House M.D. - Asexual couple

[RJDaae]

I'm must more inclined to be mad at FOX than anybody else but that's not really anything new.

I know the feeling, Mihas! :lol:

[. . .but there are sounds]

What's DM?

My only context for that is Dungeon Master, the narrator in a game of D&D. I will vote this option. : D

[Queen-Of-Spiders]

I think a healthy level of "House cynicism" could have been achieved if only one partner was asexual, but the other was not. That would have both let House be right and maintain asexuality's legitimacy. Instead, the show even had House throw in an offensive jab, that the chaste couple had a "twisted world view," and Wilson basically agreed. I wasn't expecting anything groundbreaking, but at least some positive resolution.

Yeah, but take a moment and reflect on how the writer said that she had people to please. She does need a job after all. And she never said who put in the fact that the wife lied. So we don't know who to be disappointed in. Also, take a moment to reflect on who owns the rights to House. FOX. FOX is a network that lies so often and spews so much conservative right wing nonsense that Canada wouldn't let them start a network on their televisions. I'm must more inclined to be mad at FOX than anybody else but that's not really anything new.

Well, to be honest, I've seen maybe 10 episodes or so of House, so I'm far from an expert on what to expect from the show. I guess I just had faith that when dealing with such a sensitive topic as sexuality, the writers/network/whoever would take a more tolerant approach.

I can understand the writer needed to create a medical mystery, but I still think it could have been handled more positively and still fit in line with the show and House's character. At the least, I would have liked Wilson to say something at the end to the effect of, "You won the bet, but that doesn't mean some people aren't truly asexual." Just one final positive remark from him could have saved the episode in my eyes.

[cleuchtturm]

Just had another small conversation with her:

Me:

Just one last question: why did you make the woman a liar? Was that the producer's decision? The tumor I understand, but not the other.

Her:

We tried many configurations to keep at least one member legitimately asexual, but this was the version that worked best for mystery. I can only imagine how cold that explanation feels. I wish you were privy to the # of arguments in the office over this storyline.

Then I suggested that she post the AVEN link somewhere as an extra visibility boost. We shall see. :)

[RJDaae]

I guess I just had faith that when dealing with such a sensitive topic as sexuality, the writers/network/whoever would take a more tolerant approach.

Several years ago they did a story about an intersex girl... (don't click if you have a low tolerance for gendering fail)

[Mihas]

Well, to be honest, I've seen maybe 10 episodes or so of House, so I'm far from an expert on what to expect from the show. I guess I just had faith that when dealing with such a sensitive topic as sexuality, the writers/network/whoever would take a more tolerant approach.

I can understand the writer needed to create a medical mystery, but I still think it could have been handled more positively and still fit in line with the show and House's character. At the least, I would have liked Wilson to say something at the end to the effect of, "You won the bet, but that doesn't mean some people aren't truly asexual." Just one final positive remark from him could have saved the episode in my eyes.

Once again, I do agree, but you have to understand that it's the people with the money who ultimately get to make the decisions in commercial corporations. If the writer had had her way, it sounds like it would have been a good, informative subplot. I'm highly disappointed and saddened as well.

We tried many configurations to keep at least one member legitimately asexual, but this was the version (where the wife lied) that worked best for mystery. I can only imagine how cold that explanation feels. I wish you were privy to the # of arguments in the office over this storyline.

Looking back on it, from the way the wife started out by differentiating celibacy and asexuality, her just saying "oh, hahaha, jk, I was only lying to you for ten years" seems entirely out of character. I can't help feeling satisfied that their relationship was based on lies though. Have fun working through the mess. (But that's only because I'm resentful towards the episode.)

Edited January 24, 2012 by Mihas

[Narval]

Wait wait wait. I just watched the episode.

WHAT THE FUCK?! Seriously, what the hell.

[Fiishy]

I felt so insulted watching that episode. The fact that I took time out of doing something else to watch a show I've never watched before, only to have it go "asexuality is a legitimate orientation BUT LOLOL PEOPLE WHO DON'T WANT SEX ARE CRAZY AND LIARS AND ASEXUALS HAVE A PRETTY SCREWED UP WORLD VIEW" was not something I enjoyed.

