I think they should explore it. I don't think there are many asexual characters and the ones that I know ( like Sheldon Cooper and Sherlock Holmes) are kind of a cliché. It'd would be refreshing and new if they'd explored the subject. Also, it would add a lot to Todd's character, who, most of time, seems kind of underdeveloped.
So, what do you think?
Is Sheldon Cooper asexual, tho? I never really thought of Sherlock as asexual either, really; I guess it depends on which incarnation.
In any case - I can't really think of any other asexual characters off the top of my head right now - but yeah, it would be cool if they explored Todd more
*Big Bang Theory spoilers through current episodes*
Sheldon isn't asexual. He's been in a relationship with Amy for years. They've had sex and he enjoyed it. And next week, according to the promo, they're trying out living together.
Well, that's disappointing. I found it very charming how he was willing to make physical strides strictly for Amy, with nothing personal to gain from it. He always said he might someday have sex, but I always imagined he'd do it, like many asexual people do, for the sake of their lover. That being said, has Sheldon described the enjoyment he gets from sex? 'Cause it's always possible to enjoy it not for sexual reasons but for emotional ones i.e. he could simply enjoy that he gets to give Amy pleasure and that's enjoyable for him because he cares about her.
Anyhoo I'd be both surprised and disappointed if Todd's asexuality wasn't expanded on in the next season. They wouldn't have dropped it like a bombshell at the very end of the season if it wasn't meant to be a future part of his storyline.
And just as an aside, not 100% whether you were inferring this or not so please forgive me, fwiw having a relationship with Amy doesn't make Sheldon not asexual (same way Todd's trying to have a relationship with Emily). You can be asexual and not aromantic.
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Pride is not the opposite of shame, but its source. True humility is the antidote to shame.
I wasn't implying that no, I was saying that he wasn't asexual because he had both a relationship and sexual experiences that he enjoyed. He never really described his pleasure (only so much you can say on CBS), but his visible reaction to their first kiss suggested that he enjoys the sensation of sexual experiences.
I mean, I guess it's still possible he's asexual (I did not know all of this about asexuality, since I'm straight, I don't know anyone who's asexual, and asexual people are basically nonexistent on television). He does still show a bit of tentativeness in their physical relationship (their first sex episode was last year, and it was established in the prior episode that it was still the only time they've had sex). However, while this could be his suggested asexuality, it could also be his directly stated germophobia.
Also, Sheldon doesn't seem to be a character who would gain enjoyment from doing something that makes other people but not himself happy. Throughout the 10 seasons, one of his most prominent traits is definitely his selfishness. If he says he enjoys something, it's almost definitely because he enjoys it himself.
And finally, seeing as it is a CBS show and it hasn't ever really made any truly bold statements, I highly doubt they will go this deep. The show, while enjoyable, clearly could use some better writing, and the writer's would need to do better than they ever have to successfully pull off a reveal like that, due to the standard CBS audience not likely knowing all the technicalities of asexuality.
That's quite unfortunate. I thought it was really sweet how Sheldon seemed to be warming up to the idea of doing things for Amy and not solely for himself. I thought we were witnessing his evolution as a human being. It's also pretty messed up for them to take the most notable asexual character in TV history and then take that away from him (and more importantly, us). But I guess I was expecting too much to think that a Chuck Lorre show might have character development.
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Pride is not the opposite of shame, but its source. True humility is the antidote to shame.
It's always possible that he's doing it for her, but he's just still so selfish. I guess that, unless directly stated otherwise, people who choose so can still view him as asexual, but I don't expect some sort of reveal.
shareI'm not really sure what there is to explore, frankly. More depictions of Todd rejecting sexual advances? That would be rather redundant. (And let's face it, there's not much reason to think he should attract many.)
shareNothing left to explore? That's such a silly thing to say. TV has so rarely explored the life and struggles of an asexual person. Clearly they're going to explore Todd's attempt to have a relationship with Emily and the trials that both of them have to go through because of it.
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Pride is not the opposite of shame, but its source. True humility is the antidote to shame.
I suppose I think of an asexual person as basically having one less thing to struggle about, hence not much to depict. Exploring their relationship is fine, but I don't see how it's going to mature any differently than any other platonic relationship or even romantic relationship other than that Todd isn't interested in sex, which we've already seen. They can keep hammering on that or they can depict aspects of their relationship mostly unaffected by it, but either way I don't see them covering new ground as far as his disposition goes.
I'm perfectly happy to be proved wrong by the writers, though.
One less thing to worry about? You're being extremely ridiculous, bro. Imagine being in a serious romance with someone who has no sexual feelings what-so-ever. They want to be with you, you want to be with them, but they never WANT to have sex with you. Ever. How do you proceed from there? Sex is a make or break issue for many people. So what does the asexual person do? Do they live their whole life alone? Do they have sex just to please their partner? Do you find a partner who says they're okay not having sex, and do you ever fully believe them? This just scratches the surface. To explore that kind of relationship for one of the first times in history isn't a plot point with nowhere to go, that's a naive thing to say.
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Pride is not the opposite of shame, but its source. True humility is the antidote to shame.
I can't say I care much for your pejorative tone, uh, 'bro.'
Setting that aside, I am familiar with the concept of asexuality and don't need it explained to me here. All you have done is explain the tension inherent in a romance involving an asexual person. You have not illustrated how any of that could translate to interesting developments within the framework of the show.
"To explore that kind of relationship for one of the first times in history"
That is a rather dubious claim. Cartoon history, maybe?
Anyway, if you can stop with the ad-hominem stuff, I'd be happy to hear your ideas about how this concept could actually meaningfully progress within the show. Otherwise, I'm finished here.
I don't know how much more obvious it can be, bro. I don't see what you think needs explained. We can watch Todd and Emily's relationship develop and it will be just as relevant as it has been watching Bojack & Diane, Diane & Mr. Peanutbutter, Bojack & Princess Caroline, etc. Except they'll have a host of asexual problems to deal with. Just take everything I mentioned before and apply it to Todd and Emily, I didn't think the implication needed to be stated. Will Todd try having sex? Will Emily crack under the pressure of not being able to be physical with Todd? Plenty of room here to fulfull the show's fortays: existential angst, with a side of goofy humor. Like, say, Todd asking BoJack to take sexy photos of him for Emily to diddle to as a stopgap between doing nothing and full on sex. Plus it'll finally give Todd a more introspective storyline.
Setting that aside, I am familiar with the concept of asexuality and don't need it explained to me here.
That is a rather dubious claim. Cartoon history, maybe?
Anyway, if you can stop with the ad-hominem stuff, I'd be happy to hear your ideas about how this concept could actually meaningfully progress within the show. Otherwise, I'm finished here.
Yeah, you're a jerk. You've been ignored, "bro".
shareKudos. The fanboys/fangirls are always ruinning this opinion boards.
shareAlways the first reaction from anyone who can't form a cohesive argument.
This is a discussion forum and I discussed the issue. Sure as heck ain't my fault if the guy can't back up his asinine claims that it's impossible to develop an asexual romance on a TV show.
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Pride is not the opposite of shame, but its source. True humility is the antidote to shame.
It would be interesting to explore since there's no representation for asexual people in popular media. It can go in so many different directions. I know asexual people of various walks of life. From a girl who manages a hentai blog to a woman who writes sociopolitical commentary and has a unique sense of style and fashion.
There's no one way to be asexual, so keeping that in mind it would interesting to see how that plays out for Todd.