Penny Blossom

[Jislane35]

There's also nothing wrong with just Penny. It's to the point

How about Penny Blossom?

Or The Broken Blossom, since it covers both her money situation and her spirit

You know, the first couple of seasons I didn't see her as somebody who was afraid to be alone. Yes, she went out and partied with her girlfriends and had sex with guys (although I think Sheldon's number of sex partners she's had is lower if you consider she was with Kurt for 4 years, and had at least one 6 month dry spell resulting in her gaming addiction) but she was young, healthy, and in her early 20's so it's not surprising that she was hitting the clubs. It wasn't until season 4 when Bernadette and especially Amy started browbeating her about how great a guy Leonard was, how could she let him get away, And how much more accomplished, pretty, etc Priya was that she started to drink more and withdraw into the Bitter, sad, drunk Penny we know today. Does she even have any other friends anymore? I think her world has become The gang, the very people who treat her so bad with her boyfriend leading the charge, letting her know every single chance they get how inadequate she is. How often do you have to told you're stupid (even in jest) before you start believing it, how often do you have to be put down before you feel worthless.

Very true. And that's exactly why I don't consider the gang as her real friends nor is Amy her bestie (she just gave herself the title). Penny seems to know how average of a person she is so she sticks to the one guy who, unlike her, is successful with his life probably to make herself feel proud, grateful, or even worthy of having a genius like him as a BF. Makes her feel like less of a loser if she has a scientist in her life instead of actually doing something about herself and quit it with the whole pity party crap.

BOTH her and Sheldon need new friends because all they've been doing is mocking them, blaming them for every thing that goes wrong, and berating them whenever they're being themselves. Penny seems to feel like the person she once was in high school whenever she's around them, doesn't exactly give off the feeling that she feels fully accepted by them either.

Leonard and Amy have a very ugly habit of bringing down people's confidence in order to take advantage of them. Why would anyone continue to involve themselves with those type of people? I'm surprised Penny still talks to Amy because in reality she would've straight up avoided her in anyway possible (I know I would) whether she was the GF of her best friend or not.

Sorry but Sheldon estimating Penny having over at least 36 lovers over the years is a bit over exaggerated to me regardless over how much she enjoys sex, there's NO way he could've possibly known anything about her date life in Nebraska unless she shared some stories that lead him to the idea of her being some sort of nymphomaniac. I agree with your reasons towards that topic as well.

I personally believe the gang has made her feel more alone than ever because they can't relate with her in any way except drinking, if they're the only people she has left in her life then that's sad. Sheldon has the potential of being a better friend to her (maybe even Raj and Bernie as well). Have I mentioned that they were her biggest influence on getting back to heavy drinking too? And it all started once Amy took advantage of her naivety/feelings into hooking back up with Leonard (twice if I may add).

[SpaceAnJL]

I still think the healthiest thing for both Penny and Sheldon would be for them to sneak out one night and make a break for it. That whole group enable each other's dysfunction.

In reality, hanging around with people like Leonard and Amy, and pre-Bernadette Howard, would mean that other people would start to avoid you. Sad, but true. It has nothing to do with their geekiness, and everything to do with them being straight up creepy. I can see Penny's other friends falling away after being exposed to any combination of intellectual smugness, over eager desperation, lack of boundaries and general social ineptness. They simply aren't nice people to be around. Now, Stuart, before he got turned into something out of Chekov, was much sweeter - he was geeky, but not in a way that disturbed anyone. Leonard's sabotage of that was a good indicator of what a sneaky jealous little shit he is.

Penny has been made the dim pet of the group. The lack of surname emphasises this, like she's not a total person. S1 or 2 Penny wouldn't have rolled over after having her nose broken, she'd have come up swinging. She's been Stockholm'd into this emotional dependency, and yes, they are going to encourage her to drink, because again, just because she was pretty and popular, doesn't mean that she gets to be 'better' than them. I don't think it is necessarily a conscious thing in-show, but I do think it is the same thing as Sheldon, the urge to tear down anyone the group perceive as standing out or having aspirations that might unsettle the status quo.

(On a writing level, I think she's the stand-in for whatever girl refused to date someone in high school - probably because she was weirded out by the creep following her about and undressing her with his eyes the whole time.)

[queenoftheDales]

I still think the healthiest thing for both Penny and Sheldon would be for them to sneak out one night and make a break for it. That whole group enable each other's dysfunction.

In reality, hanging around with people like Leonard and Amy, and pre-Bernadette Howard, would mean that other people would start to avoid you. Sad, but true. It has nothing to do with their geekiness, and everything to do with them being straight up creepy. I can see Penny's other friends falling away after being exposed to any combination of intellectual smugness, over eager desperation, lack of boundaries and general social ineptness. They simply aren't nice people to be around. Now, Stuart, before he got turned into something out of Chekov, was much sweeter - he was geeky, but not in a way that disturbed anyone. Leonard's sabotage of that was a good indicator of what a sneaky jealous little shit he is.

Penny has been made the dim pet of the group. The lack of surname emphasises this, like she's not a total person. S1 or 2 Penny wouldn't have rolled over after having her nose broken, she'd have come up swinging. She's been Stockholm'd into this emotional dependency, and yes, they are going to encourage her to drink, because again, just because she was pretty and popular, doesn't mean that she gets to be 'better' than them. I don't think it is necessarily a conscious thing in-show, but I do think it is the same thing as Sheldon, the urge to tear down anyone the group perceive as standing out or having aspirations that might unsettle the status quo.