[Beta]

Okay so here a few things we need to realize:

1. It's a TV Show

2. It's a TV Show

3. Who Cares

[Queen-Of-Spiders]

Several years ago they did a story about an intersex girl... (don't click if you have a low tolerance for gendering fail)

I actually saw the very last portion of that episode, when House confronted the girl and her father. I was rather surprised at how it was handled, but since I hadn't seen the full episode, I figured I might be taking it out of context. Sad to know it was really that cruel.

Once again, I do agree, but you have to understand that it's the people with the money who ultimately get to make the decisions in commercial corporations. If the writer had had her way, it sounds like it would have been a good, informative subplot. I'm highly disappointed and saddened as well.

That's a good point. Judging by her replies to RJDaae and cleuchtturm, Kath sounds like someone who is respectful towards asexuals as a whole, and I'm thankful for that. Maybe my frustration was misdirected.

Either way, I think it's good that members here didn't just sit back and say nothing. Even if we can't expect much from the network, I'm so glad people here felt the need to speak up about it. Even if it makes the tiniest impact, it's better than nothing at all !

[PolkaRoutine]

I definitely agree that there were problems with the ending of this, but I'm still mulling over the good points as well. What about:

1. The woman was openly admitting herself to be an asexual even though she wasn't. There are many asexuals (myself included) who don't open up this much about their sexual orientation to others. Is it strange to think that what she did is kind of cool?

2. The man, although in the end he went through with the operation, didn't want to be sexual, he wanted to retain his asexual orientation. Having a low libido intertwined with being asexual is probably not an uncommon occurrence within asexuals--coming from this experience myself, I don't know how to tease those two apart for my own experience of my sexual orientation. I do, however, wish they might have said that increased libido may or may not change his sexual orientation, since it did come across as low libido = asexuality.

Just wanted to throw a few points out there. New and trying to figure things out!

[sachign]

Well. My hopes were certainly crushed.

It's sad because a lot of people will believe what House says.

[Siggy]

I'm somewhat dismayed at the negative reports, but I'm trying to avoid spoilers. I won't watch the show until it comes out on Hulu on 1/31, when I will make my own judgments. However, I'd like to pull a few quotes from Arca Nine's transcript of the live chat.

Kath Lingenfelter:

It was difficult treading the line with the asexuality, because I didn't want to discredit it. I have respect for people who are oriented that way. However, it IS a medical mystery show, and we needed a mystery to solve.

Kath Lingenfelter is the writer of this episode.

Kath Lingenfelter:

TO THOSE WITH FAMILY W/AD: I was most nervous about your response. It was especially difficult to try to portray Alzheimer's in this episode because while I was establishing it, I was also establishing the beginning of Reye's Syndrome, which creates aggression. So the patient has Alzheimer's, but it's Alzheimer's on Reye's, so to speak, and I worried it would not come across as legitimate. Your words are kind, thank you.

Interesting. Seems like the writer was wrong about which responses she should have been nervous about.

[Guest member25959]

I did modly thingz and split the previous conversation off into a new thread.

See here.

Keep in mind, it may be a thread in the Hot Box now but rules do apply there, so keep it cool guys!

Arca nine Huggles

World Watch Moderator.

[Faelights]

Found this on the #House hashfeed:

#House Just taught me somethin new.. I had no idea a *Asexuality* even existed... Wth

^_^

EDIT: Also, from the writer:

Kath Lingenfelter @retlefnegniL Reply Retweet Favorite · Open

#House viewers wondering about Asexuality, I encourage you to visit asexuality.org/home/.

[cleuchtturm]

Found this on the #House hashfeed:

#House Just taught me somethin new.. I had no idea a *Asexuality* even existed... Wth

^_^

EDIT: Also, from the writer:

Kath Lingenfelter @retlefnegniL Reply Retweet Favorite · Open

#House viewers wondering about Asexuality, I encourage you to visit asexuality.org/home/.

