S10.E16: The Allowance Evaporation

[shura]

10 hours ago, CherryAmes said:

True, but there's also a world of difference between a close friend living with them who can well afford to pay his share as opposed to Penny's ex-con brother who would most likely have mooched off them and never gotten a job!

To me, this is like Christie's meatloaf story. I'm sure the meatloaf is great and maybe I even would have ordered it myself, but I would hate it if someone ordered it for me without even the appearance of checking with me. That's emasculating.

[CherryAmes]

I think it depends on the situation.  Penny invited her brother in a conversation with her father and without ever discussing things with Leonard, that was not a good thing!  On the other hand a group of friends sitting around discussing the way one of the friends might be homeless should have meant at least one of them would have spoken up to reassure that potentially homeless friend that he always has a place to stay if he needs it!  If Leonard or Howard or even Sheldon (assuming it's one of the women speaking up) has a problem with than that speaks more to their pettiness and selfishness than anything like emasculation.  I was really surprised that the couple with a house didn't at the very least assure Raj that they would never allow him to go homeless.  

9 hours ago, msani19 said:

 

I also think when it comes to gender dynamics and money on Lorre shows, there's an element of emasculation that is used. The woman makes more, so therefore the men as reduced to nothing because of that, snicker, snicker. I hate the attitude that a higher earning woman somehow makes a man lesser and the man should feel shame. Money does have an element of power but the way it's depicted on his shows is regressive and distinctly not funny. I could write so much more on this but I'll bite my tongue.

 

Definitely this and when you couple that with their attitude that scientists make peanuts it's extremely annoying!  I know I've said this before but these guys all make more than most of their viewers probably make - certainly as much! - few of us are pulling down the kind of money they say Bernadette and Penny are making,  And yet we're constantly being told that this means we're on the edge of being poverty stricken.  Grrrr,,,,,

[roamyn]

1 hour ago, CherryAmes said:

I think it depends on the situation.  Penny invited her brother in a conversation with her father and without ever discussing things with Leonard, that was not a good thing!  On the other hand a group of friends sitting around discussing the way one of the friends might be homeless should have meant at least one of them would have spoken up to reassure that potentially homeless friend that he always has a place to stay if he needs it!  If Leonard or Howard or even Sheldon (assuming it's one of the women speaking up) has a problem with than that speaks more to their pettiness and selfishness than anything like emasculation.  I was really surprised that the couple with a house didn't at the very least assure Raj that they would never allow him to go homeless.  

I know this is a topic for the other episode, but Penny's brother never would get a job at a pharmaceutical company, and she should know that.

But I also don't blame Howard & Bernadette for not opening their house in some way, after all this is the creepy guy who had to come with them during doctor visits, found out & blabbed to everyone abt the baby's sex, and was in the delivery room.  At least Stuart has shown his worth in being able to take care of another human being, doesn't blab the information abt Haley, and isn't spoiled.  

I just wish Raj would get deported.  Fez could be a sad sack & annoying, but never got to his level of incompetence & whining.

[BlossomCulp]

1 minute ago, roamyn said:

But I also don't blame Howard & Bernadette for not opening their house in some way, after all this is the creepy guy who had to come with them during doctor visits, found out & blabbed to everyone abt the baby's sex, and was in the delivery room.  

Did he blab to anyone?  I only remember the way Bernadette kept asking him and then changing her mind about wanting to know!  As to the delivery room and doctor's visits, if Bernadette and Howard didn't want him there they had a solution to that!  It certainly seemed a little contrived to me that they would allow Raj all kinds of inappropriate contact and yet draw the line at offering him their garage if he truly did end up homeless!  

This whole episode though was more an opportunity  for Raj to show that he can look after himself than for his friends to offer to take on his father's role and I was glad they did make that point.  I do agree with others though that at the very least ALL his friends should have assured him that he can always sleep on their sofa if need be!

[CinAZ]

I am still mostly enjoying the show. 

But I am now recording it so I can FF through all the commercials.  I never watch live. I was watching an older rerun on TBS this past week and it almost looked like a different show. Penny was enthusiastic, everyone looked like they wanted to be there. Decent storyline. Half the amount of commercials. At this point, they have some big salaries to pay, so I would expect them to try and slip even a few more commercials in now.

