Whedonesque : Comments on 9086 : You know you're addicted to Buffy when....

You name your puppy Willow or Xander.

Guilty. **Blushes**

Is it worse if you actually name then after the actors as well.

I have a sister pair one is Lilah and the other is Stephanie.

RavenU | December 30, 01:22 CET

Is it sad that I've done a lot of these?

BlindHawkeyes | December 30, 01:22 CET

Pets smets. I know whedonesquers who have named their kids after the characters.

Lioness | December 30, 01:26 CET

Some of those are very true. Ah it's good to be a Buffy fan. After all, that's how I met my wife.

Simon | December 30, 01:26 CET

"You're on a first name basis with all the actors of BtVS except that you've never met them."

Thhpppt! I actually have met quite a few of them, so there! ;)

killinj | December 30, 01:29 CET

"Pets smets. I know whedonesquers who have named their kids after the characters." ~ Lioness

Er....

"All your internet names are Willow"

Er....

Willowy | December 30, 01:33 CET

"You're on a first name basis with all the actors of BtVS except that you've never met them."

Thhpppt! I actually have met quite a few of them, so there! ;)

Right there with you killinj, but is it worse when they know yours. Not that any of them do, I'm just sayin.....

:)

RavenU | December 30, 01:46 CET

You carry Buffy DVDs with you when visiting on Thanksgiving so you can force family members to watch them.

How'd they leave that one off?

barboo | December 30, 01:48 CET

"You have either a cross necklace or a Claddaugh ring"
Guilty(both,and I wear them everyday),..
"You paint your nails like Drusilla."
Guilty...
"Whenever you quote Buffy Verse, you laugh hysterically while your friends stare at you like you've grown another ear."
Guilty...

Lizz2727 | December 30, 02:23 CET

And there are somewhat relevant threads over on flickr about our collecting mania and general whedonosis - great stuff, all.

SoddingNancyTribe | December 30, 02:38 CET

You name your puppy Willow or Xander

Hmm, no pets. But my car is named Buffy(because it's died before and it's still ticking), my fridge is named Xander(cuz it's mostly just in the way), my laptop is Anya(because it has some weird quirks), my couch is named Tara(because it's warm and inviting), my tv is named Glory(because it's just so damned big and glorious)...I think that's about it.

No, I'm not kidding. But we are saving Willow and Lilah for cat names....Although, there is a very friendly cat down the street who always comes to us on our walks...she's Miss Kitty Fantastico.

You let your bird die of starvation.

God, now I'm just getting flashbacks to when I let my baby chicken die of dehydration when I was young. Of course, no Spike to comfort me...

You enroll at Torrance High School.

No, but hubby insists we stop and stroll around there every now and then....And he's also trying to figure out how we could possibly rent or buy Buffy's house someday, no we're not obsessed at all.

Rogue Slayer | December 30, 02:41 CET

Yep, I'm not even gonna list the ones that hit home ;-). But all in all, a fun list.

GVH | December 30, 02:43 CET

No, but hubby insists we stop and stroll around there every now and then....And he's also trying to figure out how we could possibly rent or buy Buffy's house someday, no we're not obsessed at all.

Yep, Ed is now my official own personal hero ;-)

GVH | December 30, 02:46 CET

I have a dark bluish-grey retired racing greyhound named Drusilla. She's very beautiful so Juliet should not be insulted. It always amazes me how most people don't recognize the name. To me, everyone in the world should know who Drusilla is. I pretty much keep my obsession to myself. My family teases me, however.

I enjoyed the list, but it seemed to be very directed at those still in high school, and I'm waaaaaay past that! Still, funny.

TexLuvsAngel | December 30, 02:56 CET

One Word:
Guilty.

Numfar PTB | December 30, 03:11 CET

All your user names on the internet are "Willow"

Ha I thought of you Willowy when I read that AND the pets thing!
Then I read your post and had a great old LOL!

nixygirl | December 30, 03:12 CET

My cat is called Numfar does that count?

( Mind you my sister has horses named Spike and Drusilla)

debw | December 30, 03:12 CET

I used to have a cat named Spike, but that was long ago. Before the movie, even.

Our recent cats were already named when we got them, but after the last kitten (Storm) spent several days hiding under the furniture and yowling, he picked up the nickname "Mister Stormy Pants" which was definitely a nod towards Spike's nicknames for Angel.

