xkcd

by **ACU-LP** » Thu Nov 27, 2008 11:09 am UTC

Of which series?
We got a small part of series one, then it stopped until now.
Also, Australia has a tendancy to show things out of order.

by **Angua** » Thu Nov 27, 2008 2:43 pm UTC

Season 1.

by **rocketage07** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 3:06 am UTC

Gee Willikers! I love this show.

by **peter** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 2:24 pm UTC

The Christmas episode was one of the best, ever. The napkin part was ridiculously funny.

Spoiler:

by **Kadzar** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 7:10 pm UTC

3fj wrote:
Spoiler:
Am i the only one that thought penny becoming a muhmorporg nerd for a while was a little stupid?

Spoiler:

by **giant_bug** » Wed Dec 31, 2008 2:12 am UTC

I like little things:

Sheldon's hand gesture as he says "Un-unravelable".
"I didn't say I ate it [cheescake], I just think it's a good idea."
"I think I'm going to find out how the banana felt".
Holding up the "Sarcasm" sign.

I dislike:

Leonard's whininess, the tilt of his chin, and his way of echoing the ends of his sentences.
Wolowitz's Mickey Dolan haircut, his attitudes, his mannerisms, and well, everything about him. Even Potsie was more likeable.

What I would like:
Someone to point me towards or help me with a deciphering of the white boards.
I recognized the Meson Octet in Sheldon's boss's office. I think I saw the Planck Units on one. Need to pause the DVD and copy the others.
Couldn't make out the spoof of the Born Oppenheimer approximation.

Sheldon and Penny would be a much better match, because it's crazier.

by **Amarantha** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 8:25 am UTC

giant_bug wrote:Holding up the "Sarcasm" sign.

This made us rofl because we could totally relate. Now sheol holds the sign up for me whenever I need it.

by **1337geek** » Tue Feb 17, 2009 1:17 am UTC

I assume since xkcd is full of nerds, lots of you already watch this show, but I'm pointing out this particular episode since Randall seems to be mildly obsessed with Summer.

The Big Bang Theory
Monday, March 9
CBS, 8:00 PM ET

Synopsis: "A train trip to San Francisco takes a major detour when Leonard, Sheldon, Wolowitz, and Raj discover that their favorite sci-fi actress in all the land (Summer Glau) is on board. But the fanboy frenzy quickly gives way to a heated mass debate when they realize one of them will have to approach her."

by **Princess Marzipan** » Tue Feb 17, 2009 8:44 am UTC

I've actually never heard of this show. The hell is all this?

by **Zohar** » Tue Feb 17, 2009 11:55 am UTC

Nougatrocity wrote:I've actually never heard of this show. The hell is all this?

It's a pretty nice comedy about two nerdy physicists roommates and a hot blond girl that moves in across the hall. Usually funny, if you just accept that one of them is borderline autistic. Funnier if you're a nerd. Funnier still if you know something about physics. It's in the middle of its second season.

by **ACU-LP** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 2:25 pm UTC

Once again, Australian television has proved its crappiness; its not showing it and did so without warning. I have no idea when or if its coming back.

by **1337geek** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 5:38 pm UTC

1337geek wrote:I assume since xkcd is full of nerds, lots of you already watch this show, but I'm pointing out this particular episode since Randall seems to be mildly obsessed with Summer.

The Big Bang Theory
Monday, March 9
CBS, 8:00 PM ET

Synopsis: "A train trip to San Francisco takes a major detour when Leonard, Sheldon, Wolowitz, and Raj discover that their favorite sci-fi actress in all the land (Summer Glau) is on board. But the fanboy frenzy quickly gives way to a heated mass debate when they realize one of them will have to approach her."

