# In these cases, the canon of the series is just plan silly, and the creators know it. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 23, 2005, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279 "2005-08-23T16:34:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279/1 "2005-08-23T16:34:26Z")
I am endlessly amused by the fact that everyone thinks of Xander, of the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as being just a normal guy, with no superpowers. Au contraire! He is a perfectly normal guy who has been magically imbued with all the knowledge of a generic American soldier, due to the fact that he was dressed as one when the whole town got turned into their own Halloween costumes. (Willow also has all the knowledge and skills of a ghost, but she isn’t dead, so it will not help her. ) This was referred too once or twice later in the series, but really, referring back to it in threads has no point, save to show the shows silly side. Super! 😃 In a similar vein, it seems that [this girl](http://rockyfoxtop.keenspace.com/d/20040605.html) wasn’t kidding when she explained away how disorganized she was. I have not read the entire archive, but hopefully, the series will never contradict this, but instead allow trivial pursuit fans to recall that it is indeed just what her (adopted?) parent look like. It also add a little superfluity/sureality. I love the mental image of her friend trying to assimilate this fact into her view of reality, despite the fact it makes no sense. [Good people of the jury, does this make sense?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chewbacca_Defense) Btw, I have already covered much the same topic in an earlier thread, but I am tickled pink about the later example, and wanted to include it, and also, I felt this is not quite the same question as my prior thread about canon. It was asking for examples of canon the fans ignore, but I am looking for examples of pointless things that amuse the authors to include, or/or the fans. I would also love to see any examples of things that don’t make any sense, but are dismissed by everyone, save for one character, and was played for laughs. Any takers? ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279/2 "2005-08-23T16:42:27Z")
It’s a bit pointless to talk about logical continuity in what appears to be an absurdist comic strip. This is one of those threads that just depresses me. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279/3 "2005-08-23T16:45:07Z")
Well, there’s the classic Clark Kent/Superman deal, where nobody can recognize Supes if he’s got his disguise on. In Lois & Clark, there was a guy who came back in time and pointed out how galactically stupid Lois was for not figuring it out… ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279/4 "2005-08-23T16:59:50Z")
Star Wars, Return of the Jedi: The bounty hunter and Jabba the Hutt negotiate for Chewbacca, using C3PO as an interpreter. They speak in their respective native languages, which 3PO translates into English, then states the replies in English. Therefore, they both understand English. Why not just conduct the negotiation in English and leave 3PO out of it? _Nobody sees anything wrong with this._ ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279/5 "2005-08-23T17:03:38Z")
> [@Baldwin](#): > > It’s a bit pointless to talk about logical continuity in what appears to be an absurdist comic strip. This is one of those threads that just depresses me. I’m with you. Evidently, anal retentiveness is now considered being clever. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279/6 "2005-08-23T17:06:24Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Well, there’s the classic Clark Kent/Superman deal, where nobody can recognize Supes if he’s got his disguise on. In Lois & Clark, there was a guy who came back in time and pointed out how galactically stupid Lois was for not figuring it out… _glasses on_ “I’m Clark Kent!” _glasses off_ “No, I’m _Superman!_” _glasses on_ “Mild-mannered reporter!” _glasses off_ “_Superhero!_” _looks at Lois_ “_Duh!!!_” That is one of my favorite scenes ever. 🙂 But that was the problem with _Lois & Clark_–Dean Cain was a fantastic Clark and a pretty good Superman … but there just wasn’t enough difference between the two to buy that nobody ever noticed. And I especially loved the episode of _SNL_ that Teri Hatcher hosted during the show’s run. In her opening monologue, she kept not recognizing regular cast members because they were wearing glasses. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279/7 "2005-08-23T17:32:39Z")
> [@Scott Plaid](#): > > I am endlessly amused by the fact that everyone thinks of Xander, of the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as being just a normal guy, with no superpowers. Au contraire! He is a perfectly normal guy who has been magically imbued with all the knowledge of a generic American soldier, due to the fact that he was dressed as one when the whole town got turned into their own Halloween costumes. (Willow also has all the knowledge and skills of a ghost, but she isn’t dead, so it will not help her. ) This was referred too once or twice later in the series, but really, referring back to it in threads has no point, save to show the shows silly side. Super! 😃 It was always weird when they brought it up too. They never gave any context. Someone would say “Is that left over from your army training?” making new viewers think Xander had been in the army. Added to this was Moore Action Collectibles who used to do the Buffy figures came out with an army Xander figure and the print ads for it said “When his friends went off to college, Xander joined the army.” Totally confusing and wrong. ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279/8 "2005-08-23T17:33:13Z")
> [@Knowed Out](#): > > Star Wars, Return of the Jedi: The bounty hunter and Jabba the Hutt negotiate for Chewbacca, using C3PO as an interpreter. They speak in their respective native languages, which 3PO translates into English, then states the replies in English. Therefore, they both understand English. Why not just conduct the negotiation in English and leave 3PO out of it? _Nobody sees anything wrong with this._ I’m almost ashamed I think I know this, but I recall when the movie came out that it was said that Jabba knew English, but considered it such an ugly language that he wouldn’t speak it. Not that that’s not just as silly (and it doesn’t explain why Boushh wouldn’t speak to Jabba in English). ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279/9 "2005-08-23T17:45:36Z")
