The Big Bang Theory - Tampon Talk

Sheldon tries to convince Penny to buy her tampons in bulk

[@kathanprajapati8956]

"You want me to buy 30 years worth of tampons?" Penny's face and enunciation are perfect!

[@missagente8100]

Professionalism is being able to say all of Sheldon’s lines with a straight face, and Jim Parsons is better than perfect.

[@MulletDestructur]

Not to be creepy or anything, but I kinda wanted to hear where he was going with the saving money buying tampons in bulk thing. Just how much savings was he talking?

[@TravilingMystery]

Well, if you use Sheldon's estimate of 15 tampons per cycle, the average woman has 360, or for 30 years. Now for the math. A box of 16 cost $5.29. That's about $.33 each, and 63.48 a year, or $1904.40 for the whole duration before she goes into menopause. A box of 90 costs $12.99.That's 15 cents each, and 25.98 a year. For 30 years, that's 779.40. If you take $779.40 from $1904.40 you end up with a $1125 saving over the entire course of menstruation.

[@mira00able]

+Traviling Mystery aaa biology, mathematics and economics with a little sex ed thrown in the mix may i say you really know how to multi task

[@TravilingMystery]

Rain Well thank you. I do try to give factual information.

[@tforaodg]

also, if you consider the depreciation of money, the saving will be even more.

[@Asrim751f4]

Tampons and pads have use by dates

[@sprylittlething]

Man I freakin love Sheldon He's got to be the only geek in this world that so many girls love lol

[@jule8280]

He’s attractive in an strange way.

[@andrewbui8295]

@@jule8280well sickly is the new sexy

[@ashish19]

"Are you fairly regular?" XD

[@elvenlovemachine]

He actually has a point. Though I'm surprised he even knows what tampons are.

[@missagente8100]

Well, he had a twin sister, Missy, and surely his Mom told him about the birds and the bees with ladies. :-|

[@airyfu5612]

I actually do this... I buy about a years supply at a time because I can get it for a third of what I would pay. I have also have a habit of standing in the viatamin isle, examining each option and muttering things like "well I'm only going to pee most of this out.".

[@tuele4302]

In "Young Sheldon" he might even know more about human reproduction than his mother.

[@NicB05]

how did Jim parsons say all this with a straight face! O.o I would've laughed after every other word LOL

[@mollusckscramp4124]

Say what you want about Sheldon, he's a quality man. One of the rare moments he actually seems more mature than some other dudes 😂

[@greenpatches12345]

Sheldon is a truly inspired character

[@Fenicksss]

"You want me to buy 30 years worth of tampons? well... 30, 35... when did your mother go into menopause?".... hahahaha. I love Sheldon, he's the best!

[@bikergirl15]

The weirdest thing is that Sheldon has a very logical, viable point. There are three girls in my family so we buy in bulk whenever possible.

[@Voileen]

Aw he's so cute here. He's just excited to have a friend to do something with!

[@narmolania]

for some odd reason, I would have LOVED to hear the rest of the conversation... just so I could think about MY tampon buyings for the next 30 years... huh...

[@MrBooojangles]

There's not many American programmes that I like but The Big Bang Theory is brilliant, it's the greatest. I can watch repeats every night and not get bored of it and Sheldon is the best character, brilliant.

[@FilipBoev]

I still wonder when Penny's mom went into menopause xD

[@xRedheadgirl]

THIS WAS THE BEST SCENE EVER. I laughed so hard at this, dry witty Sheldon talking about tampons

[@Darenimo]

"Why are people getting all scientific..." Well, Watson, as it happens the people who watch Big Bang Theory generally tend to be somewhat scientifically minded, or otherwise 'geeky' as otherwise half of the jokes would go over your head. Excuse us for getting a bit 'scientific and shit'

[@ttancredi]

Season 1, Episode 4: The Luminous Fish Effect =D

[@LaurieK9]

lol Sheldon is fearless he is totally awesome

[@KArtWorks]

sheldon is such a goober, i love him so much!

[@BrunhildaSwecker]

1) Not all of them -it depends on the type, and not all of the packages are properly made, so some have holes (I've dealt with them) 2) depending on HOW they are stored, the pressure of being say, piled up or compressed could cause the bags to break. TECHNICALLY they come in water-proof packages, and but literally... not all of them do. Unless you're planning to check every single container when you buy them.

[@rattyzombie]

Why is everyone going on about the price of tampons?

[@holdemehha]

Plus, even with all the potential savings, where is Penny gonna find the money to pay for 30 years worth of tampons, when she is barely meeting her bills? She'd have to take out a loan and make monthly payments for the next 30 years. With the interest, financially it really isn't very different from buying 1 month supply at a time

[@ozzell]

That was completely sensible. Penny should've listened.