I'm still trying to figure out why this post was merged. It's a news item, not a comment on a poll. I could see merging it into a Summer Glau topic, but not a Big Bang Theory topic.

by **SecondTalon** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 7:29 pm UTC

Every insignificant guest appearance does not warrant it's own thread.

by **Sir_Elderberry** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 11:23 pm UTC

There had better be Firefly jokes by the dozens. Nothing will fuel my smugness quite as much as copious references to a show that's rather obscure off-Internet.

by **Izawwlgood** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 11:27 pm UTC

I really enjoyed the first season and haven't seen any of the second. While a good deal of the jokes are really hackneyed, around the 8th episode, I felt they started hitting their stride and portraying nerds accurately. Penny's character is really boring right now, my girlfriend was sort of offended that in a comedy about geeks and smart people, the notion of 'non-geek hot girl' automatically implied airhead.

by **1337geek** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 11:43 pm UTC

SexyTalon wrote:Every insignificant guest appearance does not warrant it's own thread.

Hooray for subjective mods! I wouldn't say it's insignificant. I've never watched Firefly, and I barely know who she is, but she shows up in a lot of xkcd comics and blags. She shows up on the forum so much that I'm beginning to think I should watch something she's been in so I can see what all the fuss is about. And like I said before, if it must be merged (even though her appearances had threads to themselves before), it'd be better merged into a Summer Glau topic, not a Big Bang Theory topic.

by **sugarhyped** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 3:10 am UTC

1337geek wrote:
SexyTalon wrote:Every insignificant guest appearance does not warrant it's own thread.

Hooray for subjective mods! I wouldn't say it's insignificant. I've never watched Firefly, and I barely know who she is, but she shows up in a lot of xkcd comics and blags. She shows up on the forum so much that I'm beginning to think I should watch something she's been in so I can see what all the fuss is about. And like I said before, if it must be merged (even though her appearances had threads to themselves before), it'd be better merged into a Summer Glau topic, not a Big Bang Theory topic.

I'm glad it was merged with BBT thread because I don't really read the summer glau one. You have to watch serenity or firefly if you want to understand the fuss, and its hit or miss with some people and river tam so even then you may not understand.
I look forward to the episode because i love when i get the references. I remember loving when sheldon didn't get to watch doctor who because penny was asleep on the couch.

by **Zohar** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 6:49 am UTC

Izawwlgood wrote:I really enjoyed the first season and haven't seen any of the second. While a good deal of the jokes are really hackneyed, around the 8th episode, I felt they started hitting their stride and portraying nerds accurately. Penny's character is really boring right now, my girlfriend was sort of offended that in a comedy about geeks and smart people, the notion of 'non-geek hot girl' automatically implied airhead.

I don't think Penny is boring or an airhead. True, she doesn't have the IQ, maybe, but she's certainly the one possessing the most common sense and in some ways much more intelligent than the rest of the gang. Plus, I think that while the others' characters have stayed mostly static, she has evolves, in the way she accepts their idiosyncrasies and faults and just steps over them. It's not that she's unintelligent, she just doesn't know much about technology, or physics etc. That doesn't make someone dumb and I don't think they portray her as such.

by **3fj** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 8:51 am UTC

The newest episode had me in stitches. Now I have to wait a week for Summer Glau goodness!

by **el_loco_avs** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 1:59 pm UTC

I cought part of this series on tv yesterday. No idea when it started here in the netherlands.

My response:

"Hey it's Mark and that guy from Garden State that says 'it says balls on your face' ".

Then i had to leave.

by **Izawwlgood** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 3:44 pm UTC

Zohar wrote:
Izawwlgood wrote:I really enjoyed the first season and haven't seen any of the second. While a good deal of the jokes are really hackneyed, around the 8th episode, I felt they started hitting their stride and portraying nerds accurately. Penny's character is really boring right now, my girlfriend was sort of offended that in a comedy about geeks and smart people, the notion of 'non-geek hot girl' automatically implied airhead.

I don't think Penny is boring or an airhead. True, she doesn't have the IQ, maybe, but she's certainly the one possessing the most common sense and in some ways much more intelligent than the rest of the gang. Plus, I think that while the others' characters have stayed mostly static, she has evolves, in the way she accepts their idiosyncrasies and faults and just steps over them. It's not that she's unintelligent, she just doesn't know much about technology, or physics etc. That doesn't make someone dumb and I don't think they portray her as such.

