I’ve alluded to my hatred for this show in the past, but I feel that after tonight, it’s finally time to tackle this thing head on.
I ended up watching-because I’m staying with someone and they have horrid taste in media-the episode of The Big Bang Theory called “The Parking Spot Escalation” which is, from the research I’ve done, one of the most popular episodes of the series. I remember it being pretty funny 20 years ago when I saw it on Seinfeld, also called “The Parking Spot”, but cheap shots aside, let’s move on.
First thing is first, it’s 2013. I don’t need to be told what’s funny. Not only is the laugh track insulting to the audience viewing it but it also just grates your nerves. It’s a holdover from the safe comedy era of the 50s that we’re so close to breaking. It worked in the 90s, it just doesn’t work NOW. Even in the 90s we didn’t necessarily need it but it was tolerable. Now it just seems outdated. But the laugh track isn’t the worst part of the show, because a good number of other shows on TV (Hot in Cleveland for example) have a laugh track, so it’s mean to get down on one show for having it. It’s exclusionary and that’s not fair. The laugh track is not the problem with the show.
So let’s move on to my next gripe. It’s a live action family guy in the sense of every single joke is a reference. I mean, there’s barely a punchline, it’s just references to pop culture and often pop culture the mainstream audience probably doesn’t actually understand or fully comprehend because it does try and pander that true nerd audience at times but it can’t. And now, here, for your amusement, is my example of a Big Bang Theory joke:
SHELDON: Hey Raj, what’s the difference between Astrophysics and Particle Physics
RAJ: I don’t know Sheldon, what?
SHELDON: Iron Man
Partially because the writers aren’t actually that intelligent in their science based facts so not only can they not actually make good science jokes, but then the punchline is often just a reference to something, sometimes unrelated to the discussion itself, just to elicit laughter. But, to be fair, this is the culture age of the pop culture reference revolution. We are so in depth with shows relying on pop culture references-Arrested Development, Community and even older shows like Spaced for example-that I’m going to let this slide because while it’s not great writing (or writing at all) and it’s not done well, it’s just what comedy is today. So yes, it’s stupid but it’s not the problem with the show.
So let’s move on to my next issue. The girls. In this particular episode, I actually found the female characters to be quite charming in and of themselves and if this were not made by Chuck Lorre and was only about these women and shot in a different format with different writers and was an altogether different show, I’d watch them. They were the only part that ever made me almost crack a slight smile. But they aren’t characters. Sheldons girlfriend is a mere female representation of all of his worst traits (which are the only traits he has from what I can tell) and she’s annoying. While the actress is good at that role-I will give credit where credit is due-the character is a shell. She’s something, like all the female characters it seems, to merely pump in female lines for female laughs that aren’t even really funny outside of girls hearing it and going, “I’m a girl, I totally relate!”. There IS such a thing as smart female humor. But we’re debating the semantics of female humor on a Chuck Lorre show. For god sakes, we’re discussing SMART WOMEN ON A CHUCK LORRE SHOW. Women in Lorre’s programs are notoriously downright awful and never fleshed out, not even the ones they give a slight crap about like the maid on Two & A Half Men. They’re merely hollow vapid shells to dispense barely tolerable female quips into and only exist, as far as I’m concerned, to make the female audience not get mad that they aren’t portrayed at all. Instead, they’re just portrayed as STUPID. That’s even worse. They’re bad, but even then they’re not the worst part of the show.
So that’s 3 things. 3 major things that while are totally horrid, aren’t actually the worst part of the show…so then…what is? SHELDON. Dear god in heaven, I have never once wished a television character to be real purely so I can shove his fucking TI83 Calculator up his fucking asshole. While Jim Parsons may do a decent enough job portraying a character (he won an Emmy this year over way better actors, but that’s the Emmys. That’s a whole other situation I don’t even wanna get into), the character of Sheldon is the most unlikeable, miserable, putrid waste of a character with no redeeming qualities that I have EVER SEEN ON TV. And you are saying, “Well what about George Costanza from Seinfeld that you related earlier?” There’s a distinct difference between a character who’s motivations are selfish and FUNNY and a character who is just a downright fucking asshole. That’s what Sheldon is. Not only is he giving a bad name to actual nerds (like those exist anymore, amirite fauxnerds?), but I wouldn’t beat this character up because he’s a fucking loser. I’d beat him up because he’s a fucking douchebag. If I knew this character in real life, I would want to kill him. You can sit there and compare characters all day. Well, what makes Sheldon so terrible in relation to say, Walter White?
