The Problem With Jenny X Sheldon

[@SarcasticChorus]

Who'd you ship Jenny with? Brad, Sheldon, or MISTY? Link to my Fionna and Cake Video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eqjTdIR5gdRkhLssi=6G9PISGfR6pt_jn0

[@thefabuloustrash05]

⁠Brad would’ve been a good romantic partner for Jenny and I honestly shipped them growing up, but I’m okay with them just staying best friends too

[@user-gp5yz5yz4x]

I think she should date brad but ultimately they wouldn't work out, it's just a cute fling

[@michaelstrong5383]

I really liked Jenny's friendship with Brad, but I never saw them as a romantic couple. Misty eventually became Jenny's enemy, and her story arc was never resolved because of the show's unfortunate cancelation. Though, either way, Jenny could do way *_WAY_* better. Or she could just remain single and resume her superhero job. As long as Sheldon's not around, that seems pretty good.

[@Acorn905]

Ive never seen the show but id say since she's so busy with being (what i think is) a super hero and living her school life her being single just make sense to me but tbh anything but him would be better

[@willowarkan2263]

Why the hell not, let's go with the character i had to google first: Misty, not quite a crack ship but hey still better then Sheldon.

[@Moonlight.Howlings.666]

As one commentator stated. Sheldon could've easily built his own partner. Literally

[@valentinkambushev4968]

@@Moonlight.Howlings.666 and as I said in the aforementioned comment: Even she would run away from him.

[@aduckofsomesort]

Somehow that would be even creepier

[@alexisdominey6487]

It would have a sweet home Alabama vide.

[@Umbra_Ursus]

He doesn't want a robot partner: He's into robots, but he wants *her.* Jenny is basically his gold medal, and he's not willing to settle for anything less, even though, objectively, he could just make his own robo-waifu, and program it to love him. Because that'd be the bronze medal, if not less. Think "Heroes"-era Amy Rose: Sheldon doesn't care Jenny isn't into him, because he wants her, and that's the end of his mental process on the matter.

[@SCP-173peanut]

It would have been so much worse from Jenny's perspective, Imagine being a girl and some creepy stalker Just made a Copy of you to be brainwashed to love only him.

[@OutcastRose]

Fun Fact: the creator of this show would later say that the interview transcript of him wanting the endgame ship to be Jenny and Sheldon was apparently misinterpreted? He's tweeted that the show kept both Sheldon and Brad as potential options, but wasn't leaning towards one or the other by the time it was cancelled. He said her love life wasn't supposed to be the focus of the show, and that she needed to learn to love herself before that arc could even happen.

[@tiablue9106]

ig that's good to know but a bit weird how multiple eps were dedicated to jenny "seeing the light" and realizing she should date sheldon while w/ brad it's like just hinted a couple times they might be into each other and that's it. if both were meant to be options, it felt like they were leaning kinda hard towards sheldon

[@DeAnnaMcCrimmon]

@@tiablue9106 if i'm mistakened sheldon was the creator's favorite character on the show and was based on him when he was a teenager so that's probably why

[@PickyVickyVindictive]

Yeah suuuure that's what he said. Lol Clearly he was kinda lying. The show kept teasing this.

[@RoronoaZoro-ur6hr]

@@PickyVickyVindictive , Sheldon ending up with Jenny would be like if Sanji ended up with Nami at the end of the series, so the Nick network should've had Brad go from best friends to a boyfriend, or the women in the series should've done the same, but Sheldon should've never been a romantic love interest for Jenny.

[@fightingmedialounge519]

​@@RoronoaZoro-ur6hrnot exactly the same situation.

[@jasonjasso666]

“I’m not pro-bullying, I’m just anti-him” is such a bar I’m not even joking.

[@donkylefernandez4680]

This is what people really mean when they say "bring back bullying"

[@RaspBerryPies]

@@donkylefernandez4680sorry not to get philosophical but this idea can very easily turn into actual bullying of an actual group. Even if that’s not the true intent. Like if this person is bad…. Well this person is similar to them. Actually there is a whole group of people like them they all have these similar traits! Not to say it always does that. I’m just saying throughout history that is how people become radicalized. They excuse punishment and being horrible to people they think “deserve” it. Then that grows into something more and more and the people who “deserve” it can be broader as they add more things to the list. It’s just interesting to see! I think people forget people don’t become radicalized over night it’s a slow process lol

[@haunting_hatter_]

@@donkylefernandez4680and that’s really sad

[@omicronrho9951]

​@@haunting_hatter_ well, some people need to be vibe checked

[@SkylarThompson-mu1qs]

​@@donkylefernandez4680People still shouldn't say that.

[@jubileebaby0]

When I watched this show as a kid, I always thought Jenny's life was pretty sad in general. Putting aside her endless complaining and sometimes selfish actions, at the end of the day, she's still a teenager. And yet no matter how many times she saves the world, she has to deal with being treated like garbage at school by all of her peers, being constantly overprotected and lectured by her mother and almost getting next to zero respect from everyone else in Tremerton. Someone please give this poor robot girl a hug.

[@StarViewer68]

That’s why I find Jenny’s friendship with Brad so endearing! Brad has his flaws, but he was there for Jenny and treated her like a person, not a freak (like most of Tremerton) nor an object to fetishize (like Sheldon).

[@ShifteroftheWasteland]

Right?? But it definitely highlights the feminine experience of “I can work harder than any of my peers, do amazing things, change the world in so many ways, yet if I have acne or don’t wear the right clothes, everyone criticizes me”. I mean, how many times have we seen young scientists, gymnasts, singers, climate activists, all kinds of amazing girls doing incredible world-changing stuff, but if she’s “not girly enough” or “not cool” or whatever, people make fun of her? Jenny deeefinitely deserved a hug and some gosh-danged respect from her peers!

[@Necroes]

It kind of gets worse when you realize Why she's a teenager. Like, from a meta perspective. Dr. Wakeman could easily have made her an adult robot; However, she actively chose to make her a 'teen' so she would have an in-built response to parental authority, while also being just independent enough to make choices for practical reasons. Given Dr. Wakeman pretty much admits she doesn't intend to make another XJ model, that means she fully intends to leave XJ-9 on 'teenage' mode basically forever. There's literally never any indication that she's working on an 'adult' patch, so to speak, and her motivations for making Jenny a teen never change to begin with.

[@eatatjoes6751]

@@Necroes Man, her mom just heaped yet another existential crisis on her.

[@fightingmedialounge519]

​@@Necroes don't know that's the exact reason as she does question herself on choosing to make a teenager.

[@AngryMothNoises]

Okay but can we talk about how great Brad was as a character? I remember something he said in an episode that stuck with me for like. "I wear cover up all the time." It was the episode were Jenny was worrying about breaking out/acne. And Brad suggested make up like, so casually because HE said he wore cover up. It stuck with me forever as a little kid about to start being a teen as a boy. Thank you Brad for tell us men can wear make up with out it being such a huge thing.

[@maysee2515]

That is a great point; good catch!

[@404_NotFound-q8l]

“It’s coverup and there’s no shame in it!” King shit 👑

[@amberhawksong]

That is pretty rad.

[@LadyCandy1]

I don't see anything wrong with that. My classmate actually dyed his hair because he went grey early.

[@somedude96]

Tuck: ~brad wears makeup.

[@denises9120]

Sheldon always grossed me out as a kid. I kind of assumed Jenny didn't even have a love interest. Because she really doesn't need one and it would not work with the story.

[@tiablue9106]

that's why the creator saying he didn't rlly care abt her love life didn't surprise me despite how much of the show is abt that; it's never rlly treated srsly or is just used to drive plots. sorry to tangent, but if u didn't know, the original idea of this show was abt a teenage girl who was in love w/ a crime-fighting robot. it was meant to be a dark comedy as the girl was dating a robot who had no feelings at all. then the creator thought to combine the 2 characters and just give the crime-fighting robot the personality of a teenage girl. so I think that "haha teen love be messed up" mindset went into the whole show, the dynamic is kinda echoed in jenny's love for silver shell

[@denises9120]

@h.3091 no. I just think that a show like this doesn't really need romance because it's genuinely exhausting and overly dramatic. Not every teenage-centric show needs romantic drama to be interesting. Just focus on the action and character conflicts in the plot. Thats all.

