PENNY AND SHELDON MAYBE?

[rubyanjel]

Wow; that is scary.

I have started exploring the fan fic site. I read a couple of those shenny stories, and they are just STRANGE. They are really stretching to make something happen, and the stories are so out of character. They don't seem to understand the characters or the show at all.

It's a reflection of how they wanted the show to be driven. That's why they are addicted to it, because in Fan Fiction, anything can happen and your headcanon can be other people's headcanon. Though sometimes those headcanons are so convincing that they think it's the real thing, and that if it's not happening in the show, it's a mortal sin for the writers for it not to make it happen.

[Pomita]

I remember being very surprised and curious by the whole Shenny phenomenon, when I first heard of it. I had watched right through the first three seasons straight in one month, with absolutely no inkling that there could be a thought process linking Sheldon and Penny in this way; and when I saw it happening, not only in fan-fic but some people actually wanting it on the show, I was completely flummoxed. And this was much before I became a Shamy fan.

I still feel that the idea arises from the unfortunately common fallacy (is it more common in the Western world?) that anything valuable and interesting between two people of the opposite sex must necessarily be a romantic relationship. Sheldon and Penny are wonderful in their scenes together, and their friend/adversary/sibling bond is so unique and hilarious. But why, oh why does it have to be extended into romance, in some people's thoughts? That would just ruin the dynamics between them, apart from the damning effects on everyone else around them.

[phantagrae]

I remember being very surprised and curious by the whole Shenny phenomenon, when I first heard of it. I had watched right through the first three seasons straight in one month, with absolutely no inkling that there could be a thought process linking Sheldon and Penny in this way; and when I saw it happening, not only in fan-fic but some people actually wanting it on the show, I was completely flummoxed. And this was much before I became a Shamy fan.

I still feel that the idea arises from the unfortunately common fallacy (is it more common in the Western world?) that anything valuable and interesting between two people of the opposite sex must necessarily be a romantic relationship. Sheldon and Penny are wonderful in their scenes together, and their friend/adversary/sibling bond is so unique and hilarious. But why, oh why does it have to be extended into romance, in some people's thoughts? That would just ruin the dynamics between them, apart from the damning effects on everyone else around them.

I got into the show over the last couple of years, probably starting in 2010 and any kind of Sheldon/Penny pairing never occured to me, either. The first time I came across it was when looking at fanfiction.net to see if there was any BBT fic

The first few fics I sampled were all Shenny stories and I was all, "Wha???"

One example of fan-led shipping I remember disliking was when fans of Law & Order SVU wanted Stabler and his partner (Mariska Hargitay's character, whose name escapes my sleepy brain at the moment) to get together, despite the fact that Stabler was married at the time. They wanted to see the character cheat on his wife, apparently...

On a show like The X-Files, the relationship between Mulder and Scully was different. Though there weren't exactly any romantic moments, there were a lot of "you and me against the world" kind of scenarios and lots of "eye-coitus", if you will. Though the writers were playing a little coy with the audience, it was obvious everywhere in the subtext that these chracters loved each other.

In TBBT, by contrast, there is no such relationship between Sheldon and Penny. Yeah, there's a certain chemistry, but it's platonic, which allows it to be funnier and more over the top. They can have the role be mother/child or brother/sister and there's no "romance" to mess with that.

I don't even understand why anyone would look at Sheldon and Penny and even consider any kind of romantic relationship.

[Pomita]

Hi-five, I started in late 2010 too.

[DPK]

Wow; that is scary.

I have started exploring the fan fic site. I read a couple of those shenny stories, and they are just STRANGE. They are really stretching to make something happen, and the stories are so out of character. They don't seem to understand the characters or the show at all.

That should tell you enough right there. Even the most die hards...at least at a subconcious level know that both characters basically have to be rewritten in order for it to make any kind of sense. Which why all this shenny fan fic borderlines on the bizzare, even the ones that are well written on a technical level.

[annieogly]

First; the ratings are out and TBBT is back as the number 1# comedy.

secondly: we've written many times how the 'dumb blonde' who is earthy and has common sense & gets together with a naive academic type is a common and favourite staple of many classic hollywood films. It's the attraction & reaction of opposites which makes for amusing conflict. So it's far more common than the Shamy. Actually in real life Nobel class scientists don't marry equally brilliant mates. Name some....Too many primadonnas in the room. The Sheldon-Amy break-up over neuroscience vs. theoretical physics was absolutely spot on.

