“I’m just so excited. They come in, I help them, they give us money in exchange for goods, you give me money for working for you. I have a place in the world now. I’m part of the system. I’m a workin’ gal.” – Anya (Season Five).
If you ever watched the show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, then you must have noticed Anya and her fixation on money. You probably also noticed she changed her hair style… A LOT.
The show ran for seven seasons and was created by Joss Whedon.
The self-proclaimed Scooby Gang
It started in the nineties and ended in 2003. It starred Sarah Michelle Gellar as the titular character, Buffy Summers. In my opinion, the first four seasons were on fire. The fourth was the absolute best one, to me. This is the only television show I have ever seen where when I finished watching one particular episode; I clapped. It was just that good.
Actress Emma Caulfield played Anya. In this reunion photo of the cast from 2008, she is the one in the middle wearing the black hat.
ANYA’S BACKGROUND
Other Aliases: Anyanka, Anya Christina Emmanuella Jenkins, “The Patron Saint of Women Scorned,” Aud ; note that some sources refer to her as “Anya Emerson,” but that has not been confirmed in the show.
Birthdate: July 4th
Age: 1120
Anya: “What a day. Give me a beer.”
Bartender: “I.D.”
Anya: (glares)
Bartender: “I.D.”
Anya: “I’m 1120 years old, just give me a frigging beer!”
Bartender: “I.D.”
Anya: (sighs) “Give me a Coke.”
Year of birth: Unknown?? Around 880 AD
Marital Status: Single, formerly Engaged.
Known Relatives: Olaf (ex-husband), Alexander Harris (ex-fiancée).
Here is a short introduction to the comic stylings of Anya
Before we go any further on Anya and her love of capitalism, you should know she did not start on the show’s first season. She came along in season 3. In an episode titled, “The Wish.”
Below you will find out more about Anya and her love of money.
But first…
The star of the show. Buffy Summers.
This is, as the say in the film John Wick, a tasting of Buffy and what she does.
She’s awesome right.
Now, back to Anya.
One thing I could not get over was whenever Anya’s lips were moving, it was in your face truthfulness. Not the norm. Especially, her fascination with money.
What made her so funny was her greedy, materialistic, money hungry, capitalism-loving ways.
While Anya may have lacked tact, she had a way with words that really hit home. She was ridiculously straight-forward and honest. In some ways it was refreshing, but in others it was downright rude.
However, love it or hate it, she would tell people like it was. Anya was blunt. She kept it💯.
Here we go.
WORK FOR THE MONEY, HONEY
Anya: “Thank you for coming. We value your patronage. Please come again for more purchases!”
Giles: “Could we perhaps be a little less effusive, Anya? We don’t want to frighten the people.”
Anya: “I’m just so excited. They come in, I help them, they give us money in exchange for goods, you give me money for working for you. I have a place in the world now. I’m part of the system. I’m a workin’ gal.”
Giles: “Yes. Well, why don’t you start organizing the shipping orders?”
Anya: “Oh, no, that’s boring. I just want to do the money parts.”
She tells it like it is. Anya never shied away from making a bold statement. She always said what she wanted. I have learned to do the same, but tactfully.
ANYA ON CUSTOMER SERVICE
“Anya, the Shopkeepers‘ Union of America called. They want me to tell you that “
Anya says to customers, “Please go.” And Xander tells her the correct way to talk to patrons.
She then proceeds to yell at the next customer in a harsh, sarcastic tone, “Hey, you! Have a nice day.
Just a thought, it is nice to be courteous and pleasant if you want people’s patronage. Maybe, like this, but a little toned down.
Anya: “Please go.”
Xander: “Anya, the Shopkeepers Union of America called. They want me to tell you that ‘Please go’ just got replaced with ‘Have a nice day.'”
Anya: “But I have their money. Who cares what kind of day they have?”
She is also very protective of the money and the cash register.
“Ring up sales? With the money? She gets to fondle the money? Customer! Hello, customer! How may I serve you?”
SLAY FOR MONEY
At one point, when Buffy was hard up for money, Anya suggested they she start charging for her vampire slaying. A vengeance for cash. A slayer for hire.
While it was good for a laugh on the show, her thinking was flawed, but accurate. If you are good at something and going to do it anyway, why not get paid for it.
ANYA ON CELEBRATING EARNING AND MAKING MONEY
“All I can say is, I hope we make as much tomorrow.”
She took pleasure in the little things.
Dance of Capitalist Superiority. Episode 6. Season 6: All the Way. Original Airdate October 30, 2001.
See the video here.
I like to celebrate my wins and accomplishments too. They may not involve money dancing, but I like to recognize a job well-done.
