I guess I don't understand this criticism.
I'm bitter that the writers seem to think that the most devastatingly witty thing for House to say to a woman to throw her off guard is that her breasts are lopsided.
I'm curious why you think that the writers think that such a comment is witty. House really isn't frequently witty. He's mostly boorish, crude, and outrageous. That's how House throws other characters off their guard, and that's how the writers shock the audience. Not with bon mots or truly clever remarks (although they occasionally occur), but by saying things that are just completely inappropriate. I think the writers are aware of what they are doing in this respect.
Honestly, what? Who would 1) be stupid enough to think that anyone could tell such a ridiculous thing if you're not topless (OK, with the exception of Cuddy I guess, considering the kind of tops she wears); 2) actually panic at the thought of such a thing being true; 3) not just give House a bewildered, pitying look and walk away; 4) after saying "Brave words coming from you, Limpy. Go measure the symmetry of your sack with a protractor and let me know how that works out for you. Kthnxbai."
In response to 1 and 2, was there any indication that House, the writers, or the female doctor actually believed any of that? I didn't see it. The doctor certainly didn't seem that thrown by the comment to me. I don't think House says such things so that women will actually panic about it. He says it just to get a reaction or to see how much he can get away with saying.
In response to 3 and 4, it was fairly clear to the audience and to House that the female doctor wanted to make an impression in order to have a shot at a fellowship. She obviously knew his reputation. Why would she walk away or insult House because of a comment that couldn't be too surprising? If anything, I think the best way to act in her particular situation is to be nonchalant.
DIY Sheep- 10-08-2007
As the MAD TV House said in the Grey's anatomy/House crossover spoof when Doctor Grey says 'what that wasn't witty, that was just gross' MAD TV House replies 'if you spend all day being witty sometimes some will miss'.
But I did find that jolting in the same way I found the 'fun bag' comment just a bit over the line - for me it just didn't sit right/a bit off.
fffaw- 10-09-2007
after saying "Brave words coming from you, Limpy. Go measure the symmetry of your sack with a protractor and let me know how that works out for you. Kthnxbai."
Comments like that make me bitter you're not writing the script, Sansy! ;-)
sweet fern- 10-09-2007
Me too! :lol: But what does "Kthnxbai" mean? Oh, wait, if it's IM speak for "Okay, thanks, bye" I may be catching on! :clap:
Sans Serif- 10-09-2007
Yeah sweets, kthxbai is chatspeak for OK, thanks, bye. And um, I just broke a rule by using chatspeak here, so, uh . . . let's just keep that between you and me. :P
I'm curious why you think that the writers think that such a comment is witty. House really isn't frequently witty. He's mostly boorish, crude, and outrageous. That's how House throws other characters off their guard, and that's how the writers shock the audience. Not with bon mots or truly clever remarks (although they occasionally occur), but by saying things that are just completely inappropriate. I think the writers are aware of what they are doing in this respect.
I think you're totally right about the writers and House's interactions with the characters misere. And House has only done it twice, to #22 (Cam!twin nurse from Alone) and to Cuddy during poker in House vs. God. And when he said it to Cuddy it didn't bother me at all. Some of my bitterness springs from the fact that the writers repeated something. And the nurse only half-glanced down at her chest after House said that, IIRC, so the writers definitely didn't write her to be devastated by what House said, as you pointed out. And I guess I can see the humor in someone actually catching themselves in the process of verifying a comment like that. (Bitterness . . . fading . . . noooo!) I think I might be projecting my dismay at the loss of S1 Cuddy's quick comebacks to House's remarks onto Nurse!Cam too. And I'm always on the lookout for a female character to make a funny, bonus points for making a funny at House. Who doesn't love that little smirk HL does when House appreciates someone out-snarking him?
So apparently I'm just a very big fan of breasts—and people who have them—and sometimes feel an exaggerated need to leap to their defense (that windmill is a giant! My lance, Sancho!). Granted, House is obviously a big fan of the "chesticles" (Yes, that made me laugh: neologisms = yay!) too*, and I didn't mean to imply at all that the characters or the writers are chauvinists. Not true! All the same, it's a line that I, personally, am over. Poking fun at funbags is totally OK (I do want House and Cuddy to still have scenes together), but I'm totally over that particular House comment so I hope the writers don't feel the need to trot it out again. :?