[@RaspBerryPies]

Same! I never saw her with anyone and even as a kid I shipped characters a lot 😂

[@aleksey2960]

Dang I was only partially "grossed out" as a kid. I felt bad for him (esp. since I had similiar issues to him growing up), but I did realised that his "nerdy" personality isn't a ~~reason~~ excuse for his more extreme actions (like stalking and trying to buy Jenny). Now I see that he's just an irredemiable eDork.

[@DanielPereira-ey9nt]

​@@h.3091 being a geek who gets bullied does not change how he is a manipulative creep Also you've been copy-pasting this around comments, your insistence in defending these character and dismissing the criticism about him strongly implies you do not see his behavior as wrong, which means you probably act just like him

[@Sam-Lusk]

Sheldon is one of the guys, Penguinz0 would make a "This guy's texts are insane" video about.

[@Shloppy23]

Jeez I wouldn’t want to see what the texts and search history would be Gives me that recent RE Tardy Oswald vibes

[@an_oracle]

One of those burns that is so specific and yet makes it so much more devestating

[@totally_not_putin]

Lol ur absolutely right, he’d prob do voice memos too

[@DanielJacobs-rz1zl]

No.

[@DanielJacobs-rz1zl]

​@@totally_not_putinHe would not.

[@thunderflare59]

Sheldon isn't in the friend zone. He's in the not-this-guy-again zone.

[@darktooth4576]

More than that, he’s in the blacklist zone.

[@Non_joyfulmood]

Restraining order zone

[@Itz.Fr4ncesca]

​@@Non_joyfulmood This is more perfect

[@Alecations]

Titan from Megamind helped me as a youngboy unlearn the damage Sheldon did in that shell episode.

[@midnights2631]

That's why Megamind is amazing

[@michaelstrong5383]

Because Megamind is smart to make a guy like that into a villain.

[@DarkElfDiva]

Tighten*

[@TECH097]

Wait you mean you had the support of Sheldon before seeing Tighten?

[@sockpuppy8811]

Sheldon is so gonna turn out into the Jenny's version Tighten latter in life, isn't he?

[@Mr.Martin1996]

All these years I've preferred Jenny and Brad over her and Sheldon. They're best friends, they respect each other, their relationship feels genuine and there's a lot of possible potential for a future between them. Brad knows Jenny the best too, they're loyal to each other, and he sees Jenny as more than a robot. Sheldon, to me, always came off as a creep with an obsession over Jenny. That's all they wrote him as, a creepy ass stalker who even stole her blueprints one time. That says a lot about their relationship lmaooo

[@geomania8533]

Yeah she and Brad have a lot more chemistry than Sheldon. Dude was always a creep to me.

[@toadlord8594]

@@geomania8533Yeah I don’t know if the show would’ve ended with them as canon but If it did, Brad x Jenny would definitely be the best option

[@Necroes]

I mean... The ship kind of falls flat when you remember that her mother created a teenage daughter with the explicit purpose of making her dependent on parental authority, while also being just barely independent enough to make rational decisions for practical reasons. So, by the time Brad hits 20, Jenny will still look and act like a teenage girl because Dr. Wakeman has never shown any interest in upgrading her daughters to be 'older,' literally ever.

[@BrandonScott-mi5pz]

EXCELLENT WORK. SARCASTIC CHORUS JENNY X SHELDON THE PROBLEM

[@ClownHoundII]

​@Necroes You're forgetting that Jenny does "age". There's episodes showing her first model as being a baby like one or at least characters treat it like her baby form. It's implied her previous "clunky" model was her preteen/awkward years and her current model is teen era. There's a chance the mom could make an adult version of Jenny but just isn't ready to have her baby grow up in a motherly and literal way.

[@KollbjornYT]

"I'm not pro bullying, I'm just anti him" LOL I need to steal that

[@SpammytheHedgehog]

Sheldon built the Silver Shell, but never thought of building his own girlfriend. Lol

[@tyrant-den884]

That would be a different kind of creepy.

[@MrWanton16]

@@tyrant-den884 I mean Plankton did it and their relationship is fairly wholesome every now and then.

[@morallygary9098]

To be fair, the shell was basically an absurdly large Iron man suit. Building that is a whole other beast from making a complex sentient AI that still somehow thinks Sheldon is appealing.

[@walrusesarecute1]

@@MrWanton16 SHELDON J plankton, coincidence!???! Yeah.

[@SCP-173peanut]

​@@MrWanton16It still Is creepy

[@liittlemiissd]

"My love is stronger than any restraining order!"

[@slugcumber]

the fact that I can’t tell if this is a canon Sheldon quote or ur just referencing smt else is crazy

[@liittlemiissd]

@@slugcumber I heard it in an Asmongold video

[@chrisnotpratt1903]

​@@h.3091 nice try, Sheldon.

[@CinderDAce]

Is that a drake bar?

[@liittlemiissd]

@@h.3091 There's a difference between being a socially inept kid who's just different and someone who doesn't care if they break multiple laws and abuse girls.

[@Mimi2003-i4s]

He's the "nice guy" character. He's basically Titan (Hal) in megamind, only that he doesn't turn evil.

[@SpammytheHedgehog]

Sheldon stealing Jenny's blueprints was a dead giveaway.

[@spinelessdevil]

Brad def better

[@duck_duck_goose]

I was always absolutely appalled when he stole her blueprints 😭

[@alexisdominey6487]

It's like stealing someone's baby photos.... ultrasound included.

[@icarue993]

Those were technichally her N00ds

[@munstahmummah6468]

Why didn’t he just make an another Jenny to date him? I know it’s not morally right but Sheldon isn’t a mortally right person so there is nothing stoping him from making his own Karen computer wife

[@OhGoodieGumdrops]

Honestly I think Jenny was probably on of the shows where I shipped Jenny with nobody. She wanted friends, she seemed very sheltered and still needed to learn what the world was like. So, I wanted her to end with nobody in the high school setting and now would love her with nobody still or someone in college or something. She’s unfortunately the “hero that will never die” character so she’s probably could just date around.

[@seeleunit2000]

Same here.

[@saphiriathebluedragonknight375]

So if she ended up with anyone she'll out live them? Dark.

[@lifeisadrag7705]

Me too, or at least have her end up with a robot boy like her. I remembered feeling sad Jenny couldn't really handle that K-9 robot guy as a kid, but I still understood.

[@Man-wolf-]

@@lifeisadrag7705honestly his ironically the only good option for her-yeah his part canine but his still p sweet & also wont die

[@ፔ̇̈]

Him stealing her blue prints is like the robot equivalent of having your baby pictures stolen.

[@soup331emd5]

/medical records

[@meanyapickles]

Mmm the point wasn't to see the stages of her conception and upbringing, but to see what makes her TICK; her likes and dislikes. So I would equate it more to stealing her diary?

[@FFKonoko]

Yeah, it's closer to stealing diary and medical records and hoping it also has something like private therapy notes to give him a cheat sheet of what makes her brain work and want.

[@montserratalmonds5173]

That happen to me in high school. I feel for Jenny. I rejected the guy like 3 times before I blew up and told to stop following me! I hated seeing him ask a teacher right in front of me how to win the heart of a girl, AND THE TEACHER SAID NOT TO EVER GIVE UP, what kind of advice is that?? Do you not consider me as a person, I said no, and you make me uncomfortable!!! God Sheldon is manipulative, I really wished it was different or learns something. I really appreciate your review so much. Thank you.

[@AHappyBlackGuy]

That is WILD advice but unfourtuantely it's common I remember when I liked someone and when I told my school counselor they told me something very wise which was "People often see never giving up as something admirable which sometimes it is but when it comes to people knowing when to give up is a strength in of itself" since even though this girl said that I was her "boyfriend" to her friends a few times which I think was a joke? she didn't seem to actually like me but instead of listening to my counselor I listened to a friend who told me to lay all my cards on the table and get in her head, which I unfortuantely did and I called her and ended up pulling a Sheldon getting mad because she had a girlfriend and why can't it be me and that I loved her and all that cringey nonsense (seriously I'm having massive cringe rn remembering this). Although I apologized and we said we'll still be friends I remembered what my conselor said said and slowly started talking to her less and less until I didn't at all. I'm super glad that was the only time in my life I ever pulled that and I was a dumb teenager and hell I even ran into that girl again and we joked about it so I'm glad I didnt have a lasting effect but seeing Sheldon is like watching that one mement made out of misdirection and inexperience but like instead it's a whole person unapoligetically doing it beause thats just who they are and its soooo cringe god I hate it

[@revolvingworld2676]

@@AHappyBlackGuy My dad gave me that same advice, i dont entirely blame him since my mom apparently rejected him at first and then they later got into each other, but that “never give up advice” probably wont work in this day and age

[@E-1337]

I mean when any girl I had a crush on let me know they didn't feel the same, I told them I understood and let it go. I just didn't like seeing any1 I liked feeling awkward or uncomfortable so I dropped it. A lot of the time that unintentionally led to us getting together after a while.

