It’s all about sex … sex, Howard Wolowitz, Sheldon, and Mr. Spock. Oh, not all together, nor at the same time. That would be too risqué for the 8 PM hour. But, you see, the road to sex (or lack thereof) can take different directions. With Howard Wolowitz, it’s a direct jump ‘em if you can get ‘em. With Sheldon, it’s more of a soft kitty song for sleepy time and a total lack of understanding the entire concept.
Howard was crushed that Leslie Winkle dumped him in their “friends with benefits” relationship. Sheldon thinks it’s Blue Cross Blue Shield. He can’t grasp that Howard has feelings for Leslie when she’s basically his booty call gal. I have the feeling that Howard is so unsuccessful with women that he might inwardly be thinking he’ll never score again.
So Leonard, Raj, and Howard head off to Las Vegas for a spontaneous romp. Raj, another innocent, yet not as asexual as Sheldon, hooks up with a hooker. To be honest, I don’t know why Leonard stopped him. Heck, Raj gets less action than Leonard! They ended up hiring the hooker to give a Jewish girlfriend experience to Howard. He’s no dumb bunny — he figured it out immediately and was only concerned that they had already paid her. Leslie forgotten.
But poor Sheldon is still confused. Locked out of his apartment, he ended up spending the evening with Penny. She wouldn’t explain the concept of “friends with benefits” to him, yet ate dinner with him and gave him her bed (after he fussed about being too tall for the couch).She even sang him the Soft Kitty Song to lull him to sleep.
Greeting Leonard in the morning, Sheldon was beside himself beaming about his friend with benefits, Penny. Hey, it’s not Blue Cross Blue Shield, it’s a shared dinner with annoying small talk, and a silly lullaby. Now, those are benefits Sheldon can understand! I swear I’ve known a Sheldon or two in my life. Alas, I’ve probably known more Howards.
I still think Penny and Sheldon make a good couple, don’t you? There’s a definite chemistry going on. However, I fear it’s more like a sibling chemistry. And that would be even too weird for Howard Wolowitz.
Clacked by Jackie Schnoop 
on Apr 28, 2009 @ 11:00 EST5EDT
I thought it was great to see Jodi Lyn O’Keefe on my TV again (as my TV rarely navigates itself to Prison Break). I loved her going overboard with the Jewish part of the Girlfriend Experience.
I think Penny’s and Sheldon’s relationship is more like mother/toddler. Sheldon is a toddler socially, with no social skills (much like Bones).
Ever since Rules of Engagement returned, I’ve had to tape it on my VCR in order to watch it. I get home late on Mondays, so I’m usually setting everything up around the time that The Big Bang Theory is on.
Anyway, as a result, I’ve caught a minute or two of the show most weeks since the beginning of March, the first I’ve seen of it since it premiered in 2007, and I have to ask: what’s funny about it? The worst part is the canned laughter every time there’s a “joke”. I’m not trying to just be critical; I seriously don’t get how the show has skyrocketed on people’s radar. What’s enjoyable about it?
It’s just a fun relatable show for some people. I never got the reason people liked King of Queens, but it didn’t bother me. I just didn’t watch it and all was well.
Fair enough. I guess catching a minute last night and then reading Jackie’s piece just left me wondering.
Maybe you’re just not as nerdy as the rest of us ;)
Can that still be true even though I watch (and enjoy) The Celebrity Apprentice? Please? :-)
I’m a nerd/geek/whatever, but I don’t watch, nor would I watch any reality TV if fully given the option. I don’t see the connection :)
Dorv, I accept your challenge, sir!
I apologize I didn’t mean to challenge (or, did I? :))
I just have this complete disdain for reality TV. The sad part is that I know that there is stuff out there in the reality realm that I would like (Hell’s Kitchen, as I now have to GASP! share the DVR, isn’t so bad), but as a genre in general its ruined the chances of a great many scripted dramas.
Try catching a minute or two of odd episodes of The Office or 30 Rock or HIMYM while concentrating on doing something else, then complain about not finding those shows engaging.
BBT is a fluffy, smartly-written sitcom. No more, no less. It won’t appeal to everyone, but the mere presence of a laugh track/studio audience doesn’t mean it isn’t funny.
And Penny and Sheldon are totally each other’s equals.
Oh, no arguument there, and that’s not even what I meant about the laugh track. But when you hear a joke followed by a bunch of laughter, and you didn’t find it funny, you start to feel like you’re being told you’re supposed to laugh. And then that just becomes a little more off-putting.
Again, I really wasn’t dropping in to criticize, just to voice something that had been dawning on me each week.
I understand, though I don’t even notice the presence or absence of a laugh track any more.
BBT also does a lot of subtle call-backs to scenes, lines or even facial expressions from previous episodes. You don’t get a flashback, so you have to have a good memory, but when it strings together a bunch of them in sequence it’s gut-busting. I know the casual viewer wouldn’t find this stuff funny at all.
Jackie, I am NOT rabble rousing! :)
*POST AUTHOR*
Sure, Aryeh. You’re not a rabblerouser. Much. But you made me think of some comedies I don’t like because they use silly noise effects to accentuate the humor — Scrubs comes to mind.
Do I sense a post?
Seriously, didn’t mean to hijack things here….
Uh, Sheldon could use Penny’s help, Howard loves prostitutes and Raj is a ladies man. Carry on.
Howard wasn’t concerned that they had already paid the prostitute, he was ecstatic.
… didn’t Raj recently score with the girl from Ladies’ Night at the bar?
I’ve been calling Sheldon and Penny out for months now….its clearly going to take a while, but I still see it happening.
Sheldon is cute!!!
Although, I swear that the character is written as having Asberger Syndrome!