How come Michelle Blake and Holly Charleston won the Homecoming Queen crown in the "Homecoming" episode?

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Buffyfan69

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How come Michelle Blake and Holly Charleston won the Homecoming Queen crown in the "Homecoming" episode?
Why do you think they won the crown?
Were they in the "in-crowd" dynamic at Sunnydale High?
and not in the "loser group" (Willow, Oz, Xander, Giles etc...) unlike "Buffy and Cordelia?"
did they get that many votes?
 
I thought it was a bit of a shout out to all of the teen movies going on at the time. I think there was one movie where conjoined twins won a crown over the girls we were supposed to be rooting for.

How does prom queen work for the US anyway? Is it peer votes or faculty votes? I didn't think Sunnydale was as basic as just "in-crowd and loser group" but I did feel that Buffy generally tried to stay behind the scenes and her campaign stunt may have been seen as just that. Cordelia was the too obvious choice. I mean, if I was voting I never go for the one who I think is a shoe in. Australian Idol showed me that many choose their votes like that 😛
 
Looking the characters up (and ignoring the meta-story), I'd say...

Holly Charleston was both good at sports as well as nice. Sports overcomes all sorts of stigma, and while many would kowtow to Cordy out of fear, I could see them voting for someone nice behind her back (and that of Buffy, who was aloof and obviously manipulative--pretending to like them, which they damn well knew was fake--for the race).

Michelle Blake was also athletic (doesn't say she was involved in sports, but even if she wasn't she was still on good terms with the jocks and that would boost her popularity) and also listed as nice. Just because she was sexually promiscuous doesn't automatically make one an outcast (and may be grossly exaggerated among the girls, or if not, then she obviously knows about how to make being promiscuous work for her). Being the yearbook editor likely also gave her some social clout.

On top of that Cordelia underestimated her rivals and likely focused her attention against Buffy. Buffy and Cordy spent so much time tearing each other down that Holly and Michelle were able to make a better impression. 'Course if the votes were public then it would probably would've turned out differently.

Just my immediate thoughts, and speaking as one who missed out on all the school dances and non-mandatory school events.


ETA: And students vote as that's who Buffy and Cordelia were trying to convince to vote for them. But even if the faculty had a say then I'd see them as liking Holly and Michelle (more involved in the school and their studies) more than spooky Buffy and rude, entitled Cordelia.
 
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WillowFromBuffy said:
It is not faculty votes. Americans may be weird, but I don't think they make the teachers judge the students on their appearance and popularity.
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Faculty are the only people who vote for Belle of the Ball where I am. They did not allow popularity contests of any sort between students in the schools I went to, it was based on overall performance on the night of the dance. There is no election campaign and it is not just based on looks and money. This is why I asked, and was not aware it was weird to be judged neutrally on performance over popularity. All that I can understand about this situation is what I have gleaned from other movies and tv of a similar subject. At the time of filming there were a rash of teen movies with this exact scene. Buffy is well known for its pop culture references.

This is probably why I tend to enjoy the seasons based after high school more than the seasons during high school (minus season 2) in many similar shows. The school and social system is so different and I cannot in any way relate to it and struggle to understand it. For example, Teen Wolf senior classes in "Advanced Biology" was on the curriculum for every year 9 student in the state here. It seems that TV high school kids have way too much time on their hands because the classwork for 18 year olds is passable for 13 year olds in other places of the world. There is no way a poor student could afford to compete with people who have money to hand out cupcakes and buy whiteboard markers. I enjoyed that neither Buffy nor Cordy won the crown as neither deserved it or showed any school spirit. It was all spite.
 
Because Cordelia and Buffy were being obnoxious and were solely focused on beating each other. Rather than choose one or the other the students went for a safer bet and chose neither. I thought it was perfect comeuppance.
 
NeonSlayer
NeonSlayer
Buffy was already ostracised and forced to miss out on a lot of activities. She didn't even get a yearbook picture. How much comeuppance dies she need?
WillowFromBuffy said:
It is not faculty votes. Americans may be weird, but I don't think they make the teachers judge the students on their appearance and popularity.
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As already pointed out, in Australia the Belle of the Ball is decided upon by teachers, students have no say. This is to ensure that the person who wins isn't chosen for just being 'hot' or having daddy's money.

At my school they always made it clear that Belle of the Ball was chosen based on how the student acted throughout the ball and school year (making time for everyone, showing dignity and respect etc) and also just how much they shone on that night.

It was about showing high schoolers that being a true winner was about having a light that shines true and bright. Not about buying cupcakes, spreading vicious rumours, and wearing an expensive dress.

