Whedonesque : Comments on 10855 : James Marsters Q&A for July,

Now that some time has passed, what do you miss about Buffy and Angel?

I miss the way I walk in a long, black coat. If you walk that way without a long, black coat you look a little silly.

Sigh. Yesssss! *Drifts away for a while. Returns with drool on chin.*

Though I must add that I don't think JM in motion--any kind of motion--could look silly unless he was trying to.

Thanks, spikeylover!

SangChaud | July 15, 18:24 CET

I miss the way he and Angel used to walk in long black coats - heck I miss it all. *sniffs*

Great little Q&A

The Do That Girl | July 15, 18:58 CET

Because of James, I now have a "swirling black coat" fetish.

spikeylover | July 15, 19:01 CET

Boy is that the truth...James Marsters as Spike in that awesome coat...that image will never fade away for me....nor will Spike or James for that matter. Man...am I obsessed or what?
Sigh....I really...really DO miss Spike. Hope James gets back on my TV soon....

kathylovesspike | July 15, 19:07 CET

I agree, SangChaud - the man has amazing physical grace.

His Q&A sessions reveal the normal, down-to-earth, man that is James, and the unique, introspective, actor that is James. What a delight!

showgirl | July 15, 19:10 CET

Oh lord that man's so darn cute!

And yes, I miss the 'walk' too. 'Spike's strut' will stay in my minds eye forever. *sigh*

[ edited by sueworld2003 on 2006-07-15 18:32 ]

sueworld2003 | July 15, 20:30 CET

God, I miss Spike Sooooo much! His walk, talk, lying down, falling down, you name it....does anyone know how many times you can watch a DVD before it is worn out?

sweet mameloschn | July 15, 21:59 CET

ha, least favorite chore that has to be done anyway...watch the presidents speeches.

I understand his pain. The pres may be an idiot but he can be extremely funny to watch.

ChosenOne5376 | July 15, 22:54 CET

Pfft. Angel wore the black coat FIRST *and* he wore it better.

runs away from rabid Spike fans ;-)

OzLady | July 15, 23:20 CET

OzLady, I beg to differ. Spike started wearing his black trench coat in the '70's (1970). When we saw Angel in the '70's he was singing Barry Manilow, sporting a seriously ugly mullet, the worst of the scary '70's fashions and no black coat (source: Orpheus Angel 4.15). Angel didn't get any style until after Whistler met Angel in the '90's and convinced him to start fighting on the side of good (source: Becoming, Part One BtVS 2.21). Historically Spike was wearing the black coat longer, even though he appeared in BtVS after Angel. Who wore it better is a matter of personal taste.

MacGuffin | July 16, 00:24 CET

That egomaniac Spike strut is one of the things I *don't* miss from the show. It always seemed silly and overplayed. Angel does wear it better, ozlady. *Fondly remembers that episode in Angel season 1*

cityof | July 16, 01:19 CET

Angel plays it with confidence, determination, and with great presence. Spike wears his with an 'I'm kickass' strut, a fierce walk in the park, or like he's really horny and he knows he'about to get some.

I'd go with Angel, simply because I think the most awesome shot on that show PERIOD is in "City Of" when he walks down the alley and his coat is all in the air. To be specific, its actually at the end of the Angel opening credits.

oh I just realized Joss directed that....figures.

ChosenOne5376 | July 16, 02:07 CET

Pfft. Angel wore the black coat FIRST *and* he wore it better.

LOL Ozlady, to each their own. I have no interest in my vampire is better than your vampire fights. I love them both, I just happen to love Spike a little bit more.