I think the issue I had with her was how stereotypical she was. Her only interesting qualities are how she relates to the guys, i.e., she doesn't stand alone. Whats his name likes her why? Because she's attractive. Sheldon doesn't really interact with her why? Because she's not science-y. What else do we have on her? All her funny quips are in the vein of 'normal person making fun of geek'. Sure she provides balance and is more level headed and has common sense, but on a show about geek humor, all she seems to do is provide the occasional "Gashucks, you guys are weird" and cue the laughtrack.

by **Sir_Elderberry** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 12:16 am UTC

3fj wrote:The newest episode had me in stitches. Now I have to wait a week for Summer Glau goodness!

I liked the Cartesian coordinate line, although strictly speaking, Sheldon has no way of knowing that time was the omitted coordinate the second time it was referenced. Penny could have been giving them in (t, x, y, z) for all we know! (See, I like trying to outgeek the writers.)

by **podbaydoor** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 6:48 pm UTC

I was interested in this show 'cause I'm always interested in something that purports to celebrate nerdiness in the mainstream, but watching a couple episodes was enough to convince me it was just another barely-funny sitcom with different jokes. The farcical situations are exactly the same, the romantic interest plots are exactly the same. Yeah, it's great to demystify some of those nerdy in-jokes for a generally non-nerd audience...but come on. The characters aren't nearly funny enough to warrant the overuse of that goddamned laugh track. I suppose the writers got the details right, but there's something wrong when they've failed to create any likable characters.

by **Neuman** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 9:01 pm UTC

See there, I disagree. I like the characters and the farcical situations. I mean, there's only so many plots that can be fit into a half hour sitcom, why fight it? Originality's overrated anyway.

by **podbaydoor** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 6:05 pm UTC

Honestly, it might just be the solely laugh track that's ruining it for me. Its use is very clumsy and, as I said, far too frequent. I hate it when characters engage in a stilted form of speech with strategic pauses that are clearly intended for the insertion of laughter - the effect on the character is then that they come off very pretentiously and arrogantly about their "wit." You've probably met individuals like that in real life, where they keep pausing after an unfunny joke to allow us, the captivated audience, to properly express our appreciation. Any sitcom like that - pretty much all of them - will wind up irritating the shit out of me.

Basically, I think Big Bang would be vastly improved if they just wised up on the unnecessary adherence to the outdated sitcom "rhythm." I did appreciate some of the humor in the show, but then 5 seconds later somebody would add something just vaguely ironic and pause for the undeserved laughter and the humor was lost in irritation.

For an example of a laugh track used more naturally and far less annoyingly, see "How I Met Your Mother." Wikipedia says that it's filmed and edited without laughter (live or canned) so the pacing and flow of the dialogue is much more natural - plus, usually the laughter appears only after actually funny jokes. I think right now it's the one sitcom going today that doesn't irritate the shit out of me. (Note, I'm not arguing the quality of the show itself, just addressing its strategy for inserting laughter.)

by **Izawwlgood** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 6:12 pm UTC

Holy crap, this this this. Laugh tracks to me are nothing more then an underhanded psychological trick to get people to find unfunny situations humorous. I can't think of a single show wherein I enjoy the presence of a laugh track.

Also, Chuck Palahnuik in one of his books makes the point that laugh tracks were originally recorded in the 50s, so when you watch sitcoms with canned laugh tracks, you're listening to the laughter of dead men and women. Which, hopefully, as it did for me, is now irrecoverably stuck in your mind, and has ruined future laugh tracks.

by **sugarhyped** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 6:22 pm UTC

Izawwlgood wrote:Also, Chuck Palahnuik in one of his books makes the point that laugh tracks were originally recorded in the 50s, so when you watch sitcoms with canned laugh tracks, you're listening to the laughter of dead men and women. Which, hopefully, as it did for me, is now irrecoverably stuck in your mind, and has ruined future laugh tracks.

i always think of that. i think im better at tuning out the laugh track though.

by **el_loco_avs** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 11:29 am UTC

I wonder what we could replace laugh tracks with. You know, just to be a bit subversive.

