In 2007, popular medical drama “House” introduced a new character. His name is Dr. Taub. Here is a scene I have written for him.
NURSE
Dr. Taub, the patient’s crashing! What should we do?
DR. TAUB
What did you call me?
NURSE
Um… Dr. Taub? That’s your name, right?
DR. TAUB
It is! And you pronounced it correctly! Tow-b. Most people assume it’s pronounced Tobb. They are wrong.
NURSE
This man is going to die.
DR. FOREMAN
Come on, Taub, get a move on! We need to diagnose lupus for a little while!
DR. TAUB
You pronounced it right, too! Come to think of it, everyone in this hospital says my name right, even if they’ve never met me before. I must be the only Taub in America who gets to experience that.
DR. FOREMAN
So we said your name right. Big deal.
DR. TAUB
I’m sure it would seem that way to someone who doesn’t have this name. They wouldn’t understand that hearing it pronounced correctly is so surprising that it breaks the fourth wall.
DR. FOREMAN
What fourth wall?
PATIENT
Look! I have another symptom!
DR. TAUB
It would be great if there were a character on a major network television show with my name. That way the viewing public would be educated about the correct pronunciation and people would stop saying it wrong again and again and again and again every day forever.
DR. FOREMAN
But what if there was such a character and even people who you knew were faithful fans of the show, and who pronounced the character’s name correctly, still pronounced it wrong when talking about you?
A scene from HOUSE: MD
In 2007, popular medical drama “House” introduced a new character. His name is Dr. Taub. Here is a scene I have written for him.
NURSE
Dr. Taub, the patient’s crashing! What should we do?
DR. TAUB
What did you call me?
NURSE
Um… Dr. Taub? That’s your name, right?
DR. TAUB
It is! And you pronounced it correctly! Tow-b. Most people assume it’s pronounced Tobb. They are wrong.
NURSE
This man is going to die.
DR. FOREMAN
Come on, Taub, get a move on! We need to diagnose lupus for a little while!
DR. TAUB
You pronounced it right, too! Come to think of it, everyone in this hospital says my name right, even if they’ve never met me before. I must be the only Taub in America who gets to experience that.
DR. FOREMAN
So we said your name right. Big deal.
DR. TAUB
I’m sure it would seem that way to someone who doesn’t have this name. They wouldn’t understand that hearing it pronounced correctly is so surprising that it breaks the fourth wall.
DR. FOREMAN
What fourth wall?
PATIENT
Look! I have another symptom!
DR. TAUB
It would be great if there were a character on a major network television show with my name. That way the viewing public would be educated about the correct pronunciation and people would stop saying it wrong again and again and again and again every day forever.
DR. FOREMAN
But what if there was such a character and even people who you knew were faithful fans of the show, and who pronounced the character’s name correctly, still pronounced it wrong when talking about you?
DR. TAUB
Why would they do that to me?