[BlossomCulp]

I watch it On Demand (here in Canada on Rogers) and it doesn't have the commercials.  It's so much better that way and, oddly, doesn't seem as short.  Not sure why.

[rmontro]

1 hour ago, CherryAmes said:

Definitely this and when you couple that with their attitude that scientists make peanuts it's extremely annoying!  I know I've said this before but these guys all make more than most of their viewers probably make - certainly as much! - few of us are pulling down the kind of money they say Bernadette and Penny are making,  And yet we're constantly being told that this means we're on the edge of being poverty stricken.  Grrrr,,,,,

Totally agree.  They're not wealthy, but they are definitely pulling in well above the national average in income.  Being constantly told they make peanuts is a slap in the face to a large part of their audience.  Also, aside from Howard, they have master degrees.  What kind of message does this send to kids about pursuing an education?  Go to college and you will earn peanuts?  But if you're cute, wear low cut tops, take off your wedding ring, and flirt with the clients, you'll make a bundle of money. 

[theatremouse]

Howard has a masters degree. The rest have doctorates, I'm pretty sure.

[Browncoat]

28 minutes ago, rmontro said:

Go to college and you will earn peanuts?

I think it's more work at a college/university and you'll earn peanuts.  Especially if it is a public university/state funds and you live in a high cost-of-living area.  Unless you are also a (winning) football coach or high-level administrator, you will not get rich.

The private sector is where all the money is -- which is why Bernadette and Penny are raking in the bucks.

[rmontro]

26 minutes ago, theatremouse said:

Howard has a masters degree. The rest have doctorates, I'm pretty sure.

You're right, I messed that up.

Regarding working for a university, they still should be earning well above the national average.  They won't get rich, but they shouldn't be living in squalor either.  I still think it sends a bad message to say they earn peanuts.  Working in the private sector isn't a guarantee of making a lot of money either, because they have to turn a profit.  Although Bernadette and Penny work in Pharmaceuticals, and I'm sure they're not hurting for profit.

Bernadette acts like she is supporting Howard, but they are living in Howard's mother's house.  I'm assuming she left it to him when she died, and that it is probably paid off.  That helps cut their expenses, I'm sure.

[needschocolate]

I just had to check and the Gucci Baby Cape is a real thing.  Sells on Gucci's website for $350.  So nice of Raj to save his dad money by buying it on sale.

On 2/16/2017 at 5:57 PM, BookThief said:

Does anyone else have a Dish DVR? I made sure this was set to record earlier in the week and then tonight it just didn't record. In fact, my DVR acted like it didn't even exist to record (yet it is in the list, like it has been for years now). I confirmed with someone else in the area who also has Dish and they had the same thing happen. Sad!

I have a DVR through Comcast and the show is set on automatic recording of new episodes. Although I had no trouble with this week, there have been a number of times that the show didn't tape - and it only seems to happen with BBT.  I have no idea why.  

2 hours ago, CherryAmes said:

I know I've said this before but these guys all make more than most of their viewers probably make - certainly as much! - few of us are pulling down the kind of money they say Bernadette and Penny are making,  And yet we're constantly being told that this means we're on the edge of being poverty stricken.  Grrrr,,,,,

Like many sitcoms, the finances on this show are rather goofy, but I think they show the guys as being middle class (perhaps upper middle class, depending on your definition).  They make comments about Penny and Bernie making more, but, other than that (and not including Raj this episode), I don't recall the guys making comments that would lead me to believe they are poor.  The eat take-out all the time, they collect sci-fi memorablia, Leonard bought Penny a car, etc..  They never wonder how they will pay the rent or complain about the price of something.   

[BlossomCulp]

30 minutes ago, rmontro said:

 

 

30 minutes ago, rmontro said:

Bernadette acts like she is supporting Howard, but they are living in Howard's mother's house.  I'm assuming she left it to him when she died, and that it is probably paid off.  That helps cut their exp

This is the most annoying this about the salary discrepancy - no no you are not supporting someone just because they make less money than you do!  Most of us are probably in that situation even if both partners have good jobs one of you is bound to be making more.  Does that mean the higher earner is supporting the other person?  Not in my world it doesn't!

