# The Good Place \[edited title\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 21, 2016, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-good-place-edited-title/766545 "2016-09-21T23:33:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 39
**Author:** ![Sir\_Prize](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d2c977/32.png) [@Sir\_Prize](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Prize)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2018, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-good-place-edited-title/766545/762 "2018-10-26T02:23:25Z")
I normally find Jason’s stupidity annoying even though he gets all the best lines. But this episode was hilarious. Kudos to whoever cast Donkey Doug. ---
**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:** [October 26, 2018, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-good-place-edited-title/766545/763 "2018-10-26T04:15:30Z")
Am I remembering wrong? I thought there was something in an earlier season about Jason having been raised in an orphanage? ---
**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:** [October 26, 2018, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-good-place-edited-title/766545/764 "2018-10-26T13:13:57Z")
The comic timing was off on a few of the jokes. It all felt just a little askew to me. I blame the editing. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2018, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-good-place-edited-title/766545/765 "2018-10-26T13:48:32Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Am I remembering wrong? I thought there was something in an earlier season about Jason having been raised in an orphanage? I think that was the “mistake” story Michael made up for him as a monk. Not his actual life in Florida. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2018, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-good-place-edited-title/766545/766 "2018-10-26T15:12:20Z")
This season has been a bit hit-or-miss for me… but this episode was a hit. A particular highlight was Simone being driven by Eleanor pretending to be Janet. I also love that Pillboi got his name from his job of… dispensing pills to seniors at a senior center. It’s so obvious it’s not obvious. ---
**Author:** ![gregorio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@gregorio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gregorio)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2018, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-good-place-edited-title/766545/767 "2018-10-26T15:45:07Z")
But his name tag did say Pillboi. He could have chose whatever he wanted for his name tag, but I choose to believe that is his real name. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ecks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bcef8e/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ecks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ecks)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2018, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-good-place-edited-title/766545/768 "2018-10-26T15:52:41Z")
Am I confused, or was Pillboi Jason’s brother or just his friend? When It turned out Donkey Doug was his Dad, and Pillboi showed up, I thought that meant they were all family… Also, love that the body spray/energy drink invention was apparently just body spray mixed with energy drink. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2018, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-good-place-edited-title/766545/769 "2018-10-26T18:26:47Z")
> [@DKW](#): > > Here’s a list of things I see all the time in afterlife-themed shows or individual episodes that I found almost always ruin them: > > - An absolute binary Heaven and Hell system (with maybe one tiny, unimportant middle ground that’s almost never actually used for anything) > - A completely nonsensical point system where we see at most a microscopic fraction of the ethical decisions within an average person’s life > - Completely arbitrary and ridiculous values within said system > - The overwhelming majority of humanity going to Hell > - Infinite punishment for finite evil (and devils being fine with this despite being seriously overworked as a result) > - No attempt whatsoever to explain or justify the previous two items > - An entire system of arbitrary or counterintuitive rules that are always enforced to the letter > - A supreme judge or other authority who has the judgment of a drunk baboon and never thinks anything through > - A moral system (usually instituted by the supreme authority) that is based on petty whims, completely fails to take into account human nature, or simply doesn’t make any sense > > And I have definite reason to be concerned because I’ve seen _all of these_. In a shade over two seasons. For a lot of these, you’re assuming that whatever is running the afterlife cares about how humans define morality Since they live in a looped causality (with a dot), everything to them is either finite or infinite (not sure who to assign that). And a human concept of ‘fair’ has no reason to enter into their consideration. The whole thing could just be a filtering system to find the 1% or whatever that matches the demon/angels definition of good, who are then processed into new beings (or jackets, who knows). And infinite reward for finite good doesn’t really make any more sense than infinite punishment for finite evil. We Christian-influenced folks just like to hope it is true, given an afterlife at all. ---
**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:** [October 27, 2018, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-good-place-edited-title/766545/770 "2018-10-27T00:07:31Z")
I’d like to think Pillboi thought they were all from NASA because he misunderstood what NSA stood for. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2018, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-good-place-edited-title/766545/771 "2018-10-27T01:06:44Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Who would believe it? Enough people to cause even weirder ripple effects. > [@Johnny\_Ecks](#): > > Am I confused, or was Pillboi Jason’s brother or just his friend? When It turned out Donkey Doug was his Dad, and Pillboi showed up, I thought that meant they were all family… I was waiting for that reveal 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:** [October 27, 2018, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-good-place-edited-title/766545/772 "2018-10-27T01:59:12Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > I think that was the “mistake” story Michael made up for him as a monk. Not his actual life in Florida. Not what I am thinking I remembering which is something he told Tahani. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2018, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-good-place-edited-title/766545/773 "2018-10-27T05:02:29Z")
