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Interesting Simpsons tonight

Posted by SC on 2/3/2006, 7:38 pm

Tonight's Simpsons on Channel 4 got me thinking. To set the scene, the family were on a road trip with 3 "college nerds" with the following dialogue:
Nerd: I need the bathroom.
Lisa: You just went 5 minutes ago!
Nerd: Yes but someone knocked at the door and I couldn't go!
Now my issue is, why use that to mock the NERD? Is that part of the nerd stereotype? I noted previously that Peep Show's Mark, also a bit of a nerd, mentioned the problem, and I could loosely be classified as a nerd myself!
Any thoughts?

Re: Interesting Simpsons tonight

Posted by Martin on 2/3/2006, 8:05 pm, in reply to "Interesting Simpsons tonight"

I view it more positively and less defensively.
The more publicity the condition gets, the better for all of us.
Don't lose your sense of humour and it's OK to laugh at yourself.
Regards

Martin

Re: Interesting Simpsons tonight

Posted by Lusy on 2/3/2006, 9:16 pm, in reply to "Re: Interesting Simpsons tonight"

There is a scene in 'Friends' (actually a couple which imply that the Joey character has a similar problem.
In one scene he refers to 'the stage fright' which stopped him going at all, and in another he tells Chandler that he can't go when he's being nagged to hurry.

Re: Interesting Simpsons tonight

Posted by Lusy (again) on 2/3/2006, 9:29 pm, in reply to "Re: Interesting Simpsons tonight"

and erm, my point *ahem* was that Joey is no way a nerd, in fact he's the guy that always gets the girls!

Re: Interesting Simpsons tonight

Posted by jabbo on 2/3/2006, 10:54 pm, in reply to "Re: Interesting Simpsons tonight"

I noticed this on Simpsons also and I must admit I thought the same..oh dear I am a nerd but believe me I am not!
I agree with Lusy we should be able to laugh at ourselves and IT that way we don't let it get on top of us too much!
I am glad of the publicity it is getting there is also a scene in a 'fistfull' of dollars where the tough mexican says he cannot go out the train whilst the guard is looking at him and then jumps off the train and beats the guard to death....hardly a nerd but still a reference to him being too shy to go with another person so close!

Re: Interesting Simpsons tonight

Posted by nofx on 3/3/2006, 5:46 pm, in reply to "Re: Interesting Simpsons tonight"

I've seen that episode.
There's another one where Principal Skinner is using the bathroom and Bart walks in on him.
Principal Skinner- Excuse me, Bart- I'm trying to urinate.
Bart- Well, you don't seem to be 'trying' very hard.

Re: Interesting Simpsons tonight

Posted by SC on 4/3/2006, 12:01 pm, in reply to "Interesting Simpsons tonight"

Believe me, I have a sense of humour and can poke fun at the "condition"
I was merely pointing out that form my observations on TV it is commonly associated with a certin type of person. Thanks to Lusy for pointing out Joey to blow my theory away! I forgot about the Principal Skinner moment as well, and also Michael Stipe on REM's guest appearance - "guys, I can't go with Lenny watching"...
Keep smiling

Re: Interesting Simpsons tonight

Posted by andy on 11/3/2006, 8:42 pm, in reply to "Re: Interesting Simpsons tonight"

I've just been watching episode 3 of the first series of channel 4's "Peep Show" The main character Mark goes to the urinal saying he's bursting, as he gets to the urinal a man who he works with joins him. He says to himself " oh f**k"...." think of waterfalls ".......nothing happens so he says to himself " just have to pretend i'm finished" he lets out a long "ahhhh thats better" then washs his hands.
We've all been there and so must some of the comedy writers

Re: Interesting Simpsons tonight

Posted by nofx on 19/3/2006, 12:04 pm, in reply to "Re: Interesting Simpsons tonight"