I always thought that Holly and Michelle won because they were more worthy candidates. Genuine and kind, and not screaming at each other in the hallways. Also, if the voting was done on the night Buffy and Cordy weren't THERE!! I assumed that would have cost them votes.
 
T
thrasherpix
Good point about Buffy and Cordy being gone, and probably was the biggest factor
Given that Buffy was awarded the class protector award which was specifically created for her, I don't think it was necessarily anything against Buffy herself that cost her the crown. Cordelia's previous attitude towards people could've coloured opinion against her, since the people she was horrible to wouldn't just forget that when she's suddenly being all nice in order to get their vote.

However, I think it was their tactics. They were very false and acting overly friendly to people they wouldn't normally even speak to. The other two were probably more "all rounders", they weren't part of a specific group but generally got on well with everyone.
 
GraceK said:
Because Cordelia and Buffy were being obnoxious and were solely focused on beating each other. Rather than choose one or the other the students went for a safer bet and chose neither. I thought it was perfect comeuppance.
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This is what I was thinking too. I think Cordy and Buffy probably cancelled each other out. After awhile the other students probably got fed up of them trying to one up each other😛

Its also a twist on the old teen show cliche. In that version Cordy and Buffy would have been the joint winners😉
 
GraceK
GraceK
Yup! :)
I think they did cancel each other out but in a She's All That kind of way. Buffy represented the freaks and Cordelia represented the popular clique. Buffy defended those who are bullied while Cordelia spent years bullying.
 
Mr Trick
Mr Trick
Oh good point. That's possible.
NeonSlayer said:
I think they did cancel each other out but in a She's All That kind of way. Buffy represented the freaks and Cordelia represented the popular clique. Buffy defended those who are bullied while Cordelia spent years bullying.
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Also its never really clear in the episode how much of their campaigning led to actual votes. It's possible that the students might have just accepted the gifts but still not voted for them on the night😉
 
NeonSlayer said:
Cordelia represented the popular clique.
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If anything Michelle represented the popular clique and not so much Cordy anymore. I don't know how Holly got any votes- that seems highly unlikely.
 
NeonSlayer
NeonSlayer
They grew up with Cordelia so they've known her as popular their whole lives. Plus she is still aesthetically the most attractive girl in school.
In an American High School in the late 90s, student vote. Cordie and Buffy, as little sense as it makes, split their vote. Or at the very least, Buffy took enough of the Jock and Bronze crowd, combined it with people whose lives she actually saved and and the Evangelical vote, and was able to knock Cordie to third place.
 
AlphaFoxtrot said:
In an American High School in the late 90s, student vote. Cordie and Buffy, as little sense as it makes, split their vote. Or at the very least, Buffy took enough of the Jock and Bronze crowd, combined it with people whose lives she actually saved and and the Evangelical vote, and was able to knock Cordie to third place.
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That makes sense since it looked like Buffy and Cordy were targeting the same people.
 
If Buffy had showed up arm in arm with Faith as her date as the gods would've allowed if they let me have nice things, I wonder if that would get her more of the lgbt & guys-who-like-lesbian-action vote or cost her some of the Evangelicals who thought she was "super religious" since she wears crosses & doesn't drink & is besties with the librarian & can be overheard talking about angels chosen ones apocalypses.

The Goths, emos, & nonconformists would like how she hangs out in cemeteries, committed arson, got expelled twice, has cool weapons, knows the shady element, turns down jocks, and just doesn't fit in.
 
Spanky said:
That was one of the most unrealistic things; of course it's about that. It's a popularity contest. Who can buy the most votes, not who is most worthy.
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You misunderstood, I was saying that in Australia it has nothing to do with those things as the faculty votes and the students have no say.

We had a student council that was voted for by students though. I was in the student council in Year 9 because one of my best friends was the daughter of a prominent bikie leader and she threatened to 'bash' people that didn't vote for me.
 
caitaintdead said:
You misunderstood, I was saying that in Australia it has nothing to do with those things as the faculty votes and the students have no say.
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Didn't misunderstand, just didn't think it really portrayed it as bad as it is. "I always thought that Holly and Michelle won because they were more worthy candidates." Undoubtedly Michelle was giving favors for her votes.
 
Buffyfan69 said:
How come Michelle Blake and Holly Charleston won the Homecoming Queen crown in the "Homecoming" episode?
Why do you think they won the crown?
Were they in the "in-crowd" dynamic at Sunnydale High?
and not in the "loser group" (Willow, Oz, Xander, Giles etc...) unlike "Buffy and Cordelia?"
did they get that many votes?
Click to expand...
I assumed it was because everyone suddenly got fed up with Buffy and Cordelia posing and bugging them for votes.
 
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