[@BrightJuni]

Hallmark movie shit teaching guys that no just means “ask me again later” fuck that

[@horushyperion76]

@@E-1337 Are you making the point that this issue could been prevented if dudes just have the same thought as you.

[@Doctor4077]

“And the show keeps acting like they might be endgame.” You know, maybe it’s a good thing we didn’t get another season…

[@sockpuppy8811]

Ah remember when a ship ruined a final show among other things ? *Look with disdain at Star VS’s Season 4* (Be to be fair, At least Marco wasn't creepy)

[@Sir_Noel]

@@h.3091 just a geek being bullied? did you not watch the video at all? how are there sheldon defenders here im crying

[@BearSmoothie]

@@sockpuppy8811 I despise Starco. The entire “soul binding” thing really made me not like it, they could have put them together in a different way. When they kissed I didn’t get butterflies like I did with luz and amity

[@D3viant517]

@@h.3091Stay away from women bud

[@thumtak_]

​@@BearSmoothieyou might just prefer yuri lmao

[@Serene769]

It honestly makes me really happy to still hear people talk and discuss things about this show, it was one of my favourite ones growing up.

[@beeziebubs2756]

I can’t understand how this trope had such a death grip on media in the aughts and 90s; the obsessive stalker is so rancid, but it was literally everywhere.

[@eatatjoes6751]

The *only* one that I could see comin’ out clean is Helga from Hey Arnold and that’s because she’s Panini with an empathetic backstory. Sheldon had *none* of that, which is sad because I expected the same thing from him to justify his robot obsession. Nope.

[@beeziebubs2756]

@@eatatjoes6751 Didn’t Helga relentlessly bully Arnold and his friends, though? It’s still giving, “He only hits you because he likes you,” vibes.

[@spottedjellyfish5490]

​@@beeziebubs2756 Yeah she "pulled his pigtails" the whole show and that's still not great. I think the idea was supposed to be that Arnold knew she liked him or atleast that she didn't really hate him, but that he was waiting on her to grow out of it. Still really bad cause she would sniff him sometimes just like the boy who would stalk her. So much stalking...

[@rirururu4697]

@@spottedjellyfish5490 I wouldn't really put Helga in the same ballpark as Sheldon tbh. The whole point is that she goes through a ton of development throughout the series and learns to be a better person. Also she actually has a lot going on in her life outside of Arnold and is not a one-dimensional character. She has an alcoholic mother, an emotionally abusive father, and a neglectful sister and Arnold was the first person who cared for her. Sheldon could've been a great character if he learned his lesson or went through development like Helga did.

[@IcecteamOni-x4v]

Disagree. If they switched the roles Arnold would get a lot of shit for being a bully that physically attacks Helga and others. Along with stalking them. Doesn’t matter if they would be depicted getting better progressively. It was just a double standard. Same thing in Loud House where all the sisters encouraged their brother being physically beaten by a bully just because they assumed a girl punching a boy signified a crush. It’s just a double standard. It would never fly especially in a kids show, to showcase any female character having to deal with a physically abusive male love interest. But unfortunately it gets promoted sometimes in kids shows or any shows that these kinds of relationships are fine and dandy.

[@jaohonaxa]

Looking back it feels like there were so many cartoons in this era that tried to push female protagonists into relationships with “nerds” who displayed toxic traits, but tended to spin it more often as the girl being the one at fault for it not working out.

[@ligtningdog6399]

To be completely honest, nerd characters in general are just written to be troubled people; which just part of the bigger trope of "Ugly in the outside means their ugly in the inside."

[@damkylan3]

⁠@@ligtningdog6399Historically, that was rarely the intent in old movies and shows, though. They were troubled, yes, but as the op said, they were often validated for it and the girl had to look past their flaws and see the inner beauty and all that crap. Which became a trope all its own. Then the pendulum kinda swung back around more recently as people realized, oh yeah, nerds can be assholes too just like the stereotypical jocks of 80s movies.

[@morganqorishchi8181]

This is why I feel like The Proud Family deserves more credit for having Penny break up with the stalker-y nerd boy who she goes out with. And when he tries to say it must be because he's a nerd or because he uses a wheelchair, she explicitly refutes him and says no, it's because he's a jerk. It's because he doesn't treat people right and that's unacceptable. I was so braced during that episode for the show to blame the girl for them not working as a couple that I remember being stunned when it didn't. That show really went, "being a good person is *the most important thing*" and never backed off from that.

[@falconeshield]

Who do you think was writing the scripts? The nerds who took Revenge of the Nerds as a literal bible

[@cristalido3640]

@@damkylan3 That went both ways... If you watched any show made for teenage girls around that time, you always had nerdy girls or unpopular girl earning the love of the most popular guy in school, often an attractive teenage pop star, who was able to see past her flaws because the beautiful queen bee he was dating at the time, or who was trying to date him, was too mean and selfish.

[@shirabe64]

I remember the episode that introduced Doctor Wakeman’s rival’s robot, and he called himself Kenny. And Sheldon’s attitude about it in trying to sabotage Jenny’s happiness and paint Kenny in a bad light instead of prove himself, made me hate his guts. Even with the his surprise flaw, Kenny ran circles around Sheldon. Pluto’s orbit sized circles.

[@Jayden-x1g]

The thing that gets me the most about Sheldon is that HE DIDNT NEED TO BE THIS WAY literally every episode mentioned was this show’s take on a well established trope that the writers deliberately subverted just to make him creepier they could’ve written him in a vaguely normal and well-adjusted way BUT NO instead he’s the final boss of incels.

[@JeffreyLewis-j1c]

Not everyone you'll meet will be well adjusted.

[@ShockwaveFPSStudios]

Yeah, kinda a dick move. According to this video Jenny started out having a crush on the Silver Shell, who’s just Sheldon in disguise. The writers could’ve made him realized that he was pretty much in the same position Jenny is, but because the writers wanted to make him insufferable, he was written to be a complete delusional stalker.

[@JeffreyLewis-j1c]

@@ShockwaveFPSStudios I think that's the point about Sheldon he was supposed to be insufferable.

[@ShockwaveFPSStudios]

@@JeffreyLewis-j1c Ah, now it makes sense. He’s just written to be insufferable… now I get it.

[@misterOrca4]

Well it's a Nick show, if kids don't laugh at a character then make them dumb or a Flanderization

[@michaelstrong5383]

As a kid, there were two cartoon characters that taught me how not to act towards women: Johnny Bravo and Sheldon The only difference is that Johnny getting dumped by women was part of the joke. Here, I think we're supposed to find Sheldon sympathetic, which.......no.

[@valentinkambushev4968]

And Johnny Bravo is meant to be an example for young boys to show them what not to do.

[@DDarkestKnight]

​@@valentinkambushev4968It didn't work

[@geraldcartwright2010]

There are bigger differences. Johnny was always set up as little more than a pest to the women he pursued, an annoyance that could be brushed aside but never actually dangerous. Sheldon, even just on paper, can come across as a genuine predator/parasite, out to manipulate and control; I don't think Johnny, even at his worst, ever got that bad.

[@michaelstrong5383]

@@geraldcartwright2010 True. Even though Johnny sees himself as God's gift to women, he's never taken so seriously at all. Plus, the show never rewards him of his womanizing ways.

[@elimDBZ]

The difference between Johnny compared to Sheldon is after Johnny met a woman and failed he moved on Sheldon just stays obsessed. Plus if you ever saw Johnny's talk show JBVO he was a rather chill guy was even nice enough to show a fast forwarded episode of DBZ after a child called his show to request the episode and it was the Goku vs Frieza episode I might add.

