Oh god, RJ is a student? That's the single thing I cannot handle. At all. Ever. Like...last week's episode of Glee apparently had amazing music that will own my soul, but the B plot had teacher/student and now I can't ever watch it.

(it's My Thing, for relationships.)

This is one of my favorite polls you've ever done!

NO. SEX. None! No!

As for the squickiness--Buffy/Riley should not have happened while he was the TA. Period. It's wrong for someone in that kind of authority to date a student. But it doesn't squick me like Buffy/RJ or Connor/Cordy or whatever. [ETA] Perhaps this is because my college didn't really have TAs? So I'm not exactly sure how much power they have? Professor/student stuff makes me need brain bleach, but I'm not so grossed out about TAs, even though it's wrong.

RJ seems completely oblivious. I don't think he knew. He seems pretty dumb, too.

FUNNIEST SCENE EVER!!!

Yay! Another excuse to use this icon!

Edited at 2009-11-23 01:19 am (UTC)

I tell myself that buffy and RJ were JUST making out.
it helps me not die from icky.

I swear, adding the rocket launcher is like adding Faith - it makes everything better! Think about it - rocket launcher was present for both the most kickass and the funniest scenes of the entire series. That's what I call range, yo - doing both action and comedy.

Go rocket launcher, you rock! You and SMG were robbed at the Emmys. Robbed!

I only didn't say Buffy fawning over RJ was cringe-inducing because I found it too silly to take seriously. Mostly I just rolled my eyes or laughed. It would be cringe-inducing if I thought Buffy and RJ actually had sex, but as I firmly believe they did NOT, I can brush it off.

I'm mildly to moderately sure that my most recent ex met his new gf as the TA for one of his classes. And while the speed with which he has moved on is tres tacky, the how of it doesn't bother me too much.

Okay, the one "eh" person on the last question: how do you exist? When did your funny get broken, and how can we fix it?

Might have more on the rest later if I have time to read the other comments.

I am much more squicked by the underage student/teacher combo than the "consenting adults" combo. The age difference is arguably the same in both cases, but with Buffy/Riley I'm not so much squicked as disturbed and ready to shake my finger at the unethical behavior. So I'm not okay with it but not grossed out, either. Once he's not her TA anymore, it's not a problem for me. Other than Riley is just not the right guy for her...

The only reason I put that Riley and Buffy squicked me was because he was the TA for her class. If he was a grad student and TA but not for any of the classes she was taking I wouldn't have cared. Also don't care about it once he's not her TA.

Ah, clicky. I'm developing an obsessive compulsive need to click in polls, especially yours.

To be on topic:
7. Buffy. Spike. Rocket launcher. Principal Wood. Funny scene

As to #4, Buffy was in college when she met Riley, where as RJ is a tiny high school kid have the sexes with a counsellor. So much more with the wrongness. (Not that I'm defending the Buffy/Riley relationship because, well gag, but their relationship was not as creepy in that respect.

1 and 2 need medium options. ('No' on 1. 'Yes' on 2.)

3 - They were making out, but it would have gone further if they weren't interupted.

4 - Buffy/Riley ok(ish) Buffy/RJ not ok.

5 need an "I can't remember this moment; I should do another rewatch" option. I went with maybe.

6 - Nope. He would've fought harder to keep it and not looked so perplexed at the end. His brother didn't seem to know either, but I think their dad did.

7 - Funniest scene ever. Though this judgment is constantly in a state of flux. Next poll I'll probably say something else was the funniest ever.

"Funniest scene evah!" for me goes to the Harmony/Xnader slow mo bitch slap fest.

<--thinks there should be a "funniest scene evah!" poll.

Number 4 needs an option for Buffy/Riley as slightly unethical and squicky, compared Buffy/RJ as whole other epic levels of squickiness.

