This is quick and pointless and Buffy specific but in times like these, it can be nice to use popular media to discuss certain items.
Dunning-Kruger is often mentioned in this space and almost always with the focus being on “YOU KNOW NOTHING! Why are you acting like an expert?! I can promise you with my soul that you are not correct about this. Why are you acting like I’m gaslighting you? I am literally reading this information to you and you’re arguing with me!” But that’s not all the Dunning-Kruger effect is. While it is easy to point to the confidently, loudly, abrasively, and abusively wrong people who think they are experts; we don’t get a lot of glaring examples of a person who does know better doubting themselves. Partly because self-doubt is a quiet internal thing; partly because we then all assume we’re the actual expert being quiet because of our self-doubt derived from our intelligence. Or maybe that’s a me delusion. EITHER WAY.... we can point all over popular media for “The confidently incorrect ass”… but as Buffy Fans have been discussing and debating Nicky Brendan and Xander, I’ve been seeing “I’ve Got A Theory” a lot more often. And while I’m sure every fan has sat down and run a moment by moment playthrough and commentary in their own heads; I wanted to use this space to cover things. And it started from considering Tony Head’s Giles initial statement being an example of the Expert Dunning Kruger.
Giles has been studying demons for fun and profit since he was a rebellious punk kid raising demons for kicks. POSSIBLY the only person who would know more about demons in that room is Anya and that’s only because she was a demon for a few hundred years! Giles is the expert in the room. And he sings, “I’ve got a theory. That it’s a demon. A dancing demon- no, something isn’t right there.” And (spoilers) while that reference isn’t a COMPLETE answer.... it is the correct answer. The cause of the singing was a dancing demon. Giles was right. But because he had so much knowledge of all of the possible explanations… and dancing demon didn’t feel like a complete answer… he dropped it and moved on. DESPITE IT BEING THE CORRECT ANSWER.
But, let’s explore each character and what they were expressing:
Because after Giles leads with the correct answer; Willow suggests
“I’ve got a theory- some kid is dreaming. And we’re all stuck inside his wacky Broadway nightmare” which… I find particularly interesting considering where this episode comes in Willow’s arc. The “sucked into a kid’s nightmare” is a direct reference to the past Season One episode “Nightmares”. Willow is referencing a foundational memory for the Scoobies that Tara wasn’t present for after having cast a Memory Spell on Tara. Compare that to
Xander who enthusiastically says, “It could be witches! Some evil witches.” But… Willow and Tara are witches. So, he backtracks and explains why that isn’t possible: “Which is ridiculous ‘cause witches, they were persecuted Wicca good and love the earth and women power And I’ll be over here.” EXCEPT… we’ve seen multiple examples of Witches behaving badly and hurting people in the series already. And we’ll see more! In fact, in two episode’s time, Amy will return to human form and go total Witch Bitch. IN FACT.... the entire season ENDS with Willow, via witchcraft, attempting to END THE WORLD AND KILL EVERYONE. So the “it could be witches” isn’t “BAD Xander! Being offensive to your friends!” and is actually more “Okay, it’s uncomfortable but we can’t rule it out!”
Then, of course, Anya with her Anyanka-ness. It’s a cool, funny rock n’ roll part of the song. But it is also Character work and revealing of what the former vengeance demon still is. The closest we ever really come to learning why Anya hates rabbits (outside of this song) may be from Chaos Bleeds when a nightmare version of Anyanka can be weakened by infecting her magic circles with bunnies. Kid you not. SO… while funny and laughable to us mortal humans.... there’s something to be said for Anya’s fear of bunnies may tie back to her Demonic Powers (which makes sense, we see her original human form Aud as someone who raised rabbits and was ostracized by her village before being betrayed by the man she loved. An aspect of D’Hoffryn’s contract would be logical that what you were before is built in as a weakness to what you have become. Especially as a way to control, manipulate, or punish the vengeance demons under his power. So, Anya’s answer is the LEAST likely to be correct.... but she says it in the confident, brash way.
“It could be bunnies!
Bunnies aren’t just cute like everybody supposes!
They’ve got them hoppy legs and twitchy little noses!
And what’s with all the carrots?
What do they need such good eyesight for anyway?
Bunnies, bunnies!
It must be bunnies!”
Before, of course, coming out as her typical “9th Century self” and saying “Or maybe midgets.”
Then it doesn’t take a Theater Major to show how Buffy’s particular arc is encapsulated by her contribution to the song. She openly says “It doesn’t matter”. She’s detached. She’s… coping but not exactly doing well. She tries to spin her perspective, she’s still hiding her pain from her friends, but.... it doesn’t matter. They’ve seen it, they’ve done it; hell, she’s even died… twice so.... it doesn’t matter, really.
These are… the nerdy conversations I miss. Watching something with someone. Discussing it. Not passively “I am escaping reality through my eyeballs right now” but a genuine “So, what did you take away as the primary theme of Farscape Season 2 Episode 4 Cracker’s Don’t Matter?” I know as Nancy disappeared more and more, we did this less and less. But it is something I miss.
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