# The Big Bang Theory, Season 12, Episode 16 (February 21, 2019) -- "The D & D Vortex" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 21, 2019, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-12-episode-16-february-21-2019-the-d-d-vortex/829965 "2019-02-21T15:35:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2019, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-12-episode-16-february-21-2019-the-d-d-vortex/829965/21 "2019-02-23T16:05:32Z")
> [@Fair\_Rarity](#): > > The sight gag of Kareem next to Bernadette was classic. We needed to see Howard freaking out at Bernie being close to a big, virile Black man… like he’s done in the past. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2019, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-12-episode-16-february-21-2019-the-d-d-vortex/829965/22 "2019-02-23T16:20:30Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > We needed to see Howard freaking out at Bernie being close to a big, virile Black man… like he’s done in the past. I don’t remember Howard ever being so blatantly racist. Being insecure about Bernadette being near another man would be OK, if cliched. Being insecure about her being near a “big, virile Black man” would be really ugly. They might be able to pull this off on a show like Black-ish, but I’d expect a plotline like this on TBBT to draw protests. Really, has TBBT ever done this? ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2019, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-12-episode-16-february-21-2019-the-d-d-vortex/829965/23 "2019-02-23T16:32:09Z")
In the episode “The Love Car Displacement”, Bernadette introduces Howard to her professor who was once her boyfriend and who was black. > **["The Big Bang Theory" The Love Car Displacement (TV Episode 2011) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1632228/)** > > The Love Car Displacement: Directed by Anthony Rich. With Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg. Chaos ensues when the gang spend the weekend together at a science convention. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/jrWuYUmX7BI/maxresdefault.jpg "[The Big Bang Theory 4x13] El ex de Bernadette") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrWuYUmX7BI) ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2019, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-12-episode-16-february-21-2019-the-d-d-vortex/829965/24 "2019-02-23T17:15:05Z")
[quote=“Wendell\_Wagner, post:23, topic:829965”] In the episode “The Love Car Displacement”, Bernadette introduces Howard to her professor who was once her boyfriend and who was black. > **["The Big Bang Theory" The Love Car Displacement (TV Episode 2011) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1632228/)** > > The Love Car Displacement: Directed by Anthony Rich. With Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg. Chaos ensues when the gang spend the weekend together at a science convention. [/QUOTE] Yeah, but Howard’s jealousy had nothing to do with Glenn being black, and everything to do with his being a tall, handsome ex. Really, Howard and Bernadette’s marriage is pretty secure. They haven’t done a jealousy plotline for them in a long time. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2019, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-12-episode-16-february-21-2019-the-d-d-vortex/829965/25 "2019-02-23T17:24:19Z")
> [@MrAtoz](#): > > Yeah, but Howard’s jealousy had nothing to do with Glenn being black, and everything to do with his being a tall, handsome ex. As evidenced by the fact that his race was not even hinted at in conversation. Mention is made of “massive weaponry”, but one would expect parts to be size-proportional. And anyway, the actor is half white. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2019, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-12-episode-16-february-21-2019-the-d-d-vortex/829965/26 "2019-02-23T17:28:59Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > In the episode “The Love Car Displacement”, Bernadette introduces Howard to her professor who was once her boyfriend and who was black. I had forgotten about that. It didn’t make any reference to race until the final line about how “it’s not necessarily proportional.” On my opinion, it was really cheap and tasteless for the writers to include this joke based on a racial stereotype. Even if they didn’t intend it to be taken that way, the stereotype of the hung black stud is obvious. I’d expect Kareem Abdul Jabbar to refuse to do anything based on him being a “big, virile black man.” ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2019, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-12-episode-16-february-21-2019-the-d-d-vortex/829965/27 "2019-02-23T17:30:50Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > And anyway, the actor is half white. So is Barack Obama. That doesn’t change the fact that people see him as black. The one-drop rule is well-ingrained in American society. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2019, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-12-episode-16-february-21-2019-the-d-d-vortex/829965/28 "2019-02-23T17:40:29Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > I had forgotten about that. It didn’t make any reference to race until the final line about how “it’s not necessarily proportional.” On my opinion, it was really cheap and tasteless for the writers to include this joke based on a racial stereotype. Even if they didn’t intend it to be taken that way, the stereotype of the hung black stud is obvious. I’m not sure “proportional” fits into that context. I took proportional for it’s mathematical meaning. If Bernadette’s ex was tall he would be proportionally well-endowed; length proportional to length. Length proportional to race doesn’t work in the same way. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2019, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-12-episode-16-february-21-2019-the-d-d-vortex/829965/29 "2019-02-23T18:39:47Z")
