What's with the MENSA crack?

[Pajus]

The Mensa crack is quite simple:
Sheppard's words say IQ 140. Sheppard's actions say IQ 40. That's why they're making fun of him

[nx01a]

I first discovered combinatorics in a catchy song from Square One TV in the early 90s. It didn't seem like dumbing it down was a problem for a pre-teen... Of course, the wikipedia entry does cause some problems for an adult.

I can understand Zelenka's comments, though I'd wish the techs would learn to say, "I'll have something for you in an hour." No details, just get it done. It'd be easier on everyone.

As for Rodney and Daniel snickering... Daniel doesn't know Shep that well, so laughing at him seems a bit much. Rodney's just insensitive despite numerous life-altering episodes and a 'close relationship' Shep. Besides, it's not like Shep's been running around displaying that MENSA-level intellect recently.

[SGLAB]

I think what bothers me about the scene with Rodney, Daniel and John with the MENSA joke was that Rodney was encouraging an "outsider" to laugh at John's expense. It's reminds me of the SG-1 episode Pegasus Project where they're on Atlantis and John hands Mitchell a lemon to "keep Rodney in line". To me it's fine within "the family", but not for outsiders.

[Finger13]

I didn't even see it as offensive, I think that people blow it way out of proportion and over-analyze it.

It's no different then how everyone mocks McKay's paranoia about diseases, radiation, and citrus. Or the fact that he blew up a solar system, which has been mentioned, in a mean but joking way, for how many seasons?

As for Radek being rude, well he was working fast to solve the problem and wouldn't want to take several minutes to dumb down extremely complicated work. Smart or not, Shepperd is not a physicist like Radek or McKay, and is not as smart as Jackson either.

This doesn't mean that he is stupid, but when compared to geniuses, he is an idiot, as we all would be.

I don't see why so many people are up in arms about it.

[GoSpikey]

I also didn't like McKay making fun of John because he was 'befriending'/'having a competition with' another person...

It wasn't nice of Daniel to laugh along, and I must admit, one of my fantasies is John going to the rescue, and then saying: "woopsie, I'm too dumb to open up the door" or something alike.



Not nice of Radek, either... I mean, would he have said the same to Woolsey's face? I think not?

[lcshepp]

I wasn't happy either with the McKay/Daniel and Zelenka comments. But it was Sheppard that thought of the shield to protect the gate. I can't help but think though that in the 'Lost Tribe' that John will have his revenge. I don't think he'll shove it in their faces but hopefully all involved will realize what has happened.

It is interesting though that the writers had Sheppard being 'mensa' material and having the strongest ATA gene ever in the beginning but have never really acted alot on either story line. At a Van Con I asked Martin Gero about why the writers hadn't expanded more on Sheppard's ATA compabilities and his response was that alot of people were getting the gene artifially now that they didn't want "to explore that mythology anymore". Someone interrupted us and I wasn't able to ask more.

Whether you like the character or not there has been alot written on him that has never been explored. Mainly the ATA gene. Waste or not, it's all in everyone's opinion of course. The gene story would have been better than some of the stories written.

[Ncc-72452]

I think that Sheppard's hidden intelligence was an original concept for the show that the writers fell out of love with. There were several references in the early days to it, but I think it became more fun for them to write him as a fun-loving, well, not-so-smart guy. So, they poke fun at themselves with this scene. They tried to do it last season, but the scene got cut, and they got it into this episode.

I have to admit that when I saw the cut scene, I was glad that it was cut, and I wish this one had been too. I liked the smart Sheppard that would surprise us every now again with an unexpected ability in math. The scene in "Brotherhood" where he figures out the puzzle when McKay had nothing is among my favorites. I like the fact that they shook things up, and their resident genius didn't have all the answers this time, but obviously they feel differently and wanted to make fun of the character of the old days.

[GoSpikey]

I agree that it should have stayed cut. But maybe it's an indication that McKay's ego is once again growing towards, if not over the "I'm smarter than all those dead Ancients laying on the floor," and that might not be good.

[thrill0029]

Mmmk. I was searching for something else, and this thread came up, so I figured I'd toss in my 2 cents.

I had no problems with either part.

The Mensa crack was pretty simple. It was just a recall to all the previous mentions of Mensa by Sheppard. He would periodically bring it up as a way of playful boasting after a good idea (as I'm sure most of you know). Instead of the same ol' same ol', they decided to have Rodney bring it up as a way of making fun of him. Not making fun of his intelligence, but of his tendency to use it (Mensa) as a bragging point. Just like a real friend would.