by **Izawwlgood** » Sat Mar 07, 2009 9:05 pm UTC

How about just the actors laughing? I've always thought watching actors lose it on saturday night live to be funnier then the laugh tracks/laughing audience. I feel like I'm sharing in the joke if they're laughing too.

by **thatguy** » Sun Mar 08, 2009 10:34 pm UTC

Funny story: I was just over on the A.V. Club site to grab a link for the Dollhouse thread, decided to read the Terminator episode review, read in the comments that Summer Glau was going to be on The Big Bang Theory, and ran back here to post it, only to discover that had I read this thread I'd have known it before now.

by **3fj** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 9:04 am UTC

Sir_Elderberry wrote:
3fj wrote:The newest episode had me in stitches. Now I have to wait a week for Summer Glau goodness!

I liked the Cartesian coordinate line, although strictly speaking, Sheldon has no way of knowing that time was the omitted coordinate the second time it was referenced. Penny could have been giving them in (t, x, y, z) for all we know! (See, I like trying to outgeek the writers.)

So she gave (t, x, y)? What's the point in that?

The Glau episode (as it shall henceforth be known) made me do the unmanliest of 20 minute long squee's ever produced

by **thatguy** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 8:05 pm UTC

It was fun, but I wish they'd have given her a bit more dialogue... Most of her screen time was just looking hot or creeped out.

Edit: Laugh track every other line got old, too

by **1337geek** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 8:09 pm UTC

Izawwlgood wrote:Laugh tracks to me are nothing more then an underhanded psychological trick to get people to find unfunny situations humorous.

You're exactly right. Studies have shown that people laugh more in the presence of other people laughing. Canned laughter is their way of artificially putting you in that presence, even if you're alone. Yes, it's annoying.

by **Sir_Elderberry** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 12:20 am UTC

thatguy wrote:It was fun, but I wish they'd have given her a bit more dialogue... Most of her screen time was just looking hot or creeped out.

Yeah. Also, everything's better with more than one Firefly reference.

Edit: Laugh track every other line got old, too

It really does. It's a shame, because BBT is honestly not that revolutionary of a sitcom, but they make just enough nerdy references from time to time to justify the 22 minutes a week. But the laugh track is nearly enough to counterbalance it.

by **thatguy** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 2:38 am UTC

Sir_Elderberry wrote:Yeah. Also, everything's better with more than one Firefly reference.

Yeah, really. I mean, come on, the writers couldn't sneak in "No power in the 'verse can stop me."?

The ball was officially dropped.

by **SecondTalon** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 3:06 am UTC

...because robbed of context, it sounds more like a superhero based on Mother Goose proclaiming to be all-powerful.

by **thatguy** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 3:52 am UTC

But part of the show's appeal is the nerdiness. Not a single nerd worth his or her salt would've missed that, and it's related to Summer Glau. As the show stands, it really could've been any random hot girl. There was about 3 instances where there are references specifically to her. She was completely under-utilized, IMO.

by **Sir_Elderberry** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 3:59 am UTC

thatguy wrote:But part of the show's appeal is the nerdiness. Not a single nerd worth his or her salt would've missed that, and it's related to Summer Glau. As the show stands, it really could've been any random hot girl. There was about 3 instances where there are references specifically to her. She was completely under-utilized, IMO.

The appeal is watching nerdy people. Nerds, I think, are not actually the target demographic. There aren't enough.

by **1337geek** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 3:21 pm UTC

thatguy wrote:But part of the show's appeal is the nerdiness. Not a single nerd worth his or her salt would've missed that, and it's related to Summer Glau. As the show stands, it really could've been any random hot girl. There was about 3 instances where there are references specifically to her. She was completely under-utilized, IMO.

I'm a nerd, and I've never watched any show she's been in. However, they did say (and I quote) "that's Summer Glau from the Sarah Connor Chronicles!" as well as referring to her as a Terminator more than once. Hard to see how that could be "any random hot girl."

by **Izawwlgood** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 3:54 pm UTC

You're a nerd and you've never watched Firefly? There is something contradictory about that.

Is it actually funny?

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