"Give Geeks A Chance"

I think we all noticed yesterday’s episode of The Big Bang Theory really examined stereotyping. The writers build the show entirely around stereotype anyway: four “nerds” of four different “classes” spend time across the hall from a “normal,” attractive female.
Now, in reality, the above definitions assume far too much, based on maybe the pilot episode. Any thorough BBT viewer knows they’re anything but totally true. In that regard, the last episode turned all the show’s stereotypes, as we knew them, on their heads.

All the same, I want to touch on the tropes we see in the series, but don’t actively acknowledge. We may see them as “common themes” in movies and TV shows anyplace. I see them as both helpful, and harmful, frames and boxes.

I sourced tvtropes.org for some specific idiom names and came across the most obvious series trope, highlighted by the very show itself: the “Nerd Nanny” trope.

The website explains, “You are one of Two Gamers on a Couch, enthralled by the latest noisy console game…As you are about to deliver the final blow, a mysterious figure steps between you and the television. Who could it be? Oh, it's just your extremely hot female roommate trying to get you to do something other than play video games.”

Or, for a more specific Leonard vs. Penny situation, the “Savvy Guy, Energetic Girl” idiom: “The usual gender stereotype is that guys are physically better…while girls are soft, but nice, or just smart. This averts that stereotype hard (for the most part at least): the guy is the smart but physically inept one and it seems he got himself the company of a girl who most guys would have trouble keeping up with in the first place.”

Either of these sounds familiar? In that they breach the “regular,” overplayed idea of “nerd guy” vs. “hot girl,” they create their own, equally common stereotypes. My questions are these: why would it be so unheard of for a girl to enjoy common “nerd” activities? Why is it hard to imagine that a “nerd” could possess any attractive qualities?

Do you think the last episode conveyed that yes, girls can release their inner geek? Comment with your opinions, and in the meantime, get excited for the next TBBT installment!

Team, or Time-Bomb?

 

Well, wasn’t this episode a packed bundle? It’s boys versus girls in this fan fracas.

Let’s get down to it.

Leonard, Sheldon, Raj, and Howard take on Comic Con! I’m glad they’re branching into this fanboy arena—the time and effort put into cosplays goes largely ignored. Still waiting to see how they treat the practice in the next half hour.

“What was that for?” “To show people when they don’t believe me.”

-- Penny and Leonard

Perhaps I’m a bit biased myself, but Penny, Amy, and Bernadette’s brunch scene seemed a bit canned. Unless CBS’ made a parody of their comic-con diatribe, their whole speculation felt trope filled. Then again, shouldn’t I have guessed it was parody from the start, if indeed it was?

Though the comic-book store venture to follow wasn’t as bad as I’d thought it’d be. In fact, Penny and Stewart noted what I’ve noticed to be on the minds of most fans everywhere, following his movies and The Avengers: Thor IS hot.

I’m certainly of the opinion the girls needed to lighten up a bit—the photo-shoot scene was adorable. Sans carjacking, of course.

“The only thing left to do now is assign blame. Nice going!”

-- Sheldon to Raj

At the same time, as the episode continues I recognize CBS execs know very well what they’re doing, as evidenced by the way the girls argued this time in the same way the boys argue each and every show. I liked that the network showed transition, added a bit of reality to the sitcom. There are many people in this world, after all!

Overall I enjoyed the flipside-style episode: the carjacked comic-con goers get a dose of  “street” smarts and the girls find their inner nerd. Because, in the paraphrased words of author John Green, what is a nerd but one whom gets really excited about something they love? May the nerds inherit the earth!

Smurf Turf

As you’ve already noticed from my posting-spree, my eyes are glued on the blue French Horn for this coming February…but not the one hanging in the jazz-restaurant around the corner.

I’d never ask my Valentine to steal establishment décor for my heart, but hey. Everyone has their own idea of romance. One person’s theft is another person’s treasure. For Ted Mosby, the French Horn remained in his and Robins’ possession for quite some time.