[@paulmarshall7092]

Work at a University Bar, obviously we employ a lot of students. Me being a 50 year old male and having been employed at the university for 20+years did not always feel like i connected to my work colleagues who were 20-30 years younger. Staff room conversation between a group females students was about Tampons, i was sat there too. One girl became totally uncomfortable about talking about tampons in fronts of me. She was uncomfortable, she should of looked at my face. Then one girl said it only Paul and he don't care. 20-30 years of working with students and all my anxieties have suddenly gone.

[@101Tictacs]

There are several problems with Sheldon's suggestion. Mainly the impracticality of storing 30 years worth of tampons without them becoming unhygenic. But also aging, pregnancy and childbirth will affect what product she will require. With environmental issues becoming an ever present concern, the woman may want to switch to a more resuable option, such as a menstrual cup. Not to mention she may want to take advantage of future technological developments in women's hygeine products.

[@osnapitzhayley]

But for safety they should be replaced every 3-4 hours no matter how heavy or light your cycle.

[@freckledklutz]

omfg that is hilarious and sheldon has some valid logic...

[@101Tictacs]

@maccionkas yes, you have a good point, but you need to take a couple more things into account when calculating. Assuming at some point in the average womans life, she will becomes pregnant and therefore does not need 9 months supply of tampons. Post children, she will likely need a different size, or type tampon. So realistically you do not need quite so many tampons. Of course one should probably consider a more eco friendly solution that is reusable as well.

[@BrunhildaSwecker]

one problem - tampons if stored improperly, could become infested with moths, other bugs, may get wet and start growing mold, and must be stored. Sheldon failed to calculate the net amount of space they would take up, and the $ required over the next 30 years to store them (even assuming they are not damaged).

[@ratherBEaREDNECK]

GIve credit to Cooper, he's saving her tonnes of money in the long run and not afraid of the subject...penny might wanna reconsider

[@BrunhildaSwecker]

5) The urine they produce only contains estrogen (assuming it isn't broken down in her body) if the pill they are taking contains it, which isn't always the case. I should also point out that women naturally produce estrogen, and so logically a minor increase in estrogen in the urine shouldn't have an effect in nature.

[@cazia9]

it's also something very personal that not a lot of women i think are comfortable talking about with men, like penny

[@citrine615]

I'm a "girl nerd" and I go through arguments/ calculations like this in my head. :)

[@ZW4929]

@Gabrielandpals Yeah, I reckon it makes total sense to stock up. My only concern would be storage, it'd have to be completely waterproof in case of flooding. I'd be so pissed to have to throw out stacks of worthless waterlogged tampons... Although... Maybe they could be used to grow mushrooms or something. I'd still be pissed.

[@BrunhildaSwecker]

Not to mention, there's the matter that no one has conclusively proven that estrogen has any bad effects on anyone so far via this supposed 'contamination', except for a small study on men, who were drinking unclean water (which had the estrogen in it, as well as all sorts of other chemicals), and ended up hitting puberty slightly later than the average.

[@Canonall]

@reatonate1989 Several flaws in your counter-arguments. 1) Tampons have been used for a long period now, which means that it wouldn't just drop. Even if they did, it A LOT cheaper to buy a 30 years supply directly from the factory or a warehouse than to do it from a third-party. 2) Tampons are seen as very functional and efficient, how would they upgrade it? 3) This is actually the only argument you had, which makes sense. But maybe a 30 years supply wouldn't be as expensive as you think. ;)

[@gamewizard7562]

If I was Penny, I'd have a restraining order against Sheldon.

[@calmcalmfruit]

Lol I'm sure Jim had a harm time keeping a straight face. XD

[@cupsofsoup1653]

Ahaa, I ADORE Sheldon :)

[@bulgogikimchi]

Y’know gotta give it to Sheldon. Some men don’t like it when you talk about periods because it’s “gross”- hell some think it’s fake. But Sheldon understands it’s literally biological and isn’t an embarrassing topic

[@elwynbrooks]

@ OPE08 Spock still has emotions. He always has. He just gets better and better at hiding them. He's Vulcan, you can't blame him for that.

[@Weirdi101]

Well, that's just like pure Sheldon for ya, so considerate!

[@shalthepastryqueen]

Calm down there, cowboy! Its usually difficult for some guys to talk about that subject. Sheldon had no problem, because he IS Sheldon, but I was talking about Jim Parsons specifically.

[@TracyEliasonTracyLane]

How does he do that with a straight face?? I love him, he's great.

[@BrunhildaSwecker]

4) Not everyone wants a child, which is why they are on birth control in the first place (or else they have very painful menstrual cycles; yes, this is an issue for some women, who often require their uteruses to be removed or operated upon surgically, due to the physical pain caused by menstruation).