I've often wondered why Spike fans are referred to as "rabid". I know there are some overzealous Spike fans, but I've seen some pretty overzealous Bangel/Angel fans also. So I don't think Spike fans are exclusive to the term. :)

Cityof, I love the Spike strut, and I miss it.

wrikiwood | July 16, 02:08 CET

I just miss James. As Spike, William, or a non-Joss character... Wearing the coat, wearing the sock, or anything in-between... Walking the walk, riding a bike, or sleeping the sleep of the dead... I just miss the hell out of him!

showgirl | July 16, 03:18 CET

LOL -- I love that candy corn answer. And he's obviously more dutiful about his chores than I am. Curious about the chalkboard though -- wonder if he's thinking more about the sound.

yourlibrarian | July 16, 03:37 CET

showgirl *cough* um... where exactly is the sock worn? I must see this show. [eager grin]

Love's Bitch | July 16, 03:44 CET

Maybe it's their underhand shots at other characters/relationships/actors that earned them the title of rabid. ;)

cityof | July 16, 04:35 CET

Heeee, I guess the Angel/Bangel fans never took a poke at Spuffy?

Look cityof, I'm not trying to start a fan war here, I just think that both sides of the fandom need to take a break. I have no interest in trashing Bangel or Spuffy, I like them both.

wrikiwood | July 16, 04:44 CET

Just to point out one thing. If there's any evidence of fan wank/fan war/fan factiondom/fan flaming here, I will take away people's buckets. These things have a habit of getting out of control. And I will not be amused if it happens.

So back to the topic in hand which was Mr Marsters' Q&A.

Simon | July 16, 04:52 CET

I'd like to hear James' answers to the Bernard Pivot questionnaire James Lipton asks his guests on Inside the Actor's Studio. In fact, I'd love to see him on the show as a guest.

I think a spirited discussion about Angel and Spike would be highly interesting; not who's better, but how the qualities they bring as actors infuse the roles with life, their characters' growth, but maybe most importantly, their relationship with each other. I don't think I've ever seen a more complex partnership than when Spike teamed up with Angel. But then, I'm new to the board and this has probably all been discussed before.

Tonya J | July 16, 05:30 CET

Ok, now this has got me wondering...when did Angel start wearing his coat? I know he wore that leather jacket he gave Buffy in season 1(that miraculously fit her sometimes, and other times not). Was he wearing his long coat in Buffy season 2, when we first saw Spike in his? I'll have to go check that out...

Anywho, I couldn't help but think of 'Office Space' with James least favorite expression: "Didn't you get the memo?" And I have to agree about chalkboards. Either that or newspaper...anything extremely dry like that, I hate the feeling of!

And I know I've lost all possible 'James-fan' points, but I never noticed a scar on his chin. But now that I look closely at the pics on his site, I can see a little one there...

Rogue Slayer | July 16, 05:33 CET

"Didn't you get the memo?" reminds me of the brilliant Batman Begins

ChosenOne5376 | July 16, 06:44 CET

keedoh, James wears the sock - and nothing else - in several episodes of BtVS, season 6. The DVDs contain a lovely extra: the panel discussion with the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences where James is asked to comment on how he felt about his intimate scenes with Sarah. He makes a very funny comparison between his wardrobe (the strategically placed sock) and hers (completely dressed). Buy it or rent it - it’s a must see!

showgirl | July 16, 08:39 CET

Nice link. James is such a sweetie.

cheryl | July 16, 08:40 CET

This set of Q&A's was a real treat--very entertaining. Can't wait to see him in his next projects (though still sad about no more Spike). I also never noticed the scar.

annieb | July 16, 09:16 CET

Yeah ChosenOne5376, it also reminds me of the great movie "Batman Begins".

I miss Spike's coat, and Spike himself ofcourse."grins"
It was always a part of him and it was very cool when he fought in it, the only other outfit i miss was the complete set of red shirt with black coat.

sethsky | July 16, 14:15 CET

Tonya J, someone asked James the full questionnaire at a con.
http://lifesashow.com/sfx2005/

calliope | July 16, 15:28 CET

Enjoyable link; thanks for posting it.

You know, what made the character of Spike so enjoyable and full of depth, to me at least, was his evolution as a character. He had so many character-defining and -revealing moments, not the least of which was his simple speech on the bridge in the Deeper Well, in 'A Hole In The World'.

ariana75 | July 16, 16:02 CET

Hee! The answer about a coat is a diplomatic master-stroke! If James named a person, fans of other people (actors, writers) could have been offended. And the coat - everybody loves the coat!

