# The Big Bang Theory, January 30, 2014 -- "The Convention Conundrum" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 30, 2014, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-january-30-2014-the-convention-conundrum/680158 "2014-01-30T19:50:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-january-30-2014-the-convention-conundrum/680158/41 "2014-01-31T20:07:32Z")
Bizarre timing department: Sheldon & JEJ were singing “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” in the karaokee bar. The song was first brought to the public’s attention by Pete Seeger and the Weavers. [Cite](http://performingsongwriter.com/lion-sleeps-tonight/) Loved the episode. ---
**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:** [January 31, 2014, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-january-30-2014-the-convention-conundrum/680158/42 "2014-01-31T20:25:56Z")
Penny (or maybe Kaley Cuoco?) seems to have become very hard and bitter in the last season or so. There’s an anger or meanness in her stance that’s really off-putting to me. It might even trace all the way back to about the time Ms. Cuoco broke her leg so badly. I definitely do not have the feeling I used to - that the actors were all having fun together and enjoying the project. I feel like I walked in on a bitter family quarrel and they are trying to make nice until I leave the room again. Is it just me? ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-january-30-2014-the-convention-conundrum/680158/43 "2014-01-31T20:35:11Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Bizarre timing department: Sheldon & JEJ were singing “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” in the karaokee bar. The song was first brought to the public’s attention by Pete Seeger and the Weavers. [Cite](http://performingsongwriter.com/lion-sleeps-tonight/) > > Loved the episode. They did a lot of things I wouldn’t have expected Sheldon to do: karaoke, steam bath, eating ice cream out of the same bowl, etc. One thing that struck me as being really out of place was Sheldon forgetting his keys and going back to get them because ‘this mind doesn’t forget’. He did it once before when he had to stay with Penny, but for some reason it didn’t stand out to me then. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-january-30-2014-the-convention-conundrum/680158/44 "2014-01-31T20:46:13Z")
Sheldon did karaoke with Beverly Hoffsteder. As for the rest, he was trying to get on JEJ’s good side. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-january-30-2014-the-convention-conundrum/680158/45 "2014-01-31T21:05:18Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > Penny (or maybe Kaley Cuoco?) seems to have become very hard and bitter in the last season or so. There’s an anger or meanness in her stance that’s really off-putting to me. It might even trace all the way back to about the time Ms. Cuoco broke her leg so badly. > > I definitely do not have the feeling I used to - that the actors were all having fun together and enjoying the project. I feel like I walked in on a bitter family quarrel and they are trying to make nice until I leave the room again. > > Is it just me? I agree. Penny has gotten to the point of just being a horrible character, IMO. She has no job but spends hundreds of dollars on a dress. She suggests they go to the bar and then lets Amy and Bernadette pay her tab without even so much as, “Uh, I’ll pay you back later.” Her story about laughing at an elderly handicapped person having an accident and being knocked unconscious was awful. It’s almost to the point where I cringe at every scene she’s in. The character just isn’t funny, amusing or likeable to me anymore. ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-january-30-2014-the-convention-conundrum/680158/46 "2014-01-31T21:27:32Z")
I like that they didn’t try to go with a cliche dream sequence, drug, or some other nonsense with James Earl Jones. It veered near it with the strip club reference but the rest seemed to be in the realm of believability. > [@Death\_of\_Rats](#): > > For some reason, they have Bernadette making much more than Howard even though, I think, in reality Howard would be the highest earner of them all. The allowance came from Howard an Raj blowing a wad on the 3-D printer. The Wallowitzes must have income that come close to being an order of magnitude more than the rest of the group, especially joint. ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-january-30-2014-the-convention-conundrum/680158/47 "2014-01-31T21:55:50Z")
> [@pancakes3](#): > > I like that they didn’t try to go with a cliche dream sequence, drug, or some other nonsense with James Earl Jones. It veered near it with the strip club reference but the rest seemed to be in the realm of believability. > > The Wallowitzes must have income that come close to being an order of magnitude more than the rest of the group, especially joint. Don’t forget, Raj’s father is supposed to be an extremely wealthy gynecologist! ---
**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:** [January 31, 2014, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-january-30-2014-the-convention-conundrum/680158/48 "2014-01-31T22:14:57Z")
By “order of magnitude” do you mean literally ten times the income of the others? If so, I doubt it. In a previous thread, I think we figured Sheldon and Leonard’s salaries at about $100,000 each and perhaps Bernadette makes twice that. So if Howard also makes $100,000, their combined income might be double or triple the others, but not ten times as much. ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-january-30-2014-the-convention-conundrum/680158/49 "2014-01-31T22:26:20Z")
I did mean 10 times that. I guess subconsciously I was still fixated on the girls as I watched Bernadette and Amy pick up the check and thought: Bernie could potentially be in the 250k+ range while Amy is making post-doc money? And Penny used to waitress/bartend at a Cheesecake Factory. Ok, not quite an order of magnitude, but many times over. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-january-30-2014-the-convention-conundrum/680158/50 "2014-01-31T22:32:33Z")
