Don't you judge me.

Posted by ESC on May 21, 2009 at 16:08

In Reply to: Don't you judge me. Posted by Smokey Stover on May 21, 2009 at 02:43:

: : : : : : : : Don't you judge me. Catchphrase from "My Name Is Earl," White Lie Christmas . Connie, a compulsive gambler who pretends she can't walk: "I sprained my ankle a few months ago and I got used to being pushed around. Don't you judge me."
: : : : : : : : Also a line in Tropic Thunder

: : : : : : : : I'm wondering if this phrase had a life before Earl.
: : : : : : : ....
: : : : : : : I'm pretty sure it did. "Don't judge me (her, him) until you've walked a mile in my (his, her) shoes." I imagine that much of the population is aware of the phrase, "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone" (I may not have got the wording quite right), and its corollary, "Judge not, that ye be not judged." Consequently, many people have surely given vent to some such sentiment as, "If I must be judged, it won't be by you!" otherwise phrased as "Don't you judge me!" I cannot put a date on the phrase, however.
: : : : : : : SS

: : : : : : I wish I had an audio clip. There's a way of saying it that moves it from being just a sentence to the catchphrase level.

: : : : : I haven't visited "Myname is Earl," but I've heard "Don't you judge me!" with a variety of inflections and accentuations. It's the kind of phrase one could use as an example of how many ways one may speak a phrase.
: : : : : SS

: : : : Earl was a good show. But it seems to have jumped the shark here recently. Or getting ready to.

: : : I looked up "jump the shark," and found that Gary had as usual made a masterful redaction of the history of the phrase. In the course of it, he used the phrase "milch cow." I had always thought that this was a phrase largely confined to American dairy farms. I learn something every day.
: : : SS

: : [NBC has cancelled "Earl" but the show will probably be around forever in syndication. Both Earl (Jason Lee) and Joy (Jaime Pressley) have used the phrase, especially Joy, who's done plenty not to want to be judged for. I've just passed the better part of half an hour watching "Earl" flubs and outtake-reels on YouTube in hope of catching sound of it, with no luck - but I could have done a whole lot worse. - Bac.]

: Baceceras--reading your line, " Joy, who's done plenty not to want to be judged for", I thought at first that you might have meant Jaime Pressly. She's appeared starkers in more than one film, but I think she can easily stand being judged for that, as she looks great.
: SS

There used to be a wonderful Jump the Shark Web site where viewers could vote, etc. The last few episodes of Earl were not quite as good as the first season. Went to check out the rating on Jump the Shark and was very sad to discover that TV Guide bought the site and ruined it. Brett Butler, who played Joy's mother, was the first to use the phrase on Earl.