The Q&A are very funny. *sigh* I miss Spike.

Moscow Watcher | July 16, 16:17 CET

Not only was Angel's wearing his coat become iconic - in the credits, but it's also nicely rhapsodized by Doyle:

"He likes playing the hero, - walking off into the dark with his long coat flowing behind him in a mysterious and attractive way.�
Cordy: �Is this a privet moment? Because I can leave you alone.�
Doyle: �No, no, I�m not saying *I�m* attracted.
......................................
Angel grabs his coat and throws it on: �I guess I�m going to work.�
Doyle watches him as he leaves the office (in slow motion) his coat flowing behind him. Cordelia looks over at Doyle.
Doyle: �Maybe I�m a little attracted.�

highly staked | July 16, 18:18 CET

@highly staked - hugs both Angel and Doyle mentally...
I also like the fact that the coat is not some trophy off the back of a dead slayer, waived in the face of her son.
But that's just me.

wakeupandbang | July 16, 18:21 CET

Agreed, Moscow Watcher. I also felt that it was shorthand for the character in general. That walk exemplified the character when he was in a certain frame of mind. When I read the comment that he misses the walk, I found myself translating that he is missing the character. Said that way however, it takes all sentimentality out of it.

...and thank you, Simon. Fan wars are such a drag.

ETA: Maybe those thanks were too soon. Again I say I do not understand why fans of any character or ship have to purposely try to make other fans annoyed or rain on their parade. There are characters that I do not care much for but who others love (not Angel or Spike.) I am no paragon of virtue but if fans are enjoying their love for that character I stay away. Only if it is a serious conversation about character traits or the character's actions, will I participate. Even then it is certainly not to use what I consider the characters failings to promote another character instead.

They both wore long black coats really well, OK? They were both wonderful and wonderfully different characters. In fact, one of the things I love about the Buffyverse is the differences in Spike and Angel. Another of the things I love is the complex motivations of the actions of so many of the characters. Very few of them can be explained in a simple sentence...no matter how much one might want to when someone takes a cheap shot.

newcj | July 16, 18:46 CET

Maybe when David brings up his love for Angel's iconic leather coat in an interview, you can link to it and it can be discussed then but this is really not the thread for it.

iowagirl | July 16, 18:49 CET

"They both wore their coats really well"
OK, but that doesn't remove the fact that the coats carry a symbolism as to who they were. For Angel it was clearly an expression of his hero self - which is why he discards the coat in a tunnel in "Restatement" as his dark self doesn't deem it fit anymore. He'll wear it again much later, in the following season when is referred as hero (Fredless).

accio angel | July 16, 18:52 CET

@iowagirl
There was an ample interview David gave in Angel magazine - about Angel and many other interesting topics. This website removed several attempts to post that - so it's not as if we have an equal opportunity here.
Anyway, I was responding to other comments - so it was perfectly topical

[ edited by accio angel on 2006-07-16 16:58 ]

accio angel | July 16, 18:57 CET

Yes, I agree, souled Angel is a saint among men and never did anything wrong.

I think long black coats in our two favorite vampires are kind of the new age version of the capes we use to see from Dracula/vampire movies.

spikeylover | July 16, 18:57 CET

I agree there spikeylover. Spike's original outfit very much had those 'vibes' going on in it. The red shirt against the black leather had hints of the traditional vampire cloak, but done in a very modern way.

The coat is gorgeous and it always makes me smile when I see 'fan boys' dressed up at Buffy cons attempting to replicate Spike's 'swagger' and failing. They look so darn cute though.

[ edited by sueworld2003 on 2006-07-16 17:05 ]

sueworld2003 | July 16, 19:04 CET

That was a really nice Q and A , lots of interesting and insightful answers and a nice touch of humour . I really like this idea of James selecting a few questions each month and the results are always worth a read .

debw | July 16, 19:14 CET

The tone of some posters in this thread is out of order. If you can't keep the shipping bitchiness out of your posts, we'd rather you didn't post on our site at all. Seriously.

Accio angel, the posts about David's interview linked to copyrighted material, so you can stop your moaning right there.

