Yay TBBT love! It's rare to find affection for this show in fandom, given how problematic it can be. My love has waned a bit recently, but I was head over heels for it when I discovered it three years ago.
Bernadette is excellent. That episode where she and Howard argued about having children impressed me so much because it was actually borderline feminist (and this show is by the same people who created "Two and a Half Men"!). I loved how she said that she'd consider having kids only if he stayed home with them and fulfilled the stereotypical housewife role.
he explicitly cares more about her than clinging to his bullshit preconceptions!Howard has become so much more likable since he and Bernadette started dating. His skeeviness made me very uncomfortable during the first few seasons. I adore him and Raj together. Part of me still wants them to be an actual couple because the show exploited their Bert-and-Ernie couple-y-ness so much in the early seasons, before Bernadette came along, but I also love them as best friends
( ... )
I haven't really been watching it in order so much, but I feel like the additions of Amy and Bernadette did so much to improve the show. It shakes things up with the guys, and it means Penny can get some non-Smurfette characterization, and I think it does so much for her to have people to interact with that she's not constantly mothering, you know? And they're just so great.
I have complicated feelings about Sheldon in that I like him quite a bit, but I can't stand how much he gets away with.Sheldon....hm. I guess it depends? I kind of can't see Sheldon as neurotypical. He has Aspeger's, or he has serious anxiety issues that manifest in obsessive behaviors, or something. And so much of his jerk behavior is at least influenced by whatever is with his brain, that I kind of can't separate it all out enough that I could judge him. What I wonder is how much his neuroatypicality is meant to be an excuse for the audience to indulge in mean humor without feeling bad about it. And that possibility sits badly with me for a lot of reasons. But
( ... )
He has Aspeger's, or he has serious anxiety issues that manifest in obsessive behaviors, or something. And so much of his jerk behavior is at least influenced by whatever is with his brain, that I kind of can't separate it all out enough that I could judge him.
That little moment where she runs off and sneaks the hit of whipped cream and then spits it out encompasses so much.
I am not even exaggerating, I covered my eyes and cringed at that moment because OMG HAVE TOTALLY BEEN THERE. "There" basically has a seat reserved for me with my name on it. I was seriously side-eying the "Fat Betty" idea at first, because of the potential for it to go horribly, horribly wrong, but... cautious optimism?
Cautious optimism seems to be the verdict! Even this one episode showed so much more nuance than I've ever expected to see in a non-metaphorical look at disordered eating. It could still crash and burn, I know, but this is really encouraging.
man, you hit just hit the nail on the head when it comes to the reasons why I like Betty. I seriously doubt that I'd be her friend or even remotely enjoy her company in real life, but she is a character that I love, and for whom I feel an incredible amount of sympathy, and I absolutely adore her story arc in the show.
I love her so much because she just stomps all over those good victim/bad victim expectations. Which I like philosophically, obviously, but mostly it makes for such mature, powerful storytelling.
Yay Big Bang Theory! I don't really watch it with any sort of regularity, but I love your thoughts. And Bernadette! How I love thee!
I will say--there's lots to enjoy and love about TBBT, but one issue I have a lot of trouble getting past is the built-in Nice Guy expectations for Leonard and Penny. Like, the show just assumes it's right for Leonard to get his Penny. After all, he helped her move a TV once! And he pined away for all that time! So, he deserves her! I mean, come on, it's only right!
But, that said, I do like that the show allows Penny to question that expectation, and it doesn't seem to condemn her for questioning it. So, that's good. But... there just feels like the long arc is still "Leonard gets his reward for being mild-mannered via the hot girl across the hall." I don't know. Mostly I try to ignore that though, and concentrate on Penny and Sheldon being adorable together and Bernadette being adorable with everyone. And now Amy being adorable too.
I will say--there's lots to enjoy and love about TBBT, but one issue I have a lot of trouble getting past is the built-in Nice Guy expectations for Leonard and Penny. Like, the show just assumes it's right for Leonard to get his Penny.
FUCKING WORD. (You know how I feel about this.) SMH.
I'm a little disappointed, if not particularly surprised, to hear that about Leonard and Penny. The gist I've gotten from the episodes I have seen is that he's a decent but awkward guy - like, an actually nice guy, not a Nice Guy - and that Penny's experience of being on the receiving end of his social struggles gets a fair shake.
