# Is Penny an alcoholic? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 13, 2016, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-penny-an-alcoholic/743011 "2016-01-13T03:30:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2016, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-penny-an-alcoholic/743011/42 "2016-01-16T12:25:35Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > You never heard of Two Buck Chuck? I used to think this was an urban legend, but my MIL adores [Two Buck Chuck](http://www.businessinsider.com/why-trader-joes-wine-is-so-cheap-2015-7). I’ve had it. It’s not superb. It’s also not [Manischewitz](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manischewitz). —shudder— I’m not an alcoholic. I’ve a few friends who are recovered and I have no doubt I know one or two people who are not recovered who hide it very well. I’d take exception with the ideas floated up there that alcoholics hold down jobs, hide it well, etc etc. It’s a disease not a lifestyle. You think you’re managing it until perhaps the day you realize it’s managing you. It seems to me that they were playing the party girl profile pretty well and at some point realized that allowing her to mature out of it was a more creative choice than having her never stop being that person. I dunno about the rest of you but I know that person at age 40 and 50. They’re not very entertaining to be around because most of their contemporaries grew the fuck up decades ago. In my personal experience it’s the same as hanging around with a 53 year-old stoner who never stopped being 15 mentally. Exceedingly boring and irritating to be around. The writers are smarter than that. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2016, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-penny-an-alcoholic/743011/43 "2016-01-16T13:48:39Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > I believe as the series went on, Kaley talked to the producers about dressing Penny a little more modestly. Not modestly as Mayim might define it, but Penny stopped almost falling out of her tank tops several seasons ago. They made a joke about this in an episode a few weeks ago when Penny was asked why Leonard liked her: “I used to wear a lot of tank tops.” Of course, the line could have easily mentioned that Penny didn’t used to wear a bra, as that’s pretty noticeable in the older episodes too. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2016, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-penny-an-alcoholic/743011/44 "2016-01-16T18:53:48Z")
> [@Cartooniverse](#): > > … I’d take exception with the ideas floated up there that alcoholics hold down jobs, hide it well, etc etc. It’s a disease not a lifestyle. You think you’re managing it until perhaps the day you realize it’s managing you. … And I’d take exception to your exception. Is Penny an alcoholic? She is a fictional character; only the writers can really answer if they meant for her to be one or not. But it is completely untrue that if someone is holding down a job they are not an alcoholic. Yes, it is a disease and like many other diseases there are subtypes, degrees, stages of progression, and opportunities to alter the course of progression. The stereotypical chronic severe losing his or her job, etc., alcoholic is only the tip of the iceberg. (Albeit they are the most likely to have looked for help.) There without question are _real_ people who abuse alcohol and even who are alcohol dependent who make it work every day and do well in their jobs. Those who are alcohol dependent require more and more to get their buzz and experience withdrawal. Not all with that disease are the stereotype, in fact there are [several sub-groups demarcated](http://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/researchers-identify-alcoholism-subtypes). > [@The National Institutes of Health (NIH)](#): > > "Our findings should help dispel the popular notion of the ‘typical alcoholic,’” notes first author Howard B. Moss, M.D., NIAAA Associate Director for Clinical and Translational Research. “We find that young adults comprise the largest group of alcoholics in this country, and nearly 20 percent of alcoholics are highly functional and well-educated with good incomes. More than half of the alcoholics in the United States have no multigenerational family history of the disease, suggesting that their form of alcoholism was unlikely to have genetic causes.” … > > … Young Adult subtype: 31.5 percent of U.S. alcoholics. Young adult drinkers, with relatively low rates of co-occurring substance abuse and other mental disorders, a low rate of family alcoholism, and who rarely seek any kind of help for their drinking. … > > … Functional subtype: 19.5 percent of U.S. alcoholics. Typically middle-aged, well-educated, with stable jobs and families. About one-third have a multigenerational family history of alcoholism, about one-quarter had major depressive illness sometime in their lives, and nearly 50 percent were smokers. … ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-penny-an-alcoholic/743011/45 "2016-01-17T13:41:05Z")