I've had it up to here with this nonsense, you all are pissing all over our site. Shut up and act your age or find yourselves banned.

Caroline | July 16, 19:35 CET

"moaning" "pissing" "shut up" "our site"
Makes note of the recommended vocabulary to do better next time.

wakeupandbang | July 16, 19:56 CET

Much kudos to Simon for the use of the phrase "I'll take away your bucket". I can't remember who wrote that line, but I'm willing to bet it's Tim.

gossi | July 16, 20:02 CET

@gossi
It was Steven S. DeKnight - Deep Down.
However, beyond the humor, I wonder how far the metaphor goes.

highly staked | July 16, 20:35 CET

I think it is just great of James to do a monthly Q&A. Especially since he is answering questions that fans have written in to ask. My favorite this time was when he said he loved candy corn. I gave him a bag of it last Halloween at the London MacBeth event, (as I'm sure lots of other people have). Just nice to know he "really" likes it.

Berry | July 16, 20:40 CET

I have a sudden urge to dig out Angel season 4. Only seen it once.

gossi | July 16, 20:41 CET

wakeupandbang, well done, there isn't going to be a next time for you, or your clone-usernames highlystaked and accio angel.

Caroline | July 16, 20:47 CET

Great set of questions and answers - eclectic, informative, and humorous. How often do you encounter lima beans, candy corn, chalk boards, coats, and Macbeth as topics in a celebrity Q&A, especially with only six questions? Fun reading.

MacGuffin | July 16, 21:01 CET

Caroline and Simon, thank you.

I'm trying to imagine Mr Marsters' childhood dining table - "Now, James, eat up your lima beans or you'll get no candy corn this evening!"

[ edited by roadrunner on 2006-07-16 21:05 ]

roadrunner | July 16, 21:05 CET

As a Brit, I had to Google 'candy corn'. Wow. Now there's sugary goodness you just don't get over here.

And there's James being as fascinating as ever, long may his Q&As continue.

GloryB | July 16, 21:17 CET

I have a sudden urge to dig out Angel season 4. Only seen it once.
gossi | July 16, 18:41 CET

You really should,personally,season 4 of Angel is my second favorite season of the series.My favorite is season 2.The reason I like them so much is the overall arc of the two seasons.

In season 4's case,it really feels like a roller coaster ride.Especially when you can watch it now on DVD without the weeks of hiatus between sweeps breaking up the flow.Joss,who I believe it was,compared season 4 of Angel to the series,"24."That really is a dead on description of this season.

Buffyfantic | July 16, 21:22 CET

Now there's sugary goodness you just don't get over here.

I might be in the minority here, but you're not missing a thing! Those were the first things I threw away when I got home from Trick-or-Treating! But then James also loves RedBull, and I've never been able to get down a can of that. I'm with him on the lima beans though...no child should have to eat lima beans. It's inhumane!!

Rogue Slayer | July 16, 21:28 CET

Red Bull is the gods drink. Or at least, something which keeps me alive when wasted, anyway.

gossi | July 16, 21:39 CET

Caroline you are a righteous bad ass! Thanks. You should get your own leather coat.

I can't imagine going to a thread about a character or actor just to diss that particular character/actor and bring down the people who enjoy it.

More than likely I just wouldn't read that thread if I wasn't a fan. Seems sensible to me.

I was a huge Mountain Dew fan at one point before Red Bull was invented, now I stick to coffee. Because I am older and read on the internet that coffee prevents alzheimers, cancer, heart disease, and does all kinds of other wonderful things. Caffeine is beautiful.

And as a "rabid Spike fan" I am a little ashamed that I never noticed the chin scar. Too busy looking elsewhere I guess.

Xane | July 16, 21:48 CET

Funny thing, when I came to the US I had no idea what candy corn was either, and my wife told me it was sheer crap, and to my surprise I kinda liked it. It's got this buttery aftertaste somehow.

But I know what James means, sometimes you start eating too many and then going "ughh...why am I doing this??"

EdDantes | July 16, 21:51 CET

Just posted on James Marsters' site, new (i) message to fans; and (ii) FAQ's, including the Bernard Pivot Questionnaire.

