And if we are not supposed to pick up any sexual undertones, WHY even use this scene in the first place for the 20 second promo? There at least 6 different scenes I know of in tonight’s episode that could have been utilized to promote but they chose to run with the one that has Sheldon touching Penny’s breast. (…?) And interesting still is the wording they are using; “Damsel in Distress”; “To Save her”; the Superman theme song playing in the background… and *usually* there are romantic tones connected to the Superhero and Damsel in Distress, if you weren’t already aware. So, clearly Penny and Sheldon are supposed to be paralleled to these roles. How you are not putting two and two together is beyond me. (In fact, I would like to be enlightened as to how *else* you can interpret this wording?)

Anyway, I am out of this conversation, whatever you “choose” to believe is fine. We will both see what happens in future episodes and beating the dead horse on a thread like this is not going to change that fact one iota.

I want to apologize for the tone of my above post. I was over-tired and responded sharply when I didn’t honestly didn’t intend to start a heated debate here. I still stand by my arguments but I do want to respectfully request that we agree to disagree as we are not likely going to come to any resolution on the subject.

Liz

Second, I am seriously saying that when I watch that scene in the preview I do not see sexual undertones. Because to me, sexual undertones requires lust/desire from one or both of the characters, which I do not see in either (rather, when Penny realized where his hand was, her face read to me as one of disgust and annoyance, and his face read to me of uncomfortable awkwardness). Whether other TV shows succumb to over sexualized tropes or not has nothing to do with the way this show is run, nor does it have anything to do with what I see in this show. Because though I find the show suffers from a lot of sitcom cliches, the characters have never fully felt to me like cliches themselves. You do not have to believe that. You are free to see all the sexual innuendo that you want. I’ve said repeatedly you are free to interpret whatever you want, but please do not tell me that I must see this promo way you do. That you can be so hypocritical to say I should not claim definitively that Sheldon is asexual (though I never actually made such a claim; defending asexuality as a legitimate orientation and backing up my opinion with likeminded quotes from the showrunners is not the same as suggesting you or anyone else MUST fall in line) while telling me I MUST see a promo the way you do (which again, I do not) is frustrating at best and reason enough to end this, as you are clearly incapable of having a rational discussion that allows for multiple points of view other than your own.

And as for the sexual undertones; I’m jaw-dropped here. Are you *seriously* trying to tell me that CBS ISN’T promoting this episode WITHOUT that on their mind??? Uh, sorry but YEAH, RIIIIIGHT! You cannot have a character touch a female character’s BREAST on a sitcom (and make a JOKE out of it!) without the audience automatically jumping to sex. It is part of television culture (and I suppose mass culture-culture at that!) as it has been for 50-odd years and there’s no changing it now.
I’d like for either of you to give me one example on a sitcom where something similar has happened and we WEREN’T supposed to laugh at it BECAUSE of those undertones. Hint: you won’t find one. I agree that how we interpret the scene as a whole is up to you but not this promo!

Anyway, this argument is becoming redundant. I don’t feel like debating this any further when it’s clear that neither party is going to come to an agreement.

I’m proposing that we agree to disagree and I hope you’ll accept.

And Liz, maybe you should reread your comment on interpretations and not stating opinions like fact. You see next week as being full of sexual undertones, but that does not mean that everyone does. So you should refrain from speaking about it as if it’s a fact that this is what is happening and is the showrunner’s intention with the episode. ESPECIALLY when it hasn’t even aired and we haven’t seen how it is going to play out