Character Amy Farrah Fowler

[koops]

The writers do seem to get stuck with certain things sometimes just to see how much creepy/weird they can get away with. It happened the same with Raj and Stuart, although it didn't last as long. I think it was partly consistent with the idea that Amy just had no clue what is socially appropriate and partly that they then just got carried away with it and it became a staple of her character for a part of her development. Same thing with her sex jokes which have now gone. I don't think any of these things are meant to be taken seriously, they're just meant for laughs, like idrive was saying. But some can be more annoying/unfunny than others, I do have a problem with certain throwaway lines. I don't think they ever meant to be an explanation for her crush on Penny because I don't think they ever really meant she was literally crushing on Penny. She had that infatuation with the popular girl for a while but that's gone once Amy became established in the group and didn't feel the need to cling onto Penny for social approval anymore. She's actually been pretty scornful of Penny a few times this season.

[Ar Diem]

I agree...

 

And the fact that she is so desperate to be loved and accepted by a group of people IMO is one of the major contrasts between how Sheldon and Amy are portrayed in this show....

Sheldon thinks his isolation is his superiority where as Amy clearly knows the genuine sadness loneliness can bring... .. 

 

 

Well... she knows it now.  Original Amy seemed to be content being alone too.

 

I never really minded creepy Amy.  In fact, if she was creepy with Sheldon on a regular basis I might like Shamy better.

[vasu]

Well... she knows it now.  Original Amy seemed to be content being alone too.

 

I never really minded creepy Amy.  In fact, if she was creepy with Sheldon on a regular basis I might like Shamy better.

 

I agree that the earlier version of Amy seemed content ... but even during that period there were hints that she wanted to be a part of loving group.. like when she wanted to go to the slumber party , spreading the rumor with Sheldon for social purposes , the entire dress shopping episode where she reveals a lot of her childhood history...and few other things I can't remember.... indicating that she clearly knew the effect of being lonely....

 

Amy Penny lesbian jokes mostly in season 5 were just too gross and too inconsistent for her character for me to enjoy...but hey that's just me 

[Moonbase]

Amy is a confusingly inconsistent character. They dress her in her dead grandmothers clothes and yet in other scenes she's hysterical over a pretty dress. It makes no sense. She's supposed to desire the things she never had, but they switch this off and on. She's earning her own money and doesn't live at home, so if she has a genuine desire to dress like a fairy princess why isn't she doing it already? The whole idea hasn't been thought through, it was just put in for laughs.

[Ar Diem]

I agree that the earlier version of Amy seemed content ... but even during that period there were hints that she wanted to be a part of loving group.. like when she wanted to go to the slumber party , spreading the rumor with Sheldon for social purposes , the entire dress shopping episode where she reveals a lot of her childhood history...and few other things I can't remember.... indicating that she clearly knew the effect of being lonely....

 

Amy Penny lesbian jokes mostly in season 5 were just too gross and too inconsistent for her character for me to enjoy...but hey that's just me 

 

I really thought they fit at the time because Amy was very inappropriate.  It wasn't the joke it was Penny's reaction that made it funny.  For me Amy's relationship with Penny is substantially more normal and more forgettable now.

[Tensor]

Why is Amy crushing on Penny is creepy, but Leonard crushing on Penny just fine and dandy?

[Moonbase]

Why is Amy crushing on Penny is creepy, but Leonard crushing on Penny just fine and dandy?

 

Because of Penny's reaction. It got hard to watch her obvious discomfort. I think when the last one about cutting hair on her body came I was glad they stopped. Anyway that didn't bother me as much as all the other sexual comments anyway.

Edited March 7, 2013 by Moonbase

[koops]

Amy is a confusingly inconsistent character. They dress her in her dead grandmothers clothes and yet in other scenes she's hysterical over a pretty dress. It makes no sense. She's supposed to desire the things she never had, but they switch this off and on. She's earning her own money and doesn't live at home, so if she has a genuine desire to dress like a fairy princess why isn't she doing it already? The whole idea hasn't been thought through, it was just put in for laughs.

 

When did she go hysterical over a pretty dress?? I don't remember that. Is that about the bridesmaid dresses? In any case, I think her concept of "pretty" isn't what people would normally consider pretty, hence why she dresses like she does but probably still think it's pretty. 

 

As for the loneliness vs content... You could see her early behavior as a defense mechanism. If she spent her whole life being shunned by people she probably built up all sorts of walls that on the outside made her look like Sheldon. But as soon as Penny and Bernadette started incorporating her in her lives she started to change, and that was early in S4. I think the writers decided pretty early on they were going to change her. She did develop very fast though, which is why there are some glaring inconsistencies here and there.