Most exciting is the following quote:

I'm auditioning a fair amount and hopefully will have something to announce soon.

http://www.jamesmarsters.com/james/faq.html

[ edited by MacGuffin on 2006-07-16 21:38 ]

MacGuffin | July 16, 23:32 CET

calliope, you are now my bestest friend in the world! Seriously though, thank you for posting the link to that convention video of James answering the Bernard Pivot questions. It took an hour for my old computer to download it but it was worth the wait - I very rarely get to see the person/actor speak off the cuff as opposed to just watching the shows. What a nice treat. And I'm always struck when I see him with the short brown hair how handsome he is, albeit in a different way, than platinum Spike.

Tonya J | July 16, 23:37 CET

The updated http://www.jamesmarsterslive.com site looks really good.

Love the icons and the new clip from the Words And Music event . James talking Macbeth is always worth watching.

[ edited by debw on 2006-07-16 21:54 ]

debw | July 16, 23:50 CET

And I meant to add that I find the Whedon fanbase to be among some of the most supportive, sensitive, and sharing people in terms of go-to for information and their zeal of appreciating and supporting talent and creativity, and just having fun as well. One of these days I'll get the courage to come to a convention and hopefully meet some of you. Thanks again.

Tonya J | July 17, 00:05 CET

He's so cute in that clip debw:) I loved when he pulled both legs up on his chair to try and keep himself quiet so Cheryl could talk.

wrikiwood | July 17, 00:28 CET

I had not seen any of those videos, though I had read the Pivot transcript. Thanks, guys.

[ edited by newcj on 2006-07-17 01:27 ]

newcj | July 17, 02:15 CET

GloryB - don't get me started on differences in sugary goodness from country to country. You can have candy corn and whoppers in exchange for maltesers and jaffa cakes ;)

p.s. - I will never understand the need to register here specifically to get yourself banned asap. To each their own, I guess :)

zeitgeist | July 17, 04:04 CET

"jaffa cakes"

Arent those the cakes in Star Wars?

So apparently Whedonesque has turned into WWE Smackdown. Caroline, are you sure you arent Hulk Hogan? "What ya gonna do, when Caroline runs wild, on you!!"

(All of which he said in jest...)

And other than that, I have nothing to add except lovely Q&A.

[ edited by jerryst3161 on 2006-07-17 02:18 ]

jerryst3161 | July 17, 04:12 CET

I resisted reading this thread -- but I assumed by now any posters who had become a little too enthusiastic in their posts would have been dealt with. Thanks, Caroline, for keeping things sane.

I enjoyed reading the linked info and seeing the Macbeth video. JM always seems to bring a smile to my lips, whether through his acting or through his never-grow-up real-life enthusiasms.

And does anyone else eat their candy corn in thirds -- biting off bits according to the colors -- the white tip first, then the orange, then the yellow? While I seldom eat it any more, when I do I still occasionally indulge in a kind of Oreo-cookie way of eating them that goes back to my childhood.

palehorse | July 17, 05:34 CET

I got sick on candy corn as a kid. Can't stand the stuff now.

Topic? Oh, topic. I love swooshing leather coats in many varieties. Angel's, Spike's, Mal's. Apparently, brown coats make me as happy as black ones!

XanFan32 | July 17, 06:28 CET

palehorse,
Yes, yes, yes to the candy corn in thirds when I was a kid. And absolutely, when I eat the things, I still do biting it in layers thing.

Does this make us part of some sort of weird cult?

I also eat mallomars, when I eat them, by biting off the big marshmallow puff first and then the soft cookie part last.

And lima beans....never understood the lima bean love. Those things are creepy. There's a horror movie waiting to be made about the secret lives of lima beans.

barboo | July 17, 06:38 CET

Wowie-zowie, this thread has taken some weird turns, and I thought "pink mesh backpack" thread, was, you know, kinda tweaked. (But in a good, "how-did-we-get-here?" way.)

I have always eaten candy corn thusly, when I have chosen to indulge in caloric-sweetened-goodness that is Other-Than-Chocolate, which is the One Candy To Rule Them All.