As far as Zelenka's remarks, it was staged that way for a reason. He was the Scientist in charge with Rodney away, and in turn had to step into McKay's City Saving Shoes during a crisis. It was a high pressure, high stress situation. Zelenka is normally pretty diplomatic when explaining things, but in a situation like this, you tend to say what is on your mind, regardless of who's feelings it hurts. Nerves run short, and tempers fray. That was the purpose of the exchange. Radek trying to deal with the pressure of being the Head Honcho on the Tech side, and was feeling all that weight on his shoulders. If he had been all calm, cool, and cordial... the severity and urgency of the situation may not have come across as well.

Also, I didn't find either remark "mean" really. Especially when you compare their statements to what my friends and I say to each other when we are together. Guys rag on their buddies. The more cruel, the more hilarious. It's Guy Code

To that point, I laughed out loud when I heard Zelenka's remarks. It was just... funny.

Sorry for the long-winded response

[rosalind]

I'm not a regular viewer of Stargate Atlantis, so I know I am not as familiar with the characters as the rest of you. However, I took Rodney's comment as the usual bantering between he and Sheppard. I took Daniel's slow smile, and turning his head as did, as his reaction to Rodney and Sheppards banter and not as him being a participant of the joke. After all, Daniel was the outsider here and just beginning to learn the interactions of the Atlantis team. Maybe it reminded him of the conversations between himself and Jack or Jack's reaction to Sam's technobabble. I know I often grin at the antics of my co-workers even when I'm only listening and not participating.

After reading all the messages from Atlantis viewers, I suppose I could have been wrong. I'll have to watch the episode again and more closely next time.

As for Zelenka's remarks, I didn't find them mean at all. He was completely stressed and didn't have time for lengthy explanations and Sheppard understood that, because Sheppard is intelligent.

[fumblesmcstupid]

So I guess what people are saying is.. John can dish it, but he can't take it?

John is always making digs at Rodney in good fun. In BAMSR at the end Rodney said that removing a planet from the data base wasn't easy.. John said Rodney would know. Now that was a reference to Trinity which was a bad time for the two men. The Mensa crack was just a jab at John. John didn't tell Rodney to drop dead or go to hell.

Radek's crack was IMO rude! Not intentionally so, but still rude.

Rodney said John could have been in Mensa, COULD because he is that smart. The jab was that he wasn't in Mensa..not that he wasn't smart.

Radek was saying that John wasn't smart enough to understand what he was doing.

So...Bad Radek!

[Lythisrose]

So I guess what people are saying is.. John can dish it, but he can't take it?

John is always making digs at Rodney in good fun. In BAMSR at the end Rodney said that removing a planet from the data base wasn't easy.. John said Rodney would know. Now that was a reference to Trinity which was a bad time for the two men. The Mensa crack was just a jab at John. John didn't tell Rodney to drop dead or go to hell.

Radek's crack was IMO rude! Not intentionally so, but still rude.

Rodney said John could have been in Mensa, COULD because he is that smart. The jab was that he wasn't in Mensa..not that he wasn't smart.

Radek was saying that John wasn't smart enough to understand what he was doing.

So...Bad Radek!

I think John took it pretty well, he just looked a little annoyed, but not really upset. He and Rodney are always trading jabs.

[fumblesmcstupid]

Next in line will be the really mature response "I know you are! But what am I?"

[Lythisrose]

Next in line will be the really mature response "I know you are! But what am I?"

*snort*

[Ncc-72452]

So I guess what people are saying is.. John can dish it, but he can't take it?

John is always making digs at Rodney in good fun. In BAMSR at the end Rodney said that removing a planet from the data base wasn't easy.. John said Rodney would know. Now that was a reference to Trinity which was a bad time for the two men. The Mensa crack was just a jab at John. John didn't tell Rodney to drop dead or go to hell.

Radek's crack was IMO rude! Not intentionally so, but still rude.

Rodney said John could have been in Mensa, COULD because he is that smart. The jab was that he wasn't in Mensa..not that he wasn't smart.

Radek was saying that John wasn't smart enough to understand what he was doing.

So...Bad Radek!

I think you misunderstand the point, or at least the point from my perspective. I TOTALLY don't mind John and Rodney making jabs at each other. My point is that in the behind the scenes of Season 4, certain Powers That Be stated that they've been trying to get a Mensa gag in for a long time because "Nobody believes that he could have gotten into Mensa," or something along those lines.

I don't see the crack so much as Rodney against John, but the writers poking fun at an early aspect of the character that they thought didn't work. I think that it did work. To me, it didn't make a lot of sense, like if Ronald MacDonald poked fun at french fries. I'd be left dumbfounded saying, "but I like your fries." They were poking fun at a part of the character that I thought worked.

I certainly didn't mean to imply that John can dish it but not take it.