I’ll just say that I find it in questionable taste to refer to the size of a black man’s genitals in an American sitcom, regardless of how it was intended. If they wanted to make Howard and Raj insecure about the size of their junk, they could have done it with a tall white guy. If I were feeling uncharitable, I could accuse the writers of using height as a way of getting away with using a racial stereotype. I’m not feeling uncharitable, so I’ll give the writers the benefit of the doubt and say that they probably weren’t thinking about how it might come across. Nevertheless, they should have thought about it. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2019, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-12-episode-16-february-21-2019-the-d-d-vortex/829965/30 "2019-02-24T01:29:36Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Fun episode. Anybody notice WW’s house number?.. Any takers? ---
**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 24, 2019, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-12-episode-16-february-21-2019-the-d-d-vortex/829965/31 "2019-02-24T01:45:34Z")
I noticed. It was missing a letter, though. ---
**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 24, 2019, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-12-episode-16-february-21-2019-the-d-d-vortex/829965/32 "2019-02-24T01:45:35Z")
Yes it’s the phone number of The Millenium Falcon from Firefly. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2019, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-12-episode-16-february-21-2019-the-d-d-vortex/829965/33 "2019-02-24T03:14:17Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Any takers? Yep, right away. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2019, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-12-episode-16-february-21-2019-the-d-d-vortex/829965/34 "2019-02-24T04:25:24Z")
Wil’s house has always had that number since his first appearance. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2019, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-12-episode-16-february-21-2019-the-d-d-vortex/829965/35 "2019-02-24T05:06:29Z")
Ah, I hadn’t noticed it before. Thanks. For those who didn’t, and for any non-Trekkers among us, it’s 1701, the last part of the Starfleet registry number for the USS _Enterprise_, NCC-1701-D. ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2019, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-12-episode-16-february-21-2019-the-d-d-vortex/829965/36 "2019-02-24T05:55:56Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > I’ll just say that I find it in questionable taste to refer to the size of a black man’s genitals in an American sitcom, regardless of how it was intended. If they wanted to make Howard and Raj insecure about the size of their junk, they could have done it with a tall white guy. If I were feeling uncharitable, I could accuse the writers of using height as a way of getting away with using a racial stereotype. I’m not feeling uncharitable, so I’ll give the writers the benefit of the doubt and say that they probably weren’t thinking about how it might come across. Nevertheless, they should have thought about it. I did not think the comment had anthing at all to do wuth race. I imagined it was more “So that guy is like, what, twice your size? Three times? I bet his junk is-” “It’s not necessarily proportional!” ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2019, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-12-episode-16-february-21-2019-the-d-d-vortex/829965/37 "2019-02-24T07:48:20Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > After tonight, what ultimate geek icons are left who haven’t been on the show? If you wanted to get someone jaw-dropping, someone who Sheldon and the rest would ge apeshit over meeting, who would it be? The only two that occur to me are Harrison Ford and George Lucas. Not necessarily a geek icon, but Brian May. Nobody would recognize him, except for Raj, who would be over the moon. For those not in the know, Brian May interrupted his astrophysicist studies when the band Queen became big–he was their lead guitarist. He returned to his studies in the mid 2000s, and received his Ph.D. in astrophysics in 2008. [As usual, Wikipedia gives a good summary.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_May) (Scroll down to “Scientific Career.”) ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2019, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-12-episode-16-february-21-2019-the-d-d-vortex/829965/38 "2019-02-24T15:03:22Z")
Except for Carrie Fisher, have there been any women icons? Nichelle Nichols, Gal Gadot, Kirstie Alley… ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2019, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-12-episode-16-february-21-2019-the-d-d-vortex/829965/39 "2019-02-24T15:24:48Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > Except for Carrie Fisher, have there been any women icons? Nichelle Nichols, Gal Gadot, Kirstie Alley… Katee Sackhoff, although it was in a dream sequence so the characters didn’t actually meet her. ---
**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 24, 2019, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-12-episode-16-february-21-2019-the-d-d-vortex/829965/40 "2019-02-24T15:57:20Z")
Summer Glau, as herself. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-12-episode-16-february-21-2019-the-d-d-vortex/829965.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-12-episode-16-february-21-2019-the-d-d-vortex/829965.md?page=3)