Money is just a tool. It’s how we keep score. Money is the scorecard. That’s all.
I don’t have to celebrate with a $300 purse or bottle of champagne. I am just fine with a $15 bottle of wine. And investing the $285 difference in my Roth IRA. Specifically, in a 500 index fund.
ANYA’S MATERIALISTIC WAYS
Willow: “It stole Giles’ car.”
Xander: “Why would a demon steal a car?”
Anya: “Why would a demon steal THAT car?”
ANYA ON CHILD LABOR
Giles: “Then useful you shall be! We can always use a hand.”
Anya: “But you have a hand. A paid hand. A hand that isn’t the hand of the illegal child labor.”
Giles: “Anya…”
Anya: “But of course it’s wonderful that you find doing my job so distracting! I am unthreatened. Proceed.”
Well, at least she recognizes that it’s illegal.
ANYA ON THE VALUE OF HER TIME
She learned really quick that time is money and did not want to use up her precious energy doing anything that was unrelated to the accumulation of more money. Pretty shallow and self-absorbed, I know.
I value my time as well. I don’t try to do anything that doesn’t excite me. Except when it comes to helping others.
SHE GIVES NO F#*K$
ON VALUING HERSELF
Giles: “Essentially, their agenda is the same as ours. They want to save the world and kill demons.”
Anya: “Kill the CURRENT demons, right? CURRENT demons.”
This was funny because Anya is an ex-demon on the show.
ON VALUING HER MONEY
Anya: “Spike! What are you doing? You made me yell really high!”
Spike: “Hey, yeah, I did. I scared you. Gimme money.”
Anya: “I’m not paying you for scaring me.”
Spike: “You’re not paying me. I’m robbing you.”
Anya: “Oh, well, that’s just ludicrous. You can’t hurt me because you’ve got that chip in your brain. Also, I like my money the way it is… when it’s mine.”
ANYA ON VALUING XANDER’S TIME
She loved her some Xander. But not at first.
I thought they were great together. He really changed once he had her in his life. She recognized his value too.
Anya: “And after everything you’ve been through with Angel. You really should get yourself a boring boyfriend. Like Xander!”
Anya: “You can’t have Xander.”
LETTING XANDER KNOW SHE VALUES HIM
Anya: “Xander, you haven’t been paying any attention to me tonight. Just peddling those processed food bricks. I don’t know why.”
Xander: “Well, let me put it in a way you’ll understand. Sell bars, make money, take Anya nice places, buy pretty things.”
Anya: “That does make sense. All right, I support you. Go sell more.”
ANYA AND THE GAME OF LIFE
When Anya finds out her love of money is hilarious. In the Season 5 episode, “the real me”. Xander and Anya are babysitting Dawn and they are playing the game of Life when Anya figures it all out:
ANYA ON VALUING CHILDREN
We believe the children are our future
“Can I trade in the children for more cash? ”
When playing the game of Life, she noticed she was burdened with a husband and children and tons of cash.
Once she learned that money was good, she gleefully delighted in saying she wanted more cash.
Anya: “Crap! Look at this–now I’m burdened with a husband and several tiny pink children, and more cash than I can reasonably manage.”
Xander: “That means you’re winning.”
Anya: “Really?”
Xander: “Yes, cash equals good.”
Anya: “Ooh! I’m so pleased. Can I trade in the children for more cash?”
Check it out here.
While it may have been cold and callous to want to give up the fake kids for cash, she did have a valid point in understanding that a having a family requires money and are a heavy load to bear. So, you better prepare for them.
ANYA ON CAPITALISM
Anya: “I’ve recently come to realize that there is more to me than just being human. I’m also an American.”
Giles: “Yes, I suppose you are, in a manner of speaking. I mean, you were born here — your mortal self.”
Anya: (to Giles whose from England she says in a harsh tone) “Well that’s right, foreigner!” (to Willow & Xander in a softer tone) “So I’ve been reading a lot about the Good ‘Ol Us of A, embracing the extraordinarily precious ideology that has helped to shape and define it.”
Willow: “Democracy?”
Anya: “Capitalism!”
HOW SHE FEELS ABOUT MONEY
That one time when Buffy asked how was Anya’s money and her reaction of pure joy. Like, one of the Scoobies finally gets her.
Look, I like money fine, but not as much as Anya.
I prefer people over things.
Anya was downright humdrum when it came to talking about money. Although, she was funny, at times she just lacked sympathy and empathy for the plight of others.
However, in the end, she chose to fight beside the Scoobies. So, people really did matter more than money. That is something we should all remember.