[@fynnthefox9078]

If they ever rebooted MLAATR, I wouldn't mind if they changed Sheldon's character. He's a total creep.

[@rirururu4697]

I wouldn't mind if they cut him out entirely.

[@Chadmiral]

​@@rirururu4697 "But if you close your eyes..."

[@WolfRider2002]

I dunno. I think it would be better if they just stopped pretending he's a likeable character and make him a full fledged villain that Jenny has to defeat

[@rirururu4697]

@@WolfRider2002 That would be very satisfying. Have Jenny stand up for herself and NOT be punished by the narrative like it's her fault.

[@ghastlygavin]

Either make him a villain who is obsessed with Jenny or at least make him a socially awkward guy instead of a full on creep

[@EdgyTheHedgy891]

in my opinion a great example of what they should have done with Sheldon is Amy Rose the hedgehog while starting out in a very similar position Amy actually grew as a character and even tho she retained her crush on Sonic she doesn't act like a crazy stalker anymore and over all stopped being a one note character to the point that Sonic himself no longer feels unnerved by her presence, and while still keeping Amy as just a friend, he doesn't mind hanging out with her or going on adventures together this is what Sheldon should have been

[@machadragonii145]

If show gets rebooted that's how he differently should be written

[@EdgyTheHedgy891]

@@machadragonii145 so true

[@legendaresn6983]

"Still keeping her as a friend" I'm actually gonna put a pin into that knowing what he said in frontiers

[@EdgyTheHedgy891]

@@legendaresn6983 I mean We are talking Sonic main canon here Noone officially getting shipped is kinda the rule

[@legendaresn6983]

@@EdgyTheHedgy891 Yesn't, the official rules state that no relationships can be formed Meaning that characters introduced or already having these keep them. But no new ones get introduced for already existing characters Sonic and Amy had multible dates long before that rule was created

[@lalalachris]

I remember being a kid seeing the scene of “I need somebody genuine and sweet” and then “hey sheldon” and being like “is that supposed to be ironic? He’s a selfish liar!”

[@tiablue9106]

the show: *has sheldon be a slimy, manipulative, lying creep who'll go to any lengths to make jenny love him* also the show: but he's genuine and sweet and loves jenny as she is tho !!

[@louise4152]

@@h.3091 holy shit get a life

[@rirururu4697]

fr like almost every major Sheldon episode, he's lying to her and manipulating her. And he's rewarded for it. She never finds out and it drives me crazy. A two-faced guy who disguises himself as a fake person just to manipulate her is literally the exact opposite of "genuine."

[@hermanb8389]

Sheldon is the literal definition of a stalker and sociopath. He really doesn't have the right to be Jenny's friend.

[@fairlyoddenginecreations]

Judging from that first clip, I don't think the remaining 46 minutes are necessary for explanation haha

[@Frost_the_polarian_fox]

haha same thought

[@user-gp5yz5yz4x]

personally all here for a fifty minute roasting of the human trash that is Sheldon, as superfluous as it is

[@PerfectKirby]

True, but it’s still cathartic to listen to lol

[@fairlyoddenginecreations]

@@PerfectKirby truuuue

[@morganqorishchi8181]

Sheldon is a self-demonstrating problem.

[@ls.1906]

As someone who once had a Sheldon in their life, this ship makes me cringe all the way to the marrow of my bones. The older you get, the more awkward and uncomfortable their interactions become.

[@Clouditchi]

He not only acts like the Sheldon I had in my life but also looks like him 🤢

[@ls.1906]

@@Clouditchi Sadly, SAME 🥲

[@mitkitty]

Honestly still reeling from "Nobody will ever love you like I do" like that's abuser tactic NUMERO UNO and he's supposed to be somewhat sympathetic??? Look, i love shitty lovesick assholes-Irwin suffering is my favorite running joke in Grim Adventures, but he SUFFERS, and somehow he's still less shitty than this kid

[@gaminganimators7000]

That's straight up a lyric from the Stalkers Tango, lol

[@thefabuloustrash05]

As a kid I thought Sheldon was so annoying and I was genuinely convinced that Jenny was going to end up with Brad. They had good chemistry, respected each other and they would’ve been a cute friends to lovers story. I’m okay with them not being a couple and just staying friends, we need more male/female platonic friendship representation in media but if I had to ship Jenny with anyone it would be Brad.

[@nombreno.1325]

SAME TO EVERYTHING, stalker characters have always get on my nerve

[@the_indecisiveartist_5850]

Same! I completely forgot Sheldon existed, and I only remember Brad! He bugged me as a kid.

[@cutiepie120048]

Hard agree!!!

[@DanielPereira-ey9nt]

​@@the_indecisiveartist_5850 I also straight up forgot he existed, funny thing is that I actually remembered the dog boy who was a side character in a Sheldon focused episode

[@ashkitt7719]

@@nombreno.1325 ngl, same with the Kankers from Ed Edd n Eddy. When they reversed the roles and had the Eds go after the Kankers, it showed how yikes the dynamic is.

[@monobro141]

4:33 No offense but Sheldon's voice when he met Jenny gives me predator vibes 😨

[@AmyStrikesBack]

As someone who had to Deal with one, i can confirm If someone talk like this STAY THE FLUFF AWAY

[@tanandalynch9441]

I mean he is a predator so

[@troperhghar9898]

The best part of Teenage Robot is the 40s-50s Art Deco artstyle

[@area52ron]

To be fair Aladdin only lied because he couldn’t get with Jasmine due to her being a princess and he isn’t of royal status

[@valentinkambushev4968]

Not to mention that being with Jasmine could actually get him killed.

[@sockpuppy8811]

I mean their first "date" ended with Aladdin getting arrested and locked in a jail with the real possibility he was gonna get executed.... No wonder guy got insecure after this.

[@BearSmoothie]

Bro could have lost his life and continued to chase after her, he better then me that’s for sure

[@revolvingworld2676]

They both clearly loved each other but the status was the biggest obstacle

[@GODZILLA2915]

At least they made a connection before the ‘drama’

[@ItwasmeZepplin]

Glad I'm not the only one who thought he was a borderline villain

[@alexisdominey6487]

Im suprised he didn’t try to actually turn himself into a robot. Replace his body parts peice by peice with robot parts like some horror flick.

[@shotgunfrenzy1225]

So he would basically doing what clockwork did in sly cooper except in Sheldon case it would be for lust and not for hartred like clockwork did

[@gummidon1618]

Yeah I was assuming that’s where it was gonna go

[@Raziel312]

From the moment I understood the weakness of my flesh, it disgusted me. I craved the strength and certainty of steel. I aspired to the purity of the blessed machine.

[@connortripp99]

*MLAATR: Rising Revengence*

[@darktooth4576]

Virgin Sheldon Chad Clockwerk

[@Flower_Mom]

I dated someone once who compared himself to Sheldon and said I was his Jenny. ...Yeah, I probably should have known to break up with him a lot sooner than I did.

[@kenziiixxx3628]

When I was a young teenage girl I’d get sexually harassed by guys like this, 3 of them, never took no as answer and would ask me sexually explicit questions all the time. I’m sure I’ll get it as an adult but I’m isolating myself from the world because of terrible people like this. Super immature, disrespectful & beyond disgusting.

[@bradleymorrison4666]

I genuinely hope you never have to go through something like that again

[@kenziiixxx3628]

@@bradleymorrison4666 thank you 🩷

[@justice8718]

Don’t worry, it will get worse.

[@kenziiixxx3628]

@@justice8718 yeah no shit Sherlock your shitty comment isn’t needed.

[@kenziiixxx3628]

@@justice8718 wow Sherlock you sure are smart like huh?? I didn’t need your dumb comment. You are telling me not to worry cause my life as a woman will get worse from sexual harassment from dudes when it shouldn’t be happening in the first place like you find it funny. You’re weird. 🤢

[@carterjames8829]

It’s no wonder Jenny cared so much more about Brad and Tuck compared to Sheldon.

[@ShockwaveFPSStudios]

The real question is WHY Sheldon was in Jenny’s friend group in the first place.

[@carterjames8829]

@@ShockwaveFPSStudios probably because if Jenny wanted something like fashion or ear piercings, she could rely on him better than her mother.

