I’m so very sick of all of the sophisticated, polysyllabic, and fully thought out before uttering dialogue in movies and TV these days. Who talks like that in real life? Finally, on House, there was an exchange between House, Wilson, and some patient that contained a nugget of realism. They were discussing House’s upcoming date with Cameron and sure, some of it slipped into TV talk (who calls someone an “ingenue” in casual conversation?) and somehow the inevitable “Is she hot?” question was edited out but another line remained, one that marked it as a conversation between buddies who are out of earshot of the wimmenfolk: “Do her or you’re gay.” It isn’t a real accusation and it is politically incorrect out the wazoo and offensive as hell and I’m sorry if anybody is offended by my glee at hearing it on national TV but it’s how an awful lot of my friends talk.
Funny line from Wilson, but it’s funny because it’s coming from Wilson - a highly educated doctor.
I’m not sure it it’s realistic. None of my frinds talk this way. Than again, we’re unsophisticated monosyllabic idiots. It’s more funny trying to sound smart and hip.
While it’s funny when they try to sound smart and hip, and some have been educated beyond the point of any hope for a return on the investment, my friends are unsophisticated, monosyllabic idiots at heart, but I firmly believe most men are given the right environment, which usually involves liquor and the company of other unsophisticated, monosyllabic idiots. The line was funny because Wilson delivered it. It was refreshing because he always seems to be working so hard to be a counterpoint to House.
Reminds me of the “you know how I know you’re gay?” seen in the 40-Year-Old Virgin. Just as politically incorrect and shameless and just as accurate. And really freakin’ funny.
I agree with all the caveats you state - this isn’t meant to be a slam on gay folks or even misogynistic, and men can do a WHOLE lot more to be more sensitive to the implications of inappropriate statements like these. Having said that, it IS how guys speak and it rings true - and it was milked for humor in the right way that seemed real…
IIRC, the line was coming from the male patient in the room with them.
I am curious if the gay male Dopers (or other less erudite gay men) use the collorary, “Do him, or you’re straight.” It would make sense to me given that they have the same reductio-brain-power-organs hanging between their legs that the straight guys do.
The “Do her or you’re gay” line didn’t come from Wilson. But the “panty-peeler” line did.
I stand corrected.
Yeah, Wilson would never say this, because he’s TOTALLY in love with House. Didn’t you see the slightly hopeful look on his face at the thought that maybe, possibly House was gay?
They said it in unison, adding to the realism.
Interesting question and a logical assumption since my gay friends (who are as likely to say, “Do her or you’re gay,” as the straight ones) are at least as politically incorrect as the straight ones.
Hey, my girlfriends are just as likely to say something like this (“Do him or you’re gay”), as are my gay male friends, depending on the company. It’s so funny to hear men go on about what they do in private, like girls and women don’t get extremely crude when they’re alone together.
My dear, I’ve been married for 29 years and while the Female Complaints discussions are gross and there is plenty of crudeness, especially when the conversation turns to, “Let’s gross out your husband,” women just can’t do stooopid crude like guys. “Do her or you’re gay,” is usually the high point of the conversation, what with being a cogent thought expressed in a more or less grammatical sentence.
Or my friends might just be totally disgusting.
I don’t know. I think there is enough purile unimaginative dialogue and plots out there in film and TV land to keep most monosyllabic types happy.
I enjoy thick and meaty dialogue that makes me have to think for a few seconds even at the cost of having to catch up with the story once in a while.
I’d rather think that stare vacantly at the set mouthing the next predicatble line of dialogue the same way I’d pretend to sing along to a poorly written song by guessing the nex rhyme word.
It doesn’t have to feel unrealistic. For example Deadwood drops the F- bomb but also has almost Shakespearian sentences flow from the characters at times which give the show a great flavour and feel.
I like intellegent dialogue. I enjoy older movies just because the best of them have witty and inellegent dialogue. The “Party!” of “Let’s get naked” stuff gets dull really quick.
Real life is boring and predictable our entertainment doesn’t have to be that way.
Isn’t Wilson played by Robert Sean Leonard? Isn’t he always going on about the women he has messed around with? He hardly seems like the hard-working brainy doc.
The ones when House is inappropriate in front of women get me (referring to the boss’s “fun bags” in particular); I don’t want to be amused because it’s so crass, so I end up with a kind of rolling eyes snorkle.
Can’t imagine it. It just wouldn’t make sense - calling someone straight isn’t an insult. Calling someone gay is, even if it’s obviously a joke.
Not to get all queer rights on this, but the converse wouldn’t be funny because it just wouldn’t make sense. “Straight” isn’t an insult for gay men. “Straight-acting” could be, under certain circumstances (like “white-acting”, among black people.) But “straight”? If someone said something like that to me, it would take awhile for me to even figure out the point.
The line works because “gay” is in real usage as an insult, and even among people who wouldn’t (seriously) use it that way, they all know it. That said, the line was still hysterically funny, and no one short of the most tight-assed whiner in the world would fine it offensive. House is incredibly well written; is the best thing I know of on TV. But things that are funny are often funny because they bring up discomforting things about your culture.
One thing certain folks in the majority simply can’t seem to understand is that the converse is not always equivalent - the word “gay” simply has implications that are not present in the word “straight”. So while “Do her or you’re gay” is locker-room encouragement of a straight man, “Do him or you’re straight” would just be confusing.
I love it when House gets inappropriate in front of his boss, because she is usually dressed so inappropriately. Thank you, House, for calling her on her low-cut, cleavage-revealing, nightclub-worthy blouses. She’s as bad as Katherine on CSI for wearing clothes at work that would never fly in the real world.