I don’t understand the argument. She so clearly is an alcoholic. And recent shows have continued to point that out. I think “openly” addressing it now is a problem since Cuoco is apparently an alcohol abuser in real life. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-penny-an-alcoholic/743011/46 "2016-01-17T16:24:10Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > I don’t understand the argument. She so clearly is an alcoholic. And recent shows have continued to point that out. They have? Which ones? > [@](#): > > I think “openly” addressing it now is a problem since Cuoco is apparently an alcohol abuser in real life. You should stop reading _InTouch_. _Us Weekly_ is the only place for true gossip. Looks like it was the [hubby](http://hollywoodlife.com/2015/09/30/kaley-cuoco-ryan-sweeting-drug-addiction-alcohol-divorce-reason/)with the issues. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2016, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-penny-an-alcoholic/743011/47 "2016-01-18T01:39:24Z")
I’m pretty sure the non-functional alcoholic myth exists to scare people–so they don’t rationalize that they will be the 20% who function just fine or such. The question I have is, is this working, or is it having the D.A.R.E effect where you run into alcoholics who are functional, and thus think that all the bad ideas were lies? ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2016, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-penny-an-alcoholic/743011/48 "2016-01-18T03:00:40Z")
If that show were even remotely realistic not only would Penny be an alcoholic, she would have multiple kids by different dads and probably be overweight. ---
**Author:** ![Orwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/dfb087/32.png) [@Orwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orwell)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2016, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-penny-an-alcoholic/743011/49 "2016-01-18T15:31:45Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > If that show were even remotely realistic not only would Penny be an alcoholic, she would have multiple kids by different dads and probably be overweight. Is that the norm for pretty young girls who move from the midwest to LA to become actresses? They have a bunch of kids and get fat in their 20s? Doesn’t seem the best way to become famous or a working actor. It seems to me having Penny work in commercials and crappy movies for several years while supporting herself as a waitress is fairly realistic, as far as sitcoms go. Seems more realistic than a couple of PhD university researchers living together in an apartment building that doesn’t have a working elevator year after year. ---
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2016, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-penny-an-alcoholic/743011/50 "2016-01-18T15:53:12Z")
I don’t think fans of BBT watch it expecting realism ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2016, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-penny-an-alcoholic/743011/51 "2016-01-18T16:36:23Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > If that show were even remotely realistic not only would Penny be an alcoholic, she would have multiple kids by different dads and probably be overweight. Why is that? The “party girl” trope is mostly based in reality; there are lots of young, pretty girls who work as waitresses, drink a lot, are promiscuous, and who don’t end up pregnant, obese or alcoholics. They eventually grow out of it, and usually settle down, get married and have a kid or two. I’ve personally known several women who fit that description. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2016, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-penny-an-alcoholic/743011/52 "2016-01-18T19:08:25Z")
People on TV and film are shown drinking a lot more than really happens. But Penny seems to only drink socially. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2016, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-penny-an-alcoholic/743011/53 "2016-01-18T20:27:30Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > People on TV and film are shown drinking a lot more than really happens. > > But Penny seems to only drink socially. I believe Penny was shown drinking alone at least once, and when drinking socially she drinks much more than her friends, although none of them seem to be heavy drinkers. Anyway, it is common for young heavy drinkers to give up the practice when they establish a career or get married. If they had wanted to it would have been easy to write a drinking problem into the story for her. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2016, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-penny-an-alcoholic/743011/54 "2016-01-18T22:57:31Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Why is that? The “party girl” trope is mostly based in reality; there are lots of young, pretty girls who work as waitresses, drink a lot, are promiscuous, and who don’t end up pregnant, obese or alcoholics. They eventually grow out of it, and usually settle down, get married and have a kid or two. > > I’ve personally known several women who fit that description. Where I’m from the party girls all ended up out of shape, raising kids by themselves and usually with a substance abuse problem by the time they hit 29. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2016, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-penny-an-alcoholic/743011/55 "2016-01-18T23:43:20Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > People on TV and film are shown drinking a lot more than really happens. > > But Penny seems to only drink socially. I’m pretty sure we’ve seen unexpected guests arrive at her apartment to find her drinking alone, on multiple occasions (once, drinking out of a large measuring cup) ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2016, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-penny-an-alcoholic/743011/56 "2016-01-19T00:00:59Z")