[sadiegirl]

3 hours ago, shura said:

To me, this is like Christie's meatloaf story. I'm sure the meatloaf is great and maybe I even would have ordered it myself, but I would hate it if someone ordered it for me without even the appearance of checking with me. That's emasculating.

I'm baffled by this - and curious.  Who's Christie and what meatloaf?  I need to know!

 

36 minutes ago, needschocolate said:

I just had to check and the Gucci Baby Cape is a real thing.  Sells on Gucci's website for $350.  So nice of Raj to save his dad money by buying it on sale.

Seriously?  WTF is wrong with people?  What baby needs a $300 cape?

(btw - my first double quote- and I made it work.  Yeah me!)

[Mom x 3]

1 minute ago, sadiegirl said:

I'm baffled by this - and curious.  Who's Christie and what meatloaf?  I need to know!

 

Seriously?  WTF is wrong with people?  What baby needs a $300 cape?

(btw - my first double quote- and I made it work.  Yeah me!)

Apparently, Chris Christie had lunch at the White House with Donald Trump and Trump told Christie what he would be having for lunch, despite telling other members of the party to order whatever they wanted off the menu.  

And the cape thing?  Try this.  I didn't pay that much for my wedding dress.

[roamyn]

3 hours ago, BlossomCulp said:

Did he blab to anyone?  I only remember the way Bernadette kept asking him and then changing her mind about wanting to know!  As to the delivery room and doctor's visits, if Bernadette and Howard didn't want him there they had a solution to that!  It certainly seemed a little contrived to me that they would allow Raj all kinds of inappropriate contact and yet draw the line at offering him their garage if he truly did end up homeless!  

This whole episode though was more an opportunity  for Raj to show that he can look after himself than for his friends to offer to take on his father's role and I was glad they did make that point.  I do agree with others though that at the very least ALL his friends should have assured him that he can always sleep on their sofa if need be!

Yes he did.  First to Stuart, then Penny & Leonard.

[wendyg]

Actually, the scientists' salaries may be more uncertain than you think. AFAIAA none of them *teach*, and none has tenure. These days, it's very common for research scientists to be required to raise the money to pay themselves by applying for and getting grants to fund their research. It's a while since we heard of them doing any of that, but if you don't raise enough money not only do you not get paid but eventually you're let go in favor of someone who will do a better job of fundraising. However, *of course* their spouses earning more doesn't make them dependents.

[wknt3]

14 hours ago, rmontro said:

You're right, I messed that up.

Regarding working for a university, they still should be earning well above the national average.  They won't get rich, but they shouldn't be living in squalor either.  I still think it sends a bad message to say they earn peanuts.  Working in the private sector isn't a guarantee of making a lot of money either, because they have to turn a profit.  Although Bernadette and Penny work in Pharmaceuticals, and I'm sure they're not hurting for profit.

Bernadette acts like she is supporting Howard, but they are living in Howard's mother's house.  I'm assuming she left it to him when she died, and that it is probably paid off.  That helps cut their expenses, I'm sure.

 

14 hours ago, BlossomCulp said:

 

This is the most annoying this about the salary discrepancy - no no you are not supporting someone just because they make less money than you do!  Most of us are probably in that situation even if both partners have good jobs one of you is bound to be making more.  Does that mean the higher earner is supporting the other person?  Not in my world it doesn't!

I've said this before, but I work in banking/personal finance and the way the characters think about and fight over money isn't logical, but it sure is pretty realistic! I have had to listen to people in similar positions (we have two major research universities and several smaller colleges in the area and I also have several clients who are mid-level lawyers and medical professionals) talk about how they don't make any money even though they earn well above average salaries and our cost of living is much lower than LA. But they have obligations, and most importantly they know a lot of people who are earning more. They can afford to splurge, they don't live paycheck to paycheck, but they do see people they know earning well in to six figure salaries and they freak out sometimes about buying a house in the neighborhoods they want to live in or paying for their kid's school or just generally matching finite money to infinite dreams. And I see their account history and what they spend on Amazon, hobbies, dining out, travel, etc. and realize how they may feel stretched making a mortgage payment, a student loan payment, and paying for daycare while earning $175K/yr for a family of three. As far as Howard is concerned he has pretty much always been portrayed as being frivolous when it comes to money. If he is blowing his salary on belt buckles, comics, tech gear, and collectibles it's perfectly reasonable to feel you're supporting him if the property taxes, car insurance, and all those other bills are coming out of your paycheck...