Finally if you'd like to read a fine Shenny fanfic that does a good and believable job of getting them together, dealing with Sheldon's issues & Leonard's treachery read "The Paladin Protocol" (it's set after the Bozeman Reaction. http://www.fanfictio...aladin-Protocol

Edited October 12, 2012 by annieogly

[BlackWhiteRose]

Say what?

And: I agree with Pornita´s post on page 29. :-)))

[Moonbase]

I remember being very surprised and curious by the whole Shenny phenomenon, when I first heard of it. I had watched right through the first three seasons straight in one month, with absolutely no inkling that there could be a thought process linking Sheldon and Penny in this way; and when I saw it happening, not only in fan-fic but some people actually wanting it on the show, I was completely flummoxed. And this was much before I became a Shamy fan.

I still feel that the idea arises from the unfortunately common fallacy (is it more common in the Western world?) that anything valuable and interesting between two people of the opposite sex must necessarily be a romantic relationship. Sheldon and Penny are wonderful in their scenes together, and their friend/adversary/sibling bond is so unique and hilarious. But why, oh why does it have to be extended into romance, in some people's thoughts? That would just ruin the dynamics between them, apart from the damning effects on everyone else around them.

Oh gawd I'm not surprised at all. The writers knew they were on to a winner when they found Jim, but I don't think they expected him to have so much sex appeal. Sheldon certainly wasn't written that way. The whole shenny thing must have come as a bit of a shock to them, but it certainly doesn't surprise me. I blame Jim entirely.

[phantagrae]

First; the ratings are out and TBBT is back as the number 1# comedy.

secondly: we've written many times how the 'dumb blonde' who is earthy and has common sense & gets together with a naive academic type is a common and favourite staple of many classic hollywood films. It's the attraction & reaction of opposites which makes for amusing conflict. So it's far more common than the Shamy. Actually in real life Nobel class scientists don't marry equally brilliant mates. Name some....Too many primadonnas in the room. The Sheldon-Amy break-up over neuroscience vs. theoretical physics was absolutely spot on.

Finally if you'd like to read a fine Shenny fanfic that does a good and believable job of getting them together, dealing with Sheldon's issues & Leonard's treachery read "The Paladin Protocol" (it's set after the Bozeman Reaction. http://www.fanfictio...aladin-Protocol

They already have the, as you put it, "dumb blonde and the naive academic" in Penny and LEONARD, which was how the show was conceived.

I don't think you know as much as you think you do about storytelling, Hollywood, and television. It really doesn't matter what real physicists do in real life, since this is not real life.

In this story, Sheldon is never going to be in love with Penny and Penny is never going to be in love with Sheldon because the writers aren't ever going to write that.

Sheldon and Amy are, I dare say, the most unique couple on TV today. They are both such odd ducks that no one else would ever see in them what they see in each other.

The most important point, though, is that the story that is being told on this show is never going to be about Sheldon being in love with Penny. I think the writers and creators have made it clear over and over that that's not going to happen.

The show's ratings are high because it's a funny show and the characters are lovable. But it doesn't have anything to do with any kind of "Shenny" nonsense.

[bigbangsheldon]

I blame Jim too, I blame him for everything.

[DPK]

First; the ratings are out and TBBT is back as the number 1# comedy.

secondly: we've written many times how the 'dumb blonde' who is earthy and has common sense & gets together with a naive academic type is a common and favourite staple of many classic hollywood films. It's the attraction & reaction of opposites which makes for amusing conflict. So it's far more common than the Shamy. Actually in real life Nobel class scientists don't marry equally brilliant mates. Name some....Too many primadonnas in the room. The Sheldon-Amy break-up over neuroscience vs. theoretical physics was absolutely spot on.

Finally if you'd like to read a fine Shenny fanfic that does a good and believable job of getting them together, dealing with Sheldon's issues & Leonard's treachery read "The Paladin Protocol" (it's set after the Bozeman Reaction. http://www.fanfictio...aladin-Protocol

The opposite attract storylines have been a staple forever but good storytellers also know that any romantic relationship between the two characters in that position has to make sense in the end. There has to be a core level of compatibilty between the two characters that can credibly over come the surface level of differences. The other thing is that a genuine and mutual attraction between both characters must also be established.

Sheldon and Penny have neither. At their core both of these characters want completely different things from a potential mate/partner. On top of that there is no mutual and genuine attraction between them either.