MissKittysMom | December 30, 03:19 CET

I haven't been able to think of what to call our new kitten, so as a sort of joke, I've put the naming of it up as an auction on ebay : )

nixygirl | December 30, 03:30 CET

I sit in school all the time and go "ok, if vampires attack i tell everyone to get down, then i grab the wooden flag and save the day...".

Capt Mel | December 30, 03:32 CET

I haven't been able to think of what to call our new kitten, so as a sort of joke, I've put the naming of it up as an auction on ebay : )

And you're not worried you'll get some very insulting suggestions from the winner? I know I'd be. But maybe that's just me being paranoid :-)

GVH | December 30, 03:43 CET

Nah, I've stipulated no racist or vulgar names. Mostly, I'm thinking some one will name it after their favorite sports star or team. Plus, it's been fun watching this thing evolving.

nixygirl | December 30, 03:47 CET

Heh, or maybe you''ll get someones net name (Hmmm, how does 'GVH' sound for a cat? :-p). But, yeah, if you've stipulated, it'll probably be okay. If you don't mind calling your kitten 'Green Bay Packers' or 'Arsenal' or anything, that is ;-).

GVH | December 30, 03:53 CET

You find yourself quoting the show several times a day
Guilty
You name your doll Miss Edith.
See my screen name ;-)
You paint your nails like Drusilla.
I went as her for Halloween this year. Freaked out my coworkers and my entire class (I work at a university). And if that's not enough, my screensaver/wallpaper at work is all pictures of James/Spike, and I DID bring the DVDs home for Christmas to share with friends and family. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.....

Miss Edith | December 30, 03:54 CET

The last wedding I went to used the Buffy theme to introduce the wedding party at the reception. Then played music from Once More With Feeling in the background during the dinner. My wife kept singing quietly along with the songs every now and again.

Another couple I know named their first born child Alexander after Xander.

So yeah I never get this: "Whenever you quote Buffy Verse, you laugh hysterically while your friends stare at you like you've grown another ear", since most of my friends are big Buffy geeks. :)

Matt_Fabb | December 30, 05:21 CET

I am guilty of many of these. Thanks for posting it...it was a fun read :)

KimberlyJ | December 30, 07:19 CET

My husband and I have a beautiful fawn and rust doberman named "Spike." He's a year and a half old. Believe it or not, he acts just like the character. Go figure. The name fits him.

I guess I'm guilty of some of those obsessions.
There. I said it.

Is there a 12-step program out there for me?

"Hello. My name is Nyan, and I am a Whedonholic."

whedon is GOD | December 30, 07:40 CET

You name your puppy Willow or Xander.
Guilty as charged. I have a black Pug named "Dark Willow".

Paint your nails like Drusilla.
Very tricky to do, so only did it once. But it looked neat.

"You have either a cross necklace or a Claddaugh ring".
I have a Spike necklace, does this count? I also have a wooden stake in my bedroom. Sad but true.

"You're on a first name basis with all the actors of BtVS except that you've never met them."
I too have met many of the Buffy stars. Cons are very addictive. I have made many good friends by going to Buffy/Angel/Serenity Cons & posting on related Forums. **nods to my con roomies killinj & RavenU.

secretobcession | December 30, 08:10 CET

Duh! I almost forgot....

I have 12, yes twelve, 12" dolls of the Buffy characters. Spike has traveled the US and even to London with me. I take scenic travel pics with him in them. The dolls are all standing on my desk behind my laptop. I even made a Weapons Chest to store all of their weapons in.

I have tattoos: a heart with a wooden stake thru it and the Angel series logo wings.

secretobcession | December 30, 08:39 CET

Slightly OT question, but I know nowhere better to ask to get a succinct, thoughtful, and candid answer:

As a newbie to the Buffyverse, in what order should I watch Buffy and Angel?

- S1-S7 of Buffy, then S1-S5 of Angel?
- S1-3 of Buffy, S1 of Angel, S4 of Buffy....
- S1-2 of Buffy then alternate epiode-by-episode between S1 of Angel and S3 of Buffy, or
- Something else completely.

To date, I have only watched Buffy S1, but my Chosen Collection should be arriving from Amazon next week.

jclemens | December 30, 08:39 CET

I used to be Weeping Willow at the Bronze. I have a cat named Willow, and a daughter who looks like Willow.