Edited February 19, 2017 by wknt3
fix typos and clean up phrasing

[timimouse]

I WANT to like this show still. I really do. But I'm struggling. I used to laugh out lout. Literally. Now i spend more time on my phone than anything else. I even fell asleep in the last 5 minutes and haven't rewound it because i honestly don't care enough to. 

[chitowngirl]

It was definitely better with 2 stories instead of 3. 

And if Raj's dad wants his unmarried, over 30 year old son to stop mooching off of him - STOP PAYING HIS BILLS!!!!!

Edited February 19, 2017 by chitowngirl

[BlossomCulp]

10 hours ago, roamyn said:

Yes he did.  First to Stuart, then Penny & Leonard.

I totally missed that!  Was this in the cohabitation episode or a later one?  I guess I'm not watching as closely as I thought I was.  

[Snarklepuss]

On 2/17/2017 at 5:43 AM, Gulftastic said:

A bit of a 'meh' episode. I was most excited that we saw the fourth wall behind Sheldon when he was shouting up the stairs to Amy.

Mr. Snarkle noticed this too and commented that there's a bit of a continuity error going on with that as this scene confirmed that there would be only 2 apartments per floor in the building and given that it's only something like 4 or 5 stories high the amount of mailboxes shown on the ground floor is too many for the amount of possible apartments.  There are 16 mailboxes, which would mean the building would have to be at least 8 stories high (9 if you figure that the first floor has no apartments).   He's noticed other similar building-related continuity errors too.

Edited February 19, 2017 by Snarklepuss

[Snarklepuss]

On 2/17/2017 at 10:53 PM, msani19 said:

I also think when it comes to gender dynamics and money on Lorre shows, there's an element of emasculation that is used. The woman makes more, so therefore the men as reduced to nothing because of that, snicker, snicker. I hate the attitude that a higher earning woman somehow makes a man lesser and the man should feel shame. Money does have an element of power but the way it's depicted on his shows is regressive and distinctly not funny. I could write so much more on this but I'll bite my tongue.

ITA, I should bite my tongue too, but it just seems like yet another TV trope where the men are made to look like bumbling idiots next to their stronger, more capable, and yes, now higher-earning women.  I guess we are being told to accept the idea that the future is female, which would be great if it didn't involve putting down men in the process!

[needschocolate]

23 hours ago, Mom x 3 said:

And the cape thing?  Try this.  I didn't pay that much for my wedding dress.

$1,875 for a baptism outfit that would be worn once! Plus it has to be dry cleaned and the bonnet is sold separately. Yikes!  

[MaryMitch]

8 hours ago, Snarklepuss said:

Mr. Snarkle noticed this too and commented that there's a bit of a continuity error going on with that as this scene confirmed that there would be only 2 apartments per floor in the building and given that it's only something like 4 or 5 stories high the amount of mailboxes shown on the ground floor is too many for the amount of possible apartments.  There are 16 mailboxes, which would mean the building would have to be at least 8 stories high (9 if you figure that the first floor has no apartments).   He's noticed other similar building-related continuity errors too.

Maybe there are apartments going off to the right of the mailboxes, or on the side where the audience is.

[CherryAmes]

13 hours ago, BlossomCulp said:

I totally missed that!  Was this in the cohabitation episode or a later one?  I guess I'm not watching as closely as I thought I was.  

I missed that too.  I'll have to rewatch that episode.  But I guess if Bernadette and Howard didn't mind him telling others then it's not a big deal to them that others knew the gender and they didn't.  Still that would have been the time to draw the line at Raj going to the doctor with them!  Does anyone remember if he was actually in the delivery room?  I'm blanking out.

[anna0852]

No, he wasn't in the delivery room. Thank goodness!

[rmontro]

9 hours ago, Snarklepuss said:

ITA, I should bite my tongue too, but it just seems like yet another TV trope where the men are made to look like bumbling idiots next to their stronger, more capable, and yes, now higher-earning women.