(On a writing level, I think she's the stand-in for whatever girl refused to date someone in high school - probably because she was weirded out by the creep following her about and undressing her with his eyes the whole time.)

Yeah, it seems like its getting easier for everyone to roll over her and its sad....and annoying.

[Nutz]

I can't remember the name, but there is a story on Fanfiction where Leonard comes back and finds everyone dead by Sheldon and Penny who frames him for the murders (they had eloped in Vegas) very dark and so funny.

Random thought, does anyone remember the last time Penny called Sheldon Moonpie? Has she stopped out of respect for his so called relationship with Amy, or has she stopped, because the thought of Amy finding out and calling Sheldon her nummy nummy Moonpie makes her sick to her stomach (I vote for the second). The day Amy calls Sheldon Moonpie is my biggest fear, not the sex. As we've seen, just because you have sex with someone, doesn't mean you'll marry them, but the day she calls him Moonpie and he's ok with it (cause of course TPTB would have him be ok with it) sends shivers up and done my spine.

[Jislane35]

I can't remember the name, but there is a story on Fanfiction where Leonard comes back and finds everyone dead by Sheldon and Penny who frames him for the murders (they had eloped in Vegas) very dark and so funny.

That would be the amazingly talented Risknight, she has countless of Shenny stories and so many genres to choose from.

[Nutz]

I can't remember the name, but there is a story on Fanfiction where Leonard comes back and finds everyone dead by Sheldon and Penny who frames him for the murders (they had eloped in Vegas) very dark and so funny.

That would be the amazingly talented Risknight, she has countless of Shenny stories and so many genres to choose from.

Of course it was Risknight, silly me. I'm currently rereading Voided Agreements, one if my favorites. Amy tries to rape Sheldon and Penny goes full rodeo on her. (Any story that has Penny grabbing Amy's hair and throwing her out if the apartment has my full support).

[FranEssi]

...Let's not forget the advice Beverly gave her son before leaving him "if you want sexual relations with that girl, find out what kind of cologne her father wears" (which I'm sure he did).

That was quite a disgusting manipulation technique his mother taught him, wasn't it?

It kind of reminds me of Amy cooking Sheldon's favorite meal and playing his favorite music to have him shift his love for other people and things to a love for her. That was yet another manipulation technique. It's also amazing how Amy picks and chooses which of Sheldon's issues need to go and which ones need to stay. Apparently, Sheldon's 'need for closure' has to go but his 'need for repetition' can stay since Amy is planning to put it into good use someday. (Sorry, I don't know why, but I find that particular statement by Amy - along with her statement about her 5-year plan - extremely disturbing and sickening).

And Leonard is doing the same manipulations with Penny: he steals her mail so he can talk to her; as you pointed out he does nothing to help her with her drinking problem but at the same time he criticizes her for it; he uses his childhood issues and her insecurities to get pity sex from her; and who knows, he may have indeed found out about her father's cologne to have her have more sex with him.

Leonard and Amy, they are similar in many ways.

[Tuesday Pajamas]

That was quite a disgusting manipulation technique his mother taught him, wasn't it?

It kind of reminds me of Amy cooking Sheldon's favorite meal and playing his favorite music to have him shift his love for other people and things to a love for her. That was yet another manipulation technique. It's also amazing how Amy picks and chooses which of Sheldon's issues need to go and which ones need to stay. Apparently, Sheldon's 'need for closure' has to go but his 'need for repetition' can stay since Amy is planning to put it into good use someday. (Sorry, I don't know why, but I find that particular statement by Amy - along with her statement about her 5-year plan - extremely disturbing and sickening).

And Leonard is doing the same manipulations with Penny: he steals her mail so he can talk to her; as you pointed out he does nothing to help her with her drinking problem but at the same time he criticizes her for it; he uses his childhood issues and her insecurities to get pity sex from her; and who knows, he may have indeed found out about her father's cologne to have her have more sex with him.

Leonard and Amy, they are similar in many ways.

Oh they are identical in their motivation, they are just at different stages of their plan.

The episode where Amy cooks for Sheldon has some funny scenes and I did quite enjoy it but the intention is manipulation and this is something I have a problem with, in regards to shamy.

In comparison, Penny knows that Sheldon is a whackadoodle. It annoys and amuses her but there's a complete acceptance of this as an unchanging fact and this is what he really needs. She's also a stronger woman emotionally than Amy and can stand toe to toe with him and still make us laugh. Also Penny, is no angel, she needs a guy she can't push around and Sheldon is the only one on the show who fits that bill.

[SpaceAnJL]

Those scenes weren't just manipulating Sheldon, either - they were manipulating the audience. Shifting the association of things that had been Penny/Sheldon specific, and subsequently tainting them.

[Tuesday Pajamas]

Those scenes weren't just manipulating Sheldon, either - they were manipulating the audience. Shifting the association of things that had been Penny/Sheldon specific, and subsequently tainting them.

Oh yes, The Spaghetti Catalyst!!! where Sheldon goes to incredible lengths to keep his dinner date with Penny and then feels dreadful for betraying his friend. This shows his true nature. None of the other guys, including Leonard would beat themselves up about betraying the others. Sheldon was always the better man deep inside, regardless of that external arrogance.

If the writers were trying to transfer this great moment to Amy they missed the point entirely. It was Sheldon who showed he cared for his friends. In that dinner episode, it was Amy who was saying "please care about me" That's totally different.

Major Gripe sums it up on our Spaghetti page.

http://www.shennyhq.com/#!the-spaghetti-catalyst/c11qf