# Community Tackles The Timeless Question... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 15, 2011, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/community-tackles-the-timeless-question/578466 "2011-04-15T09:38:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/community-tackles-the-timeless-question/578466/1 "2011-04-15T09:38:41Z")
“Who, indeed?” Given that 9 of 11 fields “prove” Angela, can we reverse derive Abed’s proof? I’ll take a stab at a couple: One, if Tony is the boss of the “Micelli faction” comprising {Tony, Samantha}, then Angela is the boss of the superset “Bower faction” comprising {Angela, Jonathan, Mona, [Micelli faction]}, since the Micelli faction lives under the roof of the Bower household, and Angela heads the Bower faction, then Angela has dominion over Tony and is therefore the “boss”. Two, if we understand a boss as someone who takes precedence over another, this implies order. If we examine name ordering using a String comparitor, we see: “Angela” before “Tony” “Angela Bower” before “Anthony Micelli” “Bower” before “Micelli” However, “Mr Micelli” comes before “Ms Bower”, but that’s due to gender conventions, the very conventions the show subverts by making the male housekeeper subservient to the female housemaster. … There’s a path you take and a path untaken. The choice is up to you, my friend. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/community-tackles-the-timeless-question/578466/2 "2011-04-15T15:41:12Z")
The real question is: What _is_ happening? ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/community-tackles-the-timeless-question/578466/3 "2011-04-15T16:11:03Z")
OP FAIL. Looks like an attempt to say something about [Who’s the Boss?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who%27s_the_Boss%3F), I think. ---
**Author:** ![SanibelMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@SanibelMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanibelMan)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/community-tackles-the-timeless-question/578466/4 "2011-04-15T16:13:27Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > OP FAIL. Not if you watched last night’s episode of Community, which is what this thread is about. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/community-tackles-the-timeless-question/578466/5 "2011-04-15T16:16:52Z")
> [@SanibelMan](#): > > Not if you watched last night’s episode of Community, which is what this thread is about. Ahhh. Well then, guess it’s Double Dumbass on me. My apologies. Carry on. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/community-tackles-the-timeless-question/578466/6 "2011-04-15T16:18:36Z")
I think the writers of Community have discovered the sure way to get a laugh every time, “Make Troy cry.” Also, I’m glad to see the return of Professor Professorson. Kevin Corrigan is great. ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Jocko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncle_jocko/32/2932_2.png) [@Uncle\_Jocko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Jocko)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/community-tackles-the-timeless-question/578466/7 "2011-04-15T16:52:19Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > Also, I’m glad to see the return of Professor Professorson. Kevin Corrigan is great. “Story means nothing. We’re not writers, we’re actors … just waiting for our time in the spotlight.” The slow zoom on his face just MADE that speech, even though I know I paraphrased it. Cause I’m not a writer, I’m an actor! ---
**Author:** ![SanibelMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@SanibelMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanibelMan)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/community-tackles-the-timeless-question/578466/8 "2011-04-15T16:53:45Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Ahhh. Well then, guess it’s Double Dumbass on me. > > My apologies. Carry on. That’s okay. If it makes you feel any better, I appreciate a good Star Trek IV reference. ---
**Author:** ![beartato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9d8465/32.png) [@beartato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beartato)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/community-tackles-the-timeless-question/578466/9 "2011-04-15T20:00:26Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > Also, I’m glad to see the return of Professor Professorson. Kevin Corrigan is great. Um, do you mean Professor _Professorberg_? No no, you’re right. I forgot about the Nazi-fleeing. Love this actor, he’s in my two favourite shows right now and I wish he’d show up more on either of them. All in all, this episode fell a little flat to me. I think Donald Glover does a great job with the character of Troy, but for some reason, the “Troy says little-kid things” lines grate on me - cheap humour. The show can do better. The Abed plot didn’t do much for me either… it either needed to be a one-scene throw away thing or an A-plot, not a little side plot, as there wasn’t enough time to flesh it out into something funny. Pierce’s plot was… fine. It was okay. That’s about it. On the plus side, my girl Britta in something skimpy, Abed as Troy’s conscience, and the perfect amount of Chang. ---
**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:** [April 15, 2011, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/community-tackles-the-timeless-question/578466/10 "2011-04-15T20:09:24Z")
Yeah, not the strongest episode ever, but some good laughs for sure. The writing is still pretty sharp. I paused on Pierce’s wine bottle and translated the Italian phrase on it: “You become more beautiful with every bottle.” I think the picture of him on the bottle was from _Caddyshack_, and Jeff had a line which began “Oh, don’t sell yourself short,” while patting Pierce on the arm, echoing a line Chevy Chase delivered to Ted Knight in the movie. ---