I do almost get the feeling I'm being preached at with an agenda.  But I still think what is worse is the message that you will make peanuts if you work hard and get an education.  Why do that when you can just have a friend recommend you and you can pull down six figures and lord it over your husband.  If Penny makes significantly more than Leonard, she must be making six figures, or close to it.

Other money oddities in the show include Penny being able to afford her apartment on a waitress' salary, and that pile of uncashed checks that Sheldon kept in his desk drawer.  Sheldon probably does save a bundle by not having to pay for a car, auto insurance, gas, maintenance, etc.

[anna0852]

On 2/17/2017 at 0:53 AM, kat165 said:

Amy makes me sad. She had a relatively nice apt with a fairly large bedroom and living area and now she's stuck in that cramped box of an apt with Sheldon. They seemed to have made a few changes in the apt decor, but small things. It seems to be a very uncomfortable apt for 2 grownups.

This was kind of a boring ep. I don't like the rock guy but did enjoy Sheldon's quip about him ("for a good time.."). I think it was the only time I laughed this ep. Still loathe Raj, such a jackass.

Why sad?  Yes it's a smaller apartment but she knew the size when she agreed to move in and she had been living with Sheldon for awhile when she agreed to be permanent. In fact she was actively working to make it permanent. They're both at work all day and seem to be sharing the space very well. Amy clearly feels the smaller space is worth being able to live with the boyfriend she clearly cares a great deal for. And we've seen time and again that she does have boundaries and will enforce them. I'm expecting her to be furious about Sheldon being able to drive and I'm not going to be surprised if we get an episode with him being marched down to a car lot.

I do think it's a nice bit of continuity that bit by bit, items are being swapped between 4A and 4B as Penny's stuff gets moved over and Amy/Sheldon get their stuff moved in. 

Edited February 19, 2017 by anna0852

[roamyn]

5 hours ago, CherryAmes said:

I missed that too.  I'll have to rewatch that episode.  But I guess if Bernadette and Howard didn't mind him telling others then it's not a big deal to them that others knew the gender and they didn't.  Still that would have been the time to draw the line at Raj going to the doctor with them!  Does anyone remember if he was actually in the delivery room?  I'm blanking out.

It was the one where baby Haley is born.

it came out at the house aft he blurted the sex to H&B, that he had previously also told Stuart, and then later in the episode, he appears on P&L's doorstep complaining that he got kicked out because he told H&B that they were having a girl. Oops, he says, right aft.

[chitowngirl]

I wonder where Amy is storing her harp?! Sheldon's old room? Her old apartment?

[CherryAmes]

I'm assuming (perhaps wrongly) that she is still renting her old apartment just not living in it.  If they are trying for any semblance of realism then it would make sense that Amy would have a lease and could not just walk away from it.  

[CherryAmes]

2 hours ago, anna0852 said:

In fact she was actively working to make it permanent.

This.  So very much this.  Amy is prepared to go to Mars with Sheldon, living in a one bedroom apartment with him is a cinch in comparison to that!  I love that Amy is finally getting what she wants but that she isn't prepared to roll over and let Sheldon get away with anything;  she stands her ground with him which is great.

[yb125]

Quote

 think it's more work at a college/university and you'll earn peanuts.  Especially if it is a public university/state funds and you live in a high cost-of-living area.  Unless you are also a (winning) football coach or high-level administrator, you will not get rich.

The private sector is where all the money is -- which is why Bernadette and Penny are raking in the bucks.

 

 

Well...kind of but honestly it doesn't make sense in their cases. Plenty of professors even at public universities make a great salary (my advisor was over 300k last year) but that is about production, he produces a lot and helps get grants.

These guys aren't professors but research scientists which tend to pay less, but they also aren't a public univeritsy. They are at Cal-Tech one of the most prestigious research universities in the world (if not THE most) and one of the best paying.  Combined with they fact that these guys have had good careers with lots of accomplishments, research publication etc. that would increase their value to the university, they would all be making very good money. 

The idea that Brenideete would make a ton of money right out of her PhD program is unlikely (unless she invested something, did she I can't remember?) If she didn't she'd mostl likely have to grind a while doing to build a resume.  Penny would be doing better than she used to, but to suggest she'd make more than Leonard immediately just by being the 3rd best selling new rep compared to his salary after establishing a good career at one the of the best paying schools in the world is just silly.

