BBT's Portrayal of Nerds: Offensive or Accurate?

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The discussion centers around opinions on the sitcom "The Big Bang Theory," with participants sharing their thoughts on its humor, characters, and overall appeal. Many express enjoyment of the show, highlighting its clever writing and relatable geek culture references. Sheldon is frequently mentioned as a favorite character due to his unique personality and comedic genius. Some viewers appreciate the physics jokes and the show's ability to blend scientific concepts with humor, while others criticize the laugh track and feel the show has strayed from its original focus on science to more general sitcom tropes. There are mixed feelings about character development, particularly regarding the relationships portrayed, with some viewers feeling that the focus on romance detracts from the show's scientific roots. Despite some criticisms, the show has garnered a loyal fanbase, with many considering it one of the best sitcoms currently airing.
  • #31
The show is freaken awesome. The only that I don't like about it is that it doesn't seem all that realistic to me as I don't think physicists and engineers have that much free time to spend hanging out and reading comic books.

BTW, do universities usually hire physicists and engineers to work for them full time on research with no teaching responsibilities? I though such positions were called post-docs?
 
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  • #32
Has anyone else watched this on DVD and caught the philosophical meanderings of Chuck Lorre, at the end. You have to watch for it and freeze the frame when it comes up at the very end of the credits. For every episode, he writes about some strange observation or insight, from the week. It generally has nothing to do with the show; it may have more to do with a bong :biggrin:.
 
  • #33
I watch it (mostly when I'm bored), but I can't say that it is a favorite of mine. I can't help but think that it's the "geek" equivalent of having a show called "The Black Guy theory" where it's about black people who go around stealing bikes and degrading women.
 
  • #34
SticksandStones said:
I watch it (mostly when I'm bored), but I can't say that it is a favorite of mine. I can't help but think that it's the "geek" equivalent of having a show called "The Black Guy theory" where it's about black people who go around stealing bikes and degrading women.

Thats just silly. Big bang IS a theory, so its a play on words and a sexual innuendo with a hot blonde involved. You are just trying to create a straw man, where clearly you should've said Dave Chapelle Show
 
  • #35
At first I was a bit turned off by the obvious and inflated stereotypes. But they do hit the mark at times as well.

How many people here are into comic books? I don't know if this applies or not. I know a lot of geeks were into comics as kids, but does that continue into adulthood?
 
  • #36
Topher925 said:
BTW, do universities usually hire physicists and engineers to work for them full time on research with no teaching responsibilities? I though such positions were called post-docs?
Yes, they do hire some people to fairly permanent, non-post-doc positions. I suspect this is more common at the more research-oriented institutions, so it actually makes sense to see this at CalTech. The ones I have known about had their salaries paid out of the grant money associated with a research group, or one of the full professors, within the physics department.

SticksandStones said:
I can't help but think that it's the "geek" equivalent of having a show called "The Black Guy theory" where it's about black people who go around stealing bikes and degrading women.
Well, an important distinction is the stereotyping of a profession vs. stereotyping of a race or religion. One is acceptable in mainstream society, even if it's generally taken with a grain of salt; the other is not.

Ivan Seeking said:
At first I was a bit turned off by the obvious and inflated stereotypes. But they do hit the mark at times as well.

How many people here are into comic books? I don't know if this applies or not. I know a lot of geeks were into comics as kids, but does that continue into adulthood?
My comic book phase was over by the time I hit 8th grade.

I find myself comparing those 4 with the people I knew in physics grad school. We drank beer and lots of coffee, and a number of my friends smoked. A few of us enjoyed watching Star Trek (TNG was in its heyday at the time) but we weren't into all the trivia, wearing costumes, or sci-fi conventions.

That being said, I accept that a sitcom must exaggerate real life and am willing to give the show a chance to grow on me.
 
  • #37
Redbelly98 said:
That being said, I accept that a sitcom must exaggerate real life and am willing to give the show a chance to grow on me.

My resistance was minor. The show won me over pretty quickly.

Also, no one says these are supposed to be typical physicists. There are probably a few people who, in their own way, are just as strange as Sheldon.
 
  • #38
Tsu and I have both become huge fans of this show. The more you watch it, the better it gets! I'm starting to think Jim Parsons really is a genius - a comic genius.

This is very distressing, however. While we are watching the show [just rewatched the first season], Tsu keeps shaking her head, rolling her eyes, and saying, "Oh my God, I am married to Sheldon!" I have to admit that I can relate to many of his lines. These guys have definitely tapped the essence of being a nerd. :biggrin:

The show has some of the smartest humor you have ever seen, or will see, in a sitcom. Where else in TV history could a negative sign added to the Born-Oppenheimer approximation, qualify as a joke? :biggrin:

Chuck Lorre is my new hero. What a great piece of work!
 
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  • #40
I have been hit with a stomach bug.

I told Tsu, and how do you think she responded? She started singing, "Soft kitty warm kitty..." :rolleyes:
 
  • #41
Ivan Seeking said:
I have been hit with a stomach bug.

I told Tsu, and how do you think she responded? She started singing, "Soft kitty warm kitty..." :rolleyes:

:smile:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIp77PUvLTE
 
  • #42
Ivan Seeking said:
The show has some of the smartest humor you have ever seen, or will see, in a sitcom. Where else in TV history could a negative sign added to the Born-Oppenheimer approximation, qualify as a joke? :biggrin:
A couple months ago, there was an interview on NPR with Jim Parsons, who plays Sheldon. From that interview, I learned that the writing team uses a physicist from Berkeley - I think it was Berkeley, but it might be Caltech - to help with the physics jokes. I don't recall the name of the physicist.
 
