Until I saw TBBT I never knew that....

[wellplayedpenny]

In examining the episodes for my latest fanfiction I've come to realize that there are a lot of peculiar life-lessons, particularly as the show transformed from what it was to a rom-com. I thought I'd list a few I've seen:

I never knew I would have to give up 'nerd/geek' things in order to find love and become a responsible adult. Apparently being scientists at a university, out on their own (save Howard) paying bills, engaging socially with people of similar interests a la comic book store, robot fighting league, renaissance fairs, paintball fields or ComicCon (I mean who goes to ComicCon anyways, right? ) isn't enough to constitute maturity if one chooses to read comic books, play D&D and go to Planet of the Apes marathons.

I never knew that you should side with your gf no matter what, even if she attacks/insults your friend (who's doing you a favor for free) for no reason.

I never knew that your ex-gf would find you sexually attractive after telling her that you only did things she liked in order to have sex with her.

I never knew that it was okay to retaliate against an annoying friend by nearly tanking his career. After all, Leonard, Raj and Howard faced no consequences for their actions even though as scientists they should have been canned for tampering with Sheldon's experiment.

I never knew that there were stages of cheating as making out with a girl a couple of times while your gf is in India is 'kinda wrong' but forgivable since you didn't go all the way (even though you regretted not doing it).

---

I never knew that dropping out of community college and traveling half way across the country to follow your dream to become a movie star didn't constitute as something you're 'passionate about'. Apparently working at a dead-end job while struggling to pay bills, afford acting classes and pay for gas to attend auditions is something you do for the hell of it.

[Idle Miscreant]

Can I play?

More TBBT Life Lessons

(1) Being asexual is evidence of immaturity/retarded growth/something wrong.

(2) Being devoted to science or one’s intellectual work is the sign of an incomplete human, because only devotion to conventional romance makes a person worthwhile or whole.

(3) Being single is socially unacceptable, and manifests as constant misery.

(4) All dreams must be abandoned for the ‘reality’ of a family and mortgage, dishwasher etc.

(5) Sex is more important than fidelity to one’s own nature.

(6) Self-assured, independent, unusual and superior men must be humiliated and mocked, and ultimately brought to their knees and made to conform.

(7) Self-assured, independent, free-spirited women must be made housewives.

(8) All comic books, science fiction, speculative fiction, fantasy fiction, board games, video games, role-playing games, cosplay and so forth, are embarrassing and childish pursuits/hobbies and should be put away in favour of attention to one’s relationship.
(See Lesson 5)

(9) If you complainingly suffer years of insults, obliviousness, and neglect you will eventually get the object of your desire to return a small percentage of your attentions.

(10) If you wait around long enough for the object of your desire to fall into destitution and despair and lose her hopes and dreams, she will then agree to marry you.

[Wisp]

This show is a wealth of knowledge.

Until I saw TBBT I never knew that...

1. The more you mention an ugly woman's ladyparts, the funnier it gets.

2. Star Wars is apparently an obscure piece of Pop Culture that is too weird for the masses to successfully reference. Same goes for Star Trek and Doctor Who. God forbid a "normal" should happen to know what a lightsaber is.

3. Self-entitled wankers are nice.

4. Lonely sweet guys like Stuart get less female attention than a lonely spoilt, hypocritical overprivileged guy (Ahem RAJ Ahem) who reveals his wankery after one sip of alcohol.

[lewstonewar]

Wow, We are not bitter or nothing.

[Idle Miscreant]

It's just heartbreaking to see a show you once loved flushed so thoroughly down the crapper.
90% of these "Life Lessons" only apply to season 5-7. I have great difficulty mustering any snark for the early seasons. There was the odd tit and bum joke I could have done without, but otherwise it was all quite innocent and charming. And of course Sheldon was a work of genius.
Now it's just a litany of abuse, contempt, humiliation, tawdriness and conformity. And Sheldon is a poor, broken fool stumbling around in a nasty, artificial relationship.

But enough of that...LOOK WHAT I FOUND! Doctor's comment sent me on a Star Wars hunt...

[wellplayedpenny]

There are some positives to look at too. Such as:

Lightsabers make kick-ass glow sticks.

NASA doesn't spend a lot on security because it's easy-peasy to 'borrow' equipment from lockup.

Using a star chart and a drone I can find any house in Beverly Hills.

Practicing meme theory on my friends can be a source of amusement.

---

Thanks to TBBT I never knew that:

One can become instantly shit-faced drunk in a matter of minutes (or even seconds) causing untold embarrassment.

You can be attracted to someone 'for who he is' at the same time you want to change almost every single thing about him.

It's okay to not respect another's boundaries when it comes to physical contact because it's for his own good. Of course if this was reversed and Amy was being pressured by Sheldon I somehow doubt the 'humour' would be there....

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Someone can just say the words 'Star Trek' or 'Star Wars' and other people will laugh regardless if there's a joke or not.

[wellplayedpenny]

Scrambled eggs are as good as they're going to be.

The Doppler Effect would make such an awesome costume.

---

Wandering the seas as a stateless pirate is a plausible alternative to getting another job.

Corduroy suits are still popular in the physics community.

If one is to lie he must make sure it is un-unravelable.

Giving a 12 year old boy a motorized dirt bike can inflict childhood trauma. After all, what 12 year old boy would want one?

[ricardo shillyshally]

I'd say to most of The Major's Lessons, that they are pretty much true. Whether applied to TBBT, or life. There are conforming forces out there; maybe CBS, or [organisation we're not allowed to mention, The Spanish Inquisition!) I realise that 'growing up' doesn't just mean wearing a cardigan, and imitating your parents, but keeping everthing you love from when you were young, and just keep adding to it, as you grow! (We've only been re-defining what it is to be an adult for about fifty years). With the show, I've realised they can't keep going for ever, they've run out of ideas, the actors become older(and can't be replaced). So do they finish on a high, and leave us all without closure? Or did they reach a peak at about season 4, and are taking us by the route of unbelievable characters, and a conformist plot down to the inevitable finale! Also TBBT tells us that in sit com land; it's normal to stalk the object of your lust over a protracted time, infiltrate their friends group, be ingratiating, manipulate, use guilt trip, lie (when A pretended to be ill), etc! No Clips!!!! And then try to change them into somebody else!!!

[devilbk]

This is a wonderful thread and its wisdom deserves to be spread near and far. Seems to be perfect Twitter fodder but I suspect a more jaundiced id needs to be created. Vintage Big Bang isn't quite right for it.

[wellplayedpenny]

Griffins are just an eagle egg and lion semen DNA recombination sequence away from reality.

Sea shanties make assembly lines more efficient.

Secret Agent Laser Obstacle Chess is cool but Secret Agent Laser Obstacle Lunch is just stupid.

If a robotic arm has a death grip on your penis, try turning it off before seeking medical attention.

You can call your boyfriend's hobbies dopey and his personal quirks, ridiculous, so long as you remind him that you're the best girlfriend he's ever gonna have.

Apparently showing off your bandaged bikini wax isn't a sexual turn-on.