And to stay as completely OT as possible -- although I will just say that I think that it's just possible that both Spike (dark) and Angel (milk), as well as River (raspberry-filled truffles), are all made of chocolate -- I eat nine (9) M&Ms at a time, at least three (3) of them must be brown-coloured, and I let them melt in my mouth (not in my hands.)

It is also entirely possible that I have a big, honkin' case of OCD, and a prospensity for over-sharing.

QuoterGal | July 17, 06:57 CET

Actually, QuoterGal, I think of chocolate not so much as candy, and more as a way of life.

When the going gets tough, it's time to go for extradark.

barboo | July 17, 07:39 CET

Barboo, LMAO. That is all.

spikeylover | July 17, 08:43 CET

When the going gets tough, it's time to go for extradark.

Yes, but my philosophy is just start with extra dark, then the going won't seem so tough!

Rogue Slayer | July 17, 08:52 CET

Spikeylover,
Good thing I looked up your acronym before answering. I thought you were proposing something that is still illegal in most states south of the mason-dixon line.

As for me, I have accepted chocolate as my own personal savior.

barboo | July 17, 09:19 CET

Before having to give up sugar for health reasons--yes fellow chocoholics, pity me--I always ate my candy corns in thirds, nibbled the ears of chocolate bunnies first, and bit the heads off of marshmallow peeps. What I want to know is when did it become okay to change the natural order of things with such monstrosities as Christmas tree marshmallow “peeps” and red and green colored candy corns, the sight of which last December I am still reeling from?

Spike, Angel, Mal—all wonderful, all reminiscent of the leather-duster wearing, old-west veal-cake that were “The Young Riders.” Imagine what Joss could have done for a young Josh Brolin. Oh, the humanity.

narnia | July 17, 09:25 CET

So, it sounds like the question is becoming not does anyone else eat candy corn by biting through each layer separately but does anyone NOT eat candy corn in layers...when they eat it. I know that I have never even contemplated eating tham any other way. I mean, what's the point?

(Note for those folks from other countries who do not have candy corn: Unlike Oreos or Mallomars eating most candy corn by biting off separate layers makes no difference in taste as the layers usually all taste the same. I feel like there is a difference in the ones that are brown at the big end rather than orange, but that might just be psychological. Of course others may disagree...)

Oh no. Red and Green candy corn!!! Oh the horror. I missed that and hope to miss it for many years to come. Yuck. Candy corn is supposed to look like Indian corn for Autumn. What kind of corn is red and green? I know, logic has no place in the the selling of Christmas.

Zeitgeist, I was thinking about that earlier today and trying to figure it out...then I decided to stop that. Instead I watched "Open Range" on AMC and,lo and behold, there in a major supporting role, was our favorite troll who was formerly Anya's boyfriend. All roads lead to BtVS.

ETA: I forgot to mention that someone turned me on to toasted peeps. You toast them just like regular marshmellows, only that coating on the outside caramelizes or something and is very tasty. They were very happy versions of peeps were being sold year around so they could poke a stick in them and hold them over a fire.

[ edited by newcj on 2006-07-17 07:42 ]

newcj | July 17, 09:36 CET

I always hurt my mouth on candy corn.........

O/T But on the subject of sweets and candy...NEVER try the Harry Potter jelly bellies.

Donna Troy | July 17, 09:52 CET

sueworld2003, your post about the red shirt and black coat brought an extraordinarily vivid memory of Angelus jumping off Buffy’s roof in BB&B, with the long coat flying around him like wings. That brought home his vampire nature as much as the fangs. The shot of Angel leaping out of the window in Lonely Hearts had a similar effect. Good times! But am I mistaken, that Angel/Angelus’s long coats were cloth? I think that Spike had the only long leather coat, where Angelus had the leather pants and Angel had three-quarter length leather jackets.

I entertain the fondest thoughts of candy corn – as long as I eat about three pieces of it once a year. But I eat them layer by layer. Of course.

white wings | July 17, 10:10 CET

I admire James' stand on lima beans, and appreciate the support that recognition of the lima bean threat has received on this thread. My position is a little more hardcore, though, in that I have never swallowed one. My mom tried to make me, but I gagged every time.