[@ShockwaveFPSStudios]

@@carterjames8829 Well maybe she could’ve still done that, but not make him apart of her friend group.

[@carterjames8829]

@@ShockwaveFPSStudios you think Sheldon would be willing to help Jenny out if he wasn’t a part of her friend group?

[@ShockwaveFPSStudios]

@@carterjames8829 He’s already stalking her, so less is more!

[@slenderminion2229]

You can really tell the age with a character like Sheldon. Back then I remember people usually viewing him as a pretty sweet, if somewhat odd guy. Nowadays he'd be a better fit as one of the show's main villains.

[@TECH097]

As is I argue his first appearance isn't THAT bad. Yes he was breaking boundaries and being too wishy washy but Jenny was actively not really giving a clear signal as to what it was she felt. I don't think Jenny disliked him just really wanted space and didn't know how to express it. Both were canonically awful at knowing how to talk to other people at that point and from there things could've improved for Sheldon. And even if he did pull some skeezy crap before, he still managed to improve by activelyb eing LESS and less Creepy as the series went on and show he was down to be an ACTUAL hero and not just use Silver Shell as a costume to pick up chicks.

[@cozmicdoodles7167]

​@TECH097 Nah I'll give it to you that his first appearance is very realistic for an awkward teen boy, and Jenny's realistic for a teen girl being peer pressured by her schoolmates, but Sheldon absolutely got worse as the show went on. And the thing is, after a point he just did so many shitty scummy things that it wouldn't matter if he changed his ways or not. He was so nasty to Jenny that it would just be gross for them to ever get together. Most kids won't see the character development and go "ah she started to like him when he became a better person ", what they'll see is "he kept whittling her down until she finally gave in and said yes". Which is NOT a good lesson. In order for any development to work for him they need to either make his shitty behavior way less shitty, or acknowledge it better instead of brushing it off as a haha funny joke.

[@Victor-056]

@@cozmicdoodles7167 That is a good point. One of Sheldon's shortcomings is the same as quite a few cartoons like Fairly Odd Parents (The original run, not "A New Wish" as it has yet to undergo any rot yet), and that is the fact that when the character isn't _allowed_ to develop properly, that character would stagnate to the point it would decay and rot. As you said, the only way to fix Sheldon is to either tone down his nasty behavior, or have his rancid moments be acknowledged and lead to proper development.

[@rirururu4697]

If MLAATR ever gets a reboot, let's hope they handle Sheldon better. Either have him learn his lesson or just straight up make him a villain. This wishy-washy will-they-won't-they of keeping him in the middle as a love interest you're supposed to feel bad for when he genuinely does some heinous scummy evil things just doesn't work.

[@PurpleGal1973]

I dated a guy who I thought was a Gomez Addams but he was a Sheldon, a more restrained version but still a Sheldon in a way.

[@Leviathan99-h8l]

I remember Sheldon, unnerved me a lot as a child for his unhinged thirst for Jenny. Creeped me out a lot, should have build his own girlfriend.

[@tarvoc746]

He should have fixed his personality before dating anyone, _including_ someone he built himself.

[@nombreno.1325]

Honestly, thats way more creepy, creating someone just with the purpose of love you is selfish and insane

[@phantom-ri2tg]

This video actually reminded me of an interesting video I once saw. A black person said they tried to date a racist (someone with a fetish for black men.) He apparently figured someone liking him unconditionally would be great. He ended up feeling disturbed as he felt basically like an object as she didn't try to get to know him specifically as a person. What this video talks about seems pretty similar as this guy only loves her for being a robot. He cares nothing about her as an individual. Also building a partner is basically incest with your daughter so please no.

[@tarvoc746]

@@h.3091 You don't know anyone here. Have you considered the possibility that you might be accusing actual former bullying victims of being bullies for the sake of defending a badly written cartoon character?

[@phantom-ri2tg]

@@h.3091 Oh look everyone. we found the person who is willing to bat for a character who is a canon stalker.

[@ultravioletdrake4551]

As a kid, I legitimately wanted the Silver Shell to pull a HaL, gain sentience, & kick Sheldon to the curb so him and Jenny could be together. Now though, I still want Silver Shell & Jenny to kick Sheldon to the curb even harder😅

[@jm4954]

A perfect world where he replaces Sheldon as part of the friend group and Jenny, Brad, and Tuck actually like him.

[@davidpuckett3079]

Not a bad idea if they ever revive the show this could work

[@derrickdaniels3955]

​@samanthaalexispanzo1820Yeah but the new Fairly Odd Parents gives me some hope, albeit a little

[@errorbirdesther]

Yes ! The silver shell as time goes on gets sentience and kicks sheldon out and admits to jenny what really happened and they date I want fanfics of this so badly

[@wisemage0]

I don't think he was ever portrayed as a "love interest". They made it pretty clear from the start that he was a pest.

[@Jonathan_Collins]

Years later when you realize Sheldon could have built his own wife.

[@stonefree7973]

His computer wife Karen!

[@valentinkambushev4968]

And even she would run away from him.

[@SpammytheHedgehog]

Agreed.

[@valentinkambushev4968]

​@@stonefree7973only even more problematic.

[@chewviewleonardo6511]

Ah, I had to look it up. There is the Greek myth about Pygmalion and Galatea. The sculptor created Galatea, lady made from Ivory. It gave me the vibes of gynoids. I just...its so odd seeing the weird themes being in the Sci-fi genre. Makes sense in a cartoon using the 1950s sci-fi comic atmosphere. Especially the background art of this series!

[@delphoxhoopa7289]

Sheldon definitely has "Steve Urkel" syndrome in the sense that the narrative wants to make you feel bad for him, but everything he does for the sake of getting his interest's affection would be a MASSIVE red flag nowadays, yet the show treats the girl as being in the wrong for understandably not being interested. No sense of boundaries, thinking they're obligated to their crush's full attention, etc. You could use these two as a lesson on how NOT to write a love interest/romantic subplot.

[@steveconvertibles3352]

Sheldon is definitely the definition of how ‘If a girl does it then it's funny and cute, but if a boy does it, it is extra problematic’. Even by most problematic love interests in 2000’s cartoons

[@TheDragonman104]

Reminds me of Pucca.

[@PennyPolendina8164]

And yet people STILL defend people like them despite the obvious creepy behavior!

[@kinghyperheart1571]

@@steveconvertibles3352 Yeah, and it sets a nasty double-standard for boys and girls rigging things in the girls' favor. This needs t be equally all-or-nothing. Either it's fine for both boys and girls, or it's not for either of them, and obviously if it's not right for boys, then girls need to be called out on this disturbing behavior, too, if not more so for all the years they've been getting away with it.

[@shotgunfrenzy1225]

Why do people not find as creepy when a female is like that? I could never put my finger on why

[@starlette7820]

You showing Natsu and Lucy made me realize that Natsu was lowkey kind of like sheldon constantly stepping over Lucy's boundaries and acting like she was the crazy one for being upset at him. Like when he walked in on her while she was bathing and acted like it was no big deal and she was nuts for being upset :D

[@stickthelanding4785]

0:15 I didn’t get this line as a kid but now that I get it I hate him even more.

[@pbfloyd13]

Seriously, fuck him for that 🤬

[@rirururu4697]

I never realized the implications of Sheldon basically implying that he's the only one who would ever love someone like her-- that's disgusting. He should go back to r/niceguys or on an episode of My Strange Addiction in a romantic relationship with his car.

[@CipherRage0909]

​​@@rirururu4697 What a total creep Sheldon was. I mean it's no wonder the kids in the school avoided him and bullied him. He straight-up deserved to be an outcast and looked down upon.

[@ladyofthesith1943]

"Every girl you know has probably had a friend like this" Le sigh, that's sadly accurate.

[@PennyPolendina8164]

Ha! I'd be lucky if a dude even looks at me.

[@ladyofthesith1943]

@PennyPolendina8164 Honey you can do better than the kinda men this video talks about I promise.

[@PennyPolendina8164]

@@ladyofthesith1943 thanks

[@F0XY5O1]

If Sheldon actually got with a girl, dude definitely would’ve acted like my ex 💀 The *novelty* of being with a girl will wear off for him eventually y’know

[@ladyofthesith1943]

@F0XY5O1 Yeah I know. Especially when he stops putting her on a pedestal and realizes she's a person with actual thoughts and feelings.