Sheldon and Penny's relationship has been firmy established on the show as a adversarial/famial.They comically butt heads and more often than not Penny comes across as motherly/sister figure to Sheldon.

Edited October 12, 2012 by DPK

[rickfromillinois]

Just wanted to point out Penny's reaction to Sheldon's picture on Amy's phone in the latest episode. It didn't look to me like she would ever consider having a romantic relationship with Sheldon.

[rubyanjel]

Just wanted to point out Penny's reaction to Sheldon's picture on Amy's phone in the latest episode. It didn't look to me like she would ever consider having a romantic relationship with Sheldon.

Uhm, you mean this?

Uhm, I may be a jim fan and I admit I really do find him attractive and sexy, but doesn't any of those people get what the point of this scene is? The fact that they used a creepy picture of Jim to make the audience realize that the Sheldon character is really not that attractive, as the other characters would describe him. Then Amy's line right there on the graphic^ means that SHE IS THE ONLY PERSON WHO THINKS SHELDON IS PHYSICALLY ATTRACTIVE. (By the way, Jim there looks like Chad Michaels, it's creeping me out so much)

They've already shown how Penny would kind of make fun of him ("sickly is the new sexy") while Amy's smitten (he's smart, brilliant, his skin has that pale waxy quality") but some people just don't get it.

[Guest I'm not dead Cheryl]

First; the ratings are out and TBBT is back as the number 1# comedy.

secondly: we've written many times how the 'dumb blonde' who is earthy and has common sense & gets together with a naive academic type is a common and favourite staple of many classic hollywood films. It's the attraction & reaction of opposites which makes for amusing conflict. So it's far more common than the Shamy. Actually in real life Nobel class scientists don't marry equally brilliant mates. Name some....Too many primadonnas in the room. The Sheldon-Amy break-up over neuroscience vs. theoretical physics was absolutely spot on.

Finally if you'd like to read a fine Shenny fanfic that does a good and believable job of getting them together, dealing with Sheldon's issues & Leonard's treachery read "The Paladin Protocol" (it's set after the Bozeman Reaction. http://www.fanfictio...aladin-Protocol

EXACTLY my point on WHY I don't want Sheldon/Penny to happen (and why I don't care for LP either). Because it's a staple, because it's been done, because it's common, because it's old. I don't wanna see it again. I've seen it thousands of times already, thank you.

And EXACTLY my point on why I DO love the Shamy: because they're different, quirky and weird.

And I'm not even gonna comment on your stereotype of "smart people want dumb people" because it personally irks me, as a Mensa member engaged to another Mensa member and as a person who considers intelligence to be ESSENTIAL in people, not looks and as a person who knows way too many intelligent people who could never be with a dumb-***.

And you ask for an example? I'll just name one that is more than enough: Albert Einstein. His first wife Mileva Marić was as brilliant as he was, they met while studying together at the same University (they even had the same grades while studying Physics, and she even got higher grades than him at times). And his second wife, Elsa was VERY FAR from being a moron.

and last, I know there are great fanfics, but they are FANFICS. Almost every Shenny shipper that I've ever had dicussions with, tells me, wanna be convinced? read .---- fanfic.. to whic I always answer: IT'S A FANFIC! there are excellent fanfics for every pairing so that doesn't prove anything. Because ANYTHING can be written. To make the audience buy it, it's a totally different tale.

Edited October 12, 2012 by Sursonica

[rubyanjel]

A fanfic doesn't prove anything. It's created by a fan that has this image in their mind on how they WANT the show to be and how the characters SHOULD BE. Anyone who has a great grasp of story telling can make a great fanfic. But that doesn't mean it could prove how great that couple is, because in fan fiction, anything can happen and any character can go from being a carrot into a canary just by the author's will.

Edited October 12, 2012 by jeanalice

[phantagrae]

A fanfic doesn't prove anything. It's created by a fan that has this image in their mind on how they WANT the show to be and how the characters SHOULD BE. Anyone who has a great grasp of story telling can make a great fanfic. But that doesn't mean it could prove how great that couple is, because in fan fiction, anything can happen and any character can go from being a carrot into a canary just by the author's will.

Exactly. In the XF fandom there was always a lot of slash material in fanfic, with pairing of Mulder and Krycek, Mulder and Skinner, and any other combination imaginable (and Scully Slash as well.) Some fans swear they saw some kind of homoerotic energy/chemistrty between Mulder and Krycek, for instance, and that's part of what fueled such stories.

