What was this weird sitcom that I saw part of while at the gym?
January 31, 2012 9:50 AM Subscribe
I saw a brief snippet of a sitcom while at the gym. It involved some very tame sexy playtime that surprised me. Can you help me identify what show it was?
I saw a snippet of a TV show at the gym a few weeks ago. Although I dismissed it at the time, I haven't been able to get it out of my mind. Hive mind, can you help me figure out what it was?
Another gym-goer was flipping through the channels when they settled upon what looked like a sitcom. There was a woman sitting up in a bed, with a bedsheet over her head, covering her whole body. Standing in the doorway of the bedroom was a man wearing military gear. The sound was off, but the closed captioning went something like this:
woman, Arabic accent "Thank you for liberating my village. I am so grateful to you strong American soldiers." [yes, it actually said "Woman, Arabic accent"]. "Come here and I will show you how grateful I am."
Then the man, somewhat uncomfortably, came into the room. The person with the remote control changed the channel and I never got to find out what happened.
Clearly it was some sort of sexy playtime game in which the woman was pretending to be a woman from a middle Eastern war zone, in her burqa, suggesting that she thank the American soldier in the doorway for liberating her village.
I was kind of intrigued by this glimpse into sitcom life - I haven't watched much TV in the last few years and am totally not up-to-date on what's funny and what's not. I am still kind of sorting out my feelings about that little scene: was it inappropriate? Am I overreacting in thinking that it was a bit over the line? What was the context? Is this a common topic for comedy nowadays?
Some more clues: although I saw the clip just a few weeks ago, it was in the middle of the day - obviously a rerun, not a brand new episode. Since the sound was off I couldn't hear whether or not there was a laugh track, but I assume from the dress-up antics that it was a sitcom and not a serious drama. Since the woman was completely covered by the bedsheet I can't tell you what she looked like, and since the man was in full-on military gear (including a helmet and some sort of face mask) I can only tell you that he was of average height and build.
I saw a snippet of a TV show at the gym a few weeks ago. Although I dismissed it at the time, I haven't been able to get it out of my mind. Hive mind, can you help me figure out what it was?
Another gym-goer was flipping through the channels when they settled upon what looked like a sitcom. There was a woman sitting up in a bed, with a bedsheet over her head, covering her whole body. Standing in the doorway of the bedroom was a man wearing military gear. The sound was off, but the closed captioning went something like this:
woman, Arabic accent "Thank you for liberating my village. I am so grateful to you strong American soldiers." [yes, it actually said "Woman, Arabic accent"]. "Come here and I will show you how grateful I am."
Then the man, somewhat uncomfortably, came into the room. The person with the remote control changed the channel and I never got to find out what happened.
Clearly it was some sort of sexy playtime game in which the woman was pretending to be a woman from a middle Eastern war zone, in her burqa, suggesting that she thank the American soldier in the doorway for liberating her village.
I was kind of intrigued by this glimpse into sitcom life - I haven't watched much TV in the last few years and am totally not up-to-date on what's funny and what's not. I am still kind of sorting out my feelings about that little scene: was it inappropriate? Am I overreacting in thinking that it was a bit over the line? What was the context? Is this a common topic for comedy nowadays?
Some more clues: although I saw the clip just a few weeks ago, it was in the middle of the day - obviously a rerun, not a brand new episode. Since the sound was off I couldn't hear whether or not there was a laugh track, but I assume from the dress-up antics that it was a sitcom and not a serious drama. Since the woman was completely covered by the bedsheet I can't tell you what she looked like, and since the man was in full-on military gear (including a helmet and some sort of face mask) I can only tell you that he was of average height and build.
Mad About You used to use those sort of roleplay scenes as incidental gags, although I don't personally recall a full military outfit.
posted by mikepop at 10:36 AM on January 31, 2012
posted by mikepop at 10:36 AM on January 31, 2012
Have you browsed through TV listings around the time/day of the week you were at the gym? It might be helpful to look for a week or two so you can see if there are any repeating sitcom-like blocks of TV to help you focus your search on. Do you remember a network logo in the corner? If it was in the middle of the day it might not have been a sitcom, but maybe a sillier moment in a soap opera?
I seem to recall a moment in Friends where Monica throws a sheet over her head in an attempt to hide from someone before her and Chandler's relationship goes public, but can't confirm that on google.
posted by lilac girl at 10:39 AM on January 31, 2012 [1 favorite]
I seem to recall a moment in Friends where Monica throws a sheet over her head in an attempt to hide from someone before her and Chandler's relationship goes public, but can't confirm that on google.
posted by lilac girl at 10:39 AM on January 31, 2012 [1 favorite]
Are you sure it was a sitcom and not a soap opera? There still are a few of those on the air and that, to me, sounds a bit more like a soap opera plot.
