The Big Bang Theory: a useful tool for an anxious high schooler
Pros and cons of this popular TV show through the eyes of a pop culture analyst
The Big Bang Theory is currently the most popular comedy on television because it is a view of society from a different point of view. Howard, Raj, Sheldon, and Leonard are typical nerds that work as university scientists, and live across the hall from beautiful Penny. Each of them are uniquely awkward such as Raj, who can’t talk to women (until season seven). The show often turns to Sheldon, the most awkward, as he attempts everyday activities. As the show progresses two different girls enter, Bernadette who dates Howard, and Amy who dates Sheldon. They differ from dumb blonde Penny because they are scientists that don’t understand cultural norms as Penny does. While Amy and Bernadette don’t understand “cool” pop culture, Penny doesn’t understand anything that relates to science or science fiction. Development is apparent throughout the seasons, but the humor and nerd antics remain. This show is similar to other sitcoms of the past, such as Seinfeld or Friends because there is friendly bickering, but instead these men instead have an intense love of science fiction.
I started watching The Big Bang Theory (TBBT) as an assignment in my freshman introduction to physics class in high school. It dragged me in with its enticing humor, and kept me with the characters and content. The characters were easy to relate to because they were just as awkward as I was. The transition from middle to high school was stressful enough to make me quiet and shy. Situations portrayed on TBBT helped me understand how to handle situations such as theirs. I shared their love of science fiction and science as a career. It influenced me to develop my science fiction love further, creating bonds with family and friends alike through these interests. Because the show had such an influence on me, pop culture analysts such as Joke Hermes and John Mepham would consider TBBT a usable story because it helps with the “development of individual personality” and the “creation of social self-understanding” (11-12). Hermes’ Re-reading Popular Culture, explains ideas such as usable stories and cultural citizenship to show that popular culture is influential. The influence of this show develops my personal science and science fiction interests, and assists with social self-understanding by helping with my anxiety in social situations. It enlists in my cultural citizenship by creating bonds with fellow fans of the show and other science fiction. I realize that an important reason why the show really spoke to me was because it told me I was not alone and that the quality of life will improve. The Big Bang Theory is a usable story because it “developed personality and social self-awareness” of the viewers, such as myself, through the use of realistic situations, and enlists in cultural citizenship through the communities it creates with the interests and disinterests of the show’s content. Personally, the series helps me bond with people who share my excitement over the show and the love of science fiction as well as helps me build confidence.
TBBT is significant because the characters are not the typical men of sitcoms. These characters have challenges which wouldn’t be experienced by others. They have dealt with bullying, such as in “The Speckerman Recurrence” (0511) when Leonard’s former bully comes to town to use his intelligence. They are awkward in social situations such as in “The Gothowitz Deviation” (0303) when Howard and Raj try to pick up women at a goth bar. The series displays the dynamics of society through another view point. It shows the anxieties of social interaction and the values that “nerds” have. It can help people in similar situations, and show that words and actions can affect someone for a lifetime. These men had rough childhoods and they still reflect on these issues presently. Their childhood hardships developed them into the men they are now. They tell horror stories of growing up, remembering minute details, showing that these interactions took a toll on them. They manage to get past it and have laughs of their own, which helps viewers see that even with a verbally and emotionally tragic past they can still enjoy life, and people should follow in their footsteps.
TBBT helps “develop individual personalities” of the viewers, a key trait of a usable story. The characters outwardly identify as nerds and have developed friendships from that, which gives me courage to identify as one myself. I was already inwardly nerdy before watching TBBT, but after watching them enjoy scifi pop culture, I investigated further. An example of this enjoyment is the guys discussing which Star Trek movie was the best (“Lizard-Spock Expansion” 0208). Their passion on the topic influenced me to indulge in scifi such as Star Trek and Doctor Who. Now I love having discussions about Star Trek with my father, who is a fellow trekkie. Enjoying these items of pop culture has assisted me in interacting and bonding with people with similar interests. It’s easy to converse with someone who has a Doctor Who shirt on by asking, for example, who their favorite doctor is (mine is David Tennant). In that way TBBT is enlisting in my cultural citizenship, which is defined as, “the bonding and community building and reflecting on that bond that popular culture provides us with” (10) by helping me bond with people over similar pop culture interests.