And again being the only one drinking and then drinking to passing out. ([The girls playing Twister.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDsWDH-kOAQ)) ---
**Author:** ![NVME702-redux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a183cd/32.png) [@NVME702-redux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NVME702-redux)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2016, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-penny-an-alcoholic/743011/57 "2016-01-19T17:57:16Z")
I have to say that every time I saw this thread title, my first thoughts were of Janet Jacksons character on Good Times. But I don’t think she was an alcoholic. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2016, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-penny-an-alcoholic/743011/58 "2016-01-19T18:23:19Z")
I’m a non-drinker so this will be from that perspective. TV shows are about showing hot people in cool situations that are interesting or funny right? And drinking is associated with having a good time. I think tons of characters would be alcoholics if you counted up the number of times they were out or partying with a drink. Personally, I am flabbergasted that some people think you have to drink to have fun. Go to any party, there are drinks. Dinner? You need some wine. I like Pepsi but I don’t need to drink it at every meal or every event. I think most people just tip toe that line of alcoholism and TV characters are having fun all the time, so they drink all the time. Unfortunately, that’s normal ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2016, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-penny-an-alcoholic/743011/59 "2016-01-20T18:24:21Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > And again being the only one drinking and then drinking to passing out. ([The girls playing Twister.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDsWDH-kOAQ)) Looks like funny alcoholic to me. Sure, they could have decided to go all after school special on it, but I don’t think they were definitely headed that way. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2016, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-penny-an-alcoholic/743011/60 "2016-01-20T19:28:41Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > I’m a non-drinker so this will be from that perspective. TV shows are about showing hot people in cool situations that are interesting or funny right? And drinking is associated with having a good time. Are you also not a TV watcher? Because you are describing gum and beer commercials not TV shows. The specific show under discussion is about not particularly attractive nerd/geeks who do geeky things with a couple hot chicks along for the ride. Yes shows in general have a very inordinate number of hot people but most don’t revolve around cool party times. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-penny-an-alcoholic/743011/61 "2016-01-22T03:46:43Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I always wondered how she could afford so much alcohol while working at the Cheesecake Factory. I’d like to be an alkie too, but I just don’t have the money for it! ☹ Why would you choose to be an alkie over any other form of addiction? I think you are a very intelligent person. Why do I say that? Well, I’ve read many of your posts in the forums: The Americans, Fargo, and others. You’ve told us that you’ve lived in other countries and you must be fluent in other languages. It is just my opinon, but I believe alcohol has to be one of the most foolish drugs to which people can become addicted. It’s dangerous to the addict and to others. It’s very easy for the addict to wind up in prison (as a result of DUIs and public intoxication - driving while intoxicated and harming a pedestrian can now get you very lengthy prison terms and I’m certain that you would not be happy serving a lengthy prison term). The effects of alcohol do not last very long and people often can’t even remember what they did while drunk. It’s fairly easy for other people to identify drunks and easy for drunks to get a reputation that just doesn’t easily go away. There are some other drugs that may be worse - such as Speed or Crystal meth or Heroin. But, all things considered, I would have to say that alcohol is just a very bad drug to mess with. Of course, it’s up to the individual and many do choose alcohol above all other drugs. I don’t know why. It really and truly boggles my mind why people would voluntarily choose alchohol over any other drugs. Of course, Russian people seem to be especially susceptible to alcoholism. I don’t know why. I think it is truly a very unfortunate choice. If you have the choice of most any drug to which you will become addicted, I would put alcohol at the bottom of my list. I think it’s just an awful drug and I think you are too intelligent to become addicted to alcohol. This is just my opinion - of course. But, I wanted to express it to you. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-penny-an-alcoholic/743011.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-penny-an-alcoholic/743011.md?page=4)