If you want help tracking down what might have been shown then, can you tell us the approximate time and location?
posted by skynxnex at 11:00 AM on January 31, 2012 [1 favorite]
If you want help tracking down what might have been shown then, can you tell us the approximate time and location?
posted by skynxnex at 11:00 AM on January 31, 2012 [1 favorite]
Gyms usually have a very limited set of channels available at the machines, so you probably only need to look through ABC/NBC/CBS/Fox/E!/TBS/TNT listings for the likely timeslot.
posted by apparently at 11:09 AM on January 31, 2012
posted by apparently at 11:09 AM on January 31, 2012
Response by poster: Hi all -
I'm pretty sure it wasn't Friends or Mad about You...I've seen both of those many times. I would probably recognize Ross/Rachel or the Buchmans if they were dressed in gorilla suits. I was kind of a sitcom nut for many years, and this one immediately struck me as unfamiliar. I'm pretty sure this was from maybe within the last five years or so? I'm sorry that I don't have a lot to go on here.
You know, it might have been a soap opera. I immediately thought "sitcom" because it looked as if the whole situation was meant to be funny, and I don't really think of soap operas as funny (except for that whole "Marlena possessed by the devil" thing).
I think that the channel MIGHT have been TBS, but I was so unsure of it that I didn't even mention it in my post.
posted by Elly Vortex at 11:10 AM on January 31, 2012
I'm pretty sure it wasn't Friends or Mad about You...I've seen both of those many times. I would probably recognize Ross/Rachel or the Buchmans if they were dressed in gorilla suits. I was kind of a sitcom nut for many years, and this one immediately struck me as unfamiliar. I'm pretty sure this was from maybe within the last five years or so? I'm sorry that I don't have a lot to go on here.
You know, it might have been a soap opera. I immediately thought "sitcom" because it looked as if the whole situation was meant to be funny, and I don't really think of soap operas as funny (except for that whole "Marlena possessed by the devil" thing).
I think that the channel MIGHT have been TBS, but I was so unsure of it that I didn't even mention it in my post.
posted by Elly Vortex at 11:10 AM on January 31, 2012
Sounds a bit like something you might see on Dharma and Greg (dressing up, silly accent, man uncomfortable). It was on from 1997-2002. (Pretty cute - bohemian girl loves straight-laced boy.)
posted by Glinn at 11:11 AM on January 31, 2012
posted by Glinn at 11:11 AM on January 31, 2012
You remembering the bit of closed captioning made me think of something. Do you happen to remember if it showed the characters name as part of the caption or what the style of captioning was? Did the dialogue pop-up to where the characters near the character speaking or roll-up from the bottom?
Soap operas are somewhat unique (I think) in always listing the character who is speaking before the dialogue. (I always thought that was a pretty clever way to introduce new viewers to the many characters on the canvas.)
Sometimes other shows use this convention as well, especially if it's not clear who is speaking (like they are under a sheet), but most sitcoms and other dramas use pop-up where soaps always run captions as a constant stream at the bottom like a script unfolding, like.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 11:32 AM on January 31, 2012
Soap operas are somewhat unique (I think) in always listing the character who is speaking before the dialogue. (I always thought that was a pretty clever way to introduce new viewers to the many characters on the canvas.)
Sometimes other shows use this convention as well, especially if it's not clear who is speaking (like they are under a sheet), but most sitcoms and other dramas use pop-up where soaps always run captions as a constant stream at the bottom like a script unfolding, like.
MARLENA: JOHN, STEFANO IS DEAD THIS TIME.Maybe not much help (especially since there are only 4 soaps on the air anymore) but thought I'd add it in.
JOHN: DOC, THAT BASTARD WILL NEVER DIE.
STEFANO: THE PHOENIX HAS RISEN AGAIN.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 11:32 AM on January 31, 2012
Response by poster: I cannot BELIEVE it but I found it.
I looked up what was on TBS during weekdays - even though I wasn't sure if that was the network. Then I googled the names of the shows that I DIDN'T know along with "burqa". Voila!
It was Yes, Dear (a show that I have heard of but never watched). If you're interested in seeing what I saw, here's the link. The scene in question starts at about 14:30, and it's just as cringe-worthy as it was when I first saw it.
This Ask Metafilter question AND answer have been brought to you by an hour or so of me being a completely bad employee. But it was so worth it to have this question answered.
and MCMikeNamara, no, the phoenix will never die. I think that I have saw Stefano bite it at least eight times during my years of watching days.
posted by Elly Vortex at 11:47 AM on January 31, 2012 [3 favorites]
I looked up what was on TBS during weekdays - even though I wasn't sure if that was the network. Then I googled the names of the shows that I DIDN'T know along with "burqa". Voila!
It was Yes, Dear (a show that I have heard of but never watched). If you're interested in seeing what I saw, here's the link. The scene in question starts at about 14:30, and it's just as cringe-worthy as it was when I first saw it.
This Ask Metafilter question AND answer have been brought to you by an hour or so of me being a completely bad employee. But it was so worth it to have this question answered.
and MCMikeNamara, no, the phoenix will never die. I think that I have saw Stefano bite it at least eight times during my years of watching days.
posted by Elly Vortex at 11:47 AM on January 31, 2012 [3 favorites]
It was Yes, Dear (a show that I have heard of but never watched).
You're not alone.
posted by La Cieca at 2:02 PM on January 31, 2012
You're not alone.
posted by La Cieca at 2:02 PM on January 31, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by purlgurly at 10:01 AM on January 31, 2012