Why Does House Seem Indifferent About His Patients?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the character of Dr. Gregory House from the television show "House," particularly focusing on perceptions of his demeanor and attitude towards patients. Participants explore themes of character development, storytelling, and the show's medical accuracy, as well as personal reactions to the series.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express confusion about House's laid-back attitude, suggesting it appears as if he does not care about his patients.
  • Others argue that House's character is intentionally designed to be arrogant and irreverent, which adds complexity to the show.
  • A participant compares the diagnostic methodology in the show to solving physics problems, indicating a personal connection to the content.
  • There are discussions about the comedic elements of the show, with some noting that it is not entirely accurate in its medical portrayal, similar to how "CSI" is viewed in forensic contexts.
  • Some participants mention their enjoyment of the show and suggest that it may take multiple viewings to fully appreciate its nuances.
  • There are comments on Hugh Laurie's background and acting abilities, with some expressing surprise at his British origins.
  • Participants share their experiences with other shows featuring Hugh Laurie, indicating a broader interest in his work beyond "House."

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally share a fondness for the show, but there are competing views regarding House's character and the show's medical realism. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the implications of House's demeanor and the accuracy of the show's portrayal of medicine.

Contextual Notes

Some participants note that the show's medical scenarios may not reflect real-life practices, such as the existence of a department of 'Differential Diagnosis' in hospitals.

Who May Find This Useful

Fans of the show "House," viewers interested in character analysis, and those curious about the intersection of drama and medical storytelling may find this discussion engaging.

_Mayday_
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Hey all,

I've just watched my first House episode, and I really don't get it. Why is the main character so laid back? It is as if he doesn't even care about his patients, like he already knows what's going to happen. It all seems a game!

_Mayday_
 
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_Mayday_ said:
Hey all,

I've just watched my first House episode, and I really don't get it. Why is the main character so laid back? It is as if he doesn't even care about his patients, like he already knows what's going to happen. It all seems a game!

_Mayday_
House is one of my favorite shows. You may have to watch it a few times to understand it.

The show the other night was really unexpected, I can't wait to see the season finale.
 
Evo said:
The show the other night was really unexpected, I can't wait to see the season finale.

I watched that last night: it was brilliant!
 
I love HOUSE. It's a very good show.

Like Evo said, it may take a few times of watching it, but it is very addicting.

If this is your first time watching, might I suggest you rent the previous seasons, so you can get the full effect, and it might make more sense to you :smile:
 
cristo said:
I watched that last night: it was brilliant!
So you get the show real time there?

Every time she asked "what's my necklace made out of?" I was yelling the answer at him. :redface:
 
House compilation:

 
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Evo said:
So you get the show real time there?
Erm.. no.. I find other ways to watch the show backs away slowly[/size]

Every time she asked "what's my necklace made out of?" I was yelling the answer at him. :redface:
LOL, yea, so was I! I thought that was one of the best, especially in terms of story-writing.
 
Darkiekurdo said:
House compilation:

:smile:
 
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Darkiekurdo said:
House compilation:



That's hilarious!
 
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  • #10
_Mayday_ said:
Hey all,

I've just watched my first House episode, and I really don't get it. Why is the main character so laid back? It is as if he doesn't even care about his patients, like he already knows what's going to happen. It all seems a game!

_Mayday_

Well, I'm not really sure he's laid back, but he definitely doesn't care about his patients. I think the idea behind the character is that he's arrogant, selfish, and (especially) irreverent, but good enough at his job that no one can really do anything about it. I'm personally not overly attached to House's character, though I certainly see how it adds an interesting dimension to the show which wouldn't be there if he were like any other doctor. Mostly I like it because the methodology they employ when diagnosing patients seems to resemble solving a physics problem.

You know, my first year of graduate school (which was this year), I tried playing with my students by having a different "TA personality" in each of the two semesters. First semester I acted all straight-arrow and by the book, second semester I tried to be overly friendly with them. My next semester I was going to try being the Dr. House of TAing. I was actually slightly disappointed when I found out I'd be going on a full time RA next fall. Maybe someone else should try this and let me know what happens.
 
  • #11
That's it---House is the 'Feynman' of Medicine
 
  • #12
Great parody, Dark. :smile:
Hugh Laurie is actually one totally hilarious guy. When he went to audition for House, he thought that the character was second-banana to Dr. Wilson. After he got the part, he found out that he was the star. He had also packed for only a week or two of staying in a hotel, since he figured that the show wouldn't be picked up by a network.
Even those of you North Americans who haven't seen him in things like 'Black Adder' should keep an eye out for the episode of "Inside the Actors' Studio" in which he is the guest. He performs one of his original songs called 'Mystery' that will crack you up.
Also just Google him, and a few neat things show up on U-Tube.
 