> [@panamajack](#): > > I’m almost ashamed I think I know this, but I recall when the movie came out that it was said that Jabba knew English, but considered it such an ugly language that he wouldn’t speak it. Not that that’s not just as silly (and it doesn’t explain why Boushh wouldn’t speak to Jabba in English). I always thought it was similar to CHewbacca. He can understand English just fine, but _can’t_ speak it. His vocal cords cannot make the sounds needed for our language, so he can hear, read, and write it just fine, but can only speak Wookie. Like a very smart chimp. No matter how many phrases in English he learns, he will never be able to speak it. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279/10 "2005-08-23T18:08:20Z")
First, it’s not English, it’s BASIC. Sheesh. Second, Hutts are incredibly xenophobic, and believe themselves to be above everyone else. So unless they have to, they generally will only speak Huttese, because to them, it’s the perfect language-anything else is beneath them. It’s all for show and vanity. And the reason why “Boushh” doesn’t speak Basic, well, Leia’s playing someone who is NOT human, but Ubese, (I think that’s the species), so she wants to sound authentic. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279/11 "2005-08-23T19:23:17Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Well, there’s the classic Clark Kent/Superman deal, where nobody can recognize Supes if he’s got his disguise on. In Lois & Clark, there was a guy who came back in time and pointed out how galactically stupid Lois was for not figuring it out… IIRC, there was a Golden Age _Superman_ comic that revealed that Supes had a hiterto-unknown power of _super-hypnosis,_ which he was subconsciously using while disguised as Clark to make everyone see him as a pauchy, forty-something, balding guy. _That_ excuse got ignored pretty darn quick, too. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279/12 "2005-08-23T19:36:56Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > IIRC, there was a Golden Age _Superman_ comic that revealed that Supes had a hiterto-unknown power of _super-hypnosis,_ which he was subconsciously using while disguised as Clark to make everyone see him as a pauchy, forty-something, balding guy. Very similar to the _Superman II_ powers of white pointy fingerlight and the Kiss of Forgetfulness. ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279/13 "2005-08-23T19:40:30Z")
And the disappear/reappear. Can’t forget that. It wasn’t even run-real-fast/reappear. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279/14 "2005-08-23T19:48:31Z")
> [@Draelin](#): > > And the disappear/reappear. Can’t forget that. It wasn’t even run-real-fast/reappear. You omit ‘Illusory Giant Cellophane Expanding S-Shield’. As for the OP : Soldier knowledge is not a superpower. Additionally, the knowledge Xander gained from the incident faded over the subsequent seasons. ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279/15 "2005-08-23T19:51:50Z")
> [@CandidGamera](#): > > You omit ‘Illusory Giant Cellophane Expanding S-Shield’. You’re right. Can you forgive me? I must have been hit with the Kiss of Forgetfulness. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279/16 "2005-08-23T19:53:08Z")
> [@Draelin](#): > > You’re right. Can you forgive me? I must have been hit with the Kiss of Forgetfulness. 🙂 I was just astonished, as I can well imagine you fantasizing about Superman’s ‘S’. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279/17 "2005-08-23T19:53:25Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > IIRC, there was a Golden Age _Superman_ comic that revealed that Supes had a hiterto-unknown power of _super-hypnosis,_ which he was subconsciously using while disguised as Clark to make everyone see him as a pauchy, forty-something, balding guy. > > _That_ excuse got ignored pretty darn quick, too. 😃 Anybody remember the line from the Batman Superman cartoon where Clark Kent is explaining (with heavy doses of what Lois presumes to be irony in his voice) to Lois how he manages to miss all the action but allways gets the story? Went something like this: “Well, I’m actually Superman, secretly posing as a mild-mannered reporter, allowing me to save the day and beat you to the byline every time.” “… You’re a sick one, Clark.” ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279/18 "2005-08-23T19:57:13Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > Anybody remember the line from the Batman Superman cartoon where Clark Kent is explaining (with heavy doses of what Lois presumes to be irony in his voice) to Lois how he manages to miss all the action but allways gets the story? Went something like this: > > “Well, I’m actually Superman, secretly posing as a mild-mannered reporter, allowing me to save the day and beat you to the byline every time.” > > “… You’re a sick one, Clark.” Having rented the Superman Animated Series, Vol. One, from Netflix recently, I do remember that. The line’s just slightly different, but that’s close. From IMDB: **Lois Lane** : I’m confused, Kent. See, I’ve lived in Metropolis most of my life and I can’t figure out how some yokel from Smallville is suddenly getting every hot story in town. **Clark Kent** : Well, Lois, the truth is I’m actually Superman in disguise, and I only pretend to be a journalist in order to hear about disasters as they happen and then squeeze you out of the byline. **Lois Lane** : You’re a sick man, Kent. ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279/19 "2005-08-23T19:59:49Z")
> [@CandidGamera](#): > > I was just astonished, as I can well imagine you fantasizing about Superman’s ‘S’. What we call it in the privacy of the Fortress of Solitude is none of your business. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279/20 "2005-08-23T20:00:55Z")
> [@CandidGamera](#): > > As for the OP : Soldier knowledge is not a superpower. Additionally, the knowledge Xander gained from the incident faded over the subsequent seasons. Cite? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-these-cases-the-canon-of-the-series-is-just-plan-silly-and-the-creators-know-it/318279.md?page=2)