[@FISHROCKTHISWORLD]

So glad someone is pointing this out, very good breakdown of the issues with his character. And to see most in the comments agreeing too with how problematic Sheldon is! Often have seen in the Mlaatr fandom a dismissing of his terrible behaviours / people saying he is best for Jenny. I always found him a disturbing character, and it was always clear he never really cared about her for who she is more just that she is robot. He has some funny moments in the show and such but I really wish he was not tolerated by Jenny or the rest really as much as he was. Or that he actually changed but nope, he never did.

[@extrahistory8956]

This show simultanously has the best and worst showcase for a ship. Brad x Jenny is honestly peak shipping (two friends that are loyal and mutually care about each other) Sheldon x Jenny is fucking rancid (creepy stalker that never really got what he deserved)

[@RueRyuzaki6]

I wish they explored a relationship with Brad and Jenny. Brad from their first meeting treated Jenny as a normal teenager like she wanted.

[@Volvagia1927]

I mean, I imagine the...healthier...ending to the Vexus episode: Sheldon finds out who she is, kinda grows up and asks "Can I be King? In a...Philip sense, of course, but...please?" And Vexus looks at him and just goes..."Sure."

[@rirururu4697]

I remember that one episode where Jenny wanted to go to the dance but got her dress ruined while rescuing someone right before it. She was depressed and didn't want to go anymore so Brad opted to not go either and cheered her up with a water gun fight. These two seriously are peak shipping.

[@bensoncheung2801]

333rd 👍

[@DanielJacobs-rz1zl]

He really isn't, he may at times be a bit extreme due to him not really having anyone much to give him advice but he still does genuinely care for her, the guy was the only person who believed her when she was being controlled into doing things she didn't want to do.

[@crod9905]

Sheldon fits a lot of Pop Culture Detective's videos like "Stalking for Love," "Adorkable Misogyny," etc.

[@superstarultra28]

I still find it interesting that a robot acted more like a real teenager than most of the other cartoon teenagers of our childhoods.

[@sophieamandaleitontoomey9343]

I never understood why they wanted us to support these two getting together. If Sheldon was a grown ass man, he probably would have been arrested and if we are being honest… SHOULD HAVE BEEN.

[@feliciaadams7666]

I honestly don't mind having a character like Sheldon, the show was exaggerated and extremely silly afterall, but that is under the condition that Sheldon learns and grows. I think it would have been great if Sheldon got two specific arcs, one where he learns to let go of Jenny and another where he learns to be friends with a girl first. Sheldon could have been a great addition to the team, hell I think he could have gotten an apprenticeship with Jenny's mother. He just needed to stop being a creep and it would have been a great way to run with his character.

[@sabrina89942]

A lot of male interested act like nice guys but they all have like a saving grace and it bad trait not come as often. But Sheldon has almost no good grace and isn't even loyal to her unlike other characters.

[@tiablue9106]

Yeah usually the saving grace is like “he just wants her to be happy no matter who she ends up w/“, “he’ll put himself aside to make her happy”, “his love for her is deep and genuine”, “he loves her and only her”, something. Sheldon has none of these lol

[@cozmicdoodles7167]

​@@tiablue9106 Right? Sheldon's feelings for her are more akin to lust or possession rather than love. He doesn't care about her feelings, he just wants her to be HIS. And seemingly for the sole fact that she's a robot, not even for her personality or anything.

[@stonefree7973]

Sheldon could’ve built his computer wife Karen.

[@alibrennan5977]

Which is funny because Planktons first name is Sheldon

[@coolcatred4922]

​@@alibrennan5977 ironic ?

[@lexa2310]

No. No endorsing enslavement pls.

[@sugarcandy654]

@@alibrennan5977Yooooo this is making me cackle

[@SunriseOverTheSea]

True

[@FeralFenris]

Sheldon was the OG “nice guy.”

[@teentitansrock88]

Tbh.... i blame cartoon from this era for why I had such a poor understanding of WHY you should have a crush, how you ACT towards your crush, and what to do when youre DATING your crush. All these shows highlighted stalker, obsessive, unrequitted toxic love and my autistic ass went "ahhh yesss, social lessons...." and absorbed it all. [Thats what I mean when I say parents should be Parental Guiding their kids through these shows, explaining these behaviors arent cute they're creepy. ]

[@Bird-wz7nx]

Sorry your parents didn't handle things better. But at the same time, literally everyone was pretty shitty about autism in general at that point. like, you couldn't have autism unless you had obvious developmental delays, or you couldn't have it AND ADHD, etc. and that's just some of the obvious, tangible issues, the problems were innumerable. The adults in your life kinda failed you, but it sounds like you just pieced things together and did the work yourself anyway. Hell yeah

[@teentitansrock88]

@h.3091 he's not a geek, he's a creep. That behavior is NOT cute. It is NOT demure. It wasn't cute when I behaved like that, it's wasn't cute when someone acted like that towards me, it's not cute when it's on TV. ☠️

[@fightingmedialounge519]

​@@teentitansrock88why were you taking romantic cues from a cartoon? Even being spectrum that should be something you obviously don't do.

[@keondramcintyre3444]

My autistic ass learned social cues from watching Oswald and Beyblade.😶

[@BreathingBlack]

​@@fightingmedialounge519"even being spectrum it's obviously something you shouldn't do" as someone on the spectrum it sounds like you don't know what being on the spectrum means lol. What is obvious to you is not so obvious especially as an autistic child who doesn't understand what is normal and not. They literally explained that they learned from this show. How can someone know better if this was their first experience on the matters of romance

[@jknetwork6211]

Fuck Sheldon. Always liked Jenny x Brad more anyways. Surprised it wasn’t canon by the end

[@MissFlow]

I actually liked that Brad wasn't endgame either. They had a very lovable platonic relationship you barely see between male x female characters.

[@michaelstrong5383]

Jenny and Brad have one of those relationships where even if they never end up together, their friendship is still just as solid.

[@tyrant-den884]

Let boys and girls be friends

[@mesousagaby740]

Or, you know, just have Jenny and Brad be friends.

[@jknetwork6211]

@@MissFlow I agree. Either way is fine with me

[@kunstlerprime2081]

Besides agreeing with everything you brought up, thenk you SC for hiving such an underrated show the attention it deserves with how many views it's gotten in just a couple of weeks. Besides that, I could understand Sheldon to an extent as I myself was a nerdy, socially ineot guy. In middle school I would even say I was a straight up nice guy/incel though not malicious. I also have autism which may add context to some things I did but that's not an excuse. I've learned alot since then so hopefully when or uf I meet the right girl I don't become another Sheldon. Dude aged like cheese in the hot sun.

[@jojonono2679]

Sheldon is like Hal from Megamind, but worse, and they expect you to like him.

[@ShockwaveFPSStudios]

At least Hal was aware Roxanne barely knew him, as well as the fact that not everyone can be redeemed… because there is no easter bunny, there is no tooth fairy, and there is no Queen of England.

[@a_naotenhonome780]

Yeah Hal works because you are meant to see his actions as bad, with Sheldon is very weird how the show wants us to sympathize with him

[@tanandalynch9441]

Hal works because he's painted in a negative light. He's supposed to be wrong and the movie makes you aware of it. Sheldon is supposed to be painted in a good light yet does all this

[@micah459]

Characters like him used to be "funny" back then but as you get older, you realize how disgusting this is. It's crazy because I lowkey feel like a lot of these older shows made some guys think it's okay to be like this in real life.

[@eatatjoes6751]

Yeah, like, I remember everything else about the show and then there’s… *groans* Sheldon.

[@fluoroantimonicacid4844]

Those adults should know better because they're already a grown ass people they should teach children that this kind of relationship is toxic and creepy af 🙄

[@CherikoSol]

​@eatatjoes6751 Just commenting to say I respect your profile pic. You're an OG!

[@uniquenewyork3325]

I blame Sheldon for imcels

[@j.j.juggernaut9709]

What's sadder is that even some girls think that is okay irl. I once saw a review from a female youtuber years ago who said she disliked the MC because she was ignoring Sheldon's advances. She literally said that after trying so hard the guy should have at least been given a chance.... I never watched another video from her since that day

[@OwlQueen375]

I swear some episodes tried to depict his creepiness as cute too.

