# Big Bang 12/8--“The Speckerman Recurrence” **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 9, 2011, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-12-8-the-speckerman-recurrence/605617 "2011-12-09T14:05:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-12-8-the-speckerman-recurrence/605617/21 "2011-12-12T01:41:33Z")
> [@Candyman74](#): > > That sounds like it would be very illegal. The word fraud springs to mind. And if a random messageboard poster knows about it, it’s hardly a secret. Might be illegal - or it might not. A lot of those bins don’t even have the name of an actual charity on them - they have just have a charity-sounding name and imply that the clothing donations are going to help people. Generally, if the bin has the name of a real charity, it’s operated by a real charity (which might still sell the clothing and use the proceeds for charitable work). ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-12-8-the-speckerman-recurrence/605617/22 "2011-12-12T02:06:46Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > Might be illegal - or it might not. A lot of those bins don’t even have the name of an actual charity on them - they have just have a charity-sounding name and imply that the clothing donations are going to help people. Generally, if the bin has the name of a real charity, it’s operated by a real charity (which might still sell the clothing and use the proceeds for charitable work). The above post said they had the names of real charities on them. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-12-8-the-speckerman-recurrence/605617/23 "2011-12-12T03:43:10Z")
I think a lot more high school bullies are probably more like Penny- looking back on it with laughter when at all and really having no idea how much harm they did. Rather than looting the charity box they should have followed the “Penny realizes _she_ was one of the mean girls” plotline further. Irksome thing about the Speckerman plot: he’s in your apartment and he’s threatening you. Why don’t you just call the cops? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-12-8-the-speckerman-recurrence/605617/24 "2011-12-12T03:46:52Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Irksome thing about the Speckerman plot: he’s in your apartment and he’s threatening you. Why don’t you just call the cops? I’m guessing after reverting back to their high school mindset, staying in one spot and calling the cops didn’t cross their mind as an option…especially after attempting to stand up to him, and then hitting him. Also, it’s a sitcom and running down the stairs was funnier. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-12-8-the-speckerman-recurrence/605617/25 "2011-12-12T04:18:53Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Also, **it’s a sitcom** and running down the stairs was funnier. Too many people seem to forget this, and take the show rather too seriously. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-12-8-the-speckerman-recurrence/605617/26 "2011-12-12T11:39:34Z")
I donate my used clothing to St. Vincent DePaul, and I assure you that they don’t shred the clothes. FYI, that subplot (rummaging through donated clothes) was one of the few amusing things in the show. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-12-8-the-speckerman-recurrence/605617/27 "2011-12-12T15:38:57Z")
I really didn’t like this episode. The only thing I found funny was Sheldon going through all the different, embarrassing things bullies did to Leonard. However, that, along with Sheldon “helping” Leonard stand up to the bully, made Sheldon seem like more of a bully than their guest. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-12-8-the-speckerman-recurrence/605617/28 "2011-12-12T16:54:08Z")
This [article](http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/03/new_nj_law_aims_to_regulate_ch.html) has some info about the Bins. It isn’t illegal because they are paying to use the name of the charity but it is dishonest. ETA: I didn’t mean all bins were bad, just many. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-12-8-the-speckerman-recurrence/605617/29 "2011-12-12T17:19:57Z")
There were some pretty decent laughs in the episode, which is mostly why I watch sitcoms. But I was disappointed because the bully story had so much more potential than was realized. In my experience, most adult people are not their high school selves anymore. I was enjoying the strange, uneasy friendship that was beginning to develop, and then they went down the nobody-ever-changes path, which is far less interesting IMO. ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-12-8-the-speckerman-recurrence/605617/30 "2011-12-12T17:42:59Z")
I’m pretty sure used clothes sell for more intact in Goodwill-type shops than they would as rags. Especially silk or chiffon rags. Who is buying rags, anyway? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-12-8-the-speckerman-recurrence/605617/31 "2011-12-12T20:48:44Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > I really didn’t like this episode. The only thing I found funny was Sheldon going through all the different, embarrassing things bullies did to Leonard. However, that, along with Sheldon “helping” Leonard stand up to the bully, made Sheldon seem like more of a bully than their guest. This entire episode points out what a bully Sheldon is. He’s just not a physical bully, like the poorly-written guy from Leonard’s school. ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-12-8-the-speckerman-recurrence/605617/32 "2011-12-13T03:20:29Z")
the entire series points out what a bully Sheldon is, starting with the fleeing ex-roommate and the roommate agreement. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-12-8-the-speckerman-recurrence/605617/33 "2011-12-13T03:30:32Z")
> [@JSexton](#): > > I’m pretty sure used clothes sell for more intact in Goodwill-type shops than they would as rags. Especially silk or chiffon rags. Who is buying rags, anyway? This is getting off topic I suppose, but reselling clothes has labor costs that shredding the clothes doesn’t have. Plus the charity is making money from the licensing of their name not the clothes. Technically that makes their labor cost $0.00. As for who buys it? Someone does because it is happening. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-12-8-the-speckerman-recurrence/605617/34 "2011-12-13T03:34:11Z")