[@Kruezoraxe]

I never liked the "statistically significant" savings bit. 3 cents can be statistically significant if it can be observed to be true. What he really means is that there will be a very large effect size.

[@MrCooperFTW]

Daaaang, when she slammed the door I was hoping for a *Knock* *Knock* Penny?! *Knock* *Knock* Sheldon?!

[@freetobeme03]

I don't normally watch this show...but it is eerie how much Sheldon is like my friend here....

[@OPE08]

Characters almost always get refined over the first few shows, its pretty common, as the producers and directors get feedback from the audience. For instance, in the original star trek pilot Spock had emotions...

[@robtheslayer]

sheldon was just trying to use logic. menstral cycles are a private matter unless you have a wife, sisters or daughters and have had to go to the store to buy them in an "emergency". i have been blessed with this task. its only a big deal if you get the wrong kind.

[@blugreen123]

i was sooo happy to hear that Jim Parsons (Sheldon) is up for an Emmy this year

[@Methusalah0]

Its not always our fault. We usually dont see things from an emotional perspective but more of logic. so we dont see it as what we may say could hurt you we see it as a simple statement that you took the wrong way. just remember it could be akward for him just as much if not more so when he finds out that he said something unacceptable by people

[@selsuru]

I understand what you mean, he does say (and sometimes does) shit he really shouldn't but not because he's trying to irritate others (though he does sometimes try and piss people off for fun) but rather he doesn't understand it bothers people. I must admit I'm guilty of that at times too but he's far worse for it then me.

[@2t22tornadosiren]

Only sheldon could talk about that smoothly. I gotta learn how

[@shalthepastryqueen]

Oh man... Jim Parsons is SO awesome to be able to pull that scene off... well all his scenes are awesome. I can't imagine how akward that was for him to say to her:D

[@BrunhildaSwecker]

very good point, but she could use 'receipt stealing' . What you do, is you buy the item. Then, you leave a bag with the store person, and leave with the tampons. Put the tampons in the car, and then come back and check the bag, listing tampons as an item that's supposed to be there. Run back to your car pretending they've gone missing until you can get a free one. Then, use the receipt over and over again withe the phrase 'um, I'm not sure where my tampons are, they must've fell out'

[@anooska]

I didn't mean it that way.. its just, every girl i've been with.. even friends.. got disturbed or uncomfortable when I brought up their periods/PMS or whatever.. that's all

[@TheEagleEnigma]

CLEARLY not a hufflepuff. they are kind and loyal and patient. he's a ravenclaw/slytherin mix. he's got the brains of a ravenclaw, and he's not as cold hearted as a slytherin, but he does have some of those slytherin qualities.

[@AbbyMireene]

Amen to that. I have Asperger's too, and I totally recognize a lot of the symptoms in Sheldon. It isn't that he's trying to be rude; it's that he has no idea what he's saying is inappropriate. At least for him, as a character in a TV show, it's funny. :P Not so much for you or me, most likely.

[@Zubinen]

I don't understand why women get offended so easily. For example I was explaining to female friend(who was trying to park and I was in the passenger seat) that I couldn't tell if she parked correctly because I have the spatial coordination of woman. I said something factual but she perceived it as politically incorrect.

[@TakesTwoToTango]

He didn't cause he didn't calculate anything yet. Sheldon would never make such mistakes!

[@BrunhildaSwecker]

Plus, some women have 3 day periods, some have 7 periods, etc.... it depends.

[@davisgreen2020]

LOL !! Only the vulcan Dr. Sheldon could have that conversation with Penny !!

[@unamaxify]

sheldon didn't think that quite through if you buy 30 years worth of tampons you are going to save a lot of money BUT the storage depot you are going to need will cost more money for lease than you saved buying in bulk in the first place. - (assuming you don't want to stuff your flat with tampons & sleep in the hallway)

[@Raiseren]

Most importantly, Sheldon didn't take the oppurtunity cost into account. The money could have been spent buying risk free assets instead.

[@maarc3D]

i could see the door slam a fucking mile away when he brought the "tampon" subject up

[@agata521]

@bloodypedant "big words"-made my day .yeah cause ' jokes' about tampons are extremely sophisticated

[@ComfortableLate]

Sheldon is someone you can trust your girlfriend with.

[@rinnyroo94]

OMG i LOVE sheldon!