[@DoctorBright]

I feel like this had 2 different writers. One who wanted to (accurately) depict a creepy stalker, and one who thought that was perfectly normal behavior for a boy in love

[@mayotango1317]

The same ones in Miraculous Ladybug?

[@ukairoenyinnaya6679]

​@mayotango1317 Damm serious burn right there.

[@FULLLUNGCAPACITY]

“your one true chance at happine-“ rot.

[@valentinkambushev4968]

He doesn't deserve to rot. He deserves worse.

[@AmyStrikesBack]

Murder :3

[@franrodriguez690]

Perish

[@AGrotesqueMess]

C e a s e

[@matthewmccoyd2578]

Get Kienzan'd + Get eaten by black hole + Choke on nerve gas + Get squished by giant metal boot + Bite me!

[@ultraghortris2127]

I was in jenny shoes, having these type of situation 4 times and it really sucks. I didnt watch My life as a teenage robot but i never thought ill see this type of issue in a cartoon. Its quite nice to see.

[@Lilly_the_Snek]

Friendly reminder to anyone who needs to hear it. The friend zone isn't a bad thing. In fact its great, just be a good friend, and you'll end up with a lot of good times with this person.

[@viheart]

Did anyone actually ship them together growing up? I always liked her and Brad together

[@marhan1332]

Same

[@SheppyNano]

Same honestly. They felt better but I was always back and forth if I wanted them to be a couple or not cause I wanted a show where there was a guy and girl character that don't end up as a couple or "have feelings" for one another. Sheldon always came off as annoying and I never really rooted for him.

[@viheart]

@@SheppyNano Right I do like the genuine platonic friendship especially for the time it was created when the main girl and guy always ended up together, I just assumed they were going to be end game but for Sheldon I thought he was just that character that would always be rejected and never taken as a serious love interest.

[@independenthistory1621]

I’ve never seen the show but based on the comments yes everyone liked her and Brad together more

[@DDarkestKnight]

I did. Brad and Jenny didn't make sense and he already had Melody

[@lossiehelior9826]

When I was a little girl, I thought Sheldon was unrealistically creepy and funny, like no guy would ever like a girl that much . . . He's uncomfortably realistic now that I have known a few irl Sheldons...

[@StarViewer68]

I am ashamed to admit that I was a JennyxSheldon shipper when the show first came out. As I got older and re-watched the episodes, Sheldon's creepy, stalker, entitled "nice guy" character really stood out to me! You definitely the nail on the head on how Sheldon's character was handled in the show! Thank you for pointing out how Brad and Tuck were never really friends with Sheldon. I don't think there was ever a scene where Brad and/or Tuck ever hung out with Sheldon (the closest I can remember is the episode where Tuck wanted to be the sidekick to Sheldon's supersona, the Silver Shell). I'm actually surprised that the writers didn't have Sheldon getting jealous of Jenny's relationship with Brad, considering how much Jenny enjoys hanging out with Brad while she basically tolerates Sheldon. Sheldon, for me, is similar to another character that has similar toxic traits: Irwin from The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy. I'd love to see your take on Irwin's character on that show.

[@eatatjoes6751]

Aw, fuck, Irwin grates on my nerves.

[@oriongold395]

At the very least, Irwin suffers a lot of the time.

[@rirururu4697]

To me that feels like even more testament to how Sheldon didn't really care for Jenny as a person. You'd think if you really loved someone then being close to the ones important to her would be on his priority list. The fact that Sheldon never did make an effort to get to know Jenny's best friend or her mom is telling.

[@ripcactusify]

Is it weird that I really like some creepy characters...? I was horribly abused growing up and didn't get a lot of attention, so I tended to think "I would love somebody to just be obsessed with me like this." I'm a lesbian btw.

[@darkdragon7210]

Doesn't Irwin actually get with Mandy in the end?

[@SpammytheHedgehog]

Remember when Brad was forced to marry one of the alien bikers?

[@blackskullknight9062]

Wasn't it with the hotter one?

[@DarkElfDiva]

@@blackskullknight9062 I fail to see how that makes it okay.

[@franrodriguez690]

​@@DarkElfDivaespecially since 1. She's way older than him, since She's a teacher in her world. 2. She harmed him.

[@samuraibear5102]

​@@DarkElfDiva hey he was okay with it until he realized he'd be a house husband with no rights

[@blackskullknight9062]

@@DarkElfDiva never said anything about it being ok because randomly kidnapping a dude for a shotgun wedding is a yikes 😬 It has been over a decade so you forget the Finner details

[@robertbarrows6687]

Jenny and Brad should have been endgame. They have so much chemistry and are genuine friends.

[@NouraZahle]

I like that they were platonic friends though. Need more healthy friendships portrayed in media.

[@s2sHoXXs2]

​@@NouraZahleI mean. There's plenty of positive platonic friendships in tv. There's always room for more positive romantic pairings that start as a good solid friendship at its foundation, and turns into something genuinely healthy and sweet. Not only that, but often times when shows TRY to do this, they turn the friendship toxic because of jealousy and whatnot. What if we had characters tjat genuinely just support each other, even after one or both start liking the other? that would be awesome.

[@NouraZahle]

@@s2sHoXXs2 you’re free to your own opinion. I just like a healthy friendship where just because one is a guy and the other one is a girl, it doesn’t mean they’ll start dating.

[@ericasutton3147]

Man I never realized how creepy Sheldon was, I was five when this show came out so a lot of things went over my head. But man either in reality or in fiction. Guys like Sheldon should be on a watch list. Brad was so much better for Jenny than he was. Less creepy and more of a great friend and character ❤

[@yellowkiwi5773]

As I grew up, I respected Brad a lot more. Dude actively gets rejected and he never *once* pressed the issue. Remember that one episode where Brad asked a girl out to show Jenny how to do it? That's what I am referencing.

[@bluebird1914]

Honestly I give Panini more of a pass than this dude for a couple of reasons. 1: Chowder as a show is meant to be ridiculous and silly, so you're not meant to take anything seriously. 2: Unlike Sheldon, Panini does have an actual personality and life outside of her obsession with Chowder. And dare I say, that personality outside of Chowder is actually enjoyable to watch. 3: She's literally a 10 year old, so her obsession with Chowder is able to come across more as an intense case of puppy love than the stuff of nightmares. Plus you can give her more slack for it because she's a child. 4: Admittedly my memory of the show is a bit hazy, but of all Panini's shenanigans, I don't remember any instance of her actually putting Chowder in danger. Being pushy and creepy sure, but I never once got the impression that she's an actual threat to Chowder. While Sheldon feels like he's one boundary setting away from being one of those guys that'd throw acid at a girl. 5: Literally none of the adults in Chowder actually tell Panini that how she acts around Chowder is problematic, with some of them even encouraging her behavior. As much as Panini is at fault for her actions, she is still a child, so her behavior is a testiment to how the adults around her failed to do just that. Especially when you consider how Endive, Panini's parental figure, treats men. Like you can kinda see where she gets it from.

[@misterOrca4]

Didn't she try to Brain wash Chowder into parenthood by convincing that Bluenana was their baby, then sneak a kiss from him and eventually tried to emotionally manipulate him to staying with her, just because he's dumb?

[@gibgabs2899]

@@misterOrca4Tbf the original commenter did say she was creepy. They just said she didn’t put him in danger

[@Chadmiral]

​@@gibgabs2899 Not to mention Chowder and Panini actually ended up together in the future.

[@tanandalynch9441]

Plus Panini would take a hint on occasion and she didn't actually go out of her way to stalk him. She waited until they encountered each other before acting all crazy

[@animefan2454]

​@tanandalynch9441 yea, like in her first appearance, where she said she likes her space, so yea, she has a life that's not stawking Chowder.

[@NerdMiGerd]

Thank god Jenny’s got Brad as a friend

[@garg4531]

“Someone who is genuine and sweet. Oh, hey Sheldon.” If only. If. Only. If only they had written him to be that kind of person

[@dustedjotaro3078]

I remember seeing this as a kid and was creeped out by Sheldon

[@moomooskidoo78]

I'm a girl, and I REALLY didn't like Sheldon as a kid. I loved a potential romantic interest in the shows I watched but Sheldon, even through my kid eyes, REALLY bothered me and I ended up disliking him a LOT. I ended up Shipping Jenny with Brad instead. Glad to know that, as far as Sheldon is concerned, I was justified in hating him. He represents a common trope of early 2000's cartoons that did not age well, and I'm glad is way less common nowadays.

