Buffy's Awkwardness?

[SlayerGuy91]

I do not understand why Buffy is so awkward and stuttery around guys. When we see her in high school in Becoming (Pt 1 or 2?) she talks just like Cordelia, a pro at these things. Just because shes a Slayer now it doesn't mean she can forget how to talk to guys, does it? I don't see how slaying could affect that.

[thegifting]

Growing up is supposed to be hard, or something.

[definition of insane]

It's not a slayer thing. It's people thing. Not everyone is good at talking to people they might be attracted to all of the time. Super power's aside....Buffy's not any different than the rest of us. She'll get tongue tied around someone she likes who she's not confident with.

[white avenger]

Maybe the reason she changed was that they wanted her to NOT be just like Cordelia. If she had been like her, there would have been no logical reason to be hanging around with the two biggest nerds in the high school, plus, if she had been so smooth with boys, her dating would have interfered with her slaying, or the other way around (Imagine Buffy and her current boyfriend out at the local lovers' lane getting all sweaty and passionate when the moment is interrupted by something with scales, fangs, and a decidedly anti social attitude. Sorta ruins the moment, plus the necessity for losing/having to explain to said boyfriend about demons, Slayers, and hellmouths every week would make any real social life hectic to say the least). Easier just to make her "Dateless Buffy, the Vampire Slayer."

[Joyce Summers]

Before Buffy became the Slayer she was very easily sweet-talky with boys because she didn't care about them. She was shallow and insensitive and only wanted them so they could make her look good at the dance.
Becoming the Slayer humanized her in a way and she became less shallow and started caring about people more. Caring about the guy's feelings and wondering about his personality, likes, dislikes are all what make Buffy tongue tied. Because she's no longer after a guy on a purely shallow and physical level.

I think that made sense....haha

[Cangel]

Maybe she didn't have a problem talking to guys before because she was popular at her old school. Okay, I don't know if I'm making any sense, but I'm still going to school, so I know that a lot of what you do depends on your social standing. SO if it's low it can be tougher to talk to boys

[Hello Cutie]

I definitely think its a person thing, not a slayer thing.
I also think that pre-slayer, she was very sweet-talky with the boys and could probably flirt for LA as it were... and i dont think its so much that being a slayer humanised her (although it did, which ironic considering it made her a little bit demon really) but i think its more a cross between coming to a new place where she doesn't know anyone and more importantly, being nervous to get close to a guy cuz she's got this big ol' secret that she doesn't want coming out.. or to get close to anyone for that matter... thats bound to make you nervous and stuttery when you're talking to a guy, right??

[Angels baby101]

Exactly plus you have to look at it this way... when she was like cordy... she was shallow and all that nonsense but that made her popular around the town and school or what not problem is....

She decided not to be a Mini cordy... but instead chose the "Loser" path.... she decided she'd rather be someone new... which meant that the great Popularity was lost...

Its easy to be confident sometimes when popular (not all the time even the popular ones have problems) but its much harder when your not... I mean look at Cordy when she started dating Xander... she was placed into the outcast circle as well...

[Jules]

When was she awkward with guys? Its been a while since I've watched season one so I'll probably need to dust off my DVD's and watch it this weekend, but I never got the impression that she was awkward round boys. In my opinion she was fine with Owen when they went on their date. She obviously had no awkwardness with Angel (unless you count the bedroom scene in Angel, but that could be explained as a misunderstanding rather than awkwardness) and she always seemed ok round Xander.

[Lindsey McDonald]

I think the awkwardness was due to a combination of her having to hide her slayerness and her feeling different because of it. At hemerey she was popular and exactly the same as all the other girls.

[percepto girl]

She got progressively more awkward around boys/men as she matured, which is kinda a paradox. Parker, Riley and maybe Ben are some examples. She doesn't seem to know when to say the right thing. In The Harsh Light of Day, she says that emotional scars are the best kind, to which Parker replies that he lost his father a year ago. Uh-oh. Hush also deals with this problem in a big way. Whenever Riley wants to kiss her, she starts babbling and completely ruins the moment. Only when everybody loses their voices is she able to act in a non-awkward way. I guess Buffy is more comfortable with the physical that the verbal, being a Slayer and all.

[bob6666]

why is xander called a loser in high school. he is good looking. funny has a nice body. smart( grade suck just lazy) i mean i hang around hot chicks. dated cordy. had a cool car for a time. could he not of stayed on the swim team or play sports and be cool. so many people put him in the same league of jothan and adrew. dont get it.

[Blondie Bear]

I think that the fact that her first relationship came so easily--Angel wasn't at all coy about liking her--kind of threw her off for the future. She wasn't quite sure how to deal with guys who weren't up front about it. And then she had bad experiences with men running off, and was afraid that she was driving them away, which made her nervous, second-guessing everything she said or did. So I think it makes sense that she got all awkward as each relationship was just worse than the last.

[Fake Shemp]

whatever it is..... its mighty cute!


and i dont get the xander thing either.... obvs!

[MozYa]

I think it's more to do with her social standing more than anything, since it makes it harder to talk to more popular people. In school I wasn't high up there in the social status stuff, they'd be all like 'you shouldn't talk to them' and 'why would you even date this girl'
In the end i just ended up saying to most of them your not my friends and you don't consider me one, whatever you think of me I'm not bothered, I'm only bothered what my friends think.

[Relic]

Hi guys, i just started watching season 3 again and season 1 is not that far from my mind. Here comes my comment (just keep in mind I have not saw anything past season 6 and do not want spoilers.)

Buffy has no secret identity like a superman or spiderman, the super identity is her. I've often wondered how hard it was for her to even have friends lik Will and Xand, normal kids with good hearts. I think she more or less just had to accept that they were there and always will be there. (Ever ask why she was 'bad' to xander in season two....maybe she had a motive for that inner naughty moppit.)

I never saw her ackward around Angel, especially in season one and early two, because at first I assume she knew he was off limits and latter that he had superpowers of his own. she felt the most safe with him becasue he was not a risk brought forth by her world, he was a part of that world. I won't mention Riley or Parker in detail, as they are latter season stuff, but I will mention this much....

I agree that Buff does get progressively worse with dealing with dates but I do have a theory why. In those latter seasons Buffy is going to college and is struggeling at an attempt atdeveloping an alter ego. ( like our girl can be anything but herself) An alter ego is not yourself so you have some conflict there, also she is doing this with a fair amount of guilt over her alter ego/ relationships safety. She'll never have a normal life and she strikes me as an honest soul that has problems lying. maybe its not a matter of boy ackwardness so much as responsibility/longing ackwardness.

Just my two cents, agree or disagree with me as you see fit.

Very nice topic by the way.