Wednesday, February 19, 2020
I loved the television show The Big Bang Theory. Most relevant, I loved Sheldon. As far as I am concerned Jim Parsons should have been paid more than each of the other regular actors if actors get paid by how much draw they bring to the show. As the show progressed, each of the other regular actors got less and less likeable, while Sheldon remained as obnoxious as ever. I can relate to Sheldon; I am difficult to live with too. If any (or all) the other characters were replaced by other actors or written out, I would not have missed them for one moment. If Sheldon had been messed with, I would have quit watching the show.
I thought The Big Bang Theory wrote the female characters so badly they were painful to watch. Penny went from dumb blonde to a successful woman who obviously hates her life because apparently women cannot be successful and happy and takes it out on her husband. Bernadette was a screaming bully that made you want to reach for the mute button every time she came on screen. I liked Amy, but I never felt like her character was relatable. I blame the writers, not the actresses.
I did not think the other male actors had any interesting progression for their characters during the series either. Leonard became even more of a beat-down man who was not willing to stand up for himself because he did not think he deserved to be treated well. Howard was never likeable. His relationship with his mother was often funny and I missed her character when the actress died. Raj was simply forgettable. The story arc about him not being able to talk to women was fun, but never got replaced with another arc.
The spin-off show, Young Sheldon, on the other hand, keeps trying to find ways to make me like the rest of the ensemble cast just as much as Sheldon. It works, I would probably keep watching even if Sheldon was not on the show. Missy may be my favorite character. How the other characters adapt to Sheldon’s inability to compromise is more interesting than the unvarnished statements Sheldon makes.
On a recent episode, Sheldon’s older brother, Georgie, tries to help Missy overcome her shyness and talk to a boy she likes. It is so cute to see this big brother looking out for his sister. Georgie finally convinces Missy to approach the boy and start talking to him. While the boy is talking to Missy, he places his hand on her arm in a completely innocent manner and then Georgie yells from across the hall, “No touching!”
That is exactly how I feel all the time as my children grow up. You teach your child to rock climb and then will not let them do it outside of a gym. You teach them to cook but will not let them use the stove unsupervised. You tell your teenager to go have a good time with their friends and then text them every five minutes to check on them. I want my children to grow up and have their own lives; I simply want them to do it on my timeline, not theirs.
It is easier not to think every action your child takes will lead to disaster once they move out. My son has been gone so long I only think about him six days a week instead of seven and I am rarely concerned he is lying in a ditch somewhere. My older daughter sees me every day and has only been moved out for almost six months, so she still gets the “make good choices” lecture every time she tells me she is going out. She does not get to go out often due to her schedule, so that only leaves my seven-year-old to keep me up.
My piece of advice to you is to let your kids fly occasionally. Yes, the worry feels like it will kill you and you may not be able to breathe the first time you see your child do backflips on the neighbor’s trampoline. It gets better, and now I know why children were expected to move out of their parent’s home once they turned 18 when I was a child. That was probably the first good night’s sleep your mom had in 18 years.
Until next time,
Susanne
Please check out my GoFundMe page.
I loved the television show The Big Bang Theory. Most relevant, I loved Sheldon. As far as I am concerned Jim Parsons should have been paid more than each of the other regular actors if actors get paid by how much draw they bring to the show. As the show progressed, each of the other regular actors got less and less likeable, while Sheldon remained as obnoxious as ever. I can relate to Sheldon; I am difficult to live with too. If any (or all) the other characters were replaced by other actors or written out, I would not have missed them for one moment. If Sheldon had been messed with, I would have quit watching the show.
I thought The Big Bang Theory wrote the female characters so badly they were painful to watch. Penny went from dumb blonde to a successful woman who obviously hates her life because apparently women cannot be successful and happy and takes it out on her husband. Bernadette was a screaming bully that made you want to reach for the mute button every time she came on screen. I liked Amy, but I never felt like her character was relatable. I blame the writers, not the actresses.
I did not think the other male actors had any interesting progression for their characters during the series either. Leonard became even more of a beat-down man who was not willing to stand up for himself because he did not think he deserved to be treated well. Howard was never likeable. His relationship with his mother was often funny and I missed her character when the actress died. Raj was simply forgettable. The story arc about him not being able to talk to women was fun, but never got replaced with another arc.
The spin-off show, Young Sheldon, on the other hand, keeps trying to find ways to make me like the rest of the ensemble cast just as much as Sheldon. It works, I would probably keep watching even if Sheldon was not on the show. Missy may be my favorite character. How the other characters adapt to Sheldon’s inability to compromise is more interesting than the unvarnished statements Sheldon makes.
On a recent episode, Sheldon’s older brother, Georgie, tries to help Missy overcome her shyness and talk to a boy she likes. It is so cute to see this big brother looking out for his sister. Georgie finally convinces Missy to approach the boy and start talking to him. While the boy is talking to Missy, he places his hand on her arm in a completely innocent manner and then Georgie yells from across the hall, “No touching!”
That is exactly how I feel all the time as my children grow up. You teach your child to rock climb and then will not let them do it outside of a gym. You teach them to cook but will not let them use the stove unsupervised. You tell your teenager to go have a good time with their friends and then text them every five minutes to check on them. I want my children to grow up and have their own lives; I simply want them to do it on my timeline, not theirs.
It is easier not to think every action your child takes will lead to disaster once they move out. My son has been gone so long I only think about him six days a week instead of seven and I am rarely concerned he is lying in a ditch somewhere. My older daughter sees me every day and has only been moved out for almost six months, so she still gets the “make good choices” lecture every time she tells me she is going out. She does not get to go out often due to her schedule, so that only leaves my seven-year-old to keep me up.
My piece of advice to you is to let your kids fly occasionally. Yes, the worry feels like it will kill you and you may not be able to breathe the first time you see your child do backflips on the neighbor’s trampoline. It gets better, and now I know why children were expected to move out of their parent’s home once they turned 18 when I was a child. That was probably the first good night’s sleep your mom had in 18 years.
Until next time,
Susanne
Please check out my GoFundMe page.