[Ar Diem]

Because of Penny's reaction. It got hard to watch her obvious discomfort. I think when the last one about cutting hair on her body came I was glad they stopped. Anyway that didn't bother me as much as all the other sexual comments anyway.

 

I really thought it was some good acting by Kaley.  She went through a range of reactions almost every time.  You saw horror, discomfort, confusion, and questioning whether Amy was really serious. 

[Moonbase]

I really thought it was some good acting by Kaley.  She went through a range of reactions almost every time.  You saw horror, discomfort, confusion, and questioning whether Amy was really serious. 

 

Very true, Kaley was on top form. She'd look at Amy and I'd think she was going to say something but she was lost for words. Perfect.

 

The ambiguous comments didn't bother me until near their end. I thought they were funny as well, in the beginning and I even laughed at the big painting scene. But Amy got some serious hate over the girl crush period. It was almost universally disliked by most people on the forum and I was glad when it stopped because I was more of an Amy fan at the time and she was getting well bashed.

Edited March 7, 2013 by Moonbase

[Ar Diem]

When did she go hysterical over a pretty dress?? I don't remember that. Is that about the bridesmaid dresses? In any case, I think her concept of "pretty" isn't what people would normally consider pretty, hence why she dresses like she does but probably still think it's pretty. 

 

 

I don't think she dresses that way because she thinks it is pretty I think she dresses that way because that is how she feels and how other have made her feel about her appearance.  She may occasionally get excited over looking prettier but she doesn't believe it enough to make it a normal practice.

 

Or... she wears that because that is what the show wants her to wear. 

[Moonbase]

I'm not sure because Amy is quite sure of herself. She was convinced Leonard had fallen in love with her when they went out and the way she spoke about herself, the beckoning pelvis and come hinder look or whatever it was. She also thought that Bernadette was not as cool as her.

[idrive65]

Mayim once joked that Amy breaks all of the rules that Stacey and Clinton drilled into Mayim when she appeared on What Not To Wear.  Although Mayim practices modesty for religious reasons, she's also self-conscious of her larger than size 2 figure and non traditional-beauty look.  Amy, who woke up with more clothes ON after getting drunk in college, probably shares those insecurities and thinks she's plain or "fat."

 

"Why is Amy crushing on Penny is creepy, but Leonard crushing on Penny just fine and dandy? "

 

Crushing isn't creepy, but Amy's words and actions were.  

[Moonbase]

The thing is, we can easily argue both. Yes, Amy talks about being rejected, so I could argue she is lacking in confidence. But then she says something conceited where she is oblivious and confident. She's so many contradictions and this is why it's hard to argue for or against Amy because …where do you start? Who is Amy?

Edited March 7, 2013 by Moonbase

[Ar Diem]

I'm not sure because Amy is quite sure of herself. She was convinced Leonard had fallen in love with her when they went out and the way she spoke about herself, the beckoning pelvis and come hinder look or whatever it was. She also thought that Bernadette was not as cool as her.

 

 

She could think all that and still not think of herself as pretty though. 

[koops]

I don't think she dresses that way because she thinks it is pretty I think she dresses that way because that is how she feels and how other have made her feel about her appearance.  She may occasionally get excited over looking prettier but she doesn't believe it enough to make it a normal practice.

 

Or... she wears that because that is what the show wants her to wear. 

 

haha yes, besides the latter which is the obvious answer

 

But yeah, I get what you're saying. She gets excited about looking pretty on occasion because she's not used to being pretty. I think she's definitely confident about her personality and when she went to the wedding with Leonard she probably just ran with it and became over-confident about her looks too... kind of getting over excited at the thought someone might find her attractive. But when she gets shot down (like by Raj in TSS) the insecurities come out ("I'm used to being the girl that never gets looked at twice"). I think her arrogance is a defense mechanism like many others she had developed when she was younger, probably. It doesn't mean she really believes it, but forcing herself to believe it helps her.

[Ar Diem]

haha yes, besides the latter which is the obvious answer

 

But yeah, I get what you're saying. She gets excited about looking pretty on occasion because she's not used to being pretty. I think she's definitely confident about her personality and when she went to the wedding with Leonard she probably just ran with it and became over-confident about her looks too... kind of getting over excited at the thought someone might find her attractive. But when she gets shot down (like by Raj in TSS) the insecurities come out ("I'm used to being the girl that never gets looked at twice"). I think her arrogance is a defense mechanism like many others she had developed when she was younger, probably. It doesn't mean she really believes it, but forcing herself to believe it helps her.

