his fear, Willow does not. At the end in Billy’s room, Willow doesn’t see what Buffy wants Billy to do, but Xander gets it right away.
In the Welcome to the Hellmouth commentary, Joss says that Willow is the smart one (as if book smart) and Xander is the clever one (perhaps insight and life matters). Also Xander's insight in Billy's room can be taken as evidence to his abusive home life, he understands right away that Billy was abused by the coach. And when Buffy expresses shock and disgust over this, Xander replies that she must have never played Kiddie League -implying he did as a kid- and that he's surprised it wasn't one of the parents.
I think that much of what attracts Xander to Buffy (both sexually, and as a person and an idol) is her power as a strong woman.
It fits with what Joss said about Xander after the end of the show:
JW: You know, Xander is as important a role model as Buffy and people will never really get that, I think, most of 'em. But, the fact of the matter is that I had a two-fold intent, which was to create a role model in the idea of a girl who's a genuine leader and the role model in a man who is not only comfortable, but turned on by that.
Xander idolizing Buffy is a good thing –because it does give Buffy the strength and will to do better knowing how much Xander admires her- and is a bad thing –gives too much pressure on her shoulders and makes her feel different from her friends. Xander tends to sometimes –not always- forget that Buffy is a girl his age, which leads to big fights in which Xander doesn't understand that Buffy is also a human with weaknesses –and that's usually when it suits him.
Xander will understand Buffy better by the end of S6, and by S7, he gets much better in trusting and understanding Buffy, to the point where he doesn't object to her decisions at all (except that one time in Empty Places) and the switch in Xander and Willow's roles happen in S8: Xander becomes the cheerleader and Willow becomes the criticizer.
no subject
In the Welcome to the Hellmouth commentary, Joss says that Willow is the smart one (as if book smart) and Xander is the clever one (perhaps insight and life matters). Also Xander's insight in Billy's room can be taken as evidence to his abusive home life, he understands right away that Billy was abused by the coach. And when Buffy expresses shock and disgust over this, Xander replies that she must have never played Kiddie League -implying he did as a kid- and that he's surprised it wasn't one of the parents.
I think that much of what attracts Xander to Buffy (both sexually, and as a person and an idol) is her power as a strong woman.
It fits with what Joss said about Xander after the end of the show:
JW: You know, Xander is as important a role model as Buffy and people will never really get that, I think, most of 'em. But, the fact of the matter is that I had a two-fold intent, which was to create a role model in the idea of a girl who's a genuine leader and the role model in a man who is not only comfortable, but turned on by that.
Xander idolizing Buffy is a good thing –because it does give Buffy the strength and will to do better knowing how much Xander admires her- and is a bad thing –gives too much pressure on her shoulders and makes her feel different from her friends. Xander tends to sometimes –not always- forget that Buffy is a girl his age, which leads to big fights in which Xander doesn't understand that Buffy is also a human with weaknesses –and that's usually when it suits him.
Xander will understand Buffy better by the end of S6, and by S7, he gets much better in trusting and understanding Buffy, to the point where he doesn't object to her decisions at all (except that one time in Empty Places) and the switch in Xander and Willow's roles happen in S8: Xander becomes the cheerleader and Willow becomes the criticizer.