Well, it is unlikely TPTB know anything about the actual pay of folks and probably just think public = poor and don't realize Cal-Tech is not public. 

[kat165]

Anna, I guess the sadness comes from Amy's choices. Which would never be mine. I'd hate to be living in that cramped box with Sheldon, a tiny apt that doesn't reflect her personality or interests and a bf who isn't much of a bf at all. But that's from my perspective. I guess from Amy's she must be happy as hell. :)

[Snarklepuss]

19 hours ago, MaryMitch said:

Maybe there are apartments going off to the right of the mailboxes, or on the side where the audience is.

If the building was 5 stories high and there were only 2 apartments per floor there would have to be an awful lot of apartments on the ground floor to equal 16!  Plus, if that's where a wall is on the upper floors there is likely no room for any extra apartments on the ground floor either.  One of the other errors Mr. Snarkle noticed is that Penny's apartment would have to hang out in space entirely above the front door of the building judging from where the stairway is.  There's no room for that apartment to exist.

[LoneHaranguer]

2 hours ago, Snarklepuss said:

If the building was 5 stories high and there were only 2 apartments per floor there would have to be an awful lot of apartments on the ground floor to equal 16!  Plus, if that's where a wall is on the upper floors there is likely no room for any extra apartments on the ground floor either. 

Nothing says that all of the floors are shaped the same, but the easiest explanation is that the set of mailboxes is just a standard unit with more compartments than apartments; very likely, the extras are available for use at an additional charge each month for any roommates who want to keep their mail separate. Having said that, the show hasn't even been consistent about the guys' bathroom and what's behind that frosted glass door you see in the living room.

[CherryAmes]

There was an early episode, I think the first time Leonard's mother shows up where she specifically states how many tenants would be in the building:

Quote

Again, I can read the sign. But the sign and the tape are covered with a layer of dust which indicates the elevator has been non-functional for a significant period of time, which suggests either a remarkable passivity among the - I assume - 24-36 residents of this building - based on the number of mail boxes and typical urban densities - or a shared delusion of functionality.

If there are actually more than 5 stories in that building I can't imagine that pople would really put up with walking up and down that many flights of stairs every single day!  I think the original intent had to be that there was that there would be more than two apartments on each floor.

Edited February 20, 2017 by CherryAmes

[LaChavalina]

On February 19, 2017 at 6:44 PM, yb125 said:

These guys aren't professors but research scientists which tend to pay less, but they also aren't a public univeritsy. They are at Cal-Tech one of the most prestigious research universities in the world (if not THE most) and one of the best paying.  Combined with they fact that these guys have had good careers with lots of accomplishments, research publication etc. that would increase their value to the university, they would all be making very good money. 

You can actually find salary data for Cal Tech online. The average assistant professor there makes close to $120K/year. But since these guys have been there over a decade now, the average is closer to $143K/year. With the exception of Howard, I think they are all professors. Sheldon taught a grad seminar at one point (with terrible results), and there was that ridiculous episode where a tenured professor left (or died, I can't remember) and they all went to the administration fighting over who would get tenure (which is not how it works--at all). For an engineer like Howard, the average salary is $84K/year.

Any grants/patents/contracts they have are also giving them money on top of that salary.

tl;dr They are all quite rich.

[msani19]

Will a tv show ever get finances right? Most shows have financial situations that defy reality. It's not like this information isn't readily available nor do these writers not have access to "real life" people to vet these situations. After this long in their careers and with the different levels of success they have had, none of the guys would be making much less than $100k. Even in their expensive cost of living area, that is a good income. Acting like the guys need to ask for permission to get a cup of coffee is irritating and insulting. 

I know that after Bernadette got her PhD she said something like a pharma company was going to pay her a boatload of money, which is possible. Is a boatload like 2-3 times more than Howard? I know people with PhDs working in pharma and they aren't making that kinda money unless they came up with a blockbuster drug! (None of them have). Good money yes. Whatever the show is trying to suggest, no. As for Penny, a brand new rep would be making about $60-$75k plus bonuses. With all the flirting Penny is doing with the doctors she might be killing it with her commission but her salary wouldn't be a great deal more than Leonard.

