Of course Charlie's not a role model, that should be obvious to anyone, the point is that as a source of humor guys who don't hear "no" can potentially be viable comedy fodder— it's an uncomfortable subject sure and terrible behavior, but that's often where humor comes from. Guys DO behave like this in real life, it's…

And this "trope" can actually be funny. I point to Charlie and the Waitress on Always Sunny. That "Up" parody cartoon was one of the funniest (and most disturbing) things on TV last year.

They can envision it, but relationships on sitcoms tend to hinge on will-the-or-won't-they and other prolonged courtships. The whole guy-won't-give-up thing is an easy go to because it can be prolonged indefinitely. See almost every sitcom up until recently, whether it's Screech or Urkel or Lola Falana or Sam Mallone…

Well, in the current cultural climate humor based on stalking just isn't acceptable. Unrequited love is still on the table, but it has to be more of the worshipping-from-afar variety.

You've evidently never seen Dr. Gene Scott.

I find myself not laughing at the show as I watch it.. or feeling anything, really.. but something about it burrows into my brain and I find the recollection of it endlessly entertaining. Usually this only happens with particularly catchy-but-annoying songs.

"Troy Duffy's Dune"

I would suspect it would be yet another Holy Mountain, ie a mostly-forgotten relic of a crazy psychedelic era that's beloved by a small sub-set of film students and particularly enlightened stoners.

I'd say the asshole factor can often be computed by multiplying how unique an artist's vision is, by how many people's involvement and how much money it takes to see it realized. Charisma is of course a factor too.

This show's been on every day for over 30 years with tens of thousands of contestants coming through. A freaky thing like this is going to happen every now and then.

Nobody was ever genuinely upset that the word gay meant something else than happy*, they just used it as an easy way to complain about homosexuals. Likewise nobody uses the word "gay" to mean rubbish without being fully aware it's a slur. Both of these things that mildly amuse you sound like a persecuted minority…

In the Abramsverse it's going to be Deep Space Ten.

Such a risky phrase too. It hinges on you kind-of noticing something, really… Like it's in your peripheral vision and the joke brings it into focus. Because if you HAD noticed then the joke is redundant, and if you hadn't then you can't identify.

Just another Saturday night for Jack Strawb. Sittin' alone at his computer, speaking ill of the recent dead.

No, because they're only named after an animal. You open the floodgates there, you're going to have to let in everything from Def Leppard to Glass Tiger.

There have been many, many more great comic strips than Peanuts and Calvin and Hobbes… But it's a medium that peaked somewhere around World War 2 and has been running on fumes since the 80s. At least in the daily-newspaper-strip form. But if you allow the likes of Li'l Abner, Buster Brown, Krazy Kat, Pogo and hundreds…

I'm sorry. I will mail you a touching hand-written apology letter.

That's probably what I'm thinking of, thanks.

Isn't this what it actually is now? Has Barney Google appeared in the strip in the last three decades? Was that actually the joke (if it was, I'm sorry for this and I salute you) and worse, WHY DO I KNOW THIS?

How about Beetle Baily with the jokes and characters intact, but replace all the backgrounds with gruesome war zone photography?