01-29-2015, 10:12 AM
Well thank you everyone, that was a very amusing (and lengthy) session. We'll probably have to reinforce the grumblebox at this rate, if you're all going to pack in like a bunch of mad bastards. It was like bagpipe night at the King Haaken bar...Or the Mos Eisley Cantina.
Nice to see us jaded sods can still manufacture some joy de vivre. Anyroad, back to business. I suspect (understatement alert) that a number of us might be breaking our S8 Ban and watching a few of these upcoming episodes.
This last TR sound very interesting from a technical standpoint, at minimum. A four minute stare is hard to maintain. That's more than all the Sheldon and Penny stares in TBBT history, and they are the masters of the stare-off. So. Fascinating. Couldn't do it myself, I'd go into spasm.
![[Image: 2h4iykn.jpg]](http://i35.tinypic.com/2h4iykn.jpg)
FOR FOUR MINUTES
I also rather admire this vaguely ya-boo-sucks-to-you attitude of this last TR. I certainly didn't expect it, and it's enjoyable to be startled by shows. I partially think that's the producers' and writers' job (along with entertaining, obviously), to keep viewers from growing complacent.
Or from growing smug and vicious, in the case of some Shamy and Lenny fans that see fit to troll Shenny Fanfiction unprovoked.
[BORING RANT ALERT]
The behaviour of some (SOME!) TBBT die-hard canon fans towards other, alternative fans is atrocious. It seems to be a war (because we don't have enough of them in the world) between the late season fans and the early season fans (er, us) and that's quite bizarre. Especially for such a gentle show.
Recently a new fan politely asked Mr Prady (or Doctor Prady, if the Honorary Doctorate people get on it. And they bloody should if Bialik got one. Prady's worked far longer and harder in the field. Just a brief gripe there...) if Sheldon would end up with Penny. Prady politely responded, and then some Shamy fans piled on to this woman's tweet with jeers, leaving Prady's twitter handle in. The whole situation was lovely.
I've been told it's thought then that the new fan "lost it" with Prady. No, actually she didn't say anything further to him. She responded to a fellow fan, and then to various attacking fans, but she never accused Bill of rudeness, only accused the Shamies.
As for the common argument that Shenny fans deluge or spam Prady with tweeted requests, redefine deluge as "that one woman last week, one time."
Otherwise it's about one tweet per month. I know. Because I check the "Sheldon Penny" word tag on twitter every week. For my sins.
The only thing deluging Prady's twitter are "MaJim" wedding manips and other assorted Shamy-related paraphanalia, from usually the same handful of people. Not ever going to BEGIN to get into that...
Concerning the enormous amount of vindictive and inane piffle emerging from certain quarters gloating variants about this being the nail in the Shennies' coffin (charming! I've encountered quite a few coffin and death metaphors on Tumblr, twitter, other forums. Are death and killing metaphors necessary? No.) I am left, as ever, worrying firstly about the appropriateness of using a sitcom as the justification for any sort of overwrought, private attack, and secondly about the fact that some canons apparently can't distinguish between the following sentences;
A) I think Sheldon and Penny SHOULD be together, or, I like the abstract concept
B) I think Sheldon and Penny ARE secretly together, or WILL BE "Endgame"
A is different from B. IT IS NOT DIFFICULT. Capitals make it shouty and easier.
Mr Prady's very polite statement on twitter certainly affects the B group, but most of them left around Season 4, so there's no-one really left to be put in their coffin (or other similar), or "fucked up the arse" (I kid you not, actual quote) is there? So who are these violent sentiments referring to?
The A group, on the other hand, is massive, and neither Mr Prady's comment, nor this rather delightful episode affects them at all.
No episodes post S5 affects the A group. If they watch the later seasons, the fact that Sheldon has been put with Amy doesn't alter their continued preference and wish that the writers had chosen Penny instead (or indeed any other woman at all, barring Dolores Umbridge...). Why would it?
I'm not going to win the lottery (particularly as I don't buy any damn tickets), but it doesn't stop me from thinking it'd be a "good idea".
I'd buy this.
![[Image: 11776210-large.jpg]](http://media.nola.com/hurricane_impact/photo/11776210-large.jpg)
Same with Shenny. Nothing in the world is going to alter the fact that a large number of viewers think it'd be a "good idea".
Not the L/P wedding, not Shamy coitus - Good lord, Sheldon's sex-life should NEVER have been given this sort of attention and obsessional build-up. It was NEVER part of his nature. Now it's like he's a sacrificial virgin, with all this obscene, fan build up. Well his character's certainly been sacrificed to it already - and certainly not an amusing episode that simply allows two great actors to play off each other again, after half a season apart.
Shenny will be around long after the show ends. It’s a character ship, not merely a static, episode-based one. It lives in conceptions and stories and potential. It cannot be "killed".
I also think (hope) that TPTB aren't so mean-spirited as to be even attempting to “kill the Shenny once and for all” as canon fans have phrased variously. I mean, what the devil harm is “The Shenny” (& Co) doing to TPTB? They were the original fanbase, they wrote the vast majority of fanfiction, made fanart and websites (HINT). They were the most enthusiastic and creative supporters of TBBT in its founding years. What sane man building a tower actively kicks out the foundations?
I think TPTB might be writing their own stories (we may not like their relationship choices and the changes to characters, to put it mildly, but it's their choice. Just as it's our choice not to watch the later seasons), not pettily attacking subsets of fans. I could be wrong. It's been known to occur (but the people who witnessed it have been banished to the Urals).