> [@shijinn](#): > > the entire series points out what a bully Sheldon is, starting with the fleeing ex-roommate and the roommate agreement. I wouldn’t call him a bully, he’s just very socially inept and it manifests itself in him being a jerk. He doesn’t understand that personal interactions with other people aren’t really meant to be handled by applying logic to them. At least not for the great majority of the people around him. If he was a bully he would be tormenting Leonard on purpose for no reason, but he isn’t. He’s tormenting Leonard without even realizing it. He doesn’t realize that when he was trying to figure out which bully Leonard was talking about, it was making him feel worse. He doesn’t realize that waking someone up early in the morning (for them) and asking for a ride and then bugging them about their check engine light is rude. In his (logic oriented) mind he was being helpful. You have to think of him as a computer where rules dictate and feelings and ethics don’t come into play. AFF is basically Sheldon but with feelings/ethics/empathy she also seems to be a bit more analog as opposed to digital/binary. ---
**Author:** ![Cartoonacy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/848f3c/32.png) [@Cartoonacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartoonacy)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-12-8-the-speckerman-recurrence/605617/35 "2011-12-13T16:22:56Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > I think a lot more high school bullies are probably more like Penny- looking back on it with laughter when at all and really having no idea how much harm they did. Rather than looting the charity box they should have followed the “Penny realizes _she_ was one of the mean girls” plotline further. Agreed. That would have made a funnier episode, but they did nothing with it. ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-12-8-the-speckerman-recurrence/605617/36 "2011-12-13T16:55:56Z")
> [@antonio107](#): > > Maybe it’s just because I’ve been studying for my torts final for the past two days, but I can’t figure out why in the hell Leonard and Sheldon fled from their own apartment at the end. Even much as a wimp as I was in high school, I would at least have had the fortitude to grab a skillet and phone the police. That bothered me more than anything. > > But Amy’s talk of hairy knuckles, and then swiping clothes from the goodwill box? That was pretty funny! Amy is one of my very favorite characters in the show, at this point. She was the highlight of this episode. The “high school bully returns” plot could have been done a lot better, I think. ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-12-8-the-speckerman-recurrence/605617/37 "2011-12-13T16:58:08Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I wouldn’t call him a bully, he’s just very socially inept and it manifests itself in him being a jerk. He doesn’t understand that personal interactions with other people aren’t really meant to be handled by applying logic to them. At least not for the great majority of the people around him. If he was a bully he would be tormenting Leonard on purpose for no reason, but he isn’t. He’s tormenting Leonard without even realizing it. He doesn’t realize that when he was trying to figure out which bully Leonard was talking about, it was making him feel worse. He doesn’t realize that waking someone up early in the morning (for them) and asking for a ride and then bugging them about their check engine light is rude. In his (logic oriented) mind he was being helpful. > You have to think of him as a computer where rules dictate and feelings and ethics don’t come into play. > AFF is basically Sheldon but with feelings/ethics/empathy she also seems to be a bit more analog as opposed to digital/binary. Very astute analysis of Sheldon’s social ineptitude! ---
**Author:** ![Albert\_Rose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Albert\_Rose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Albert_Rose)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-12-8-the-speckerman-recurrence/605617/38 "2011-12-13T17:03:26Z")
I like the show, but didn’t care for this episode. My biggest complaint was the reversion to bullydom and the final stinger joke. I was expecting the point of the story to be “HS bullies grow up and realize what jerks they were.” That would have been more human. Instead, the writers sacrifice a perfectly decent plot (for a 22 minute show) for the sake of an unfunny joke that humiliates the nerds. Way to go, guys. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-12-8-the-speckerman-recurrence/605617/39 "2011-12-13T17:11:07Z")
> [@Albert\_Rose](#): > > I like the show, but didn’t care for this episode. My biggest complaint was the reversion to bullydom and the final stinger joke. I was expecting the point of the story to be “HS bullies grow up and realize what jerks they were.” That would have been more human. Instead, the writers sacrifice a perfectly decent plot (for a 22 minute show) for the sake of an unfunny joke that humiliates the nerds. > > Way to go, guys. I have to agree with this. I was really hoping (and assuming) that the next morning Leonard would still be happy about the decisions they made the previous night and happy to see that people really can change while Sheldon will still be a bit annoyed that they didn’t take the opportunity to kill him in his sleep. Basically, I didn’t except everything to change as soon as he sobered up. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-12-8-the-speckerman-recurrence/605617/40 "2011-12-13T17:34:33Z")
The “Sheldon trashes Leonard in public” thing is getting old for me. We seem to be re-defining Sheldon as actually having a better hold on human nature than Leonard does. This seems too large a swing to succeed. Also AFF crushing on Penny creeps me right the heck out. Stopitstopitstopit! ! ! “You didn’t just get called a b-b-b-b-b- . . .” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-12-8-the-speckerman-recurrence/605617.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-12-8-the-speckerman-recurrence/605617.md?page=3)