[@jontaehall2740]

Seriously, it felt like people were making these characters out of some obligation. It's why I hate the Kanker sisters. I don't who creepy characters would be for. Especially when their actions are seen as funny/endearing and not things you should never do to express interest.

[@joshuaortega1852]

Even as a nerdy kid I wanted Jenny to launch Sheldon into space. He's such a creepy "nice guy"

[@darktooth4576]

You somewhat had your wish granted. Unfortunately he just had the audacity to return to earth..

[@DrCocofruit]

HE TRIED TO BUY HER????? 💀💀💀💀

[@a_world_worth_living_in]

The fact that I completely removed this guy from my memory of this show..... Says a lot. I never really wanted her to end with anyone? But if it had to happen, Brad.

[@deandredukes95]

Sheldon is the perfect example of wasting your life on someone who doesn’t want you

[@ehimemaidumu]

I honestly shipped Jenny with Brad

[@rafaelbrites3607]

you and everyone else.

[@eatatjoes6751]

Me too, man!

[@halliehallock5731]

Sheldon was THE incel before incel culture was a thing.

[@BL8DM8N]

Incel culture has always been a thing lol

[@prince-Ciel]

The relationship easily could've worked in canon, but that would mean having to completely revamp Sheldon's character. Him being Jenny's cheerleader in her corner and also the one willing to indulge in her dreams of normalcy through her tech know-how could've been cute. But the level of entitlement, somehow fetishistic, and just uncomfortable way he's written ruins whatever cuteness could've happened between them. I'm not saying I want him to be flawless, because that's boring. Make him have issues with personal space and being social oblivious to a startling degree, and maybe his crush on her is pathetic from an outside perspective, but his good needs to out weight his bad and I'm not even seeing any good.

[@darkdragon7210]

You mean give him character development?

[@prince-Ciel]

@@darkdragon7210 at the bare minimum, yeah

[@apryl3598]

This makes me appreciate how much every character in Johnny Test hated on Bling-Bling Boy that much more

[@TeresaCabreraAliaga]

Cof cof Susan and Mary

[@keondramcintyre3444]

Don't exclude the Test Sister and their obsession with Gil Nexdor.😶

[@apryl3598]

Oop yall right Susan and Mary were toxic asf and thirsting for Gil lmfao but they also get to watch Johnny have an easy time vibing with him while they scheme to get noticed. You think Gil really always forgets their names?

[@keondramcintyre3444]

Yep, he never pays the Test Sisters any kind of attention. Just Johnny.😶

[@JakurtyKulgin]

Ahem,ahem,Test Sisters being creepy sinps for Gil

[@ShadeMeadows]

He was my favorite character back then, relatable and all. Now... I still like 'im, honestly!

[@Kaileedoodleloo69]

The fact you could talk for at least 3/4 of an hour about how much of an stalkerish incel this guy was is mind boggling holy fuck

[@Cacowninja]

That's what being an analyst is all about!

[@morganqorishchi8181]

What's worse is people pointing out other creepery that the essay didn't cover. There's so much wrong with Sheldon 3/4th of an hour isn't enough time to go over it.

[@humantoon]

@@morganqorishchi8181 fr. I remember as a kid that I felt a little bad for Sheldon since Jenny turned him down specifically bcuz of his looks, which is pretty shallow, but I remember being frustrated with him endlessly chasing after her when she already told him “no”. Like, he would’ve been a good character if they gave him redeeming qualities, like him learning that how he treats Jenny is wrong, but it never happens!!! It would’ve been so cool if he had character growth and learned that his behavior is unacceptable 😭😞

[@Squeam9750]

As someone else has said. Sheldon could've easily built his own partner. Literally

[@sockpuppy8811]

...Imagine being so creepy that your own creation dump you

[@henrybitencourt]

Not only is considered selfish and Creepy It also make you look desperate

[@chloesantos8637]

I can't believe this show made me like a guy named BRAD 😭

[@Oniqueen]

As a girl watching this show I absolutely hated Sheldon, and I ended up shipping Jenny/Brad more. So even as a kid I hated creeps like Sheldon.

[@keshiaanders6452]

In the words of Buzz Lightyear how I describe Sheldon: He is a sad strange little man. I want to feel sorry for him, but his lust for Jenny is pathetic.😞

[@Luxord5294]

The worst part of Sheldon isn't that he is just a creepy bastard, but that throughout the series he ESCALATES his behavior!! Everytime Jenny tells him no and to buzz off, he tries some different avenue to get into her software; to the point that he should be considered a S.O if the series ever made him face the ramifications of his actions. At some point if the series had continued or were made today would anyone be shocked if there was an episode where Sheldon tried to forcibly reprogram Jenny to be his lover... (excuse me for a moment 🤮).

[@TECH097]

I feel like they were on the verge of improving him honestly! Choosing to be Silver Shell to ACTUALLY fight Crime, feeling all sorts of remorseful when thinking Tuck died because of him, there were efforts to flat out ignore the creepier things he did to move on from it. I will say I'm not a Sheldon DEFENDER but I'm not a hater. Dude had the first kind thing happen to him from apparently ANYONE and he didn't know how to handle it...made no better that he really didn't have anyone like Brad to teach him how to socialize like Jenny did.

[@thecollector4753]

​@@h.3091 Wow you really are posting this on anyone that has anything slightly negative to say about your "poor bullied geek"...who just so happens to be a creep that can't take "No" or "I'm not interested" as an answer. Guess you gotta get that attention somehow since the bozo you're crying about isn't real.

[@gimmekromer1151]

​@h.3091stop yapping

[@ShockwaveFPSStudios]

@@TECH097I get it, he could’ve been improved if My Life As A Teenage Robot continued. But as it is… there’s probably glimpses of it, I just don’t see it because of how he talks.

[@TECH097]

@@ShockwaveFPSStudios I feel like the early 2000s were a transitional period for writing. Rob's angle of just, NOT indulging in repetitive instances of creepy behavior was probably the best angle he could work with to not RETCON what he did but justify why Jenny kept hanging out with him by showing him less and less creepy as time went on. MLAATR may have had SOME continuity but it was still an episodic show at the end of the day NOT a serialized one.

[@katiena1251]

I always thought Jenny would end up with Brad. Sheldon never felt like an option. He was just there for "the laughs." But I never found him funny.

[@inkromancer_studios]

To this day I still cannot fathom why Jen x Shel was even remotely considered when Brad is RIGHT THERE, and just better for her in every way.

[@Hypercube2017]

45:19: "I'm not pro-bullying, I'm just anti-him" is such a _legendary_ insult. I'll be taking it =D

[@tyrant-den884]

It is weird how the 00's really tried to normalize girls having a who asked her but she said no because he's nerd and the writers the now bullying nerds is funny and now they are still friends even though simping on her is his one character trait. iCarly learned to drop it fast at least

[@watchingvids423]

The only "nerdy guy getting the girl" trope of the early 2000's was Ron and Kim; however, their relationship was based on mutual care and friendship. Even with that foundation, they both still had to work on open communication, trust, respect, boundaries - like the body swap episode or the truth ray episode; then there's Kim going on a date with Josh or Kim accompanying Ron to a temple and meeting Yori. Technically Danny Phantom also somewhat did this trope, but Kim Possible excelled at it.

[@tyrant-den884]

@@watchingvids423 not quite. Josh does have a recurring love interest character. There's then the vampire girlfriend in Wizards of Waverly Place. Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide also has some nerd victories; though those have their own complications.

[@fightingmedialounge519]

​@@tyrant-den884i think they're more referring to notion of the nerdy guy getting to attractive protagonist. Josh ended up with another nerd who was his rival.

[@tyrant-den884]

@@fightingmedialounge519 and was hot

[@NicoleFlores-hq5nh]

​@@tyrant-den884i'm not sure if you got confused with Josh of Drake and Josh but there's a character in Kim Possible named Josh that was the first love interest that Kim had.