# The Big Bang Theory - Sheldon - how the ..... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 15, 2012, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981 "2012-05-15T12:46:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hogfather65](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7bcc69/32.png) [@Hogfather65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hogfather65)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981/1 "2012-05-15T12:46:26Z")
OK I love The Big Bang Theory but why oh why would anyone be friendly with Sheldon. I know he is the main point of the comedy but if he was around - why would anyone want to be friends, or even hang around him… Not me !! - he would be avoided after the first mouth off. WHAT WOULD YOU DO??? ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981/2 "2012-05-15T12:54:58Z")
I would beat Sheldon senseless. Penny asked why they were friends with Sheldon and Howard said, “Well, we’re really friends with Leonard.” Leonard is of course so weak-willed that he just knuckles under. And there’s the fact that Sheldon once saved their lives. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981/3 "2012-05-15T12:55:12Z")
> [@Hogfather65](#): > > WHAT WOULD YOU DO??? WHY ARE YOU SCREAMING??? He’s the point of the show. He’s the goofy guy to Leonard’s straight man. It’s a pretty classic duo. Also, I think the writers sort of painted themselves into a corner with him and they’re trying to get out with AFF. They made him way to over the top. But, as we keep saying, it’s a sitcom, it’s not meant to be taken seriously. ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981/4 "2012-05-15T12:56:09Z")
Think Oscar and Felix… ---
**Author:** ![Nom\_de\_Plume](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/85f322/32.png) [@Nom\_de\_Plume](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nom_de_Plume)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981/5 "2012-05-15T13:12:42Z")
> [@LH75](#): > > Think Oscar and Felix… Mabybe, but then again Oscar and Felix had a history. They were war buddies who helped each other out as both were going through a divorce. Sheldon and Leonard only met when Leonard was looking for an apartment. He was introduced to the idea of the roommate agreement at that first meeting. ---
**Author:** ![Hogfather65](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7bcc69/32.png) [@Hogfather65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hogfather65)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981/6 "2012-05-15T13:14:44Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > WHY ARE YOU SCREAMING??? > He’s the point of the show. He’s the goofy guy to Leonard’s straight man. It’s a pretty classic duo. > Also, I think the writers sort of painted themselves into a corner with him and they’re trying to get out with AFF. They made him way to over the top. But, as we keep saying, it’s a sitcom, it’s not meant to be taken seriously. Sorry Its just that no matter how funny it is - All i think is ‘why’ - my inner voice Screems it ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981/7 "2012-05-15T13:14:52Z")
Well, it’s pretty much been established in the show that they’re not friends with Sheldon - he just owns the apartment so Leonard and \*his \*friends are stuck with him. I would assume they live in a place where apartments are expensive or very hard to find. Certainly Leonard must have done quite a bit of fruitless house hunting before the idea of signing a notarized 40+ pages long room-mate contract seemed like a good one 🙂 He’s also changed quite a bit over the course of the series - originally he was just very OCD about some stuff, then as time went on they made him more and more of a cartoonish (and frankly not very entertaining or endearing) social cripple. ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981/8 "2012-05-15T13:16:31Z")
I remember reading about a fairly famous physicist, can’t remember his name, who was unable to drive and was very socially awkward. He was basically catered to by other physicists who felt his contributions were worth it. They would drive him around and deal with some of his eccentricities like he was a rock star. Heck, I’ve known physicists and mathematicians with serious drinking problems who were more annoying than Sheldon at times and people generally put up with them. One mathematician in my department mouthed off in a bar once too often and one of his grad students was shot in the leg. The grad student was annoyed but the professor didn’t change. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981/9 "2012-05-15T13:19:55Z")
He’s the official lessee of the apartment, which is apparently relatively near school, and in Leonard’s price range, and isn’t too unbearable as a roommate. Part of his not being too unbearable as a roommate is accomplished by being friendly with him. Thus Leonard became friends with him. As Howard stated outright in the episode where Sheldon tries to make more friends ‘well, we liked Leonard’ - he, Raj, and, later, Penny, became friends with Leonard, and picked up Sheldon as an occasionally infuriating, but usually just prickly, and sometimes kind of amusing package deal. I’ve been in that sort of situation (due to class assignments, or living arrangements, etc) more than once (hell, I’ve probably been the Sheldon of this equation more than once). ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981/10 "2012-05-15T13:38:34Z")
Also, he’s a genuine genius. There’s a certain degree of validation in hanging around with someone who is insanely good in the same field you are and yet still wants to hang out with you, even if you have to put up with occasional abuse. It’s like being a pretty girl’s fat friend - they may be obnoxious but hey, you’re friends with a pretty person! ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981/11 "2012-05-15T13:40:51Z")
> [@shiftless](#): > > One mathematician in my department mouthed off in a bar once too often and one of his grad students was shot in the leg. The grad student was annoyed but the professor didn’t change. For some reason this has me laughing my head off. Sounds like an entry in [100 Reasons NOT to Go to Graduate School](http://100rsns.blogspot.com/) - “You may have to take a bullet for your advisor.” ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981/12 "2012-05-15T13:41:22Z")
Face it - 50% of the people on this board ARE Sheldon, only not as smart. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981/13 "2012-05-15T13:49:20Z")
That has been the biggest pet peeve of mine on this show for a while now. There is no person in the history of humanity that acts AS eccentric as Sheldon does and there are no groups of people who would ever be friends with that. Ever. I love every other character on that show so much that I keep watching, but he has gotten me very close to giving up on the show because I cannot stand his dynamic SO much. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981/14 "2012-05-15T13:51:38Z")
Why was Ted Baxter never fired as anchorman on WJM? How did the diner that Larry Darryl and Darryl pass Board of Health Inspections? Why didn’t Jerry Seinfeld keep his door locked in New York City? Why was Wally Cleaver’s best friend Eddie Haskell? ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981/15 "2012-05-15T13:55:29Z")
Social awkwardness is a given in the ‘Con Crowd’, what comes across as assholish to us is to them neurotic. Most of Sheldon’s lines are just his thoughts about the situation without regard to feelings, with aren’t considered because they are irrelevant. Much like having a grown up four year old in the room. Most of the time Sheldon isn’t being mean for the sake of it and I think the group knows that. Howard and Raj are mostly Leonard’s friends, Sheldon just lives there and is endured. And also keep in mind Leonard was used to a subservient role with his mom, but he’s breaking out and asserting himself with the ‘beta testing’. _confused thoughts in no particular order, coffee hasn’t kicked in yet._ ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981/16 "2012-05-15T14:19:41Z")
In real life most people wouldn’t be friends with someone as obnoxious as Sheldon. This is a sitcom, not a documentary. In real life, Ricky would have murdered Lucy, the castaways would have killed Gilligan, The Clampetts would have become more sophisticated, Seinfeld would have locked his door and Andy would have fired Barney. These things didn’t happen because none of those shows we’re documentaries either. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981/17 "2012-05-15T14:43:49Z")
la la la la. i am not listening. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981/18 "2012-05-15T14:52:50Z")
One of the things I like most about Penny and Howard is that they give Sheldon shit. Penny might actually deck him one day. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981/19 "2012-05-15T14:53:19Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > In real life, the castaways would have killed Gilligan. oh. Those poor people. ---
**Author:** ![MegaBee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f0a364/32.png) [@MegaBee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MegaBee)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981/20 "2012-05-15T14:58:05Z")
I knew people like Sheldon in college. They’re the biggest reason I can’t stand The Big Bang Theory. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981.md?page=2)