#4: I would think the bit that pushes Buffy/RJ into definite squick territory is that Buffy is under a spell. Though I'd also say there's a difference between two college students on the one hand, and an adult and a high school kid on the other... it's a good thing they NEVER HAD SEX. AT ALL.

#6: RJ puts the jacket on very deliberately when Buffy is chewing him out in the principal's office, and doesn't seem too surprised when her attitude changes...

Oh, and "Hook" = perfect song choice for this episode.

I found Buffy/RJ squickier because he could well be underage, and even if he wasn't faculty adult/high schooler is squickier than older college student or grad student/college freshman. But Buffy/Riley did bug me a bit for that reason. Like, hi, he potentially grades her papers?

(If not, what the hell did he do as a TA? Surely he'd have to do something to maintain his cover? And even if he didn't, when they started dating, Buffy had every reason to expect he did. What's weird is, in a way what makes it non-squicky is her totally obliviousness to that. But it could have been a lot creepier with no change in behavior on his part, if she'd shown any sign of fearing academic retribution.)

Buffy is only 21, though, so if RJ had been 18, she hadn't been an authority figure, and it hadn't been just a magic-induced jump-him type scenario, I'd see no problem with it. But that changes at least two and possible three variables.

But frankly, I found Angel/Buffy squicky because of the adult/high schooler thing, before I ever saw the show.

For the record:

1. I hate cringemaking comedy-of-embarrassment with all the fiery passion of an exploding galaxy.

2. I can't remember. Is RJ the same age as Dawn, or is he in a more senior class?

3. The screenshot does look like they were having sex, but Buffy doesn't seem to include RJ in her list of people she's slept with, so probably not... Unless she's repressed the memory.

4. Kind of. RJ being younger makes his situation inherently more problematic. Then again, Buffy and Riley weren't under a spell, except in that one episode.

5. Definitely both.

6. I'm currently leaning towards the idea that he didn't know it was magic, but he was under the impression that it combined with his own good looks and charisma to make him irresistible to women naturally.

7. I prefer my humour to be more subtle. :-)

Despite how long they seem to be making out, I never considered that Buffy and RJ had sex. It just seems like Buffy would have been weirder after after the spell if they had. And for some reason, I can't see the writers making sex off to be a big joke that's just an "oops, under a spell." They would have punished her more if she'd had sex, LOL.

Though someone should totally write a post-NFA fic where Buffy thinks back to amazing Spuffy S6 sex, and then is chagrined that RJ is technically the last time she got some. :)

You know the comparison should have been Buffy/Angel vs. Buffy/RJ because the ages fit better.

Buffy (16) - Angel (26 going on 247)
RJ (16) -Buffy (21)
Connor (17) - Cordelia (25)

Buffy (19/20) - Riley (25)
RJ (16) - Buffy (21)

Buffy (21-22) - Wood (32)
Faith (20) - Wood (32)

Curious about the fact that people are more forgiving of older man/younger woman than the opposite?

Regarding my own answer? Grad TA/college student is different than Guidance Counselor/student for the reasons you state in one of the comments I read above as well as the fact that Riley and Buffy are both students, they are both at Professor Walsh's whim. He isn't teaching her, as far as we are shown. They may well be both in their 20s. The age difference may be more like three years as opposed to five, we're never told. But here they are at least on a level playing field.

And I've known people to marry their Grad TA's and openly date them. It depends on the TA, and the situation. Some TA's really aren't that much older and have no power. Riley appeared to have little in Buffy - at least from what we were shown.

User beer_good_foamy referenced to your post from Ficlet for November 24th saying: [...] I guess it's been kind of a theme day. First, there was 's post on "Him". Which inspired to write commentfic. Which inspired to write "Buffy's Little Secret". Which inspired to write "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun". Which inspired to ... [...]

Principal Wood and the rocket launcher WOULD be the funniest scene ever if it weren't for Willow and Anya arguing over RJ. But then it's about comparing verbal humor with nonverbal, which really isn't fair.