Nebula1400 | December 30, 08:46 CET

I won't let anyone else drink from my Buffy the Vampire Slayer mug, because it's the source of all my powers. I really don't see why anyone would make fun of something like that.

Cygnet | December 30, 09:35 CET

in what order should I watch Buffy and Angel?

jclemens, there is definitely a comprehensive list out there (used to have it bookmarked, but can't seem to find it) indicating in exactly which order to watch BtVS and Ats episodes. Start with Seasons One through Three of BtVS, then generally alternate episodes of Buffy and Angel - it doesn't matter particularly except for the crossovers and references (Pangs BtVS Season Four leads into I Will Remember You AtS Season One, for example), and the order shifts around a bit in BtVS Season Seven/AtS Season Four I seem to remember. Anyhow, some one will no doubt post a proper order.

I'm rather envious that you're about to watch it all for the first time . . .

SoddingNancyTribe | December 30, 09:58 CET

I don't think you should alternately switch episodes, then you can't really enjoy the full run of a season as well, in my opinion, you should just watch 1-3 of buffy, season four of buffy, season 1 of angel, season five of buffy, season 2 of angel, season 6 of buffy, season 3 of angel, season 7 of buffy, season 4 of angel, Angel season 5.... Firefly, then Serenity :P
You will likely catch all the references, if you watch the full buffy run, then the full Angel run..it works that way also. Your going to spend some long hours watching Buffy and Angel. Lucky, well right now i'm watching Wonderfalls, so i'm pretty happy!

SeReNiTy_88 | December 30, 10:07 CET

SeReNiTy_88 makes a good point about watching the full sweep of the seasons. But I think there are some crossover eps that definitely should be watched back to back, such as Harsh Light of Day/In the Dark, Pangs/I Will Remember You, and Fool for Love/Darla. Still, probably good to watch the seasons generally intact.

SoddingNancyTribe | December 30, 10:27 CET

I'd add to SNT's back to back suggestions the idea that you get to at least This Years Girl 4:15 and Who are You 4:16 on Buffy before you watch the AtS episodes are 5 by 5 and Sanctuary whcih are 1:18 & 1:19.

My preference:
First 3 episodes Buffy 4 then first 3 episodes of AtS 1
episode 4-7 of one show and then the other (either first)
episode 8 of Buffy then 8 of Angel - Pangs followed IWRY
Buffy till at least the end of Who are You ep 4:16 (you can watch later Buffy episodes here or after Angel 18 and 19).
Angel from 9 till the end of the season

Also - be aware that while most of the episode summaries give little away others are definately spoilery. I've seen all my whedonverse shows on DVD rather than Tv and I've kicked myself a number of times for accidentally finding out stuff I'd rather have been surprised by. 'Accidentally' in the sense that I didn't resist examining my new purchases closely before playing them.

Edited to add - you may also want to save the commentaries and extras till you've watched everything - they sometimes give away information about the next season. I'm so envious that you've got all that joy (and pain) ahead of you!!

[ edited by purplehazel on 2005-12-30 09:10 ]

purplehazel | December 30, 10:54 CET

I got quite a chuckle from this. I'm guilty of several of these traits and proud of it. I do have enough Buffy stuff in my bedroom to be a fire hazard. Also several action figures in my office. Not to mention the mousepad, coffee cup....but it isn't like I hang out in a room talking about stuff.

Oh, wait....:)

Madhatter | December 30, 13:36 CET

I notice that all but a few of these are all references from Seasons 1-3. Surely we can come up with a list from the other four seasons. You've got yellow crayons, blooming onions, school basements, eye patches, mystical little sisters, psychology professors, Passions, and a myriad of other things to work with.

As for viewing order, definitely alternate between BtVS and Angel starting with Season 4/1. There's things like the phone call in The Freshman/City Of that you wouldn't catch if you didn't watch one right after the other.

deanna b | December 30, 16:53 CET

deanna I noticed that too. Very early Btvs-centric. What about Angel too.

"You paint your nails like Drusilla."

Er....yep, done that. And damn snazzy they looked too.