And you? You can get a blue French Horn of your very own, for your friend or partner, come February—with no fear of criminal allegation.

I’ve written about the azure instrument before: in the pilot episode of How I Met Your Mother, Ted Mosby presents Robin with the blue French Horn she so admired, having wished for one for her apartment. Ted’s endearing leap at the chance to impress his fair lady this far into the series, however, seemed to me a little forward. In Robin’s shoes, I would have sat little shell-shocked, to say the least.

Though, as I said before, I would never put pressure on you or your Valentine’s Day date to commit a felony. Which is why I bring you, once more, the blue French Horn keychain and ornament! These exact brass replicas of the tried and true instrument come either as a keychain or ornament for your convenience, free for your recipient to keep in their apartment, or on their mantle, without raising too many eyebrows. The perfect gesture to “steal” their heart!

Now, I won’t harp on about Valentine’s Day constantly. I know many of you aren’t fans of the Hallmark, and that’s okay. I only try to ward the holiday’s procrastinators; in no one’s best interest, I’m sure.
Happy gifting!

Teleportation is Problematic

I’m responding again to an article posted by a dedicated Big Bang Theory viewer. No, I don’t spend all my waking hours stalking other articles based around the shows I watch, but their opinions and deductions intrigue me nonetheless. This article, especially, sits as a pro for a recent, though looming, Big Bang Theory debate.

Big Bang Theory naysayers, out of the woodwork since around 2011, criticize the program for its treatment of facts and “geek culture,” particularly concerning popular cult-classics.
Now, perhaps the writers of the show scrub some World of Warcraft references, or name the wrong episodes of Star Trek when proving points. Or maybe they generalize (as I have) to only the most notable fan-bases, making every quip and quote “WoW” and Trek-centered.
At the end of the day, according to Alvina Lopez, they make very consistent, well-researched points about the core of the characters’ occupations in the show: science!

I’d love to sit and list the engaging article’s highlights, truly, but now I’m curious about validity. Should the show be accurate on all counts, scorned for every mistake, because facts make up a vast majority of the show’s theme and content? Or should the viewers forgive the program’s slights in lieu of the show’s character, the cast themselves, the plotlines, the humor doused in every script, along with the culture references?

My love for the show speaks to my own opinion on the matter, simply because I don’t know enough about the references they plug to know right from wrong. Call me ignorant; I’m there for the comedy and jokes I can understand.
I still wonder, however. How far should the writers go to appease all the fans—dedicated to every comic, video game, and movie they tout—that have so much to say against the series’ accuracy?

Have You Met...?

Let’s take a look at the self-proclaimed “best friends,” Ted Mosby and Barney Stinson (without starting that debate over again), for a second. Sure, they’re “haaaaave you met--?” wingmen, broskis, ‘bar’skis and  (possibly?) future best men, but we can’t ignore the million ways they’re vastly different. My friend summed it up best: an individual may appear to be a ‘wingman,’ like Barney, when they’re actually a ‘hopeless romantic,’ like Ted.

One would then ask themselves right away: am I a Barney, or a Ted?

Let’s get to the breakdown.

Ted: Ah, Ted. Our feature bachelor. He’s honest and naïve, albeit a bit frustrated in his hunt for The One. Pros: He’s sincere and romantic (some of my pros, at least). He tries to be his best for friends, colleagues, and loves alike. Leading us, then, into my cons: he’s a morpher. Having freshly watched The Runaway Bride, again, I can see the chameleon signs. More than that, however, like Richard Gere asks his ex-wife, he hasn’t truly seen the women he’s pursued over the course of the series. With, I would argue, the exception of Robin. But only through a strong friendship later.
More importantly than finding The One, Ted Mosby needs to find The Right One.

