04-02-2015, 01:35 PM
(The following may be a trifle OT, but bear with me...It’s an extended current season wish, essentially…Yes yes, I’ll move the damn post later)
For the benefit of visiting eyeballs which may occasionally weary of reading such relentless cynicism, I’d like to clarify a few things, which WE* know, but perhaps forget to mention in the public forums;
(*We, for the purpose of this post, relates predominately to Idle Miscreant, but also to the general VIBE of this joint, as picked up through months and months of Grumblebox sessions.)
We are sincere FANS of the characters. And thus the show itself, in the widest possible sense. Nobody creates a 70-odd page, bespoke designed website & forum (as our mods have done) out of sheer irritability, and nobody posts vast, eloquent diatribes about the fate of characters they don’t care about (as our members do).
We appreciate and admire the creation of these characters, and the efforts of those involved in their existence.
The problem is that the world and future of these characters has altered considerably through them all being allotted “life partners” whose natures we do NOT care for, and whose MO appears to be; Get Trophy Wife/Husband to Redeem the Disappointments of Youth, then Mortgage, Babies, Tenure, Retirement, Death. The message has, in this suddenly all-couple-universe, changed from “It’s grand to be different” to “You must fit in”.
This pains a lot of our forum, I suspect. There is a sense of betrayal and trickery, that what we bought stock in, in good faith, is now being altered for reasons we cannot fathom.
Being an eccentric, and focusing on your passion (be it theoretical physics, art, literature, cosmology, acting) above all things, was once celebrated through Sheldon’s character. Now he seems to be being treated as something abnormal which must be fixed. (Through date nights and finally sex, apparently.)
Similarly, having a fascination with gadgets and games, as demonstrated best through Howard, is now treated as juvenile, and something which also must be fixed. (Through marriage.)
Penny’s free-wheeling chaos has had its wings clipped. A normal job and housewifery is all she has to look forward to.
Granted, much of “reality” is like this, but 1) not for THESE characters, and 2) who asked for reality!
The knowledge of the fate of our favourites thus hangs over our heads, and spreads a deep pall o’er our deliberations.
It’s like being led down a beautiful corridor to a room which has a Rancor behind it, to whom you will be fed. The corridor may be tastefully decorated, lined with all manner of books and interesting artefacts, there may even be a string quartet following you, or a small octogenarian Jazz band (or Beyonce, or whatever the fuck you want) to provide your favourite music. It doesn’t really matter though, does it, because you’re still going to be fed to a Rancor.
Thus, the comedic writing on this show may still dazzle, the B plots may be intriguing and entertaining, the acting may still delight, but if there’s a monstrous fate in store, then it’s hard to be positive, let alone joyful.
![[Image: rancoreat.jpg]](https://monsterlegacy.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/rancoreat.jpg)
Monkey likened it to watching a recording of your favourite sports team when you know in advance that they’ll lose.
Now, you can be all Daoist about it, and enjoy the wild strawberries whilst two mice gnaw through the vine which is suspending you above the ravenous tiger, and another tiger paces overhead, OR, what I suspect the HQers are more prone to doing, you can question what the hell you’re doing dangling over a cliff-face in the first place. Why have you and your favourite characters been put in this terrible predicament?
This leads to our endless ranting and raving against The Powers That Be.
In regards to that tortured Rancor metaphor, one must ask why we are going down the corridor at all, if we know what’s at the end. Masochism and mild insanity is one explanation. Being pulled along by your heart-strings is another. Because we DO seem to care, even if we don’t watch, we are aware of what is occurring, in ostensibly the same universe as the episodes we loved. The fact that Sheldon’s mannerisms, dialogue, voice and focus have changed so dramatically doesn’t QUITE detach him from his old existence. Not sufficiently to cease feeling some sort of stabbing pain in the ventricles every time he does something out of character, like act like a buffoon, or neglect his scientific passion in favour of “date night”, like any other Homo sapien. RIP Homo novus indeed.
The point of all this was to long-windedly say, that it is my understanding that it’s not so much that we don’t appreciate the hard work, imagination, and inspiration that goes into writing, producing, acting for and directing TBBT, as that the relationships and their alterations of the characters within, have soured it all for us, such that we haven’t the heart to even cherry-pick out moments of brilliance, like armadillo hallucinations, or Krakens, or Back to the Future Tense debates.
If you want a forum full of cheering HQers, then lift the curse of the relationships, and we can all breathe the free air again…That is MY wish for the finale.
