S10.E17: The Comic-Con Conundrum

[Helena Dax]

On 24/2/2017 at 6:16 PM, Pop Tart said:

I'm so tired of the "girls just won't like comic con" bits. Certainly Penny won't geek out to the extent that Leonard and the guys would, but if nothing else it's a huge spectacle and it's in San Diego. Granted they live in Pasadena so not the same draw as it was for me coming from Wisconsin, but still, San Diego! I'm sure Penny could find plenty to occupy herself if she wasn't going to all the panels that the guys wanted to go to. And the panels, they're not just nerdy comic book ones, there are tv show panels and movie panels, lots and lots of big stars, etc. Again, not totally Penny's scene, but the whole girls won't like it is just old and frankly sexist. So that was irritating on top of their just not talking to each other.

Otherwise pretty meh.

I agree, I'm sick of it too. The show has always refused to believe that there are plenty of female geeks/nerds. Are they blind? I'm a woman over forty and I would go to the Comic Con. My BFF would go. My sister's over forty too, she's married with a child, and she would go.  And of course I know lots of younger women who would go to the Comic Con. We like that stuff too. We always have, we always will. 

The show seems to also imply  that mature people shouldn't be so interested in nerdy things and I despise that concept even more. 

I'm starting to think that Sheldon's the most mature there. At least, he knows what he likes and doesn't apologize for it. It's like Raj, Leonard and Howard, deep down, do believe they're losers because they like comics and rol games and things like that: they're ashamed of themselves. Sheldon clearly isn't. 

The relationship between Howard and Bernadette is embarrassing. 

[Snarklepuss]

I'm totally with the board on this episode.  I didn't start going to Star Trek conventions until I was over 35.  Equating these interests with immaturity is insulting to a LOT of adults out there.  I would have been happier if the show just portrayed the guys becoming more mature in their approach to these interests, not make them give them up altogether.  I hate to say it but I think that attitude comes from Lorre himself and might even be supported by some of the cast.  And that doesn't make me love the show as much anymore.  I thought this was actually supposed to be a show that ultimately celebrated and legitimized being a geek.  Geeks tuned in to feel validated.  This does not validate them.

Increasingly this show is portraying the men as children with their women as their mothers/caretakers.  OK, I accept it with Howard because that's a part of his personality (even though I find it gag-inducing), but now it extends to Leonard and even Raj to some degree.  I am afraid that for all Raj's supposed maturity in refusing his father's support anymore, the show is going to make him suddenly meet a rich woman who will emasculate him and support him for the rest of his life.

Add me to the list of Italian Americans who winced seeing red pepper being chopped for lasagna.  Maybe that's some kind of regional California cuisine thing?  Because it's certainly not Italian American.  I'm a foodie and I constantly see strange things being done with my ethnic food.  Most recently I saw a cooking show pushing cottage cheese in lasagna instead of ricotta.  They had all kinds of reasons for this, none of which I would ever buy into much less find appetizing.  I don't mess with my grandma's cooking.  It was perfect as-is, IMO.

[CherryAmes]

This show has always demonstrated that they think the guys interests are immature.  Pretty much from the first episode on.  I don't think they ever celebrated geek culture, they always made fun of it.  But for me it's like watching a show where they make fun of Canada (I'm Canadian),  It's just nice to be noticed :). Anyway they have always, and I mean always suggested that the only reason guys read comic books and obsessively watch sci/fi movies is because they don't have girlfriends.  If they could have they would have had the guys all hunkering down in their parents basements somewhere without jobs or lives outside their computers.  Instead they made them brilliant scientists.  It's why the show worked.  Not much humour in showing sad little men sitting in front of a computer while their Mom lowers food down to them on a regular basis.

 I don't think they are showing the guys giving up anything.  Three of them are choosing not to travel to Comic-Con this year.  Good for them.  They live near LA it's not like they won't be able to go to similar kinds of shows if they want to and it's not like they are giving up their comics, games, movies, TV shows, collectibles etc. 

