Only A True Fan Knows If It Was Howard Or Joey
- by Xavier Martinez
- – on
- in Unspecified
In regards to their rosters of comedic characters, Friends and The Big Bang Theory share one specific type of character: the goofy, childish, womanizing guy. In Friends, this role is played by Joey Tribbiani. A struggling actor, Joey is portrayed as promiscuous and dim-witted, but ultimately good-natured, as well as very loyal and caring towards his friends. Most of his comedic scenarios revolve around his love of food, his dating life, his struggles in his acting career, or his unusual involvement in his friends' storylines.
In The Big Bang Theory, the same role is played by Howard Wolowitz. An aerospace engineer at Caltech, Howard is known for his 1960s haircut, his vintage fashion style, his avid love of comic books and science fiction, and his relationship with his overbearing mother. Until his marriage to his girlfriend Bernadette, he fancied himself a ladies' man and would provide ridiculous pick-up lines whenever there was a woman present, resulting in a lot of embarrassing rejections.
Of course, it can be a challenge to remember if some of the comedic storylines in Friends and The Big Bang Theory were about one character or the other. Which of the following scenes happened to Howard, and which of them happened to Joey? Time to find out!
Who mishandled the Mars rover while trying to impress a girl?
The guy meets Dr. Stephanie Barnett at a bar and, as a way to impress her, invites her to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to drive the Mars rover. His plan fails when the rover gets stuck in a ditch on Mars, so he asks one of his friends to smuggle his unauthorized lady visitor out of the building. Unable to get the rover back on its wheels, he panics and proceeds to destroy all security tapes and hard drives relating to the mission.
Who faked an allergic reaction to peanuts?
The gang are planning a surprise birthday party for one of the guys, but they have to get him a present at the last minute. The guy thus gets the task of keeping his friend out of his apartment before the party. He pretends to eat a peanut bar, to which he's allergic, so that his friend will drive him to the hospital. However, at the hospital, he has to distract his friend even longer, so he actually eats the peanut bar, swelling up in a severe allergic reaction!
Who didn't want to give his plush penguin to a baby?
When one of the girls is staying over at the guy's apartment with her daughter Emma, the child takes an immediate liking to Hugsy, his "bedtime penguin pal". Unwilling to let go of his beloved plush penguin, the guy buys her a new Hugsy, but little Emma still prefers the old one. He finally allows Emma to sleep with the penguin, but soon gives up and takes back Hugsy. When the girl scolds him for stealing a toy from her baby, he then replies "How do you think I got him in the first place?"
Who had to choose between his girlfriend and his mother?
Upset at the guy for always going back home to his mother after they spend time together, his girlfriend insists that he moves in with her. He isn't interested in this suggestion at first, but then has a big fight with his mother after reaching home. He thus decides to move in with his girlfriend. Both are initially happy, but she soon realizes that he's too dependent on his mother and insists that he shouldn't expect the same treatment from her. As a result, the guy returns home, where his mother grounds him for "running away"!
Who got a hernia after losing his health insurance?
The guy loses his health benefits, so he starts working out again to get back in shape. However, he develops a hernia while lifting weights. Unable to afford the treatment, since he's out of money and hasn't worked in a long time, he also doesn't want to borrow the money from his friends. He soon gets an acting role, which'll allow him to renew his insurance. However, his child co-star refuses to cry during the scene, leading to many retakes. But he does manage to make the child cry... by showing him his hernia!
Who wrote a screenplay about a "handsome dude"?
Aside from his roommate, the guy is now living with another friend who's been evicted from his apartment. Unable to find work, the guy is advised by his friend to write his own screenplay and star in the leading role, like what Ben Affleck and Matt Damon did with "Good Will Hunting". So the guy starts writing a script, but all he does is rewrite the same scene, which shows a "handsome dude" meeting up with ladies... It isn't hard to figure out who this "handsome dude" is based on!
Who realized he didn't make as much money as his fiancée?
