Check out what regina welch posted on the TWoP Buffy forum about the show’s metaphors:

Flat earth. Right, so, the world is the pancake. Frying pans represent the whole system of alternate worlds in which the Buffyverse exists. When a character is hit over the head with a frying pan, it is a moment of choice, where fundamentally something about the world changes (on a surface level, the person gets knocked out, but it could be more…).

Spatulas are our coping mechanisms for keeping the world (pancake) as we know it under control. But spatulas also exist outside the flat plane of the pancake itself. I posit that spatulas represent the Key. That’s why Dawn doesn’t need a spatula; she is one. The spatula (Key) can modify, blend, or separate different pancakes (worlds) within the frying pan (larger system of worlds). When Buffy defended herself against Spike with a spatula, it was foreshadowing of the scene outside the house in “As You Were” where she tried to reject Spike because of Dawn. (Of note, she was carrying a flattened burger at the time.)

All this time we’ve been complaining about anvils, they’re really hitting us over the head with frying pans. Go figure.

But it’s also a commentary on the show as a whole. The world is not really flat, like a pancake, but we’re watching a two-dimensional television show, where ideas have to be flattened for our easy consumption. ME keeps hitting people with frying pans to remind us that our world is a three-dimensional entity, in which the Buffyverse is just some rather intriguing food for thought.

And I almost die from laughter. But not quite. With my last breaths I put this post up. And quickly realize that most people will not find it the least bit funny. At all. And in a Freudian slip I almost typed “buffy” in place of “funny.” Which again, is probably not something of relevence to the general community. But its 1:30 at night. And I have a 12 page paper to turn in by the end of Sunday, and I only have one page written. And I’m giddy for some unfathomable reason that might have to do with the strange cultural dishes (well, food on dishes) I ate, courtesy of some event called Culture X that celebrates diversity. And as a white person in the room I was quite in the minority. Which, again, is not very relevant. But was amusing.

And I ate falafel. And my spell-checker can’t tell me if I’ve spelled that right or not, so I’ll go with it.

Okay, leaving now.

Edited to add: wow, Sunday is today! and to fix some formatting. And to say, oh god, I’m adopting TWoP forum conventions, explaining why I’m editing things. This can’t be good. Must quit while ahead…nope, missed that a mile back.