Did anyone watch 'My Name Is Earl' on Friday? One of my favourite shows. Anyway, Earl the central character has a list of all the bad things he's done and he's trying to make up for them. He has to cover for this guy working at a fast food place and he hates the manager. He makes him deliver some toilet roll that he 'accidently' damaged to his house. It turns out he lives in a mansion has some great cars and a hot wife. Earl can't understand why he's got all this when he's such an asshole. He thinks karma should be punishing him in some way unless he has some redeeming quality.
He doesn't. He scratches someones car and leaves a note saying 'Good luck finding me' and Earl thinks, there must be something wrong with his life.
To cut to the chase...
They're in the bathroom and Earl checks to see if he has a small manhood and is overcompensating. He subtly glances and says, 'Damn'. He doesn't. The boss looks at him. Earl nervously says, 'Just havin' a little trouble getting a stream going.' Manager says 'Just blow on it,' (not in a sexual sense) should do the trick.' Lol, and he does and it comes streaming out.
I don't know if it actually works though, lol.

Re: Interesting Simpsons tonight

Posted by nofx on 19/4/2006, 1:57 pm, in reply to "Re: Interesting Simpsons tonight"

Oh yeah, there was one on King of the Hill too where Hank, Dale and Kahn are trying to drive through the Mexico border and they talk about the possibility of being caught and going to prison.
Dale talks about the bad food and the total lack of privacy.
Hank says, 'I can't go whilst others are watching'.
King of the Hill is great though. It's on really late on Channel 4 at the moment too.

Re: Interesting Simpsons tonight

Posted by Simon on 2/5/2006, 4:16 pm, in reply to "Re: Interesting Simpsons tonight"

Hi all
Not posted in a while, but this got me thinking. I remember a reference in Frasier once. Frasier, Niles and Martin are at a basketball/baseball/hockey (can't remember which) match and Frasier comes back from the 'bathroom' and Niles asks him for a description, and Frasier replies 'It's as you feared Niles, communal urinals in the men's room', to which Niles says, 'Damn me and my shy kidneys'!
I also remember a mention in Will and Grace once too - Jack being unable to use public rest rooms.
It does seem that with the exception of Joey it is always a certain type of character who is afflicted! Still, as others have said, better to laugh than feel victimised.
Another thought is that with the exception of Peep Show all of the tv programs mentioned are American. Are the Yanks more open about the condition than us reticent Brits?
As for me... well I suppose I could be described as a bit of a nerd. My CDs are in alphabetical order, and I own all 8 series of Red Dwarf on DVD. Is that slightly nerdish?
Simon

Re: Interesting Simpsons tonight

Posted by Lusy on 2/5/2006, 5:26 pm, in reply to "Re: Interesting Simpsons tonight"

You own all 8 series of Red Dwarf on DVD?
That means I am more of a nerd than you as I own them on DVD *and* video!!

Re: Interesting Simpsons tonight

Posted by Simon on 14/5/2006, 5:51 pm, in reply to "Re: Interesting Simpsons tonight"

Sorry for the tardy reply to this Lusy, I've been away since I posted the last message.
I'm not too sure if being a bigger nerd than me is something to be boasting about though! Red Dwarf is only the tip of a rather large anorak shaped iceberg.
As it happens, the Red Dwarf collection is currently embroiled in a custody dispute between me and my ex. I'm fighting tooth and nail to hang on to them!
I may post about the break up in the not too distant future. I'm still trying to figure out whether AP contributed to it or not.
I hope you had a great time in the Peaks btw.

Re: Interesting Simpsons tonight

Posted by SC on 2/5/2006, 10:30 pm, in reply to "Re: Interesting Simpsons tonight"

Wow, it's like the AP genie summoned me tonight. I never post for ages, then when I check in my topic has been brought up TWICE tonight!
Interesting stuff Simon - I never noticed the American link, but at least someone agrees with my hypothesis!
(hypothesis - now that's a nerd word...)

Re: Interesting Simpsons tonight

Posted by Simon on 14/5/2006, 5:54 pm, in reply to "Re: Interesting Simpsons tonight"

Oh dear... is hypothesis a nerd word?
My nerd-rating is increasing by the minute!

Re: Interesting Simpsons tonight

Posted by clive on 17/8/2006, 12:28 am, in reply to "Re: Interesting Simpsons tonight"

there is also a couple references on that 70's show, where eric pleads not to be sent to jail cause he can't pee in public, also where fez can't go in the caravan until he asks everyone to sing. yeah you're right apart from peep show its mostly american

Re: Interesting Simpsons tonight

Posted by Wendy on 27/8/2006, 1:39 am, in reply to "Re: Interesting Simpsons tonight"

The Nerd thin is quite interesting. I post on a forum for Autistic kids that includes Aspergers syndrome and there is a high percentage of kids (maily boys) who have this problem. These kids are seen as nerds, they have obsessions and behave oddly.