*I do think if House and I were in some sort of Breast Appreciation Olympics it'd be a barn burner, though. We could have Cuddy judge! :D
407- 10-09-2007
Yeah sweets, kthxbai is chatspeak for OK, thanks, bye. And um, I just broke a rule by using chatspeak here, so, uh . . . let's just keep that between you and me. :P
:ban:
No, I'm kidding. Actually, I've used 'kthxbai' plenty of times around here. As long as your posts don't turn into long slurs of 'bt u dnt no cz i m so gr8 yh k?', it should be ok.
I say this tentatively, because I might spark this big wave of members filling their posts with netspeak. Whatever, Mod's discretion.
On topic? I'm bitter that I can't watch House every Tuesday night, I guess...
Jouse- 10-09-2007
Who doesn't love that little smirk HL does when House appreciates someone out-snarking him?
Minority opinion ahoy/that's why I liked having Stacey around/end MO.
I am bitter that some people are only chesticles-bound (I'm not referring to you Sansy ;)) and ignore everything else, but that's prob. diabolically OT and I think I've seen The Big Mod around here so.. :shock: *runs away*
407- 10-09-2007
Aww, John, you know I luff you :wub:
Personally, I am bitter that... I don't know. Why am I even on this thread?
I'm bitter that I can't watch the episode yet. It's too far away. I am impatient.
stillunwritten- 10-11-2007
I'm a bit bitter (I kind of like that: "bit bitter." Heh.) that whenever I make it known that I'm a Cameron fan (Yes, I know -- BOO! HISS!), most everyone assumes that I'm a House/Cameron fan, then goes on to assume I'm some sort of fifteen year old imbecile. I'm not (Well, I could be a bit dim, but...hey.). Even when I say I'm not a H/C shipper -- in one ear and out the other. I'm not a House/Cameron fan. Never have been, never will be. I just like Cameron. And House. Separately. That's all.
And I had to share my bitterness, because it happened again today, and I was all annoyed for a minute.
extra_cat- 10-11-2007
I'm bitter that Chase only had 85 seconds worth of scenes in the last episode. That f-ing sucks. I'm bitter that Boreman still gets the lion's share of Original Recipe Duckling Screentime.
Lulu- 10-11-2007
Is it very pathetic to be bitter about the fact that "97 seconds" wasn't named after THAT scene with House and Wilson? ;) Because their scene was only 92 seconds..:roll: (..in my personal canon, those 5 missing seconds are Wilson looking up and saying either "I know" or "I love you too, House", and we just didn't get to see it for some reason:P)
Hail the Random- 10-12-2007
Because everyone's heads would eexplode and Fox would lose about 75% of the viewing audience for HOuse.
Sans Serif- 10-12-2007
I'm bitter that Boreman still gets the lion's share of Original Recipe Duckling Screentime.
:lol: Boreman. Hee.
I'm bitter that I can't come up with a name to describe how bored I am of Thirteen. And I'm bitter that House doesn't share my boredom, and fire her.
I'm bitter that stillunwritten and other folks w/a variety of ships and cast favorites have to deal with posters getting all sandy at them sometimes. Fail.
Because everyone's heads would explode and Fox would lose about 75% of the viewing audience for House.
I'm bitter that I can't write to Fox's Ad Sales department and tell them about how gullible and Financially Desirable I am as a target market—to the point that I would more than make up for a 75% loss of audience share. My empty checking account, let me show you it.
I'm bitter that my off the hook femiladyism read fail into Cuddy's practically OOC neckline (that covered up Teh Death-by-Smonthering Cleavage) being so high in her "Thirteen's Action = Ultimately Your Responsibility" lecture. My femiladyism annoys me sometimes. I just want to love Cuddy, femiladyism, quit it.
And I'm bitter that there wasn't even a throwaway line there about "And I Know You're My Responsibility" at the end of that scene. I know Cuddy knows that, and I know she feels guilty about it, but I think it needed acknowledgment there, and the scene was worse for lacking it.
blacktop- 10-12-2007
But I loved that that responsibility scene was played just that way -- the fault was shared up the line from Thirteen to House to Cuddy. And at least the latter of those two knew it perfectly well. It is part of how they communicate that neither had to express it. I thought the unspoken final lines made that scene positively vibrate with all the pent up anger and frustration that House and Cuddy are feeling toward each other at the moment.
Oh, sorry, bitterness thread , um let's see, I am bitter that there is a two week gap between episodes.
And I will be very bitter if Scooter the wonderful old fraud is eliminated from the team.
Silja- 10-12-2007
I'm complete :off topic: bitter that I just spent an hour making a great-looking new layout for my LJ and the site ate it.