I'm very glad this episode was written, and I have renewed hopes for other unexpected episodes to emerge. I may not be watching, but I'll keep a less jaundiced eye on the reports. Hats off!
Rant ended. Where's the goddamn booze...
Nice to see us jaded sods can still manufacture some joy de vivre. Anyroad, back to business. I suspect (understatement alert) that a number of us might be breaking our S8 Ban and watching a few of these upcoming episodes.
This last TR sound very interesting from a technical standpoint, at minimum. A four minute stare is hard to maintain. That's more than all the Sheldon and Penny stares in TBBT history, and they are the masters of the stare-off. So. Fascinating. Couldn't do it myself, I'd go into spasm.
FOR FOUR MINUTES
I also rather admire this vaguely ya-boo-sucks-to-you attitude of this last TR. I certainly didn't expect it, and it's enjoyable to be startled by shows. I partially think that's the producers' and writers' job (along with entertaining, obviously), to keep viewers from growing complacent.
Or from growing smug and vicious, in the case of some Shamy and Lenny fans that see fit to troll Shenny Fanfiction unprovoked.
[BORING RANT ALERT]
The behaviour of some (SOME!) TBBT die-hard canon fans towards other, alternative fans is atrocious. It seems to be a war (because we don't have enough of them in the world) between the late season fans and the early season fans (er, us) and that's quite bizarre. Especially for such a gentle show.
Recently a new fan politely asked Mr Prady (or Doctor Prady, if the Honorary Doctorate people get on it. And they bloody should if Bialik got one. Prady's worked far longer and harder in the field. Just a brief gripe there...) if Sheldon would end up with Penny. Prady politely responded, and then some Shamy fans piled on to this woman's tweet with jeers, leaving Prady's twitter handle in. The whole situation was lovely.
I've been told it's thought then that the new fan "lost it" with Prady. No, actually she didn't say anything further to him. She responded to a fellow fan, and then to various attacking fans, but she never accused Bill of rudeness, only accused the Shamies.
As for the common argument that Shenny fans deluge or spam Prady with tweeted requests, redefine deluge as "that one woman last week, one time."
Otherwise it's about one tweet per month. I know. Because I check the "Sheldon Penny" word tag on twitter every week. For my sins.
The only thing deluging Prady's twitter are "MaJim" wedding manips and other assorted Shamy-related paraphanalia, from usually the same handful of people. Not ever going to BEGIN to get into that...
Concerning the enormous amount of vindictive and inane piffle emerging from certain quarters gloating variants about this being the nail in the Shennies' coffin (charming! I've encountered quite a few coffin and death metaphors on Tumblr, twitter, other forums. Are death and killing metaphors necessary? No.) I am left, as ever, worrying firstly about the appropriateness of using a sitcom as the justification for any sort of overwrought, private attack, and secondly about the fact that some canons apparently can't distinguish between the following sentences;
A) I think Sheldon and Penny SHOULD be together, or, I like the abstract concept
B) I think Sheldon and Penny ARE secretly together, or WILL BE "Endgame"
A is different from B. IT IS NOT DIFFICULT. Capitals make it shouty and easier.
Mr Prady's very polite statement on twitter certainly affects the B group, but most of them left around Season 4, so there's no-one really left to be put in their coffin (or other similar), or "fucked up the arse" (I kid you not, actual quote) is there? So who are these violent sentiments referring to?
The A group, on the other hand, is massive, and neither Mr Prady's comment, nor this rather delightful episode affects them at all.
No episodes post S5 affects the A group. If they watch the later seasons, the fact that Sheldon has been put with Amy doesn't alter their continued preference and wish that the writers had chosen Penny instead (or indeed any other woman at all, barring Dolores Umbridge...). Why would it?
I'm not going to win the lottery (particularly as I don't buy any damn tickets), but it doesn't stop me from thinking it'd be a "good idea".
I'd buy this.
Same with Shenny. Nothing in the world is going to alter the fact that a large number of viewers think it'd be a "good idea".
Not the L/P wedding, not Shamy coitus - Good lord, Sheldon's sex-life should NEVER have been given this sort of attention and obsessional build-up. It was NEVER part of his nature. Now it's like he's a sacrificial virgin, with all this obscene, fan build up. Well his character's certainly been sacrificed to it already - and certainly not an amusing episode that simply allows two great actors to play off each other again, after half a season apart.
Shenny will be around long after the show ends. It’s a character ship, not merely a static, episode-based one. It lives in conceptions and stories and potential. It cannot be "killed".
I also think (hope) that TPTB aren't so mean-spirited as to be even attempting to “kill the Shenny once and for all” as canon fans have phrased variously. I mean, what the devil harm is “The Shenny” (& Co) doing to TPTB? They were the original fanbase, they wrote the vast majority of fanfiction, made fanart and websites (HINT). They were the most enthusiastic and creative supporters of TBBT in its founding years. What sane man building a tower actively kicks out the foundations?
I think TPTB might be writing their own stories (we may not like their relationship choices and the changes to characters, to put it mildly, but it's their choice. Just as it's our choice not to watch the later seasons), not pettily attacking subsets of fans. I could be wrong. It's been known to occur (but the people who witnessed it have been banished to the Urals).
I'm very glad this episode was written, and I have renewed hopes for other unexpected episodes to emerge. I may not be watching, but I'll keep a less jaundiced eye on the reports. Hats off!
Rant ended. Where's the goddamn booze...
"WHERE THE HELL'S MY PARACHUTE?"