Re: Interesting Simpsons tonight

Posted by Phil on 30/8/2006, 2:16 am, in reply to "Re: Interesting Simpsons tonight"

There was a British example some time ago in Blackadder II. They are lost at sea by Captain Rum (Tom Baker) and have to stand in line (Percy, Blackadder and Baldrick) to wee in bottles so they can drink their own urine.
Blackeradder goes "always the same isn't it - you get all keyed up and then you can't go". Suspect Ben Elton, Rowan Wtinkson or Richard Curtis have all or either suffered the same problem then ......

Re: Interesting Simpsons tonight

Posted by Vincent0ne- on 31/8/2006, 6:26 pm, in reply to "Interesting Simpsons tonight"

Hi
lol, now i saw that simpson, when i saw that i thought this was mentioned here.
awww poor nerd oh well.
Vincent

Re: Interesting Simpsons tonight

Posted by mikew on 5/9/2006, 7:02 pm, in reply to "Re: Interesting Simpsons tonight"

Another British example for you - a freind told me there was an epsiode of Cracker where the Rob Coltrane character was stood at a urinal and complained of having a shy bladder - never really watched Cracker, but don't think he could be described as a nerd.
Definitely think the more it gets mentioned in the media the better.

Re: Interesting Simpsons tonight

Posted by Alison on 14/9/2006, 4:37 pm, in reply to "Interesting Simpsons tonight"

Zadie Smith's 'On Beauty'page 344:
"(Erskin)came and stood beside Howard, unzipped himself. Howard could not piss next to people he knew. He pretended he had just finished and moved to the sink."
P.347: "This was all going to be made much worse by the fact that (Howard) had not emptied his bladder."

Re: Interesting Simpsons tonight

Posted by Simon on 14/9/2006, 7:29 pm, in reply to "Re: Interesting Simpsons tonight"

This thread seems to have developed a life of its own! That's an interesting one, Alison. I wonder where a female author got the idea to give that as a character trait to a male character.
I have a dim and distant memory of David Baddiel doing a whole stand-up routine once about not being able to pee in public. Does anyone else remember this? or is it just me?

AP in popular culture

Posted by SC on 11/4/2008, 6:13 pm, in reply to "Interesting Simpsons tonight"

Sorry to bring up my old thread again, but thought I'd mention the excellent IT Crowd...

"Put off by the presence of a toilet attendant, the boys seek quieter places to relieve themselves.

However, when Roy mistakenly pulls the emergency cord rather than the flush he ends up pretending he's disabled. After being rescued by the staff, which now includes Moss who is caught using the staff toilet, he does get to meet a TV star but that's scant consolation when he's put back on the bus back to Manchester with the rest of the gay disabled audience."

This was one of the funniest shows I've seen, and not just because I could relate to every minute!

Re: AP in popular culture

Posted by Colin on 20/4/2008, 12:00 pm, in reply to "AP in popular culture"

Other references to AP in TV shows are an episode of "Skins" where a young guy - I am too old too know if he could be referred to as a Nerd - he looks just like any other young man to me - is caught short whilst on a car journey. He tries to pee in the hedge, but asks his mates who are waiting in the car not to look, as he cannot pee if they are watching.
Also in an episode of "Dinnerladies" by Victoria Wood one of the characters says she can't have folk round to the house as her husband can't use the toilet if people are in the house.
All this goes to show that AP is indeed a common problem, affecting people from all walks of life, and obviously well known to scriptwriters. The more we see it on TV and in films, the less of a bogeyman it becomes.

Re: AP in popular culture

Posted by MIKE on 21/4/2008, 11:04 pm, in reply to "AP in popular culture"

Yeah i loved that episode... and here it is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIvY4hnfdCk

That's part 1 of 3... the other 2 parts are easily accessible from this page, and i don't think the toilet incident happens until either the end of part1 or beginning of part2.

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