A very interesting analysis with good use of data - you certainly did more on that than I did. I do like how you analyze without editorializing too hard on whether people actually should or should not like these characters.
Of the three, I found Riley least offensive and I don't think he's nearly as misogynistic as some of his critics might claim. (Sam, his current wife, might well actually be his boss...) And he suffers from a lot of the associations that military characters tend to get hit with when they appear on a genre show. Like the widespread fanon assumption that Riley is a homophobe, despite publicly hanging the LGBT Banner on campus and displaying no signs of discomfort around Willow and Tara.
Yet, in spite of this, Riley dates a student whose papers he is presumably grading. This would be an ethical violation at practically every institution of higher learning, but the issue is never raised at all. It seems as though the moral situation involved is not a purposely committed rebellion, but rather it never occurs to Riley what he is doing is grounds for immediate dismissal from his job.
At this point, I am inclined to believe this is an oversight that goes past Riley and all the way up to the writers room, because Buffy and Riley aren't the only characters who don't comment on it. Indeed, I can't recall of any character on the show ever pointing that out. Despite the obvious association Riley should have given the military's well publicized no fraternization rules.
no subject
Of the three, I found Riley least offensive and I don't think he's nearly as misogynistic as some of his critics might claim. (Sam, his current wife, might well actually be his boss...) And he suffers from a lot of the associations that military characters tend to get hit with when they appear on a genre show. Like the widespread fanon assumption that Riley is a homophobe, despite publicly hanging the LGBT Banner on campus and displaying no signs of discomfort around Willow and Tara.
Yet, in spite of this, Riley dates a student whose papers he is presumably grading. This would be an ethical violation at practically every institution of higher learning, but the issue is never raised at all. It seems as though the moral situation involved is not a purposely committed rebellion, but rather it never occurs to Riley what he is doing is grounds for immediate dismissal from his job.
At this point, I am inclined to believe this is an oversight that goes past Riley and all the way up to the writers room, because Buffy and Riley aren't the only characters who don't comment on it. Indeed, I can't recall of any character on the show ever pointing that out. Despite the obvious association Riley should have given the military's well publicized no fraternization rules.