[Accurate representation of the average HQer, labouring under the effects of current seasons]
![[Image: exorcist.jpg]](http://thediviningnation.tripod.com/hp/exorcist.jpg)
For the benefit of visiting eyeballs which may occasionally weary of reading such relentless cynicism, I’d like to clarify a few things, which WE* know, but perhaps forget to mention in the public forums;
(*We, for the purpose of this post, relates predominately to Idle Miscreant, but also to the general VIBE of this joint, as picked up through months and months of Grumblebox sessions.)
We are sincere FANS of the characters. And thus the show itself, in the widest possible sense. Nobody creates a 70-odd page, bespoke designed website & forum (as our mods have done) out of sheer irritability, and nobody posts vast, eloquent diatribes about the fate of characters they don’t care about (as our members do).
We appreciate and admire the creation of these characters, and the efforts of those involved in their existence.
The problem is that the world and future of these characters has altered considerably through them all being allotted “life partners” whose natures we do NOT care for, and whose MO appears to be; Get Trophy Wife/Husband to Redeem the Disappointments of Youth, then Mortgage, Babies, Tenure, Retirement, Death. The message has, in this suddenly all-couple-universe, changed from “It’s grand to be different” to “You must fit in”.
This pains a lot of our forum, I suspect. There is a sense of betrayal and trickery, that what we bought stock in, in good faith, is now being altered for reasons we cannot fathom.
Being an eccentric, and focusing on your passion (be it theoretical physics, art, literature, cosmology, acting) above all things, was once celebrated through Sheldon’s character. Now he seems to be being treated as something abnormal which must be fixed. (Through date nights and finally sex, apparently.)
Similarly, having a fascination with gadgets and games, as demonstrated best through Howard, is now treated as juvenile, and something which also must be fixed. (Through marriage.)
Penny’s free-wheeling chaos has had its wings clipped. A normal job and housewifery is all she has to look forward to.
Granted, much of “reality” is like this, but 1) not for THESE characters, and 2) who asked for reality!
The knowledge of the fate of our favourites thus hangs over our heads, and spreads a deep pall o’er our deliberations.
It’s like being led down a beautiful corridor to a room which has a Rancor behind it, to whom you will be fed. The corridor may be tastefully decorated, lined with all manner of books and interesting artefacts, there may even be a string quartet following you, or a small octogenarian Jazz band (or Beyonce, or whatever the fuck you want) to provide your favourite music. It doesn’t really matter though, does it, because you’re still going to be fed to a Rancor.
Thus, the comedic writing on this show may still dazzle, the B plots may be intriguing and entertaining, the acting may still delight, but if there’s a monstrous fate in store, then it’s hard to be positive, let alone joyful.
Monkey likened it to watching a recording of your favourite sports team when you know in advance that they’ll lose.
Now, you can be all Daoist about it, and enjoy the wild strawberries whilst two mice gnaw through the vine which is suspending you above the ravenous tiger, and another tiger paces overhead, OR, what I suspect the HQers are more prone to doing, you can question what the hell you’re doing dangling over a cliff-face in the first place. Why have you and your favourite characters been put in this terrible predicament?
This leads to our endless ranting and raving against The Powers That Be.
In regards to that tortured Rancor metaphor, one must ask why we are going down the corridor at all, if we know what’s at the end. Masochism and mild insanity is one explanation. Being pulled along by your heart-strings is another. Because we DO seem to care, even if we don’t watch, we are aware of what is occurring, in ostensibly the same universe as the episodes we loved. The fact that Sheldon’s mannerisms, dialogue, voice and focus have changed so dramatically doesn’t QUITE detach him from his old existence. Not sufficiently to cease feeling some sort of stabbing pain in the ventricles every time he does something out of character, like act like a buffoon, or neglect his scientific passion in favour of “date night”, like any other Homo sapien. RIP Homo novus indeed.
The point of all this was to long-windedly say, that it is my understanding that it’s not so much that we don’t appreciate the hard work, imagination, and inspiration that goes into writing, producing, acting for and directing TBBT, as that the relationships and their alterations of the characters within, have soured it all for us, such that we haven’t the heart to even cherry-pick out moments of brilliance, like armadillo hallucinations, or Krakens, or Back to the Future Tense debates.
If you want a forum full of cheering HQers, then lift the curse of the relationships, and we can all breathe the free air again…That is MY wish for the finale.
[Accurate representation of the average HQer, labouring under the effects of current seasons]
"WHERE THE HELL'S MY PARACHUTE?"
![[Image: n2y9t3.jpg]](http://i61.tinypic.com/n2y9t3.jpg)
![[Image: tumblr_n6rbd9lEzk1rgvfxho1_500.jpg]](http://40.media.tumblr.com/cc9793b882fe7ae50d2c5a107f3ef23b/tumblr_n6rbd9lEzk1rgvfxho1_500.jpg)