[@naturallyobsessed]

@maccionkas you also need to consider the time value of money here; buying a 30 year supply of tampons right now is essentially going to cost you more in the long run. Your money is always worth more today than it is tomorrow =P

[@CrazyGood88]

I would love to have "THAT" conversation with Sheldon just to see how far I could go before he walked out the door himself ;-)

[@EverlastingHobnocker]

First, if you assume Penny buys the cheapest she can find (where I live, that's $2.75 a box) she would need close to $1000 to get all she needs for the rest of her life. Second, where would she put them? Notice Sheldon didn't volunteer his space.

[@BrunhildaSwecker]

....I've had to work in retail, and we spent 5 or 6 nights moving them from one shelf series to another, and then to another, and another, and ANOTHER, and no, they do not. The packages also have defects.

[@AlBundyFan365]

I just want to say the best thing about The Big Bang Theory is that it DOESN'T air on NBC. If it did, the jerks at that company would be taking all videos (of the show) off KZbin left and right, so I'm glad they (NBC) have no control over this funny sitcom. Good job, CBS! (8^)

[@Sagichnich95]

- Was that sarcasm? - Nooo... [looks thoughtful] - Was THAT sarcasm? - Yeess... [looks thoughtful again] - Was T H A T sarcasm? -STOOOOP IITT!!!

[@EmmaHviid]

Yeah you're right, pall

[@alphapoop117]

anyone know what episode and season this is?

[@selsuru]

My older brother is Asperger's too and you can tell, he says some shit he really shouldn't sometimes.

[@AlyssaWilson24]

He was still holding eggs when she closed the door!

[@ShateredReality]

sheldon miscalculated. 15 tampons per cycle assumes a very short cycle since each tampon can only be used at most for 8 hours or risk TSS. not to mention yes the savings are significant but the models change, who wants to use 30 year old tampons instead of the newest model =P

[@PlatynumEagle]

@maccionkas ok this is not a bazinga... u really sound like Sheldon, i mean he always comes up with logic/reasonable explanations to everything, that's awsome!

[@elwynbrooks]

@ OPE08 ??? I have seen the actual episodes. It was never implied that Spock didn't have emotions. In fact, Vulcans were explained to be extremely emotional - just really good at ignoring their emotions.

[@anooska]

LOL.. its true.. there are actually people like Sheldon. I personally know a guy who is 80% sheldon lol

[@shadowdance4666]

The Cleopatra haircut works for her

[@XbirthdayXmassacreX]

@DarkenedPsycho sure, that's you and your girlfriends deal. i just think it's good to talk about what you want to talk about. no one should avoid it or be embarrassed about it. in fact, i think that goes for a lot of topics.

[@jonathanovedrivera]

i always ask my best friend about her period and she gets all embarassed

[@netwolfe]

Actually knowing Sheldon, there is a good chance that he already knows dose details and would not be grossed out. In fact, based on the way Sheldon thinks, I don’t think there are too many things out there that would gross him out.

[@skyemcleod1]

Thankx for posting! Such a funny/ clever show. I just started watching this show and now I'm hooked ;) My fav on Season 3 is the One Ring ep LOL.

[@BrunhildaSwecker]

Ah. The 'toxic shock' thing. Not necessarily true. Also, some women wear pads instead. Technically, in terms of cost/waste the cup would be a better idea (although a lot of women cannot use them), or pads that can be re-used/re-washed.

[@PostalTubeAlex]

Come to think of it, having thirty years of tampons would be very handy in a flash flooding.

[@blugreen123]

oh! that's where that's from?! i've heard that, and didn't know from where. thanks!

[@coniaric]

I am German and I love "The big bang theory". I wondered, if Sheldon has a british dialect in the US-original serie - and I´m now a little bit disappointed. ;-)

[@ktcorey]

I love that over a hundred people "liked" the comment about how refreshing it would be to be able to talk about tampons with a guy. TRUE STORY

[@BrunhildaSwecker]

Or, considering that we currently have drugs that will STOP you from having a period, PERIOD (though with side effects), she could simply take them, and stop menstruating altogether, thus eliminating the need for tampon storage. But then, where to store all the pills.......

[@melmel22892]

wow sheldon had on shorts. tis a rare sight

[@4spitfire]

were does sheldon buy his tshirts ...i love them...

[@osnapitzhayley]

He thinks a woman only uses 15 tampons per cycle? You need a new one every 3-4 hours that's at least 5 a day. Or is my maths completely fucked up?

[@chae1557]

osnapitzhayley I've left one in for a whole week...

[@NoSkutr]

Chaeli Ansley Lol I want you

[@BonJoviMad100]

That's just creepy

[@BeXzTeR]

No! I wanted to know how much you could save buying in bulk!

[@cece255]

@henklie I know. I asked my brother to grab some for me and he wouldn't. Seriously if a guy can go into a drug store and grab a pregnancy test a condoms, I don't see why they can't grab tampons.