I don't remember the particulars of those episodes, but in general, I had the same conflicted feelings. I think it can be a bit of both - perhaps tackling things in a way that would have been subversive then, less so now.
I should provide an example?
Xander: Yes, yes, before you say it, I ran away like a girl.
Cordelia: You may want to work on running "not" like a girl.
[I think Caulfield who played Anya, and Marsters who played Spike, were better at snarky delivery than Charisma was...because it may be the delivery of the line that makes it hard to tell. It's written by David Fury and his wife/writing partner, and he's known for snarky one-liners.)
This statement is an annoying one, which didn't start going away until about ten years ago. I was a runner in school, and could out run a lot of boys (I was taller than they were and had longer legs).
That said? I can't decide what the writer's intent was there? It can be interpreted more than one way.
no subject
I should provide an example?
Xander: Yes, yes, before you say it, I ran away like a girl.
Cordelia: You may want to work on running "not" like a girl.
[I think Caulfield who played Anya, and Marsters who played Spike, were better at snarky delivery than Charisma was...because it may be the delivery of the line that makes it hard to tell. It's written by David Fury and his wife/writing partner, and he's known for snarky one-liners.)
This statement is an annoying one, which didn't start going away until about ten years ago. I was a runner in school, and could out run a lot of boys (I was taller than they were and had longer legs).
That said? I can't decide what the writer's intent was there? It can be interpreted more than one way.