But that doesn't mean that that pairing was ever intended by the writers or the actors. It was purely in the imagination of the fanfic writers.

One could write a fanfic story where Sheldon and Leonard decide to become more than just roommates, or a story where all the characters participate in a big orgy on the living room floor of the guys' apartment. Does that mean that it's the intent of the writers or that it's believable characterization or an extrapolation of what's actually happening on the show.

No.

[phantagrae]

EXACTLY my point on WHY I don't want Sheldon/Penny to happen (and why I don't care for LP either). Because it's a staple, because it's been done, because it's common, because it's old. I don't wanna see it again. I've seen it thousands of times already, thank you.

And EXACTLY my point on why I DO love the Shamy: because they're different, quirky and weird.

And I'm not even gonna comment on your stereotype of "smart people want dumb people" because it personally irks me, as a Mensa member engaged to another Mensa member and as a person who considers intelligence to be ESSENTIAL in people, not looks and as a person who knows way too many intelligent people who could never be with a dumb-***.

And you ask for an example? I'll just name one that is more than enough: Albert Einstein. His first wife Mileva Marić was as brilliant as he was, they met while studying together at the same University (they even had the same grades while studying Physics, and she even got higher grades than him at times). And his second wife, Elsa was VERY FAR from being a moron.

and last, I know there are great fanfics, but they are FANFICS. Almost every Shenny shipper that I've ever had dicussions with, tells me, wanna be convinced? read .---- fanfic.. to whic I always answer: IT'S A FANFIC! there are excellent fanfics for every pairing so that doesn't prove anything. Because ANYTHING can be written. To make the audience buy it, it's a totally different tale.

While I'm no fan of cliche or stock characters, I do know why it's often done this way, and that's simply because there's more fodder for comedy in trying to make two people with different backgrounds or expectations come to agreement (Dharma and Greg, for example).

Penny may be uneducated, but she's hardly dumb. She and Leonard have enough common ground between them that they could build a good relationship if they can just get better in tune with each other.

The difference between Penny and Leonard is probably better described as nerd/non-nerd rather than smart/dumb. Leonard is learning from Penny and Penny is learning from Leonard and little by little they've found that they have a certain personal middle ground that doesn't have to do with education, hobbies or even just sex. They're the two "normal" people in their extended crowd (well, and maybe Bernadette to some degree.)

[DPK]

I've heard the fanfic defense many times as well. Upon closer inspection it falls apart like a house of stacked cards. I agree with others that it is possible to have a well written fanfic featuring any pairing. The only that it proves is that whoever wrote the piece is a good writer and that's it. What the fan fic arguement fails to take into consideration is the heavy biases of said author that permate all fan fic good and bad.

The writer will have the character/s act and behave how he/she wants regardless if the actions or behavior would reasonably fit with how the character/s have been written on whatever show the author is borrowing them from. Granted it's fan fic and the author being able to play around in a given world and dictating what happens is largely the appeal and beauty of it, it still doesn't prove anything accept the author is really a fan of a specific pairing or storyline idea.

A good portion of Shenny fanfic, this is even the reasonably well written stuff usually has three things in common. One: Sheldon saying and doing things that are out fo character. Two: Penny saying and doing things that are out of character. Three: There is ususally a strong ani-Leonard sentiment present. These are hardly trustworthy sources because clearly objectivity isn't important to these people.

At the end of the day the fan fic arguement is bunk and this is goes for all pairings....even the offfical canon ones.

Edited October 13, 2012 by DPK

[carl1970]

Sheldon believes he is superior to Penny and openly states this to her on a regular basis. He degrades her mentality, he looks down on her career and thinks she is at a lower level of the social order then he is. Why would anybody want or think that Penny should be with someone who thinks of her in these ways. How could anyone imagine that Penny would desire or would be happy with someone who thinks of her in these ways.

If your not a fan of L/P then so be it but to suggest that she should be with Sheldon knowing how he treats and thinks of her, I just don't get it.

Penny gets it and that is why she has never had any desire to be with Sheldon whether she was involved with Leonard, in another relationship or while she was single.

[rubyanjel]

A good portion of Shenny fanfic, this is even the reasonably well written stuff usually has three things in common. One: Sheldon saying and doing things that are out of character. Two: Penny saying and doing things that are out of character. Three: There is usually a strong anti-Leonard sentiment present. These are hardly trustworthy sources because clearly objectivity isn't important to these people.