The guy's fiancée announces to the gang that her dissertation on microbiology has been accepted, earning her a Ph.D. and a well-paid job. The guy is initially very happy for her, but soon realizes that she now earns more money than him. This feeling of insecurity is made worse when she starts pampering him with expensive dinners and presents, even going so far as to buy him a Rolex. She then tells him to "let her worry about the money", which, of course, leads to a big fight... because of the Rolex!
Who got a Thanksgiving turkey stuck on his head?
When one member of the gang complains that his divorce and eviction means he's having the worst Thanksgiving ever, the rest all start telling a story about their own worst Thanksgivings. The guy's story is about him putting a turkey on his head, just because his friend dared him to... and then having the turkey stuck on his head! Complaining that "it smells really bad in here", he does manage to take the raw bird off his head, but not before freaking out the rest of the gang!
Who staked a priceless comic book over a cricket?
The guy and one of his friends hear a cricket chirping in the elevator. His friend argues that, judging by the sound of the cricket, it would be a snowy tree cricket. The guy, on the other hand, recognizes that it's simply a field cricket. They each decide to stake their most valuable comic book on a bet over the species of the cricket. They then catch the insect and enlist a depressed entomologist to settle the bet... who confirms it is indeed a field cricket!
Who tried to find stardom in Las Vegas?
The guy borrows his friend's taxi to drive to the production set of a film he's been hired to star in, which happens to be located in the desert near Las Vegas. However, when he arrives to the set, he learns that the film has been shut down due to a lack of finances. Broke and unwilling to get back home to his friends, the guy does manage to get a job in Vegas... as a costumed Roman soldier in Caesars Palace!
Who recreated a TV role for his grandmother?
The guy introduces the gang to his grandmother, who's deeply intent on seeing him appear in an episode of "Law & Order". The show starts, but the guy soon realizes that his part has been cut out of the episode. Desperate not to disappoint his grandmother, he returns to his apartment and records himself on videotape in a crime scene... in which he's holding his pet duck hostage. Even though the clip is good enough for his grandma, it still is pretty crude... as he didn't even bother to change his sweater!
Who dressed up as a goth to meet girls?
In another one of his attempts to meet girls, the guy and his friend dress up as goths and head to a goth club to pick up some girls. They try to blend in the crowd, and manage to meet two goth girls. When the girls persuade them to leave the club and go to a tattoo parlor, they initially accept, since they've been wearing fake "tattoo sleeves" as part of their costumes. However, the guy then chickens out as soon as the needle touches his skin!
Who lost a soap opera role to one of his students?
The guy gets a job teaching a soap opera acting class, and manages to apply some of his experience into his lessons. He's soon invited to audition for a role in a new soap opera, but he finds out that one of his students is also auditioning for the same part. Unwilling to lose the role to his student, he intentionally gives him some very bad advice on how to play the character... which, in a twist of fate, is what the casting director was looking for!
Who lied on his resume about being a dance instructor?
The guy gets a job as part of the dance team on a new Broadway play. However, he soon learns that the director expects him to teach a very elaborate dance to the entire cast, since they believe he's got experience as a dance instructor. As it turns out, it's only a false credential on his acting resume, so he's now desperate to teach the dance to the actors. He does end up teaching them one dance... although it's a really goofy dance, much more suited for a Saturday morning kids' show!
Who tried too hard to hang out with a guy and his girlfriend?
When his best friend becomes super busy with work, the guy starts to feel lonely. He decides to hang out with one of his other friends, who's now happily in a relationship. However, the couple finds his presence rather annoying, as he's basically intruding on their intimacy. He first stays to watch TV with them, and then makes them breakfast the following morning. When the two politely tell him that they need some "alone time", the guy leaves them alone, telling them he'll just hang out with his mom...
Who once had to deal with a stalker?
Riding on the success of his new role in the soap opera "Days of Our Lives", the guy starts receiving messages from a secret admirer, who's become obsessed with his character. She soon meets up with him, and believes that the guy, rather than just being an actor, is actually the character he's playing in the show. The guy initially doesn't take this very seriously, and is just glad to spend time with her... However, she dumps him when she suspects him of seeing another woman... who happens to also be a character on the same show!
