# Brick from The Middle whispering. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 31, 2011, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brick-from-the-middle-whispering/569588 "2011-01-31T01:26:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brick-from-the-middle-whispering/569588/21 "2015-02-03T00:12:30Z")
I’ve only caught a few episodes of this show. Can someone explain why it’s called _The Middle_? They don’t seem middle class - going without basic plumbing because they can’t afford to fix the sink, in the ep I saw. StG ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brick-from-the-middle-whispering/569588/22 "2015-02-03T00:33:14Z")
> [@StGermain](#): > > I’ve only caught a few episodes of this show. Can someone explain why it’s called _The Middle_? They don’t seem middle class - going without basic plumbing because they can’t afford to fix the sink, in the ep I saw. > > StG They are middle America (Indiana), basically lower-middle class (though the play up the poverty a little bit, but they do eat out a lot, etc.) and just kinda stuck- not going up but making enough to not crash. It’s one of my favorite shows. I have a son Axl’s age and a daughter Sue’s age it just rings so true. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brick-from-the-middle-whispering/569588/23 "2015-02-03T01:00:29Z")
I think the title also referred to taking care of both kids and elderly aunts. The later has mostly dropped in later seasons. Brian ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brick-from-the-middle-whispering/569588/24 "2015-02-03T01:10:39Z")
> [@N9IWP](#): > > I think the title also referred to taking care of both kids and elderly aunts. The later has mostly dropped in later seasons. > > Brian That’s a good point. Many of us in that age range are sandwiched between kids and caregiving. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brick-from-the-middle-whispering/569588/25 "2015-02-03T01:39:31Z")
> [@N9IWP](#): > > I think the title also referred to taking care of both kids and elderly aunts. The later has mostly dropped in later seasons. > > Brian Not really. The aunts have never been more than an occasional thing. Not much more a major part of the show Mike’s dad or Frankie’s parents. Speaking of Frankie’s parents, they’re who should be looking in on the aunts (well aunt now), anyway. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brick-from-the-middle-whispering/569588/26 "2015-02-03T02:04:08Z")
> [@robby](#): > > I also think it’s related to other compulsive behaviors, like double- and even triple-checking that the door is locked when leaving the house. Things like this make me think that Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder might be related to Autism-Spectrum Disorders, leading to something like a Grand Unified Theory of Mental Illness that also includes ADHD. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brick-from-the-middle-whispering/569588/27 "2015-02-04T14:10:57Z")
I like the show, but I think Brick is the weak link. Axle’s character vacillates between being a total jerk and a decent guy, like all teens. Sue is my favorite because she’s so relentlessly upbeat. Plus she’s cute as heck. ---
**Author:** ![Orwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/dfb087/32.png) [@Orwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orwell)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brick-from-the-middle-whispering/569588/28 "2015-02-04T15:14:51Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I like the show, but I think Brick is the weak link. Axle’s character vacillates between being a total jerk and a decent guy, like all teens. Sue is my favorite because she’s so relentlessly upbeat. Plus she’s cute as heck. I agree, but I’m still glad Brick is on the show. He adds different situations than the other two kids. I think the show was cast (casted?) very well. Sue is a terrific character, and deviates from the stock spoiled/nasty/bitchy teen girl. My son cringes whenever Sue does her dorky stuff. Eden Sher does a terrific job as Sue, and should have won an Emmy long before now. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brick-from-the-middle-whispering/569588/29 "2015-02-04T15:20:15Z")
I worked with a guy who did the repeat thing. If he said something that was even mildly exciting he would then repeat it very quietly. Nobody ever mentioned it to him and we all got used to it. On occasions where he DIDN’T do it we would all pause and stare at him. Really didn’t help if he was trying to kick the habit. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brick-from-the-middle-whispering/569588/30 "2015-02-04T15:35:30Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > They are middle America (Indiana), basically lower-middle class (though the play up the poverty a little bit, but they do eat out a lot, etc.) and just kinda stuck- not going up but making enough to not crash. Slight hijack, but the near-poverty status bugs me. The dad is a foreman at a quarry, which I would guess pulls in 60k at a minimum. The mom works full-time, first at an auto dealership and then as a dentist’s assistant, so she probably earns 25-30k. That plus her second job as a work-at-home airline reservation taker must have put them over 100k for the household. In suburban Indiana that ain’t chump change. Are they supposed to be that bad with their money? ---
**Author:** ![Personal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Personal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Personal)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brick-from-the-middle-whispering/569588/31 "2015-02-04T15:41:51Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I like the show, but I think Brick is the weak link. Axle’s character vacillates between being a total jerk and a decent guy, like all teens. Sue is my favorite because she’s so relentlessly upbeat. Plus she’s **cute as heck**. Well played. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brick-from-the-middle-whispering/569588/32 "2015-02-04T15:57:54Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Things like this make me think that Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder might be related to Autism-Spectrum Disorders, leading to something like a Grand Unified Theory of Mental Illness that also includes ADHD. Nah. OCD is an anxiety disorder - obsession is exaggerated worry, and compulsion is a mechanism for self-soothing. Best guess on ADHD/ADD is that it stems from a fault in, oddly enough, the sleep cycle - ADDer’s brains are never completely awake. That’s why stimulants have the paradoxical effect of calming us down. ---
**Author:** ![MostlyCarbon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/848f3c/32.png) [@MostlyCarbon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MostlyCarbon)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brick-from-the-middle-whispering/569588/33 "2015-02-04T16:14:14Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > They are middle America (Indiana), basically lower-middle class (though the play up the poverty a little bit, but they do eat out a lot, etc.) and just kinda stuck- not going up but making enough to not crash. > > It’s one of my favorite shows. I have a son Axl’s age and a daughter Sue’s age it just rings so true. I always assumed it was because Sue was the main character and she’s the middle child. ---
**Author:** ![Orwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/dfb087/32.png) [@Orwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orwell)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brick-from-the-middle-whispering/569588/34 "2015-02-04T16:24:00Z")
> [@MostlyCarbon](#): > > I always assumed it was because Sue was the main character and she’s the middle child. No. Frankie would have to be considered the main character, since the show has revolved around her both at home (and in previous seasons, at least) at work. The three kids are given roughly equal attention. The Middle refers to being in the middle of the country, middle class, middle-age, middle interests (neither highbrow nor lowlife), etc. I agree they are seemingly too poor for Mike and Frankie’s jobs, given their location, house and apparent spending habits. Mike would appear to be the kind of guy who could replace a sink or dishwasher relatively easily and cheaply, but, hey, it’s just a TV show. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brick-from-the-middle-whispering/569588/35 "2015-02-04T16:28:19Z")
> [@Orwell](#): > > No. Frankie would have to be considered the main character, since the show has revolved around her both at home (and in previous seasons, at least) at work. The three kids are given roughly equal attention. > > The Middle refers to being in the middle of the country, middle class, middle-age, middle interests (neither highbrow nor lowlife), etc. I agree they are seemingly too poor for Mike and Frankie’s jobs, given their location, house and apparent spending habits. Mike would appear to be the kind of guy who could replace a sink or dishwasher relatively easily and cheaply, but, hey, it’s just a TV show. I agree. Frankie’s narration typically starts off with “In the middle…” The show’s focus isn’t always on Sue, it generally has the typical sitcom multiple subplots focused primarily on one character or one relationship. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brick-from-the-middle-whispering/569588/36 "2015-02-04T17:26:40Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I agree. Frankie’s narration typically starts off with “In the middle…” Yes, this. As for their income, I do believe they have a history of being bad with money, yes. And Frankie wasn’t making $30k/year selling cars. She was awful at it and the place probably didn’t pay much of a base. Don’t forget the 18 years Frankie spent as a stay-at-home mom (I’m assuming, since she had 3 kids and no money for daycare) and all the years Mike _wasn’t_ the foreman at a quarry. My (parents) family started out the same way, which meant massive amounts of debt and a lot of odd-jobbing. It wasn’t until mom got an office job and dad went in to skilled trades that they started living more comfortably. But that started around the time I was 13 as opposed to the Heck family, who didn’t seem to get settled into good jobs until their kids were 18 and 16. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brick-from-the-middle-whispering/569588/37 "2015-02-04T17:52:18Z")
> [@MostlyCarbon](#): > > I always assumed it was because Sue was the main character and she’s the middle child. I don’t see Sue as the main character at all. It seems to be a good ensemble show, and if anything Frankie seems to be the main character. Not like Malcolm in the Middle, which really was about his perspective and how he addressed the camera to hive his POV. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brick-from-the-middle-whispering/569588/38 "2015-02-05T20:15:29Z")
> [@solost](#): > > That plus her second job as a work-at-home airline reservation taker must have put them over 100k for the household. That was a one episode thing when Mike and Frankie decided to get second jobs to be able to send Sue to college. And things went to crap and at the end Mike tells Sue that having the second jobs is killing them and she is just going to have to understand they can’t afford to send her to college and she tells them she knows she won’t be going to college but she acted all excited about it, and like she was, because it was a fun thing to think about. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brick-from-the-middle-whispering/569588/39 "2015-02-05T20:24:36Z")
Last night’s episode was about the death of one of those two elderly aunts. (I think the other one already died, after the actress died in real life.) I suspect that they’re going to find that the aunt left money to Sue to pay for college, so that won’t be an issue any more. And as **Orwell** said above, I’d have expected the father to be handy enough to replace the sink. Instead, they washed their dishes using a garden hose for multiple episodes until their grandfather provided a new-to-them sink (from the pile of stuff in his yard) and forced the older brother to assist him with installing it. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brick-from-the-middle-whispering/569588/40 "2015-02-05T22:02:33Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I suspect that they’re going to find that the aunt left money to Sue to pay for college, so that won’t be an issue any more. I hope so, then she can go to Axels school and annoy him there. > [@](#): > > And as **Orwell** said above, I’d have expected the father to be handy enough to replace the sink. Instead, they washed their dishes using a garden hose for multiple episodes until their grandfather provided a new-to-them sink (from the pile of stuff in his yard) and forced the older brother to assist him with installing it. Him not being handy works to play up the, “We’re so poor we can’t afford a new…” angle. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brick-from-the-middle-whispering/569588.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brick-from-the-middle-whispering/569588.md?page=3)