While the show enlists in my cultural citizenship by assisting me to bond with the nerd culture community, the show itself is a representation of cultural citizenship. The characters are not only friends because of their careers, but also because of their shared interests. They are influenced by pop culture scifi icons which can be seen by: Sheldon buying Star Wars sheets, their Batman cookie jar, and Leonard’s green light saber. However, when it comes to other pop culture they seem to be clueless. In the episode “The Bat Jar Conjecture” (0113), Penny asks them: “Singer who sang ‘Oops I Did It Again’” and they failed to know the answer. This shows that while their interests influence them so greatly, items of pop culture they dislike, are ignored completely. Secondly, this shows they may not have the same values as someone who partakes in the “popular” part of pop culture. They don’t care outwardly about their appearances, and often don’t understand that their actions or looks can be considered weird. To them, they enjoy whatever pleases them, without thinking of other’s disapproval. Their different opinions on pop culture, and their lack of the knowledge, increased their nerd image, However, the way people portray them is not their first priority. TBBT is displaying how much pop culture can enlists in one’s cultural citizenship and that popular culture can influence lives in negative and positive ways.
There have been complaints that the show is too nerd stereotypical to be enjoyable. Some stereotypes are that nerds are: socially awkward, mostly men, and don’t usually have sex. The complaints are made by people who consider themselves nerds, and believe that their culture is portrayed wrong. They do not like that the show’s women cannot have an interest in scifi.
In this viewer made edit, the girls are in a comic book store to see what all the fuss is about. They are instantly stared at like they have three heads. The addition of the Star Trek pun further shows that they are portrayed at the wrong place. So critics of the show are asking: What’s wrong with women enjoying comic books? Women can enjoy science fiction as well as men, and they believe the show doesn’t portray that properly. Amy and Bernadette are scientists, but don’t understand science fiction, which makes them harder to relate to as a female. A particular angry, anonymous viewer states,
“Even Amy Farrah Fowler isn’t the geek girl representative we may have hoped for. She’s portrayed as distinctly asexual and when she mentions sex it’s always played for laughs, because of course intelligent, socially awkward women shouldn’t think about sex at all.”
This article written at the introduction of Amy shows that the portrayal of nerds, especially women, isn’t what nerds need. It is to be said however that Amy has character development later on, although not enough to make some viewers happy. I chose to ignore the problem for enjoyment of a show that at least shows a little of my nerd culture. TBBT is a usable story because it is helping people who disagree with the show understand their social self-understanding. They clearly identify as a nerd now because they know where they stand on the shows portrayal.
Hermes cites John Ellis to discuss how popular culture can help with “working through” the uncertainties and anxieties of our time” (12). TBBT can help in this way because I relate to the anxiety the guys face. As the show progresses, the guys seem to be learning how to interact with people better. In the most recent season Raj can now talk to women, and finds it easier to go on dates. The fact that they can progress, as awkward as they are, shows that it is possible to become comfortable in uncomfortable situations. Now that I am in college, it’s easier to react in social situations, but it was harder five years ago when I started watching the show. During high school I was awkward and different, which caused me to have difficulties relating to everyone. The fact that the guys in TBBT improved their lifestyle and found true friends, helped me get through high school. It showed me that life is more enjoyable when you find people who you can be yourself with. While the show made humor out of the awkward things the guys did, there were lessons that can be learned from them.
The Big Bang Theory is a usable story because of how it helped me develop my personality and make me a stronger person, who loves science fiction. It helps viewers who dislike it to find their social self-understanding, by helping them identify as nerds that are incorrectly portrayed by the series. It enlists in my cultural citizenship by assisting me in creating bonds with fellow fans as well as being an example of cultural citizenship with the characters. So while The Big Bang Theory may get a lot of hate or over exposure, it can be extremely useful and important to people.