Watching order. I got my auntie into the shows and she watched them and totally loved both shows this way:-

Btvs S1-3

Alternate between episodes for Btvs S4-5 and Ats S1-2. Start with a Btvs episode and then and Ats and go from there. Especially for episodes like Pangs/IWRY/Something Blue and Fool For Love/Darla.

Btvs S6 and Ats S4 should continue this way until after the Buffy and Angel offscreen meet up. After that and until the Faith and a bit later Angel crossover in S7 the order doesn't really matter.

exoticmushroom | December 30, 18:04 CET

If you're doing whole seasons, definitely do Angel S4 before Buffy S7. There are important crossovers, but they all run from Angel episodes to later Buffy episodes, not necessarily in episode number order. And more importantly, both seasons need to be seen as uninterrupted as possible. These two seasons have heavy internal continuity, and large sections of the each season cover only a few days of "real time."

Enjoy!

MissKittysMom | December 30, 19:00 CET

Everytime I see some gadget that promises to make perfect Onion Blossoms, I have to resist my urge to buy it. So far I've been successful. But I don't know how long I can be strong.;)

Lioness | December 30, 19:11 CET

Your licence plates read "Queen C"

I came so close to doing this a few years ago, but finally decided against it when no one I knew got it (they all just thought I was being arrogant).

Fun list, although I agree it would be nice to see one that covers all the seasons of Buffy and Angel.

callie | December 30, 19:24 CET

Bless your heart, Lioness. If you ever get that 'Buffy' exhibit room in one of your libraries, I will be the first to donate.

Madhatter | December 30, 19:40 CET

jclemens - I'm currently doing the Buffy ep/Angel ep thing, and it's quite enjoyable. But honestly I'd finish Buffy entirely, then do all of Angel, then go back & re-watch Buffy from the beginning, switching to the Buffy/Angel thing at Buffy Season 4/Angel Season 1. There's great character arcs on both shows that I personally think work better if you watch all the seasons back-to-back; once you've experienced these for the first time in entirety (with you on the envy there, SNT . . . ) then great fun to watch both running parallel. Maybe throw in I Will Remember You from Angel S4 after Pangs, and the Faith crossover eps, but otherwise do one show at a time.

Of course, I have a lot of time on my hands and, apparently, no life. ;)

kalia | December 30, 20:01 CET

My son named his guinea pig Spike, Whenever I say That'll put Marzipan in your pie plate Bingo and laugh hysterically, my friends DO look at me like I'm crazy....and I also watch Buffy by myself or with my kids because no-body else gets it.My bad:) Oh, and hello fellow Whedonesquers. I'm a VERY happy to be here Newbie.

doodles | December 30, 20:22 CET

I'm guilty of quite a few of those...I just got a new cat a few months ago...I named him Spike. It was a toss up between Spike and Draco (from my other obsession, Harry Potter). But, my Buffy obsession won.

nutmanda | December 30, 20:53 CET

Welcome doodles (nice byname, BTW). I had the same problem at an office party. Long story. Nevertheless, welcome to Whedonesque:)

Madhatter | December 30, 20:55 CET

OK, I'm guilty of some of these, but a lot of them, to me, sound like someone who'se gone beyond addiction into obsession, losing touch with reality, or at least, as Cordelia would say, "over-identify much?"

Yes, I quote episodes freely, and I did name my cat after a character. The second cat, however, resisted every effort to give him a Whedon-verse name. What can you do--he's a cat!

Maeve | December 30, 23:29 CET

I personally did: S1-S7 of Buffy, then S1-S5 of Angel

MySerenity | December 31, 03:18 CET

Tee Hee, I happen to be hanging out a a library right now listening to my Once More With Feeling soundtrack. - Guilty.

Zannadoo | December 31, 05:37 CET

Thanks Madhatter, nice to meetcha':)

doodles | December 31, 07:08 CET

Am I really the only one on this list who carries Buffy DVDs on out of town visits and makes friends and relatives watch them?

How about when a friend calls me up because her daughter who's home from college for the weekend wants to know why Fred has blue skin?

I just had my annual Chanukah latke-fest and got to share Buffy-chat with another friend's 15 year old daughter. (She really liked the episode where Anya sang about how awful bunnies are). I'm definitely cool with friends' kids because I'm into Buffy.

barboo | December 31, 08:03 CET

:) A lot of them are actually true for me. :)

Astoria_Potter | July 12, 06:17 CET

December 30 2005