The Griffin Equivalency (13 Oct. 2008)

After being featured in a People magazine article, Raj becomes full of himself and alienates his friends. However, his newfound fame does get him a date with Penny.

Director:

Mark Cendrowski

Writers:

Chuck Lorre (creator), Bill Prady (creator),

Stars:

Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
Johnny Galecki	...	Leonard Hofstadter
Jim Parsons	...	Sheldon Cooper
Kaley Cuoco	...	Penny
Simon Helberg	...	Howard Wolowitz
Kunal Nayyar	...	Raj Koothrappali
Charlie Sheen	...	Charlie Sheen
Mark Harelik	...	Dr. Eric Gablehauser
Brian George	...	Dr. V. M. Koothrappali
Alice Amter	...	Mrs. Koothrappali

Storyline

Because of his finding and reporting of a previously unknown planetary object, Raj has been named one of People magazine's "30 Under 30 to Watch". In his usual manner, Sheldon mocks this achievement, which hurts Raj's feelings. Regardless, Raj becomes Gablehauser's new star because of the notoriety of the article and the associated money coming into the department. Along with Gablehauser's gushing comes some perks available only to Raj. Raj's fifteen minutes of fame starts to go to his head. He starts to alienate Leonard, Sheldon and Howard. Penny doesn't understand why his friends aren't providing Raj with the support he deserves, especially in attending the magazine's reception on the article. She's the only one of the four attending the function with Raj, hence she'll be his "date", which silently gnaws at Leonard. But Sheldon sees Raj's absence from the group as a potential opportunity.

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Plot Keywords:

magazine | people magazine | reference to ellen page | sarcasm taken literally | reference to abraham lincoln | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 October 2008 (USA)

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

21 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Raj's planetary object, 2008-NQ17, is fictitious, though its designation implies that it was the 220th minor planet discovered during the first fifteen days of July 2008; although analysis of old photographs can result in late additions, considerably fewer than 220 discoveries have been made over that period and it is highly unlikely that number will ever be assigned.

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Goofs

When the guys are eating Chinese food, the second time. Leonard and Howard's Chinese cartons changes in their hands, periodically throughout the scene.

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Quotes

Sheldon Cooper: Baby wipe?
Penny: Why do you have those?
Leonard Hofstadter, Howard Wolowitz: No, no! Don't! Don't!
Sheldon Cooper: I'll tell you why. I had to sanitize my hands because the university replaced the paper towels in the rest rooms, with hot air blowers.
Penny: Oh I thought the blowers were more sanitary.
Leonard Hofstadter, Howard Wolowitz: Why? Please, don't!
Sheldon Cooper: Hot air blowers are incubators and spewers of bacteria and pestilence. Frankly, it'd be more hygienic if they just had a plague-infested gibbon sneeze my hands dry.

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Crazy Credits

CHUCK LORRE PRODUCTIONS, #221 We have once again arrived at a moment in history where the truth can be defined as "that which you can make other people believe." The methodology for creating that belief is repetition. Say something enough times and it becomes, for millions of people, the truth. I am endowed like a stallion. This is why control of the media equals control of the populace. I am endowed like a stallion. And also why a state run television news channel is so very dangerous. I am endowed like a stallion. Now there are those who would argue this has already happened and that a certain cable news channel is actually a covert extension of our government. I am endowed like a stallion. The fact that the channel is run by a high-ranking party official, an anchor person from the channel became a White House spokesman, and another top-ranking party official became an on-air news commentator is often used to make this argument. I am endowed like a stallion. Of course, this fact would be entirely inconsequential if the oft-repeated falsehoods they attempt to imbed into the Zeitgeist were simply amusing, or at worst, inane. I am endowed like a stallion. But, unfortunately, that is not the case. I am endowed like a stallion. The heavy repetition of lies and smears for political gain are by no means inconsequential. I am endowed like a stallion. Which is why each and every one of us must use whatever resources we have at our disposal to disseminate the actual truth. I am endowed like a pony.

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Connections

References The Simpsons (1989)

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Soundtracks

"Get the Party Started"
(uncredited)
Written by Linda Perry
Performed by Kunal Nayyar

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