 Barney: The main bro himself. No longer a bachelor (having completed his “Last Play”...spoilers), but still applicable for this self-reflection. Pros: He’s relaxed, self-assured, and confident. His charisma makes the starting gate easy-clearing. Cons: the rest of the race, however, he sees (saw) as one big chore. He gets bored! And he (previously) wasn’t willing to run the risk of someone watching him stumble. Unlike Ted, he didn’t trust—a huge love component.

No type faultless, no type entirely at fault. Yet both types retain surprise (the bro totally got engaged before the, sigh, “nice guy”). I admire how the show recognizes that both men and women of these archetypes are still just people.
Worthy people, equally, at that.

Bojangles

Now I’m sure if you’re hip enough to understand the jokes passed around on The Big Bang Theory, you’re no stranger to Internet memes, either. Yes, all those cats.

I’ve brought up memes before, for general use, but just in the past week a new strain captivated all my attention.

It’s finally happened. The Internet has found “Bazinga.”

But I’ll channel my inner prolonging-Ted Mosby a second: before I can explain “Beezinga” and “Bojangles,” I have to explain the “Parody comic.”

Parody comics are fan-made works, intentionally messy and contrived MS-Paint productions that scrutinize the dialogue between their subjects. In this case, Sheldon, Sheldon and Penny, Raj and Penny, or, to bring this full-circle, Sheldon Cooper’s famous and favorite tag-line, “Bazinga!”

Fans and Stans discovered quickly they could reinvent “Bazinga,” just as the screenwriters coined the term on their own. The best fun comes from finding wacky B-syllables and creating ridiculous combinations for these new demonstrations. They go hand-in-hand with the nature of memes; i.e., furiously lacking in spelling and punctuation, on purpose.
In Comic Sans, no less!

The parodies originally stemmed from common fan criticisms of the show, but the actual comics quickly went viral for their chuckle-worthy pixel-prints and watered-down copies of the original humor. The silly fun gained notable ground on all manner of social media websites, from Facebook to Twitter to Tumblr. “Know Your Meme,” a website dedicated to meme-research, said,

“…Parodies of the term “Bazinga” did not begin appearing on 4chan until December 25th, in a thread on the TV (Television and Film) board. After the first poster asked why people did not enjoy The Big Bang Theory, the first four responses consisted of nonsense words “bazoopie,” “bazonkers,” “cowabazunga” and “bazopple.” “

These threads aren’t exactly naysayer “bazingas,” but they contribute, perhaps, insight into the world of the nerd, “shamed.”

The Mystery's History

I stayed busy over the weekend, researching articles, trying to find the best gossip and news for the end-of-season holiday interim. But then, I heard a story.
One of my good friends, who shall remain nameless, found out she was Google-searched prior to a recent date!

She insisted her unobtrusive date meant nothing by the search and, most interestingly of all, based off the advice of a certain award-winning sitcom.

Sound familiar? That’d be because the plot came from the season 7-slammer, Mystery vs. History, of How I Met Your Mother.

Sure, the Internet makes background-checks more familiar and routine. I’ve faced interviews with stacks of Facebook photos and old high school essays myself, but dates? However well meaning the gentleman in question, it raises the dilemma: should you Google-search your next date, or significant other?
More importantly, should you tell them about it?

Let’s take a closer look at the episode.

Ted insists he doesn’t need to Google-search his upcoming date with Janet McIntyre for topic ideas, in spite of his pushy friends, should he accidentally happen upon her deepest and darkest. He, understandably, wants to get to know her for her personality, not her personal history.

But did the resource-lack keep him from holding an interesting conversation? Probably as much as using the net does, later, when he gives in to temptation and discovers Janet accomplished much in her short career life. Knowing he broke their deal based on his demeanor, Janet stops seeing Ted and continues waiting for the person who won’t see her for her progress.
Dammit, Janet.

Ted’s own plan failed, though for a lackluster reason compared to discovering she was an ex-con or something like. Lesson learned for the architect and, perhaps, my friend’s prospect: if you lack a conversation topic, just watch a program or see a movie! Or question why you want to see said date in the first place.

Reading some blog articles wouldn’t be a bad idea, either.