At the end of the day the fan fic arguement is bunk and this is goes for all pairings....even the offfical canon ones.

Yes. That it is. Most of the time the writer would make Leonard do something stupid to justify that Penny does need to breakup with this "jerk". For me, I actually categorize these fanfics as AU since never will those things happen in the show's universe.

[Pomita]

Moonbase, Bigbangsheldon - I so agree with you on your point about it all being Jim's fault. I can't tell you how much I agree. But seriously - that suppressed smoldering sex appeal, Sheldon's tantalizing naivete and romantic disinterest on top of it, and no-one to pair him with but the one and only female on the show.. that certainly was a very likely genesis for the Shenny fantasy, in its time.

Annieogly - I actually read Paladin Protocol (I've read a bit of Shenny fan-fiction, in the pre-Shamy days). I thought it was very well-written as a standalone piece of fiction - the writer certainly has talent (which is why I read all of it). But I couldn't compare it to canon with any kind of satisfaction. Apart from the implausibility of Sheldon/Penny's romantic attraction based on the show's reality, what saddened me was how Leonard had to be portrayed as an unlikeable jerk, to justify Penny's leaving him. The canon Leonard, to me, is certainly no angel - he's under-confident, he has his moments of weakness, but he's basically a nice guy. What was done to Leonard in that story just felt like character assassination.

[DPK]

Moonbase, Bigbangsheldon - I so agree with you on your point about it all being Jim's fault. I can't tell you how much I agree. But seriously - that suppressed smoldering sex appeal, Sheldon's tantalizing naivete and romantic disinterest on top of it, and no-one to pair him with but the one and only female on the show.. that certainly was a very likely genesis for the Shenny fantasy, in its time.

Annieogly - I actually read Paladin Protocol (I've read a bit of Shenny fan-fiction, in the pre-Shamy days). I thought it was very well-written as a standalone piece of fiction - the writer certainly has talent (which is why I read all of it). But I couldn't compare it to canon with any kind of satisfaction. Apart from the implausibility of Sheldon/Penny's romantic attraction based on the show's reality, what saddened me was how Leonard had to be portrayed as an unlikeable jerk, to justify Penny's leaving him. The canon Leonard, to me, is certainly no angel - he's under-confident, he has his moments of weakness, but he's basically a nice guy. What was done to Leonard in that story just felt like character assassination.

This is precisely what I'm talking about. In order to justify the relationship Leonard has to be torn down in order to make Sheldon appear like a better option. It completely goes against show canon. It's complete fanon that is fueled by pro-Shenny, Anit-L/P-Leonard bias.

Leonard isn't perfect or even a saint by any stretch but on the whole he's treated Penny better than Sheldon ever has on the show. This isn't an opinion, this is a fact because that is precisely what the show has shown us over the coarse of five plus years. Just to clarify a point I made my previous post about the fan fic argument being bunk even with the canon relationships because it bares relevence to what I'm talking about in this post. I've always felt that while the L/P relationship has potential the writers on the show haven't done the greatest job in fleshing the characters out so I've always been fairly neutral on them as a pairing. I can completely understand why there are people out there who don't like them as a pair at all. I've actually read some very good and solid fan fic where I thought: "If only the writers wrote the pairing like this on the show then I could totally get behind and support the pairing". While it would be nice it doesn't have any bearing on the reality of the pairing as they are on the show. I would never try to defend or point out to a person who didn't like or think the pairing can work by saying: "Read this fan fic and you'll see that Leonard and Penny work as a couple and should be together". Keeping in mind that L/P are official show canon, at the end of the day whether or not I'll eventually embrace, stay neutral, or be set against the pairing is going to be determined by what the shows writers crank out because that's the only thing I can base my opinion on in an objective manor. This is also the reason why I don't and could never support a romantic S/P relationship because everything the writers have done on the show with regards to the interactions between the two characters overal not only doesn't lay a solid foundation for it, but actively discourages it with how both characters view each other. This isn't something that the writers can simply change. Too much water has passed under the bridge at this point for any kind of reversal. The relationship between Sheldon and Penny has been firmly established as non-romantic and comedic/adversarial friendship.