Btw, Ed, I think the "buttery aftertaste" of candy corn is just the corn syrup, which you can buy straight in the bottle, and put on anything you want. However, the "uggh" factor is probably from when your body starts trying to digest the extra-unhealthy form of sugar.

dreamlogic | July 17, 10:55 CET

Yes, Angelus and those leather pants.........sigh...

Donna Troy | July 17, 10:55 CET

LOL, I love the discussion now. So Ill throw my two cents in. I eat oreos by twisting the top off, eating that first, then eating the frosting off the bottom, and finally eating the bottom. Its so much better that way!!

And peanut M&M's are the worst. I take one, break it in half in my mouth, eat the candy coated part without the peanut, then I clear off the peanut of the bottom half of the candy coated chocolate, eat that, and finally, eat the peanut. Again, so much better that way!

And im not much of a fan of Candy corn, but hey candy is candy in my book.

Am I weird? Of course not...

[ edited by jerryst3161 on 2006-07-17 08:58 ]

jerryst3161 | July 17, 10:57 CET

So, if you don't think too hard, or at all, about what I'm going to say next, it makes a lotta sense: the portion of this thread where folks were mixing it up about Angel vs. Spike yada yada, was really about dark chocolate vs. milk chocolate, about which there can be no fruitful or final discussion.

And the fact that this thread started at James Marsters and ended up at the corner of Candy Corn & Chocolate, expresses most of us understanding on some level that those of us who want him, can never really have him, and so we turn to chocolate in our despair.

This may sound bleak, but there's hope: (lemme see if I've got this right) -- at least we now all realize that Ben is Lima Beans.

QuoterGal | July 17, 11:13 CET

Jerry, Everyone knows the only TRUE way to eat an oreo is to twist of the top and lick out the middle, THEN put the cookie back together and dunk it...

Sheesh...=P

Donna Troy | July 17, 11:18 CET

QuoteGal, I was nodding my head in agreement to everything you said, until the end. I'm afraid I must disagree. Glory may be lima beans, but Ben is okra.

lycoming | July 17, 11:22 CET

So would that make Riley chopped liver?

Donna Troy | July 17, 11:27 CET

White wings. Yes, to the best of my knowledge Angel/Angelus only seemed to have worn long/mid length cloth coats, but maybe someone here can correct me on that? The lightning so dark in the series it's often quite hard to make out the textures for half the stuff they wear on there.

He only seemed to favor leather when it came to his pants as in 'the leather trousers of doom' that he'd often sport when Angelus made his presence felt. That and all of a sudden he'd take to sticking eyeliner on again with a trowel! :)

[ edited by sueworld2003 on 2006-07-17 09:43 ]

sueworld2003 | July 17, 11:41 CET

O.K., now, don't disrespect okra. Okra is much unjustly maligned. Also, Southern people like okra, and we're real sensitive, and real violence-prone. Ben and Glory can both be lima beans, since they are essentially one. Or Ben can be arugula, since that is also nasty, but not as nasty as lima beans, thus appropriately embodying the duality-in-one, where one half is worse.

dreamlogic | July 17, 11:46 CET

... and Principal Snyder is Brussels Sprouts, and Parker Abrams is Mashed Turnips, whereas Charles Gunn is a Dark Chocolate Truffle filled with Anise Liquer and Winifred Burkle is Peanut Butter Cups and Illyria is an ice-planet.

QuoterGal | July 17, 11:59 CET

I always wondered if Angel kept a couple of pairs of leather trousers , some improbable belt buckles and a tube of eyeliner handy at all times just in case he had one of those soul losing moments :)

Someone sent me some candy corn last halloween , it was a deeply unpleasant experience, worse even than American Chocolate which seems to be made out of lard. The only true chocolate is European and so rich and dark that you can only eat two squares in one sitting ( Valrossa , Green and Black's Organic, Suchard , Godiva .. yumm!)