I know the realism is the last thing they care about as long as it serves the story for that particular week, but when we care about it more than they do? UGH!!

[Snarklepuss]

17 hours ago, LoneHaranguer said:

Nothing says that all of the floors are shaped the same, but the easiest explanation is that the set of mailboxes is just a standard unit with more compartments than apartments; very likely, the extras are available for use at an additional charge each month for any roommates who want to keep their mail separate. Having said that, the show hasn't even been consistent about the guys' bathroom and what's behind that frosted glass door you see in the living room.

Could be, but mailboxes are actually considered Federal property and there are lots of laws and regulations governing their use so I doubt that any landlord could make money off of spare mailboxes or designate multiple mailboxes for one unit without violating something.  I just think it's a little bit unrealistic to have that many more mailboxes than units because they are hideously expensive and builders would normally avoid spending more than they had to.  I don't get how other floors might not be shaped the same, unless it's the lower floors that we haven't seen on the other side.  It's possible, I guess, but this is an older building so I'm thinking it's not that likely.

17 hours ago, CherryAmes said:

There was an early episode, I think the first time Leonard's mother shows up where she specifically states how many tenants would be in the building:

If there are actually more than 5 stories in that building I can't imagine that pople would really put up with walking up and down that many flights of stairs every single day!  I think the original intent had to be that there was that there would be more than two apartments on each floor.

I think you might be right on both points.  I know that in NYC an older building over a certain number of floors that already had an elevator would be required by the building code to fix it, but California might be very different on that.

[rmontro]

8 hours ago, msani19 said:

I know the realism is the last thing they care about as long as it serves the story for that particular week, but when we care about it more than they do? UGH!!

The thing is, I'm not even sure what it is they are trying to gain by these distortions?  How are they furthering the story by any of it?  

Maybe having Bernadette being the prime earner helps frame Howard as the mama's boy again/still?  And maybe making Penny the prime earner is just making it "her turn" after Leonard helping her out financially so much over the years?

Regarding the mailboxes, this is a bit of a stretch, but perhaps if there is more than one person living in an apartment, maybe they each have a mailbox?  I don't even know if such a thing can be done though, and that doesn't appear to have been the case with Sheldon and Leonard when they were living together.

[CherryAmes]

I think there is a lot of "snicker snicker the girls make more than the boys" going on, coupled with a complete misunderstanding of what salaries for scientists actually are.  In an early episode I caught the other day Raj's father specifically asks the guys if their parents are happy with their limited earning potential so even as early as the first or second season and long before Bernadette and Penny were making big bucks they had framed the story to show that nerdy science boys earn squat.  The problem is that's not true, certainly not for these guys working at Cal Tech and discovering stars, going into space, publishing papers, working for the Air Force and so on and so on and even if by some standards (wealthy doctors and rich Hollywood producers) it is true then one man's squat is another man's dream salary!!!

Edited February 21, 2017 by CherryAmes

[LoneHaranguer]

6 hours ago, Snarklepuss said:

I don't get how other floors might not be shaped the same, unless it's the lower floors that we haven't seen on the other side.  It's possible, I guess, but this is an older building so I'm thinking it's not that likely.

It's not unusual to add an addition to a building that's fewer floors than the original, but you'll also see people combine adjacent buildings, effectively giving you two towers that require you to go to the ground floor to go between them. All of the mailboxes for both sections would be together.

[Snarklepuss]

13 minutes ago, LoneHaranguer said:

It's not unusual to add an addition to a building that's fewer floors than the original, but you'll also see people combine adjacent buildings, effectively giving you two towers that require you to go to the ground floor to go between them. All of the mailboxes for both sections would be together.

I personally wouldn't go that far to justify the additional mailboxes, but YMMV.  Besides, if they were adjoining an existing building I'd assume it would already have its own mailboxes and these look like they were probably original to the construction of the building.  I also can't quite imagine that this building would be adjoined to a brand new building that didn't also have its own mailboxes.  But again, YMMV.