**Author:** ![beartato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9d8465/32.png) [@beartato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beartato)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/community-tackles-the-timeless-question/578466/11 "2011-04-15T20:13:49Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > I think the picture of him on the bottle was from _Caddyshack_, and Jeff had a line which began “Oh, don’t sell yourself short,” while patting Pierce on the arm, echoing a line Chevy Chase delivered to Ted Knight in the movie. And I’m almost sure it’s the same picture we saw hanging over his bed in the first episode of this season. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2011, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/community-tackles-the-timeless-question/578466/12 "2011-04-16T04:13:37Z")
How is this even a question? I thought it was pretty obvious that Angela was the boss. ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2011, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/community-tackles-the-timeless-question/578466/13 "2011-04-16T05:26:42Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > How is this even a question? I thought it was pretty obvious that Angela was the boss. Congratulations! You spotted the joke! ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2011, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/community-tackles-the-timeless-question/578466/14 "2011-04-17T12:19:56Z")
OK, this was one of the best shows this season. Some good meta humor, and some good overt humor. I’m tempted to say it was my favorite, but that could just be 'cause my memory is for crap and I don’t recall the rest of the season well. The all-black version of Fiddler made me smile. ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2011, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/community-tackles-the-timeless-question/578466/15 "2011-04-17T13:13:42Z")
I don’t understand any of this thread. I’ve never heard of a show called Community either. ---
**Author:** ![Grapefruit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@Grapefruit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grapefruit)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/community-tackles-the-timeless-question/578466/16 "2011-04-18T14:11:58Z")
> [@EvilTOJ](#): > > I don’t understand any of this thread. I’ve never heard of a show called Community either. Google it. I loved the part where the TV show professor (name?) was all like “I’m not a fan… I’m not a groupie… I’M AN ACADEMIC!” Over a TV show. Haaaaaa! ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/community-tackles-the-timeless-question/578466/17 "2011-04-18T14:22:56Z")
I was kinda happy they did an episode that actually referenced the fact that they’re supposedly in Community College. I like the show, but I think it does best when they reference the premise at least once every other episode. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/community-tackles-the-timeless-question/578466/18 "2011-04-18T17:52:36Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > I was kinda happy they did an episode that actually referenced the fact that they’re supposedly in Community College. I like the show, but I think it does best when they reference the premise at least once every other episode. Perhaps they would consider changing the theme song to explain the premise like _Gilligan’s Island_ or _The Brady Bunch_, assuming a sufficient amount of tainted mushrooms found their way into pizza ordered for a writer’s conference. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/community-tackles-the-timeless-question/578466/19 "2011-04-18T20:26:56Z")
Every time I see the guy that played the TV professor I think of Ned Ryerson on Groundhog Day. “Phil? Hey, Phil? Phil! Phil Connors? Phil Connors, I thought that was you!” Great episode. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/community-tackles-the-timeless-question/578466/20 "2011-04-18T21:05:44Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > Every time I see the guy that played the TV professor I think of Ned Ryerson on Groundhog Day. “Phil? Hey, Phil? Phil! Phil Connors? Phil Connors, I thought that was you!” > > Great episode. Needle nose Ned? Ned the head? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/community-tackles-the-timeless-question/578466.md?page=2)