First of all, genres are entirely different. Characters react differently due to the genre of the show. Walter White may be just as bad as Sheldon-though not nearly as annoying, in fact, he’s actually a puppy dog rolling in daisies compared to Sheldons attitude-but because of his situation he’s in in the type of show that he’s in and has had actual character progression and has an ACTUAL CHARACTER, you understand him. Sheldon is nothing but a stereotypical idea of what writers think current day nerds are. We’re not mean. We’re not. In fact, I don’t know ANYONE like Sheldon. I also don’t know anyone like Walter White, but still, the fact remains. Someone said in best (and I quoted them on this blog before) that this show and these characters are popular because nerds are finally being “Accepted”, even though they know this shit is bad and inaccurate, but because it panders to them and introduces them to the mainstream audience, they allow it. It doesn’t get nerd culture. It just gets away with nerd culture. Sheldon is an awful fucking character who’s attitude I could not understand putting up with for one episode, let alone 7 seasons or whatever.
And the worst part is? This show pulls in 20 million viewers a week. A WEEK. Meanwhile we’ve got struggling brilliant comedies and dramas that barely pull in a million or 3 million and are on the verge of being canceled daily. Get your fucking priorities in order, America.
And that’s what’s even worse. I’ve read a few articles about people saying-intelligent people with well written articles and legitimate complaints-why this show is terrible and all the comments are “It’s a tv show, stop being so hypercritical” but the second THEY defend what they love, those same viewers say they’re being overly dramatic. You’re a hypercritical loser until you’re a hypocrite. You can’t. fucking. win. And while I agree that we’re too hypercritical about media these days-to the point of saying one finale 42-2 hour episode out of 100 episodes or less ruins an entire series which MAKES NO GOD DAMN SENSE-I have just as much of a right to tear this piece of shit a new asshole as the people who hate LOST do. The only difference is, a lot of the people who rip apart LOST are people who’ve either never seen it or are people who didn’t understand it. I’m not saying I’m smarter (cause trust me, I have no self esteem whatsoever) but it’s comparing apples to oranges.
I’ve watched this show, and seeing as it’s a laugh track comedy I’m pretty sure it’s hard to misunderstand.
At least other bad sitcoms are pretty watchable and at times entertaining, even in a “so bad it’s good” sort of way, like Married With Children. This isn’t even watchable as far as I’m concerned. I’ll be happy to never have to witness this abomination of what passes as entertainment again. This thing doesn’t pass as entertainment. It passes as a bowel movement.
And scene.
I ended up watching-because I’m staying with someone and they have horrid taste in media-the episode of The Big Bang Theory called “The Parking Spot Escalation” which is, from the research I’ve done, one of the most popular episodes of the series. I remember it being pretty funny 20 years ago when I saw it on Seinfeld, also called “The Parking Spot”, but cheap shots aside, let’s move on.
First thing is first, it’s 2013. I don’t need to be told what’s funny. Not only is the laugh track insulting to the audience viewing it but it also just grates your nerves. It’s a holdover from the safe comedy era of the 50s that we’re so close to breaking. It worked in the 90s, it just doesn’t work NOW. Even in the 90s we didn’t necessarily need it but it was tolerable. Now it just seems outdated. But the laugh track isn’t the worst part of the show, because a good number of other shows on TV (Hot in Cleveland for example) have a laugh track, so it’s mean to get down on one show for having it. It’s exclusionary and that’s not fair. The laugh track is not the problem with the show.
So let’s move on to my next gripe. It’s a live action family guy in the sense of every single joke is a reference. I mean, there’s barely a punchline, it’s just references to pop culture and often pop culture the mainstream audience probably doesn’t actually understand or fully comprehend because it does try and pander that true nerd audience at times but it can’t. And now, here, for your amusement, is my example of a Big Bang Theory joke:
SHELDON: Hey Raj, what’s the difference between Astrophysics and Particle Physics
RAJ: I don’t know Sheldon, what?
SHELDON: Iron Man
Partially because the writers aren’t actually that intelligent in their science based facts so not only can they not actually make good science jokes, but then the punchline is often just a reference to something, sometimes unrelated to the discussion itself, just to elicit laughter. But, to be fair, this is the culture age of the pop culture reference revolution. We are so in depth with shows relying on pop culture references-Arrested Development, Community and even older shows like Spaced for example-that I’m going to let this slide because while it’s not great writing (or writing at all) and it’s not done well, it’s just what comedy is today. So yes, it’s stupid but it’s not the problem with the show.
