The Big Bang Theory, ficlet!
So, last night I was in that hazy 'not quite asleep' state and actually sniggered out loud at this. And then proceeded to write 400 words in my head to go with it. Big Bang Theory drabblex4. It just snuck up on me, and pounced.
There Iz No Cat
The picture has on it the slightly blurry face of the rude man from two floors up and the caption, 'Evolution - ur doin it rong.'
Leonard is half chuckling, half sniggering as he waves the picture at Sheldon. "Lolcats are awesome," he says, with a hint of smugness.
Sheldon opens his mouth, but Leonard says immediately, "I know it's not a cat."
Sheldon pauses. "Huh."
Leonard tries again, "It's not a cat, it's a concept." He waves the paper again for emphasis.
Another pause, during which Sheldon's mouth half opens, then shuts again, quickly.
Leonard frowns, slightly incredulous. "Sheldon, have you never seen lolcats?"
Sheldon bridles a little. "Of course, I have. A lolcat is an image combining a photograph of a cat, with a humorous and idiosyncratic caption in (often broken) English. It is a dialect known as "lolspeak" and which parodies the poor grammar typically attributed to Internet slang. I am aware that the 'concept', as you call it, is sometimes subverted to include other species, and occasionally inanimate objects."
Leonard looks exasperated. "Well, then!"
"I think you may find that it is not the," Sheldon squints at the photograph, "halfwit in question who is 'doin it rong', but your sense of humour." He looks up at Leonard. "It's just not that funny."
Leonard looks at the picture. "Oh, come on! It is funny!"
Sheldon leans in and takes a loser look. Leans back. "Not to me."
Leonard starts to look a little combative. "Well, what would you use as a caption, then?!"
Sheldon thinks for a moment. Then: "Homo habilis - ur doin it rong."
The words sound clumsy and stilted from Sheldon's mouth. Which Leonard finds amusing in a whole different way, so is no bad thing.
He has to admit the caption is funny, though, and actually has to stifle a laugh. "Well, yes. Using the signifier for one of the earliest primitive incarnations of homo sapiens, is more specific, actually more apt, and is insulting on more than one level. But also more obscure! And it doesn't have the word 'evolution' in it, and evolution is cooler!"
"Leonard, the last time you used the word 'evolution' in the context of an epithet, you almost got beaten up. I think using an insult that is more obscure is probably better for your general well-being."
Leonard can't deny the truth of that. But he still pouts a little. "Well, it's not like I was actually going to show it to him."
"A wise decision."
"He looks dumb in the photo, though, doesn't he?"
"Very."
"I culled it from his Facebook page."
"Oh, clever."
*
It was the 'evolution' thing that made me snigger. Also, the lolcats definition came almost word for word from wikipedia. Oh, dislaimer: I don't own TBBT. I'd like to say I owned the evolution caption, but I feel sure it must have been done before, lol.