At any rate, this is far from the first thread where these things have been discussed.  This one starts out noticing what Mr. Snarkle noticed about the distance from the front door of the building to the stairwell on the 1st floor not being enough to accommodate Penny's apartment size and also discusses the mailboxes:

http://forum.the-big-bang-theory.com/topic/2960-physics-failure/

[LoneHaranguer]

1 hour ago, Snarklepuss said:

I personally wouldn't go that far to justify the additional mailboxes, but YMMV. 

After a bit of googling, it appears that there are actually very few choices in buying a set of mailboxes for an apartment. If 8 isn't enough, the next size up is the 16 that we see. We know that there are at least 5 floors, and even if there are no apartments on the  first floor,  the builder would have allocated a box for the building manager/owner, so 16 it was.

[Cowgirl]

8 hours ago, CherryAmes said:

 In an early episode I caught the other day Raj's father specifically asks the guys if their parents are happy with their limited earning potential so even as early as the first or second season and long before Bernadette and Penny were making big bucks they had framed the story to show that nerdy science boys earn squat.

And don't forget that, in the episode where the new "it" girl who is an  actress moves in upstairs (I think the episode title is something like the Dead Hooker Juxtaposition or Insertion or something else "sciencey."), and starts using the guys at her beck and call, she asked Penny how much a physicist makes and Penny tells she doesn't know but doesn't think it's much.  I always found that odd. I think it's the first time they really touched on the guys' salaries.  I suppose that Penny could just have been brushing off the bitchy girl, but her answer has always bothered me.  (Boy, do I need to get another hobby!!)

[LoneHaranguer]

23 minutes ago, Cowgirl said:

I suppose that Penny could just have been brushing off the bitchy girl, but her answer has always bothered me.

Penny was probably going by the guys' style of living with no idea how much they were pouring into the collectibles and tech they were buying or that Sheldon had actually saved for the future. Seeing the old clothes in Leonard's closet probably didn't help.

[Snarklepuss]

14 hours ago, LoneHaranguer said:

After a bit of googling, it appears that there are actually very few choices in buying a set of mailboxes for an apartment. If 8 isn't enough, the next size up is the 16 that we see. We know that there are at least 5 floors, and even if there are no apartments on the  first floor,  the builder would have allocated a box for the building manager/owner, so 16 it was.

That's not what I saw when Googling.  There are sizes for 10 and 12 units too for in-wall installations (see below).  Plus I lived the first 33 years of my life in NYC apartments and know that they come in many shapes and sizes.  Older buildings don't tend to conform to modern large sized USPS dictated boxes, which could make custom sizing necessary to fit the necessary number of boxes into the chosen location for the boxes.  The sizing back then was allowed to be smaller.  Usually older buildings are grandfathered in on the older smaller sized boxes (like the ones on BBT) if they can't accommodate larger boxes.  Don't ask me how I know these things (my father was co-op board president in his bldg. for decades).

http://www.budgetmailboxes.com/horizontal-mailbox.html

http://www.midatlanticmailboxes.com/6m8/centralized-delivery-mailboxes-and-kiosks/usps-approved-verticals.html?gclid=CjwKEAiAirXFBRCQyvL279Tnx1ESJAB-G-Qvgt8iaO9URnHp8pfwmudNGG_f7kS8iPk6dcnm5fBuVBoCQxXw_wcB

Edited February 22, 2017 by Snarklepuss

[CherryAmes]

14 hours ago, LoneHaranguer said:

Penny was probably going by the guys' style of living with no idea how much they were pouring into the collectibles and tech they were buying or that Sheldon had actually saved for the future. Seeing the old clothes in Leonard's closet probably didn't help.

That, but also Penny and the bitchy girl were actresses (or trying to be) they were hoping for stardom but also for the kind of wealth most people associate with Hollywood.  It's not surprising that Penny and the BG wouldn't consider a physicists salary to be particularly good.  Especially since, obviously, the writers certainly didn't!

[rmontro]

20 hours ago, Cowgirl said:

she asked Penny how much a physicist makes and Penny tells she doesn't know but doesn't think it's much

One odd thing about that is that Penny was working as a waitress at the time and was clearly having trouble making ends meet.  She was getting free meals and wifi from the nerds across the hall.  She must have thought the boys lived comfortably, at least.  And that was also after the episode where Sheldon freely borrowed her money.