So let’s move on to my next issue. The girls. In this particular episode, I actually found the female characters to be quite charming in and of themselves and if this were not made by Chuck Lorre and was only about these women and shot in a different format with different writers and was an altogether different show, I’d watch them. They were the only part that ever made me almost crack a slight smile. But they aren’t characters. Sheldons girlfriend is a mere female representation of all of his worst traits (which are the only traits he has from what I can tell) and she’s annoying. While the actress is good at that role-I will give credit where credit is due-the character is a shell. She’s something, like all the female characters it seems, to merely pump in female lines for female laughs that aren’t even really funny outside of girls hearing it and going, “I’m a girl, I totally relate!”. There IS such a thing as smart female humor. But we’re debating the semantics of female humor on a Chuck Lorre show. For god sakes, we’re discussing SMART WOMEN ON A CHUCK LORRE SHOW. Women in Lorre’s programs are notoriously downright awful and never fleshed out, not even the ones they give a slight crap about like the maid on Two & A Half Men. They’re merely hollow vapid shells to dispense barely tolerable female quips into and only exist, as far as I’m concerned, to make the female audience not get mad that they aren’t portrayed at all. Instead, they’re just portrayed as STUPID. That’s even worse. They’re bad, but even then they’re not the worst part of the show.
So that’s 3 things. 3 major things that while are totally horrid, aren’t actually the worst part of the show…so then…what is? SHELDON. Dear god in heaven, I have never once wished a television character to be real purely so I can shove his fucking TI83 Calculator up his fucking asshole. While Jim Parsons may do a decent enough job portraying a character (he won an Emmy this year over way better actors, but that’s the Emmys. That’s a whole other situation I don’t even wanna get into), the character of Sheldon is the most unlikeable, miserable, putrid waste of a character with no redeeming qualities that I have EVER SEEN ON TV. And you are saying, “Well what about George Costanza from Seinfeld that you related earlier?” There’s a distinct difference between a character who’s motivations are selfish and FUNNY and a character who is just a downright fucking asshole. That’s what Sheldon is. Not only is he giving a bad name to actual nerds (like those exist anymore, amirite fauxnerds?), but I wouldn’t beat this character up because he’s a fucking loser. I’d beat him up because he’s a fucking douchebag. If I knew this character in real life, I would want to kill him. You can sit there and compare characters all day. Well, what makes Sheldon so terrible in relation to say, Walter White?
First of all, genres are entirely different. Characters react differently due to the genre of the show. Walter White may be just as bad as Sheldon-though not nearly as annoying, in fact, he’s actually a puppy dog rolling in daisies compared to Sheldons attitude-but because of his situation he’s in in the type of show that he’s in and has had actual character progression and has an ACTUAL CHARACTER, you understand him. Sheldon is nothing but a stereotypical idea of what writers think current day nerds are. We’re not mean. We’re not. In fact, I don’t know ANYONE like Sheldon. I also don’t know anyone like Walter White, but still, the fact remains. Someone said in best (and I quoted them on this blog before) that this show and these characters are popular because nerds are finally being “Accepted”, even though they know this shit is bad and inaccurate, but because it panders to them and introduces them to the mainstream audience, they allow it. It doesn’t get nerd culture. It just gets away with nerd culture. Sheldon is an awful fucking character who’s attitude I could not understand putting up with for one episode, let alone 7 seasons or whatever.
And the worst part is? This show pulls in 20 million viewers a week. A WEEK. Meanwhile we’ve got struggling brilliant comedies and dramas that barely pull in a million or 3 million and are on the verge of being canceled daily. Get your fucking priorities in order, America.
And that’s what’s even worse. I’ve read a few articles about people saying-intelligent people with well written articles and legitimate complaints-why this show is terrible and all the comments are “It’s a tv show, stop being so hypercritical” but the second THEY defend what they love, those same viewers say they’re being overly dramatic. You’re a hypercritical loser until you’re a hypocrite. You can’t. fucking. win. And while I agree that we’re too hypercritical about media these days-to the point of saying one finale 42-2 hour episode out of 100 episodes or less ruins an entire series which MAKES NO GOD DAMN SENSE-I have just as much of a right to tear this piece of shit a new asshole as the people who hate LOST do. The only difference is, a lot of the people who rip apart LOST are people who’ve either never seen it or are people who didn’t understand it. I’m not saying I’m smarter (cause trust me, I have no self esteem whatsoever) but it’s comparing apples to oranges.
I’ve watched this show, and seeing as it’s a laugh track comedy I’m pretty sure it’s hard to misunderstand.
At least other bad sitcoms are pretty watchable and at times entertaining, even in a “so bad it’s good” sort of way, like Married With Children. This isn’t even watchable as far as I’m concerned. I’ll be happy to never have to witness this abomination of what passes as entertainment again. This thing doesn’t pass as entertainment. It passes as a bowel movement.
And scene.
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