Edited February 26, 2017 by CherryAmes

[PinkRibbons]

FWIW, until a few years ago when the prices went up way too high, a friend of mine, her husband and two daughters made a point of going to Comic-Con every single year. The father was in the industry, but my friend and her girls had a blast just because they thought it was fun. Oh, and they totally brought me back the Monster High exclusive doll, which rocked my world.

Gee, what would women do at Comic-Con? In years past there were Twilight panels, Buffy panels, X-Files panels, oh, wait a second, every year THERE'S A BIG BANG THEORY PANEL. Do the writers not look out at the audience when they're at those? I wonder how they'll be received this year, after this episode has aired.

Incidentally my favorite TBBT-related photo ever was taken at Comic-Con:

(Yes, Mayim is wearing Green Lantern rings.)

[CherryAmes]

6 minutes ago, PinkRibbons said:

Buffy panels,

One thing that never rang true for me was that Penny had never seen Buffy until she watched it with Leonard and that she didn't particularly like it even then.  Penny has always been into whatever is trendy.  Buffy was huge in its day which was pretty much when Penny was in high school.  Not believing for one minute that someone like Penny wouldn't have watched that show!

[Nordly Beaumont]

IMO saying that Penny, Bernie, and Amy don't want to go to Comic Con isn't a statement that NO women want to go to Comic Con.

[CherryAmes]

3 minutes ago, Nordly Beaumont said:

 

IMO saying that Penny, Bernie, and Amy don't want to go to Comic Con isn't a statement that NO women want to go to Comic Con.

 

They did the same thing with Everybody Loves Raymond.  Guys are into sports, gals aren't.  So annoying but of course they did it on that show for the same reason they do it on BBT, comic tension.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it's just dumb!

[rmontro]

On 2/25/2017 at 3:07 PM, Hanahope said:

Maybe Raj will be the lucky guy. That would open up some new story lines if one of the groups females wants to join the guys games and such instead of doing stuff with the other gals. 

The writers seem to have had a tough time coming up with a girlfriend character for Raj that sticks, that idea sounds more promising than most.

This probably won't be a popular statement here, but the bell pepper in the lasagna is actually starting to sound good to me.  Give it a little crunch.  Onion and bell pepper balances each other well, you could put onion and bell pepper in about anything.

[Starscream]

8 hours ago, Snarklepuss said:

Add me to the list of Italian Americans who winced seeing red pepper being chopped for lasagna.  Maybe that's some kind of regional California cuisine thing?  Because it's certainly not Italian American.  I'm a foodie and I constantly see strange things being done with my ethnic food.  Most recently I saw a cooking show pushing cottage cheese in lasagna instead of ricotta.

I just chalked it up to being some wacky "California" version of lasagna like a Calfornia roll or California pizza.

[Snarklepuss]

1 minute ago, Starscream said:

I just chalked it up to being some wacky "California" version of lasagna like a Calfornia roll or California pizza.

Yep, like ham and pineapple pizza.  20 years ago I was served that in San Francisco and thought the same thing.  I'm from NYC and until that point I had never heard of such a thing, LOL!

[wendyg]

snarklepuss: Cottage cheese? Gross enough...but if you *really* want to be grossed out, here's what British people put in lasagne instead of ricotta: bechamel sauce. It's *awful*.

[CherryAmes]

Cottage cheese?  That's what I've always used!  Call me a wacky Canadian I guess!

[lh25]

My question is when did Stuart start making enough money at the store to hire Raj?

[rmontro]

55 minutes ago, lh25 said:

My question is when did Stuart start making enough money at the store to hire Raj?

That kind of raised my eyebrows also.  Yet another money inconsistency.

[Pop Tart]

Quote

IMO saying that Penny, Bernie, and Amy don't want to go to Comic Con isn't a statement that NO women want to go to Comic Con.

You're right - but this is combined with the fact that anytime a female enters the comic book store the characters act as though a unicorn has walked in. With pretty much everything they do in terms of their geek obsessions on the show, it's made clear that "girls" don't participate. That it's a miracle when one does want to participate. So I take it all as a theme from the writers. 