  • #43
Gokul43201 said:
A couple months ago, there was an interview on NPR with Jim Parsons, who plays Sheldon. From that interview, I learned that the writing team uses a physicist from Berkeley - I think it was Berkeley, but it might be Caltech - to help with the physics jokes. I don't recall the name of the physicist.

You probably mean David Saltzberg. Here's an interesting interview with him:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=ucla-physicist-dishes-on-his-work-a-2010-10-31

And since I've now been sucked into this thread... I love that show!

So many great lines... My favorite is the Christmas episode when Sheldon gets the gift from penny. I don't know if I've ever laughed so hard.
 
  • #44
Best quote- "Engineering is merely the slow younger brother of physics. Watch and learn... do either of you know how to open the toolbox?"

:smile::smile::smile:
 
  • #45
Grep said:
You probably mean David Saltzberg. Here's an interesting interview with him:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=ucla-physicist-dishes-on-his-work-a-2010-10-31

And since I've now been sucked into this thread... I love that show!

So many great lines... My favorite is the Christmas episode when Sheldon gets the gift from penny. I don't know if I've ever laughed so hard.

And here's his blog, where he discusses something science-y about every episode:

http://thebigblogtheory.wordpress.com/
 
  • #46
Ivan Seeking said:
Has anyone else watched this on DVD and caught the philosophical meanderings of Chuck Lorre, at the end. You have to watch for it and freeze the frame when it comes up at the very end of the credits. For every episode, he writes about some strange observation or insight, from the week. It generally has nothing to do with the show; it may have more to do with a bong :biggrin:.

Totally, i had to tell everyone i knew about it, its often more entertaining than the show itself!

you don't really need to DVD though, just the ability to pause live TV
 
  • #47
Raj speaks!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOan_0acqE8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iDlMniZ_lw
 
  • #48
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJoJn5M2Ov8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KW2nJBj3TTI
 
  • #49
An FBI agent interrogates Sheldon about the character of Howard , as he is about to be given some funding for research by the govt. She asks whether he is a responsible person overall.

And Sheldon incriminates Howard for damaging the plastic retention hub of one of his LOTR blu-ray disk. LOL.

I thought that was a classic Sheldon! I have some friends who could do such a thing in real life! :P

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtsmBnZdzJ0#t=01m45s
 
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  • #51
Over the holiday, Tsu and I got stuck on the freeway due to a big accident. We didn't move for almost 90 minutes.

At one point Tsu looked as me and said:
Helium.

To which I replied,
Magnesium

Manganese
Einsteinium
Molybdenum...

This is a silly game. Far too many elements end with the letter m.
 
  • #52
Newest Big Bang Theory episode coming out January 6th! :] I am EXCITED.

I'm not a fan of Amy Farrah Fowler, to be honest, and I'm not sure why. Perhaps it's the depth of her voice, or the way her dry humour doesn't at all click with me, or just the fact she's with Sheldon and I secretly believe Sheldon isn't emotional enough to be with anyone. OR MAYBE, it's because they are so similar that they don't make for the couple people expect to see on TV.
 
  • #53
Big-Bang theory TV show?

On the advice of a friend, I tried watching an episode just now. It was pathetic. The triggering of a canned laugh-track every 2 seconds was bad enough (and irritating as hell!), but the dialogue and visuals were even worse. Does anybody watch this tripe?
 
  • #54


Just watched a little bit myself. I wasn't as disgusted as you seem to be turbo. Maybe because I have seen 3 1/2 men before (I believe it's the same writer) so I knew what to expect. It is what it is.
 
  • #55


I watched a short segment in which there was an argument about string theory vs loop quantum gravity. It was obvious that the script was looked at by real physicists. That's impressive. Unfortunately, it couldn't make up for the abysmal acting and so I won't watch any more.
 
  • #56


Jimmy Snyder said:
I watched a short segment in which there was an argument about string theory vs loop quantum gravity. It was obvious that the script was looked at by real physicists. That's impressive. Unfortunately, it couldn't make up for the abysmal acting and so I won't watch any more.

Funny you would mention that. Sara Gilbert only makes a few appearances in the show and her acting IS terrible; esp so in that scene. Unfortunately she also carried the scene. It is generally much better; over-the-top to be sure, and some scenes don't make it, but this show is a classic. The more I watched, the more I liked it.
 
  • #57
Seriously guys? You're watching a sitcom, and you're judging it on its acting?

Name three sitcoms with good acting.
 
  • #58
DaveC426913 said:
Name three sitcoms with good acting.
Are we allowed to include the BBC or is that cheating ?
 
  • #59
DaveC426913 said:
Seriously guys? You're watching a sitcom, and you're judging it on its acting?

Name three sitcoms with good acting.

In my view, the Sheldon characters sometimes reaches the level of comic genius. At times he completely bombs, but when he gets it right [and the writing is there], it can be priceless.

It isn't dramatic acting, but it is an art form in its own right. Of everyone on the show, Gilbert has probably been the worst. Simon Helberg [Wolowitz] would be next on my list.

Kunal Nayyar [Raj] isn't great, but he has some great moments. He has delivered some of the best lines of the show. Laurie Metcalf [Sheldon's mom] is great as always.
 
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  • #60
NobodySpecial said:
Are we allowed to include the BBC or is that cheating ?

Cheating. :smile:

N.American and recent.
 

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