Is spaced-out / dumb Asian guy a trope now? I love Jason as a character, but I get sort of uneasy watching that new sitcom about single parents with Brad Garrett where there is another spaced out / dumb Asian guy who at times appears to be written as Jason from The Good Place. It’s kind of taking some of the fun out of Jason for me. That aside, I loved this episode. The tearful over-the-top elaborate handshake goodbye was absolute perfection. And the way they savaged Jacksonville was a delight. (The Macho Man Randy Savage (Not) International Airport? Ha!) And when Donkey Doug takes off running from the cops, of course he yells “Bortles!” So good. I’m reasonably sure albeit not positive that Pillboi is Jason’s brother. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2018, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-good-place-edited-title/766545/774 "2018-10-27T07:40:32Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > Is spaced-out / dumb Asian guy a trope now? I love Jason as a character, but I get sort of uneasy watching that new sitcom about single parents with Brad Garrett where there is another spaced out / dumb Asian guy who at times appears to be written as Jason from The Good Place. It’s kind of taking some of the fun out of Jason for me. “Spaced-out dumb guy” is definitely a trope, but it’s irrespective of race. Why be specifically uncomfortable with it happening to be an Asian dude? If anything, the show called out the truly stereotypical trope of the wisdom-dispensing Asian by forcing Jason into the role of Jianyu (something the audience accepted as only natural) before turning it on its head later in Season 1. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2018, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-good-place-edited-title/766545/775 "2018-10-27T08:45:26Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > “Spaced-out dumb guy” is definitely a trope, but it’s irrespective of race. Why be specifically uncomfortable with it happening to be an Asian dude? I guess it stands out because they’re both the only Asian character on their respective shows. I agree with you that it was a fun and clever subversion that of course we the audience accepted that he was a wise monk but once he started speaking our assumptions were totally turned on their head. But now seeing essentially the same trope played out again by the lone Asian character on another primetime sitcom is kind of turning it into a thing, and that’s the part I’m not loving. The fact that the crappy/mediocre Single Parents is retroactively harshing my mellow for a great show like The Good Place is a bummer. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2018, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-good-place-edited-title/766545/776 "2018-10-27T09:32:51Z")
One last thought and I’ll drop this tangent. I’ve been googling around to see if anybody else has commented on this, and no, nobody has. Since it’s pretty much just me, I’ll dismiss it as being nothing more than white liberal guilt. Two links I found seemed interesting: [Asian Airhead](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AsianAirhead) (TV Tropes) Note: Male examples of this are tremendously rare. It is almost Always Female. [Dumb as rocks but warm as a blanket, Jason Mendoza is changing Asian stereotypes.](https://www.inverse.com/article/40663-good-place-jason-mendoza-asian-bro-stereotype) ([Inverse.com](http://Inverse.com)) That second article makes a compelling case, though the cited character examples are reaches. For example, I think of Ravi from iZombie as Indian, not Asian. But anyway, the thrust of the article is that Jason is a long-overdue stereotype-busting character of the “Asian Bro” mold. As in, not an egghead, not socially awkward, not a nerdy brain, but a regular guy you could “bro down” with. In light of that, I can now view seeing the same Asian Bro character on Single Parents as a step in the right direction. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2018, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-good-place-edited-title/766545/777 "2018-10-27T09:38:34Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > I guess it stands out because they’re both the only Asian character on their respective shows. Uh… ---
**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:** [October 27, 2018, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-good-place-edited-title/766545/778 "2018-10-27T15:24:30Z")
I think it’s interesting that three of the four humans are very international. Tahani was born in Pakistan, raised in the UK and schooled in France. Chidi was born in Nigeria, raised in Senegal and, I think, taught in the US and/or Australia (I can’t remember). Jason’s ethnicity is unspecified, but the actor was born in the Philippines and raised in Canada. Eleanor seems to have the simplest background of any of them. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2018, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-good-place-edited-title/766545/779 "2018-10-27T16:01:23Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Not what I am thinking I remembering which is something he told Tahani. I’m guessing Jason (& any siblings he may have) spent a lot of time with children and social services growing up. Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2018, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-good-place-edited-title/766545/780 "2018-10-27T16:35:16Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Jason’s ethnicity is unspecified, but the actor was born in the Philippines and raised in Canada. Another dumb-but-sweet asian bro character is Josh Chan on _Crazy Ex-Girlfriend_, who is explicitly Phillipino, I think (the character) (and also the actor?). ---
**Author:** ![planetcory](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/planetcory/32/1032_2.png) [@planetcory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/planetcory)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2018, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-good-place-edited-title/766545/781 "2018-10-27T19:11:37Z")
I noticed the similarity between Jason and the Single Parents character too. He’s not as cartoonishly dumb as Jason, but aesthetically they’re very similar. It didn’t trouble me, though. Just annoyed me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-good-place-edited-title/766545.md?page=38) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-good-place-edited-title/766545.md?page=40)