Who argued about an air mattress and Catwoman?
When one of his friends is looking for a place to sleep for the night, the guy reluctantly accepts to let him sleep over at his house. His friend doesn't stop talking, however, and begins to complain about sleeping on an air mattress. The guy finally gives him his bed, but he keeps chattering, eventually entering in a debate on who was the best Catwoman and who's his favourite X-Man. The guy finally decides to give him a glass of warm milk... with a handful of Valium in it!
Who drank too many milkshakes right before a big audition?
The guy is invited to audition for a Broadway play starring legendary actor/director Leonard Hayes. He doesn't leave a lasting impression at first glance, but Hayes accepts to have him over for a second audition. When the day comes, the guy arrives with a serious urge to go to the bathroom, having had too many milkshakes before the audition. Hayes, being unaware of his situation, keeps him around for the audition... to his surprise, the guy's urge allows him to deliver a much edgier performance!
Who once lost a role as Al Pacino's butt double?
Shortly after signing up at a talent agency, the guy gets a role in the new Al Pacino movie... but only as a stand-in for Pacino's butt, for a scene in which Pacino's character is taking a shower. When he arrives for the shoot, the guy stands in the shower, but proceeds to "overact" with his butt, giving all sorts of reasons relating to his "character". But the director doesn't like it, since this ruins what's otherwise a simple shower scene, and eventually fires the guy because of his overacting!
Who searched for the house from America's Next Top Model?
The gang are all watching TV when they stumble upon the reality show "America's Next Top Model". The guy, feeling lonely and desperate with women, finds out that the models in the show are actually living in a house not too far away from the city. Determined to enter the house, he and a friend search for it using all available technologies, legal and otherwise. They end up finding the address of the house, and manage to go through the front door... by posing as cable guys!
Who once thought of Joseph Stalin for a stage name?
The guy is searching for a new stage name, feeling that his real name just sounds "too ethnic". His friends give him suggestions for a name, but he doesn't really like any of them. Finally, one of his friends pulls a prank on him by suggesting the name "Joseph Stalin" of all people! The guy initially likes it, oblivious to its real-life implications, but is soon told by his agent that "there's another Joseph Stalin"... It seems like he didn't really pay attention to his history classes in high school!
Who found a remedy for his sorrows in Las Vegas?
After being dumped by a girl he'd been seeing, the guy feels very depressed. To cheer him up, his friends take him on a weekend trip to Las Vegas, but he keeps moping in his hotel room and doesn't want to join his friends at the casino. Worried for his well-being, his friends grow even more concerned when they start reading his tweets, indicating the state of his depression. In the end, they do manage to cheer him up... but let's just say that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!
Who did a commercial for a Japanese male lipstick?
The guy asks one of his friends, who works for an advertising firm, to get him a job in a commercial he's working on. His friend doesn't think he's right for the part, though, so the guy gives him his commercial demo so that his friend's boss can see for himself. His friend doesn't show his boss the tape, however, and lies to the guy about it. The guy realizes his friend is lying, because he hasn't given any comments on the commercial... which happens to be a bizarre Japanese commercial for a blue-coloured male lipstick!
Who tried to order an action figure of himself?
The guy and his friend are looking to order customized action figures of themselves, spending $500 at some obscure online company in order to obtain their figures. However, when their action figures arrive, they turn out to be highly unrealistic. The guy's figure has a ridiculously large nose, prompting one of his friends to call it "Toucan Sam"... They manage to get action figures of themselves by buying a 3D printer. But the costs associated with this silly operation definitely gives them a lesson on the value of money!
Who got fake-fired while working as a waiter?
One member of the gang is working as a chef at an upscale restaurant, but finds out that her staff don't respect her. She decides to hire the guy as a waiter with the purpose of firing him, in order to intimidate the staff into obeying her. However, the guy receives good tips from the customers and becomes hesitant to lose his job. He eventually sees the abuse that his friend has to endure, so he steps up and allows her to fire him, which finally manages to frighten the staff!