I'm told that Lima beans are like butter beans in which case they can either be deeply yummy or utterly revolting, depending on the manner in which they are prepared.

debw | July 17, 12:03 CET

"Jerry, Everyone knows the only TRUE way to eat an oreo is to twist of the top and lick out the middle, THEN put the cookie back together and dunk it...

Sheesh...=P"

Aw geez, I knew I was missing something!

jerryst3161 | July 17, 12:20 CET

Butter beans are larger and more yellow-white and not the nauseating shade of green that lima beans are but they have the same smell so I've never eaten any. I love all other varieties of beans I've tried so there's obviously some compound in them that I shouldn't eat. Any dried beans can be made bad by poor preparation, but that's not my problem with them, and I'm clearly not alone.

dreamlogic | July 17, 12:25 CET

I had to Google lima beans to discover they are butter beans in translation. This increased my worship and love of James manyfold. A man who can stand up against the evil that is butter beans just has to be admired, coat or no coat.

BTW, I thought everyone knew dark chocolate was one of the essential food groups?

And thanks to Caroline and Simon for troll management.

Gill | July 17, 13:35 CET

More thanks for making this thread a decent place to post. I love my mods! ;-)

Now on to important things:

... and Principal Snyder is Brussels Sprouts, and Parker Abrams is Mashed Turnips, whereas Charles Gunn is a Dark Chocolate Truffle filled with Anise Liquer and Winifred Burkle is Peanut Butter Cups and Illyria is an ice-planet.

And River is made of chocolate. ;-)

billz | July 17, 14:16 CET

Spikeylover,
Good thing I looked up your acronym before answering. I thought you were proposing something that is still illegal in most states south of the mason-dixon line.

ha!! one changed word and it could have a whole other meaning.

I was thinking which season would be most likely to have a possessed Lima bean in it? Perhaps it would have fit well in PANGS?

spikeylover | July 17, 16:33 CET

Debw,
You need to try Scharffen Berger. They are the first ones who put out a 70% cocoa solids on the label, putting American bittersweet chocolate on the map. There are other artisanal chocolatiers in the U.S., but they are more localized so harder to keep track of. Godiva is owned by Campbell's Soup Company, which is appropriate because it tastes like something that would come out of a can. But in agreement on Green and Black's Organics. Their "Maya Gold" is my personal favorite for straight eating chocolate. Plus it's "fair trade" so you get to eat chocolate and save the world at the same time - what could be better?

barboo | July 17, 19:05 CET

Big agreement on Green & Black's :) Yum! You folks are so funny with the food/candy mappings for verse characters - gave me big smiles :D

zeitgeist | July 17, 19:47 CET

The version of Godiva you get in the US isn't the same as we get here ( as I found to my cost!.. ditto Cadbury's) But I shall try and track down Scharffen Berger next time :)

Green and Black's Maya Gold .. mmmmm I just happen to have a bar in the fridge

and ,to get this sort of on topic I thought , when first I saw Candy Corn, that it looked a bit like tiny vampire teeth, the thought didn't make it any more appealing

[ edited by debw on 2006-07-17 18:38 ]

debw | July 17, 20:38 CET

Topic? There was a topic?

barboo | July 18, 03:09 CET

sueworld2003 - As far as I know, Angel’s mid-length coats were leather. I know what you mean about the lighting on the show – one has to change the brightness on the TV to be able to see facial expressions sometimes – but I’ve seen some of those coats in the flesh, and the others seemed to have a leather-like shine. However, I’m pretty sure the long coats were cloth. I could swear I saw a weave. I expect that’s why Angel didn’t need a strut. Cloth would swirl more easily.

Angelus did favor eyeliner, didn’t he? I always found him a suspicious character. ;-) And we shouldn’t forget the pleather pants in Carpe Noctem. I suppose that was fair – fake leather for a fake vampire.

Okra, lima beans, and mashed turnips? Thank heavens the subject turned to Chocolate. I must put in a good word for Cadbury’s Milk Fingers. I’ve been addicted to them for about forty years now. Fortunately I can’t get them that easily.

white wings | July 18, 08:53 CET

July 15 2006