Nic Brendon was asked to stop working out

[YummySushiPJs]

I know IMDb isn't always reliable but in the trivia section for Buffy it says that the producers asked Nicholas to stop working out early on in the show's run because they didn't want Xander to be too buff. I was just wondering... why? I get that Xander wasn't meant to be "the hearthrob" of the show. But, if anything, it makes sense that Xander would want to be big and strong, considering unlike the other characters he has no superpowers, strength would be a good advantage to have while on patrol and battling demons. With Buffy's slayer skills and Willow's magic abilities, it just makes sense to me that Xander, having none of those, would hit the gym.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

But then he wouldn't be the everyman, the scrawny little wimpy dofus. If he had muscles and bulked up, he would appear as capable. The character was not supposed to be.

 

[YummySushiPJs]

True, but the show was all about breaking stereotypes and tropes. Being bulked up he could still be a wimpy dofus 😀 and it would be funnier, if anything.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

True, but the show was all about breaking stereotypes

Like what? The show reinforced more stereotypes than it broke.

 

[YummySushiPJs]

Oh the show was full of clichés for sure but the main concept of the show was breaking the mold of the blonde girl running away/getting killed. So why not have a hunky muscle guy who's a wimp? In a sense it's breaking a similar rule (the hunky hero who saves the damsel). Plus it would add to the humour of Xander's character. It's not a big deal either way, which is probably why I find it so weird that they made such a request at all, especially, as I pointed out, because it would make sense character-wise for Xander to want to be strong.

 

[Blaze]

Bet they regretted that decision in s7 when he packed on the pounds lol.

 

[white avenger]

Maybe they just didn't want the series third banana male to look better with his shirt off than numbers one and two.

 

[sosa lola]

He looked really good in S2, S3, and S4. Here's a female who thought Xander is hotter than both Angel and Spike combined. *shrug*

 

[Skanky Vamp]

the main concept of the show was breaking the mold of the blonde girl running away/getting killed.

I disagree. The movie broke the mold of the DUMB blonde girl, but Buffy, as portrayed on the show was never the dumb blonde. Movie Buffy certain was dumb blonde, TV show Buffy seemed to be smarter, or more knowledgeable, than everyone around her; she wasn't the dumb blonde horror movie cliche at all.

 

[bespangeled]

I kinda think this was a story put out after the substance abuse added the pounds in season 6 & 7. Early on he was quite buff. If they told him not to work out early on then it took him a few years to listen.

 

[Mr Trick]

I disagree. The movie broke the mold of the DUMB blonde girl, but Buffy, as portrayed on the show was never the dumb blonde. Movie Buffy certain was dumb blonde, TV show Buffy seemed to be smarter, or more knowledgeable, than everyone around her; she wasn't the dumb blonde horror movie cliche at all.

Okay, so in other words the show broke the stereotype?...

I think with the show being based after the movie then Buffy is introduced as smarter or more inderpendent because she had the experience previously.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

Okay, so in other words the show broke the stereotype?...

No. It did not break the stereotype as I said in the post you quoted.

 

[Mr Trick]

No. It did not break the stereotype as I said in the post you quoted.

But if you're claiming that the film played up to the stereoptype more (which it clearly did) then that would mean that the show was the one which broke the stereotype. Another thing is that's just something the show has over the film that it has many more hours to deveolp the character. The film just worked to the basic three act structure. Therefore, I was not convinced of Buffy's new found attitude by the end.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

But if you're claiming that the film played up to the stereoptype more (which it clearly did) then that would mean that the show was the one which broke the stereotype.

No, the film broke the stereotype. In order to break a stereotype you have to first show the stereotype and then subsequently break it. The show never showed the stereotype as Buffy was never portrayed as a dumb blonde so it could never break the stereotype.

That's why Cabin in the Woods was so popular, because it subverted the stereotype initially but the characters devolved into the stereotypical roles. Cabin in the Woods was the anit-Buffy.

 

[thetopher]

I think the whole Nic Brendon/weedy nerd thing was broken in S2 'Go Fish'. He comes out in a apir speedo's and even Buffy seems mighty impressed...