Cool, she took my suggestion!!! :D

[Queen-Of-Spiders]

Found this on the #House hashfeed:

#House Just taught me somethin new.. I had no idea a *Asexuality* even existed... Wth

^_^

EDIT: Also, from the writer:

Kath Lingenfelter @retlefnegniL Reply Retweet Favorite · Open

#House viewers wondering about Asexuality, I encourage you to visit asexuality.org/home/.

On the off chance that Kath sees this, I think that was a great thing of her to do. Glad she's such a nice person.

[Bijou]

I'm a bit less upset now, but I still think the topic could have been dealt with in a better fashion than what transpired in the episode. I only hope the "House" higher-ups won't think that just one person reaching out like that is enough. I still think we should speak out, because even though it's great that the writer is hearing us, we need others to, as well.

[Faelights]

I wonder if anyone tweeted the producer?

[cleuchtturm]

Holy crap we broke the online at once record...

[The Great WTF]

Holy crap we broke the online at once record...

And that, ladies and gentlemen, proves that a LOT of us were either interested or upset.

[cleuchtturm]

Holy crap we broke the online at once record...

And that, ladies and gentlemen, proves that a LOT of us were either interested or upset.

We broke it by quite a bit too... o_O

[Faelights]

For this thread alone, I saw 62 users at once point, 37 of which were guests.

Someone else saw 41 guests right after that. Don't know how many users in all though.

EDIT: Not to compare a fictional representation with a documentary with an actual interview, I daresay this episode reached as many people as the BBC article/documentary piece last week.

[TheAceOfHearts]

Maybe we could get the writer or the producer to go on a big talk show and talk about asexuality? I really hope they would do that because that episode is a disgrace to asexual visibility! Now people who haven't had a broad knowledge of this sexual orientation will think that asexuality isn't a valid sexual orientation and people who claim they are asexual have a tumour or are physically or mentally ill. -______- Disgrace to the community!

[SquirrelCat]

I'm sad because most people in the world won't do a Google search, they'll take the House explanation for being legit.

You don’t boil a sexual orientation down to a disease (tumour or not) or a screwed up world view, Period. Because that’s no longer a trait of a characters personality, it’s a leap into offensive.

[Faelights]

I've been stalking Twitter and Tumblr. There've been some positive responses (i.e. people who took the time to look up asexuality) and some negative responses (I just saw a tweet -- "The only people that don't want sex are either SICK, DYING, or LYING #House" -- which seems to indicate that the tweeter agrees with that assessment =/).

*sigh*

EDIT: Here's an example of a positive response:

Oh how can i forget House and Wilson storyline. Oh well you know it was excellent. I don't actually know that much about Asexuality so ...

..i can't give a absolute clear opinion about it,however i will do some research on it because it's an interesting topic. #house #BetterHalf

[RandomDent]

What I personally don't get is why they used the excuse that it's a medical drama-mystery and House has to solve the case, when he's been wrong before. He HAS been wrong. He couldn't be wrong now?

Anyway, get tweeting/tumblring/etc folks!

[thylacine]

Okay so here a few things we need to realize:

1. It's a TV Show

2. It's a TV Show

3. Who Cares

Unfortunately, a lot of people get their ideas about life from watching TV.

[Shinae]

I found the previews somewhat misleading, they seemed quiet promising in the first place. Altogether this highly expected episode's a just slap in the face for the asexual community, I'm much more mad than disappointed

Yeah maybe it's a good thing some people did a google search after this episode but I guess the majority accept certain contents as facts. I don't care House "solved" the case as usual but at least the writers should have put in some statement that asexuality is an actual valid orientation (though I would have loved to see some sort of "representative" for asexuals on a popular TV-show). I really hoped they would get this right. Fail! <_<

[thylacine]

I'm concerned about this, now, because it will worsen the prejudice that already exists againsts asexual people. So, now, we are sick, twisted, and liars? What's gonna happen now, when a girl tells a guy she's not interested, she's asexual, and she's not gonna got to bed with him? He'll probably call her a sick, twisted liar and beat the bejeezus out of her and rape her to straighten her out, because he just watched House. Thanks, House. Thanks a lot. Thanks for nothing. The writers of this show -- where is their sense of responsibility?