 

 

And it is true in real life.  What we wear is often an expression of how we feel about ourselves.  Of course she could also believe that she can make anything she wears hot but it really doesn't fit.

 

But going back to the latter... I am not sure what the play is here.  Is what I am saying supposed to be what we believe because obviously Mayim is capable of being prettier than Amy.   As far as their relationship goes I am guessing we should believe that even if she looked like Priya, Sheldon would not come around any faster so why the disguise?

[koops]

And it is true in real life.  What we wear is often an expression of how we feel about ourselves.  Of course she could also believe that she can make anything she wears hot but it really doesn't fit.

 

But going back to the latter... I am not sure what the play is here.  Is what I am saying supposed to be what we believe because obviously Mayim is capable of being prettier than Amy.   As far as their relationship goes I am guessing we should believe that even if she looked like Priya, Sheldon would not come around any faster so why the disguise?

 

I don't think they came up with her appearance necessarily with her relationship with Sheldon in mind as much as with the fact that they wanted her to look Sheldonesque. And plain. And geeky. I think it's a nice change to have a female character that isn't blatantly hot. In a way, everyone on the show is more good looking than their characters, and that's especially true of Mayim and Johnny. But same way Johnny isn't made to look like he is just in relation to Penny I don't think Amy is made to look like she is just in relation to Sheldon. 

[Moonbase]

There is not enough evidence to make a judgment on it. When Sheldon went shopping with Penny it was clear cut: he has bad taste. With Amy, they just matched her to Sheldon but then they have her trying on bridesmaid dresses and beaming with pride. So why is she still in those clothes?

[Ar Diem]

I don't think they came up with her appearance necessarily with her relationship with Sheldon in mind as much as with the fact that they wanted her to look Sheldonesque. And plain. And geeky. I think it's a nice change to have a female character that isn't blatantly hot. In a way, everyone on the show is more good looking than their characters, and that's especially true of Mayim and Johnny. But same way Johnny isn't made to look like he is just in relation to Penny I don't think Amy is made to look like she is just in relation to Sheldon. 

 

I suppose you are right.  Maybe it has nothing to do with Sheldon.  I think she could look geeky and cute without being hot but I also understand that comedy often happens in the extremes.

 

Fashionwise is she really Sheldonesque though?  He wears slacks and a T-shirt which would be a step up for her I think.  He is also not immune to bold colors and she always seems muted to me.

[Moonbase]

Yeah and Sheldon last season was looking seriously cool, he was a hipster nerd. He made Amy look like a monster in wool.

[Ar Diem]

There is not enough evidence to make a judgment on it. When Sheldon went shopping with Penny it was clear cut: he has bad taste. With Amy, they just matched her to Sheldon but then they have her trying on bridesmaid dresses and beaming with pride. So why is she still in those clothes?

 

 

Because women like her don't often change their fashion style unless something dramatic happens like a weight change or a long marriage suddenly ends.  Most of the women I know settled in on a style in their late 20's and mostly wear those kinds of clothes the rest of their lives.

[koops]

She has some pretty bright clashing combos of blouses and cardigans sometimes. lol. Also, even the bridesmaid dresses weren't that amazing. And the dress she picks to go out with Penny and Bernadette in the Xmas episode is just horrendous, but apparently she thinks it's pretty. I do think she doesn't have the best fashion choice. Again, just like Sheldon can occasionally wear decent suits but then has those clown ones too.

 

The bottom line with her character is, I think, that the writers want her to look like a very specific type of geeky mousy girl, the type that would be made fun of and bullied in high school and girls are often bullied for their looks. It's her uniform now, she's recognizable as such (just look at all the Halloween costumes this year) so that's why they're not changing it. Penny is the only one who doesn't have a "uniform". 

[Ar Diem]

Oh and another reason she will probably never change is that Sheldon will probably never offer input on what she wears.  My wife knows what I like and what I hate.  My input is not the final authority of course but when we go out on a date she will normally avoid the outfits or colors I really despise.  She buys clothes more than she did early in our marriage because I kind of insisted on her rotating in new things more often.  I am such a meanie.

[koops]

lol! also Sheldon does not like change, so he'd probably freak out if she changed her style anyway. He didn't even like her wearing lip gloss.