  • #13
I love House. Thats how I'm going to be when old, except worse...
 
  • #14
What about North Americans? Where did that come in?
 
  • #15
binzing said:
What about North Americans? Where did that come in?

I is one, and never had a chance to see Black Adder or Hugh's other shows because I didn't have cable TV. The shows are British, and not played on broadcast networks here.
 
  • #16
binzing said:
What about North Americans? Where did that come in?
Hugh Laurie is a famous English comic actor, usually partnered with Stephen Fry (Jeeves and Wooster, "Fry and Laurie", Blackadder) don't know if those shows made it to the colonies.

ps. Experienced medics/professors do tend to get like that - they split into the 'I am God - it's the patient's fault for dying' and the 'Lost another one - nevermind where's the crossword' types.
 
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  • #17
Black Adder played on cable in Canada, but I never had that until I moved in with W 3 years ago. It was out of circulation by then. I've just seen a few clips of it. :frown:
 
  • #18
I'm a big fan of Wodehouse. Our library has a collection of Jeeves and Wooster tapes and I have seen all that they have. I haven't seen House, but it sounds dismal.
 
  • #19
jimmysnyder said:
I haven't seen House, but it sounds dismal.

Naw, man... it's great! That is assuming, of course, that you can suspend your disbelief enough to enjoy it. It's about as accurate medically as CSI is forensically. To start with, I don't think that any hospital on the planet has a department of 'Differential Diagnosis'. It's actually a comedy-drama (whether or not it intends to be). Some pretty witty lines are written in.
 
  • #20
Danger said:
Naw, man... it's great! That is assuming, of course, that you can suspend your disbelief enough to enjoy it. It's about as accurate medically as CSI is forensically. To start with, I don't think that any hospital on the planet has a department of 'Differential Diagnosis'. It's actually a comedy-drama (whether or not it intends to be). Some pretty witty lines are written in.
Not to mention the team of doctors that break into patient's homes without their consent to do investigative work.
 
  • #21
Oh. OK
 
  • #22
There is no way in hell Laurie is a Brit...
 
  • #23
binzing said:
There is no way in hell Laurie is a Brit...
That *is* rather upsetting, isn't it?
 
  • #24
How the hell does he not have an accent then, is he just acting with that too? I guess he does look a bit like a Brit though, skinny, sort of gaunt. Damn fatass Americans...
 
  • #25
Danger said:
Great parody, Dark. :smile:
Hugh Laurie is actually one totally hilarious guy. When he went to audition for House, he thought that the character was second-banana to Dr. Wilson. After he got the part, he found out that he was the star. He had also packed for only a week or two of staying in a hotel, since he figured that the show wouldn't be picked up by a network.
Even those of you North Americans who haven't seen him in things like 'Black Adder' should keep an eye out for the episode of "Inside the Actors' Studio" in which he is the guest. He performs one of his original songs called 'Mystery' that will crack you up.
Also just Google him, and a few neat things show up on U-Tube.
How could you not mention A Bit of Fry and Laurie? (arguably the best thing in sketch comedy in recent years - also all over youtube).

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=fry+laurie&search_type=
 
  • #26
binzing said:
There is no way in hell Laurie is a Brit...

Because he is inteligent and sarcastic ?
 
  • #27
mgb_phys said:
Because he is inteligent and sarcastic ?
Yeah, that could be it. :smile:

Hugh laurie is House. <covers eyes and ears> How can Brits sound American, but Americans can't sound like Brits?
 
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  • #28
Evo said:
How can Brits sound American, but Americans can't sound like Brits?

What about Daphne in Fraser ?
 
  • #29
I love House! It is my favorite show. I can't wait for the finale, the last episode was really good. I was kept yelling Amber at the tv to when house kept trying to figure out the necklace question haha.
 
  • #30
I've been watching all of the shows back to back for the past few weeks. The individual show plots have been getting pretty old. It's all rather formula and it makes me lose interest every time they pull out the same tired old laundry list of diseases. I don't think there has been a single show where they haven't tossed Lupus, Sarcoidosis, and Lymphoma out there as possibilities.
At the same time a lot of the jokes and dialog are rather witty like Danger pointed out. They even made a joke in one episode "It's never Lupus." Aswell they do a very good job with character development in my opinion. They also know how to use subtle clues and foreshadowings which most television writers seem to not be able to grasp. It was rather silly though when I was able to figure out a patient had chimerism right away and it took them half the show to figure it out.
 

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