[DarkRaichu]

It took them 10 years but Raj was finally written as human being and not just some caricature or comic relief.

Too bad Penny and Leonard are now in some kind of infinite loops of forced non-communication.  Sheldon was meticulous when writing contracts, shouldn't this be the kind of things spelled out in that unfunny couple contract from 2-3 episodes ago???

[LoneHaranguer]

On 2/25/2017 at 5:36 PM, BlossomCulp said:

The only "geeky" type thing I can recall any of the women liking offhand is Harry Potter.

Penny surprised Bernadette by saying that she likes Game of Thrones, specifically noting that it has dragons.

On 2/25/2017 at 7:28 PM, DrSpaceman73 said:

Here is an idea for the show :  you could actually show them GOING TO COMIC CON and AT COMIC CON, which would be far more interesting than an entire episode centered around arguing about comic con. 

Comic Con is in July and this show always skips the summer.

[CherryAmes]

Is Game of Thrones considered geeky?  If so I guess that's another example of how this show is blurring mainstream entertainment with geeky interests!

[ari333]

Funny (not ha ha) that the plot had them not going to Comic Con on the show, but the cast and creators/producers go in real life and they do a panel interview with audience Q and A - OR rather they used to.

[CherryAmes]

Do you think they won't be welcome because they had characters on the show decide not to attend?

[DrSpaceman73]

1 hour ago, LoneHaranguer said:

Penny surprised Bernadette by saying that she likes Game of Thrones, specifically noting that it has dragons.

Comic Con is in July and this show always skips the summer.

That doesn't mean they have to skip the summer though.  They just choose to do so.  And its fictional and taped ahead of time, would be pretty easy to do a Comic Con based episode. 

[Hanahope]

1 hour ago, CherryAmes said:

Is Game of Thrones considered geeky?  If so I guess that's another example of how this show is blurring mainstream entertainment with geeky interests!

Since the show is based on a book about a fantasy land with magic and dragons, yeah, that's usually considered geeky.

 

Quote

You're right - but this is combined with the fact that anytime a female enters the comic book store the characters act as though a unicorn has walked in. With pretty much everything they do in terms of their geek obsessions on the show, it's made clear that "girls" don't participate. That it's a miracle when one does want to participate. So I take it all as a theme from the writers. 

This was probably very much the case 25 years ago.  I know that when I went to gaming-cons in my 20s, the ratio was probably 1 female to every 30 male, I was very much in the minority and sometimes that was really nice, as most of the guys were pretty friendly and extatic to have a woman around.  The guys would totally underestimate my gaming ability and be shocked when I beat them.

But these days, the ratio is far far less.  Its still more male, but probably 1:3.  And in the area the BBT guys live, there's a lot of female gamers/geeks/nerds, whatever you call them.  Maybe in more rural areas, the ratio is much higher again, but at Comic Con, I'm sure its no less than a third populated by women.

 

 

 

 1

[iMonrey]

Quote

But this also part of what annoys me with the show that none of the guys have a girlfriend or wife that shares their interest.

It never ceases to astound me how many of my friends do actually marry people with virtually no common interests. At least Sheldon and Amy have science in common (even if Sheldon disparages Amy's work at every turn). Penny's attraction to Leonard seems based entirely on the simple fact that he wants/loves her, not that they have anything in common. I think in a lot of cases that's all women are really looking for. 

Quote

vegetable lasagna

Heresy.

[AnnaRose]

I'm glad it's still going, even though it may no longer be in its prime.  At least it usually makes me laugh.  And other than Raj, none of the characters regularly annoy me really. 

[lh25]

I did love the line about how Raj clearly isn't spending money on clothes.

[abstractstuff]

Funny. I always put cottage cheese and ricotta in my lasagna. No one can ever tell.. 