I feel, too, like if they don't end up together, it's a pretty loaded thing too? Because they're so not equal in terms of social class and intellectual ability (I think Penny is bright by any normal standard, but the rest of the cast are in a whole other league). So, saying Penny finds someone else and Leonard ends up with his current girlfriend the Cambridge-educated attorney, it'll look like "Penny wasn't good enough for Leonard." I don't know, I don't really have an opinion on the ship one way or the other, but it's such a no-win.
But! PennySheldonAmyBernie! I enjoy them so, so much.
But now that Sheldon and Amy seem like they're actually heading toward something of a romantic relationship, I'm less certain? Because it feels to me like the heteronormative "once you meet the right person" bullshit - that their respective sexual orientations were merely incidental to their failure to adapt to social norms generally.
Yeah… This. I actually don't watch the show anymore… but I did used to enjoy the Amy/Sheldon weirdness. Yet at the same time… Hm.
Sheldon...I have no thoughts on Sheldon. He fills my heart with joy.
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Bernadette is excellent. That episode where she and Howard argued about having children impressed me so much because it was actually borderline feminist (and this show is by the same people who created "Two and a Half Men"!). I loved how she said that she'd consider having kids only if he stayed home with them and fulfilled the stereotypical housewife role.
he explicitly cares more about her than clinging to his bullshit preconceptions!Howard has become so much more likable since he and Bernadette started dating. His skeeviness made me very uncomfortable during the first few seasons. I adore him and Raj together. Part of me still wants them to be an actual couple because the show exploited their Bert-and-Ernie couple-y-ness so much in the early seasons, before Bernadette came along, but I also love them as best friends ( ... )
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I have complicated feelings about Sheldon in that I like him quite a bit, but I can't stand how much he gets away with.Sheldon....hm. I guess it depends? I kind of can't see Sheldon as neurotypical. He has Aspeger's, or he has serious anxiety issues that manifest in obsessive behaviors, or something. And so much of his jerk behavior is at least influenced by whatever is with his brain, that I kind of can't separate it all out enough that I could judge him. What I wonder is how much his neuroatypicality is meant to be an excuse for the audience to indulge in mean humor without feeling bad about it. And that possibility sits badly with me for a lot of reasons. But ( ... )
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This.
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I am not even exaggerating, I covered my eyes and cringed at that moment because OMG HAVE TOTALLY BEEN THERE. "There" basically has a seat reserved for me with my name on it. I was seriously side-eying the "Fat Betty" idea at first, because of the potential for it to go horribly, horribly wrong, but... cautious optimism?
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I will say--there's lots to enjoy and love about TBBT, but one issue I have a lot of trouble getting past is the built-in Nice Guy expectations for Leonard and Penny. Like, the show just assumes it's right for Leonard to get his Penny. After all, he helped her move a TV once! And he pined away for all that time! So, he deserves her! I mean, come on, it's only right!
But, that said, I do like that the show allows Penny to question that expectation, and it doesn't seem to condemn her for questioning it. So, that's good. But... there just feels like the long arc is still "Leonard gets his reward for being mild-mannered via the hot girl across the hall." I don't know. Mostly I try to ignore that though, and concentrate on Penny and Sheldon being adorable together and Bernadette being adorable with everyone. And now Amy being adorable too.
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FUCKING WORD. (You know how I feel about this.) SMH.
It's basically why I had to stop watching tbh. ;|
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I feel, too, like if they don't end up together, it's a pretty loaded thing too? Because they're so not equal in terms of social class and intellectual ability (I think Penny is bright by any normal standard, but the rest of the cast are in a whole other league). So, saying Penny finds someone else and Leonard ends up with his current girlfriend the Cambridge-educated attorney, it'll look like "Penny wasn't good enough for Leonard." I don't know, I don't really have an opinion on the ship one way or the other, but it's such a no-win.
But! PennySheldonAmyBernie! I enjoy them so, so much.
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Yeah… This. I actually don't watch the show anymore… but I did used to enjoy the Amy/Sheldon weirdness. Yet at the same time… Hm.
Sheldon...I have no thoughts on Sheldon. He fills my heart with joy.
MINE TOO OMG. ♥
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