Kind of a snooze, for me. I found JEJ hammy (I suppose that could have been on purpose) and Carrie Fisher grotesque-looking, like she’d had a stroke or something (boy is my face going to be red if she really did have a stroke). The JEJ stuff just went on for too long. I agree with Sheldon (for once) that the night could have ended with karaoke. The whole part with “the girls” was an even bigger snooze. No redeeming dialog or situations at all. Makes me wonder if there’s a shark in the next episode, or if there already was one and I just missed it. Roddy ---
**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:** [January 31, 2014, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-january-30-2014-the-convention-conundrum/680158/51 "2014-01-31T22:59:39Z")
I loved the JEJ stuff but it did seem like a fantasy sequence. Kinda cool that it wasn’t. The rest of the episode was meh and felt half finished. I think they got Jones booked and had to rush the rest to get that done. Does Comicon really have that level of resale restriction, or is Sheldon fixated on the fine print? They REALLY need to give Penny something to do. Her character has been stagnant for years. There is plenty of comic material available for her as a working actress, and they shouldn’t wait for the inevitable inter-season character travel to do it. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-january-30-2014-the-convention-conundrum/680158/52 "2014-01-31T23:21:07Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > Does Comicon really have that level of resale restriction, or is Sheldon fixated on the fine print? I’m not sure if you can get banned for life, but if they catch you using somebody else’s badge you can definitely be banned from the rest of that year’s con. I’m going to be trying to get Comic Con tickets soon, so this episode was a bit stressful for me. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![LibrarySpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f9ae1b/32.png) [@LibrarySpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LibrarySpy)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-january-30-2014-the-convention-conundrum/680158/53 "2014-02-01T00:02:53Z")
I wasn’t familiar with JEJ’s schtick, so this was super awesome for me. > [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Sheldon did karaoke with Beverly Hoffsteder. He also sings show tunes quote well. > [@Roderick Femm](#): > > Carrie Fisher grotesque-looking That’s just a style choice. 😃 As a total girl, I enjoyed the tea party storyline, complete with tiara. I also enjoyed the Disney Princess episode. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-january-30-2014-the-convention-conundrum/680158/54 "2014-02-01T02:21:24Z")
Not a bad episode at all. But they guys really needed to deal with the scalper some other way. Scalping seems to be the only way to get tickets anymore. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-january-30-2014-the-convention-conundrum/680158/55 "2014-02-01T02:27:15Z")
Can you actually be charged with petty theft for using someone else’s badge at ComicCon? I didn’t buy that. Do the ComicCon people detain you and call the police to come arrest you? It’s not theft if you buy someone else’s ticket/badge or they give it to you. IANAL or a cop but that plot point sounded absurd to me. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-january-30-2014-the-convention-conundrum/680158/56 "2014-02-01T05:00:42Z")
What amused me most about JEJ is that so often you hear actors complaining about being remembered for the roles that made them famous… Sean Connery, Bill Shatner, Wil Wheaton, and others. It was nice that JEJ said he was a SW fan himself. Of course, now if I think about it, I wonder if JEJ is IRL a SW fan or just a good actor saying what was in the script. Wasn’t it JEJ that did some photo op with the kid from the Darth Volkswagon commercial"? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-january-30-2014-the-convention-conundrum/680158/57 "2014-02-01T06:31:06Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > Wasn’t it JEJ that did some photo op with the kid from the Darth Volkswagon commercial"? [Yep.](http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/02/07/volkswagens-little-vader-meets-the-real-thing-in-nyc/) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-january-30-2014-the-convention-conundrum/680158/58 "2014-02-01T07:36:28Z")
JEJ is reported to have believed that it was a lie that Darth Vader was Luke’s father. They should have had Carrie Fisher in a bikini with huge magnum of champagne yelling: “EGOT my ass James! Meryl Streep plays me in real life!” ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-january-30-2014-the-convention-conundrum/680158/59 "2014-02-01T14:07:54Z")
> [@Accidental\_Martyr](#): > > I agree. Penny has gotten to the point of just being a horrible character, IMO. She has no job but spends hundreds of dollars on a dress. She suggests they go to the bar and then lets Amy and Bernadette pay her tab without even so much as, “Uh, I’ll pay you back later.” Her story about laughing at an elderly handicapped person having an accident and being knocked unconscious was awful. It’s almost to the point where I cringe at every scene she’s in. The character just isn’t funny, amusing or likeable to me anymore. I think a lot of us have had particular friends that we understand, if they come along, we’ll be paying for them. We may not particularly like that but we recognize it as a fact of life &, well, the price of having them among our friends. I cringed during the story about the elderly person falling, until she got to the tennis ball flying off the walker. Then I only felt bad because I was laughing so hard. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-january-30-2014-the-convention-conundrum/680158/60 "2014-02-01T17:33:23Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > I cringed during the story about the elderly person falling, until she got to the tennis ball flying off the walker. Then I only felt bad because I was laughing so hard. About a year ago my wife was diagnosed with a medical condition that severely limits her mobility and she has to use a walker. The idea of someone laughing if she fell, hit her head and was knocked unconscious does not amuse me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-january-30-2014-the-convention-conundrum/680158.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-january-30-2014-the-convention-conundrum/680158.md?page=4)