[Snarklepuss]

17 hours ago, wendyg said:

snarklepuss: Cottage cheese? Gross enough...but if you *really* want to be grossed out, here's what British people put in lasagne instead of ricotta: bechamel sauce. It's *awful*.

Actually putting bechamel in lasagna is authentically Italian depending on the region.  Some put ricotta and some "besciamella".  I've had it in lasagna with bolognese sauce and it can be really good if done right.

[CherryAmes]

23 hours ago, lh25 said:

My question is when did Stuart start making enough money at the store to hire Raj?

I think this is just another example of them doing stuff to be funny that makes no real sense.  Stuart's comic book store seems to be doing well, at least we haven't been told it isn't, and no one can possible run a store completely on their own,  there has to be some assistance.  Yet we're also told in this episode that Stuart is back living with Howard and Bernadette apparently rent free.  The free rent makes sense if he's contributing to the household  by helping with the baby and doing housework but it doesn't make sense if he's living rent free because he can't afford to live anywhere else. 

Edited February 28, 2017 by CherryAmes

[hnygrl]

11 hours ago, CherryAmes said:

 Stuart's comic book store seems to be doing well, at least we haven't been told it isn't, and no one can possible run a store completely on their own,  there has to be some assistance.  Yet we're also told in this episode that Stuart is back living with Howard and Bernadette apparently rent free.  The free rent makes sense if he's contributing to the household  by helping with the baby and doing housework but it doesn't make sense if he's living rent free because he can't afford to live anywhere else. 

I don't think he's back living with them because he "has" to, he did get his own  apartment, and I'm sure the insurance money (and Debbie money) left him pretty okay financially. The shop seems to be doing better business since he re-opened as well. I think he may be back living with them simply because he's soul-crushingly lonely. Nobody pays any attention to him except when they want something from him, so being the one to care for and love a small child has to be a better thing to come home to than an empty apartment...

[rmontro]

On 2/27/2017 at 11:50 AM, CherryAmes said:

Is Game of Thrones considered geeky?  If so I guess that's another example of how this show is blurring mainstream entertainment with geeky interests!

There's a lot of sex in the first season, so maybe that's why Penny likes it  :)

[MissLucas]

2 hours ago, rmontro said:

There's a lot of sex in the first season, so maybe that's why Penny likes it  :)

And if she squints a bit she can tell herself that Jon Snow looks a bit like Leonard. Also: there's nothing wrong with bechamel in a lasagne - quite the contrary.

Edited March 1, 2017 by MissLucas

[LoneHaranguer]

2 hours ago, rmontro said:

There's a lot of sex in the first season, so maybe that's why Penny likes it  :)

That actually was the other reason Penny cited besides the dragons.

On 2/28/2017 at 9:27 AM, CherryAmes said:

Stuart's comic book store seems to be doing well, at least we haven't been told it isn't, and no one can possible run a store completely on their own,  there has to be some assistance.  Yet we're also told in this episode that Stuart is back living with Howard and Bernadette apparently rent free.  The free rent makes sense if he's contributing to the household  by helping with the baby and doing housework but it doesn't make sense if he's living rent free because he can't afford to live anywhere else. 

I don't expect that a comic book store would do a consistent amount of business. Most of the college students would disappear for the summer, and a great deal of interest would depend on feature films with a relevant theme. Stuart may be able to fleece the guys, but do the other regulars ever buy anything?

[rmontro]

22 hours ago, MissLucas said:

And if she squints a bit she can tell herself that Jon Snow looks a bit like Leonard. Also: there's nothing wrong with bechamel in a lasagne - quite the contrary.

I have heard that the actor who plays Jon Snow is rather short, so maybe there is some resemblance to Leonard.  Also, not sure how you would fit a camel into a lasagna...

21 hours ago, LoneHaranguer said:

I don't expect that a comic book store would do a consistent amount of business. Most of the college students would disappear for the summer, and a great deal of interest would depend on feature films with a relevant theme. Stuart may be able to fleece the guys, but do the other regulars ever buy anything?

