Big Bang Infinitum: Food For Thought

My wife Andrea and I have fallen into a pattern of watching Big Bang Theory on TBS.  It's like a weird "comfort food" type of thing for us. 

Andrea finds the show quite amusing and it doesn't challenge her to think too much.

I find the show sufficiently entertaining and it keeps Andrea sufficiently distracted to just leave me alone. 

Our daughter Randie is happy that we're both distracted enough to leave her alone with some damn "Critical Role" thing or another. 

(Seriously, "Critical Role" sounds like a lot of fun and maybe just the thing you're looking for if you like D&D and have thousands and thousands of hours to kill. I should not mock Randie's life choices as Andrea and I have killed thousands and thousands of hours watching Big Bang Theory reruns on TBS.)  

Our dog Rosie keeps her own counsel but is probably pleased we're leaving her alone and not constantly assuring she's a "good dog" over and over. 

But she is such a good dog! Who's a good dog, hmmm? Who's a good dog? 

Such a good dog!  












Having watched hour after hour after hour of Big Bang Theory, I can't help being annoyed by certain recurring things. There are enough annoyances or curiosities, I could do am infinitum of posts on Big Bang Theory. Today, I will settle for just one topic. 

Food. 

What I'm about to describe is not necessarily unique to Big Bang Theory but it happens a lot on BBT. 

Scene: the Cal Tech cafeteria. Leonard, Raj and Howard are sitting at a table, each with a tray of food before them. 

No one is eating their food. They poke at it randomly with a white plastic fork.

Sheldon joins them with his own tray of food. 

Sheldon says something smart and insulting. Howard insults him back, Raj acts hurt and Leonard rolls his eyes so hard, they pop out of his head and he has to look for them on the floor.

No one is eating their food. 

Sheldon says something demeaning about Howard being an engineer, Raj being from India and Leonard's inability to keep his eyeballs contained in their sockets. 

No one is eating their food. 

At some point, either Leonard, Raj, Howard or Sheldon will have enough of this banter and will get up and leave. 

This person will leave their food behind. 

The three who remain will quibble about whatever the hell is wrong with the one who left, all the while..

You guessed it.

No one is eating their food. 

I repeat...

NO ONE! 

IS EATING!!

THEIR FOOOOOOD!!!!!!

Does no one else care about this? 

I get why this happens. It is hard for actors to deliver lines while eating food. But it happens so often, it's hard to ignore. Usually the food is some kind of club sandwich with some kind of lettuce/tomato garnish on the side that the guys will poke at randomly with a white plastic fork.  

But worse than this is the inevitable exit. 

Sheldon leaves in a huff because Howard's being a dick. 

Raj leaves in a huff because Howard's being a dick. 

Howard leaves in a huff because Sheldon is being Sheldon.

Leonard leaves in a huff because he hates all of them. 

And this person leaves their food on the table. 

OK, I get the not eating while delivering lines but c'mon, just leaving the food behind during the inevitable "leave in a huff' walk off? Cafeteria prices are NOT cheap! 

Take the damn food!!!!

Is it too much for (fill in the blank) to say, "I'm tired of (fill in the blank) being a dick. I'm going to take this sort of club sandwich type of thing with some odd lettuce/tomato garnish on the side and poke at it randomly with a white plastic fork in my office!"  Then exits with the food.  

That's not  too hard, is it?  

To be fair, it's not always a club sandwich type of thing. Sometimes one of the guys has a big salad. Just last night, Leonard has what looks like a fairly ornate and large salad that I'm sure the cafeteria charged way to much for and he's poking at it with his white plastic fork. Sheldon "volunteers" Leonard to drive someone to the airport. Leonard's a schmuck and gets up to do this.

Without finishing his salad.

I repeat.

WITHOUT FINISHING HIS SALAD!!!

That's a big salad just going to go to waste? 

And who knows how much it costs?  

Am I the only one bothered by this? 

Andrea? "I am amused and not thinking too much about this."

Randie? "I am ignoring you and not giving a fuck about this."

Rosie? She looks at me with those beautiful brown eyes with love and affection. I know the dog supports me in this, right? 

"I have no idea what your name is and I'm not giving a fuck about this."  

Anyway, it happens a lot. Food is ignored and left behind. And it bothers me.

Sometimes Big Bang Theory throws me a bone. 

Penny has a hamburger from In&Out waiting for Leonard. They've been arguing but Penny's trying to make it up to Leonard with his favorite burger. A phone call from her dad means the argument may not be over. Leonard runs away to keep from getting yelled at by Penny.

Leonard takes the hamburger with him! 

Professor Proton be praised! Food was NOT left behind! 

Be safe, remember to be good to one another and I am so glad my suffering amuses you.  

Next time on Big Bang Infinitum: 

"You know, Amy, for a woman who wears a lot of layers and of WOOL no less, it's sure funny as hell that you live in Pasadena, California!"

Also, back off from Doctor Who!!!!