Drinking at the Bronze

[chiigusa]

I recently rewatched Season 5 about a week ago and noticed something a little odd, funny, but interesting: the Scoobies are continuously drinking what can only be beer or some kind of alcohol whenever they're at the Bronze.

No problem with that really, except that the Scoobies are technically 19 or 20 (depending on their birthday) during season 5. So, how can they buy it?

I guess we can assume that they either have fake I.D.s or maybe the Bronze doesn't care, but it is interesting. Anya got carded in Season 3 'Dopplegangland', so who knows! Dawn even makes the quip about "only losers drink alcohol" in 'Family' and they all look sheepish. So, we can safely assume they're drinking alcohol. Even in the 6th season, they're drinking all the time. By then, maybe someone turned 21, but Buffy obviously hadn't when she had her 'frosty nectar' during 'Dead Things'.

I just thought it was an interesting thought of how the Scoobies got away with it (being 20, I know how I get away with it LOL) or if maybe it was an accident by the writers.

Did anyone else notice this?

[white avenger]

The only times during Seasons 1, 2, or 3that I remember it being specified as to just what anyone was drinking, Buffy was asked what she wanted and she replied, "Water, please." Anya asked for a beer once and the bartender asked for her ID.


During and after Season 4, Willow drank beer after Oz left, and in Season 5, she was drinking what looked like a martini (no doubt vodka, medium dry, shaken not stirred) complete with 2 olives when she and Amy went to the Bronze that time. When Faith took the girls to the Bronze in Season 7, Amanda apparently got some kind of mixed drink, but that was after things started getting weird around town.

I don't believe that the Scoobies were ever shown as drinking anything except water or soft drinks during their high school days. Since the drinking age in California is 18, unless it's changed recently, they did everything legally except for one incident in Season 7.

[Fake Shemp]

in family they are drinking because they all look guilty when dawn says only losers drink beer

Edit:

but the first post mentions season 5, i thought theyd be legal too

[Bluebird]

I don't believe that the Scoobies were ever shown as drinking anything except water or soft drinks during their high school days. Since the drinking age in California is 18, unless it's changed recently, they did everything legally except for one incident in Season 7.

I didn't know that was the drinking age.

If that is the case then I'm surprised you didn't see them drinking more often. The legal drinking age here is 18 too, so people in their late teens, early twenties drink a lot. Or maybe that's just in this country, cos we like our alcohol.:lmao:

[Cangel]

I always thought the legal American drinking age was 21? Well, whatever it is, I never really worried about it. Here in Germany teenagers as young as 13 can get alcohol (of course not legally, here you need to be 16 for beer and stuff like that and 18 for the real stuff) without anyone really caring.

[The Kinslayer]

I always thought the legal American drinking age was 21?
Depends on which state I think.


Here if you go out you can get alcohol legally at 18, but to buy it in stores you have to be 20. I guess this has to do with the fact that you´re not "supervised" if you buy it in stores. But it´s not like younger people dont´drink. They sure do, and it seems like tha age to be "introduced" is getting younger all the time.

[hyperballadbrad]

I never thought about it lol... I started going drinking when I was 16 !

[Clem Rocks]

It was never really the most legal program was it? What with the underage sex and everything

[Superstar]

It was never really the most legal program was it? What with the underage sex and everything
Mores of the times is all.
But then so were arranged marriages and labels of spinsterhood akin to being painted with a scarlet letter if a girl wasn't married by the age of 15 (not all that long ago). Or boys going off to battle at the age of 12.
"Legality" has been a fluid beast throughout the ages.
Underage sex in itself is not "illegal". There are current legal limits on ages involved.
Yes, anyway you look at it Angel broke that current "law" in either his Vampire age or his pre-vampire age.

[littlewilly]

So in America, whats the legal ages for having sex, drinking, smoking, working, moving out etc?

[Clem Rocks]

So in America, whats the legal ages for having sex, drinking, smoking, working, moving out etc?

Sex is 18 i believe, i dunno about the other's though, i'm not American or ever been to America XD

[Blondie Bear]

It varies from state to state. In VA, the legal drinking age is 21, the smoking age is 18, and the age of consent is fuzzy, but generally accepted to be 18. I think you can get a worker's permit at 16. In HI, though, the age of consent is 16 (or was when I lived there; they were trying to get it bumped down to 14).

[chiigusa]

Huh, I thought the legal drinking age in California was 21. I googled it to make sure and some of the official sites tell me I'm right, hence my question. That would make sense since Xander tried to ask those frat guys in 'Beer Bad' for ID (who were obviously older than 18), but the bartender just told him to give them the beer, anyway. And if the drinking age was 18, Anya should have been able to get one in Dopplegangland (if she had an ID, that is) since she would probably be 18 by human standards, considering she was a senior.

Either way, it's interesting to know how they continuously were able to buy it. But yeah, maybe Sunnydale just doesn't care? Lol.

[LifeIsJustThis]

I always kind of assumed they were drinking soda or something...

Edit:

I recently rewatched Season 5 about a week ago and noticed something a little odd, funny, but interesting: the Scoobies are continuously drinking what can only be beer or some kind of alcohol whenever they're at the Bronze.

No problem with that really, except that the Scoobies are technically 19 or 20 (depending on their birthday) during season 5. So, how can they buy it?

I guess we can assume that they either have fake I.D.s or maybe the Bronze doesn't care, but it is interesting. Anya got carded in Season 3 'Dopplegangland', so who knows! Dawn even makes the quip about "only losers drink alcohol" in 'Family' and they all look sheepish. So, we can safely assume they're drinking alcohol. Even in the 6th season, they're drinking all the time. By then, maybe someone turned 21, but Buffy obviously hadn't when she had her 'frosty nectar' during 'Dead Things'.

I just thought it was an interesting thought of how the Scoobies got away with it (being 20, I know how I get away with it LOL) or if maybe it was an accident by the writers.

Did anyone else notice this?

So in America, whats the legal ages for having sex, drinking, smoking, working, moving out etc?
Here in Washington State in the USA:
Sex: This is a tricky one. 18. Both people must be 18. So like, if a 18 year old guy sleeps with a 14 year old, it's illegal.
Drinking: 21.
Smoking: 18.
Moving out: Well, you are consitered an adult at 18. Under that, you are a minor, and are under the contorl of your parents or guardians.

[Legate Damar]

It's 21 for alcohol in CA. It's 21 for alcohol in all the US states now. Sex still varies (widely) by state, but the federal government won't give the states their funds for highway construction unless that state's drinking age is 21. Thus, since state legislatures are whores, in every state, the limit is 21.

[sk8rj04]

Legal drinking age IS 21. However, whether a bartender cards you or not is left up to each individual bartender.

[fly on the wall]

So in America, whats the legal ages for having sex, drinking, smoking, working, moving out etc?

As said, it varies.
In Massachusetts (where I grew up) it's:
Having sex - 16, as long as it's with another person under 18 (I believe that's right)
Drinking - 21, as it is in every state.
Smoking - you can smoke tobacco at any age, but you can't buy cigarettes until 18
Working - 16, with a worker's permit
Moving out - 18. At 18 you're a legal adult and can do everything pretty much, except drink or rent a car.


But yeah. Maybe the Bronze used to be strict about IDs and such (S3) but by S4 it seemed more lax (Beer Bad). So maybe the Scoobies just got away with it. I think the writers would have had a difficult time making it seem realistic that a gaggle of college kids wasn't ever drinking alcohol.