A lot of the regulars in a comic store usually have what they call a "pull list".  They have a standing order for the same comics every month, the shop sets them aside, and the customers come in and pick them up.  It's sort of like a subscription, but this way you get actual human contact with people of like interest, and you get to feel good about supporting the local brick and mortar store.

[BlossomCulp]

Also the comic book store my kids used to patronize sponsored a lot of events like Dungeons and Dragons evenings and the like.  They may have had a hard time competing with the online retailers for some things but there are always going to be reasons people want to show up somewhere in person.

[rmontro]

17 minutes ago, BlossomCulp said:

Also the comic book store my kids used to patronize sponsored a lot of events like Dungeons and Dragons evenings and the like.

Good point, a lot of comic book stores also double as gaming stores.  For instance, there's the episode with Wil Wheaton and the card gaming tournament.  There's another episode where Leonard and some of the others buy a card game about cowboys and witches, IIRC.

[BusyOctober]

Didn't Penny actually go to Comic Con in one episode?  Wasn't she signing autographs for her Gorilla movie?  I agree this show is wearing thin.  If the writers can't keep up with the continuity, then why should the audience?  There are so many inconsistencies from season to season as most of you pointed out.

 I'm also tired of the Leonard-Penny relationship. It isn't fun to watch. There seems to be NO love there on Penny's part.  She looks like she barely tolerates him (or any of his friends); snide remarks and eye rolls are the only way she expresses herself with any of these people. And Leonard tip toes around on eggshells, afraid of losing his "hot" wife.  Not only is Penny not a good partner, I think she's a rotten friend too.  She is always mocking the other girls for being involved with Howard and Sheldon.  She is selfish and an immature egomaniac IMO.  I know this is supposed to be a sit-com and the snarkiness is part of it, but I'd just like to see Penny do nice things for Leonard (or anyone) more often, and have her do them because she is trying to make people happy vs. gaining something in return.

[Hanahope]

4 hours ago, rmontro said:

Good point, a lot of comic book stores also double as gaming stores.  For instance, there's the episode with Wil Wheaton and the card gaming tournament.  There's another episode where Leonard and some of the others buy a card game about cowboys and witches, IIRC.

Some also have an extra room in the back where people can play games and the store will sell snacks and such.

[iMonrey]

Quote

I don't expect that a comic book store would do a consistent amount of business. Most of the college students would disappear for the summer, and a great deal of interest would depend on feature films with a relevant theme. Stuart may be able to fleece the guys, but do the other regulars ever buy anything?

Several seasons ago, Stuart took Bernadette to a rival comic book store that was doing great business. I'm not sure how another, smaller comic book store in the same area could survive at all. We occasionally see some customers lurking in the background and I'm sure the overhead is low, but the rent must be pretty high. Even assuming Stuart owns the building, property taxes would be enormous.  

[Bort]

4 hours ago, BusyOctober said:

Didn't Penny actually go to Comic Con in one episode?  Wasn't she signing autographs for her Gorilla movie?

Penny went to a comic con, not the comic con, the San Diego Comic Con, that's weeklong in July. There are all sorts of lower-tier comic cons year round.

[wendyg]

I may have to *make* lasagne this weekend so I can be sure the good stuff still exists. :)

(And yes, I start by making my own sauce.)

[LoneHaranguer]

20 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Several seasons ago, Stuart took Bernadette to a rival comic book store that was doing great business. I'm not sure how another, smaller comic book store in the same area could survive at all.

The same as food stores; offer something the other doesn't. The rival had free snacks and comfy seats. Stuart seems to have a good line on used comic books. Even though that one time he didn't have what Bernie needed right away, the guys seem satisfied. He might also be competing on price, contributing to his financial problems.

[Big Mother]

I just watched this episode tonight so I was neither annoyed by endless commercials, nor was the tag scene spoiled for me, and I legitimately laughed out loud. Mayyim looks like she's barely holding it in and is about to lose it. I'll bet you they had to do multiple takes of that last scene.