I thinik the reason why romantic Shenny gained any kind of popularity is simply because the comedic chemistry between the characters at one point in time was pretty spectacular. Especially during season two where the Shenny movement really started to pick up whatever steam it had. I'll fully admit that during that season almost all the best scenes for the entire season were usually either heavy Sheldon/Penny scenes or scenes that were just exclusively them. Sorry to all the ladies in the thread but I don't think Jim Parson's "sexual appeal" had as much to do with it. It's just that some people seem to believe that comedic chemistry and romantic/sexual chemistry go hand in hand all the time and that there's never a time in which either are mutually exlusive. This just isn't so. Comedic chemistry doesn't always translate well to romantic chemistry. Case in point would be Leonard and Penny, given that many who don't like them as a romantic pairing will usually cite that they are/were much more enjoyable and fun to watch when they were/are just friends. This is with the cavet that in comparison they are much more compatible for a romantic relationship than S/P could ever hope to be.

It's been said before but it bears repeating. The only way a romantic Sheldon and Penny could ever work is for both characters to undergo a massive rewrite. But you do that and you have two completely differnt characters and you would lose just about everything that makes their interactions so much fun to watch in the first place.

Edited October 13, 2012 by DPK

[vasu]

In a romantic sense , I found the following clues in the show

Amy does not like Leonard

Penny does not like Sheldon

Leonard does not like Amy

Sheldon does not like Penny

Leonard likes Penny

Sheldon likes Amy

Penny likes Leonard

Amy likes Sheldon

So I don't understand how any one can deduce from these hints that Sheldon likes Penny or vice versa :icon_eek:

[rubyanjel]

In a romantic sense , I found the following clues in the show

Amy does not like Leonard

Penny does not like Sheldon

Leonard does not like Amy

Sheldon does not like Penny

Leonard likes Penny

Sheldon likes Amy

Penny likes Leonard

Amy likes Sheldon

So I don't understand how any one can deduce from these hints that Sheldon likes Penny or vice versa :icon_eek:

Seriously laughing right now at how concise and direct to the point this is.

Oh, Vasu. I don't understand too. Maybe if we place it in some Freudian shit's point of view, it would have to be like that some of these girls identify themselves with Penny because she is the one represented closest to a normal person and that she is of the female kind. Most of the shenny fangirls out there are highly obsessed with Jim Parsons. So, as to live their dreams of having a relationship with the guy, they settle for pairing off the two to fulfill that fantasy.

But that's only probably a certain percentage of them. The other fraction of them believes in the Opposites Attract relationship theory and that they think Penny would be "treated" better by Sheldon (which, of anyone in their logical state of mind would never think so) unlike Leonard who only likes her for sex and was only nice to her because of his libido. With this Opposites Attract, they claim Sheldon would be transformed by Penny into a real boy because "she is a challenge to him and that she was able to make him change his ways the way she wants it to be". Having a relationship with Sheldon would also be beneficial to Penny, as they have stated, because she would also change, get smarter and that she may even vow celibacy (a thing that I doubt she would ever, ever ever do). Also, what DPK said, some of them attribute their support of Shenny because they ALWAYS claim that they have the best chemistry on the show, which, in my forever defense is that comedic chemistry does not necessarily translate into romantic chemistry.

I wonder what they think about this last episode... Penny is assured that Sheldon is in love with her so it never came across her mind that the new assistant would be a threat to her? Please tell me my last sentence was not in their list or it's all f***ed up now if that is how they think.

[rickfromillinois]

What really confuses me is the whole idea of Penny and Sheldon being a couple when neither one of them has shown the least romantic interest in the other. On the contrary Penny has show disdain, disgust, and even demonstrated her lack of understanding how anyone would be attracted to Sheldon when talking to Amy. Sheldon has generally shown not only disinterest in romance as a whole, but more specifically contempt for the it, although it does appear that he is slowly changing he attitude about it with AMY, not Penny, AMY. Sheldon has on several occasions voiced his contempt of Penny's morals, hygiene, and intelligence. How any can believe that the same man who was nearly hysterical about drinking out of Leonard's glass because Leornard had kissed someone from a 3rd World Country would be willing to have sexual relations with a woman who he believes has had sex with dozens of men is beyond me.

Then there is what a consider the myth of the "chemistry" between Penny and Sheldon. I have never seen it. IMO Sheldon has more "chemistry" with Raj then he does with Penny.

I disregard the use of fanfic as proof of how great of an idea the pairing of Penny and Sheldon. Most of the stories have to go through all sorts of distortions in order to give their characters any resemblance to believability, and most of them fail miserably. In addition, none of the writers are associated in any way with the show and have no influence what so ever with what occurs.