# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2012, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981/61 "2012-05-16T00:58:06Z")
> [@ZPG\_Zealot](#): > > I would rather be friends with Sheldon than any of the other members of the cast (and many of the people I know in real life and have to associate with). He’s eccentric, but he doesn’t try to harm people. Many of his more annoying meddling habits are in the spirit of fixing a problem. And I can deal with oddness as long as it follows a logical pattern (and you know there’s an inner logic to EVERYTHING Sheldon does). He’s honest (brutally so), but I perfer that to having to interrogate to get a straight answer. In a world of twits and hypocrits, I find him refreshingly nice in his own way. ^ this Sheldon may be quirky, but his quirkiness has logic and is predictable. Much better than most “normal people”, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2012, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981/62 "2012-05-16T01:02:31Z")
> [@Lazlo Hapsburg](#): > > The creator of this series (Chuck Lorrie) has worked writing TV sitcoms for many, many years. Chuck Lorrie is a god of sitcoms. Just for TBBT and 2.5 men he should be in the pantheon, but there was also Dharma and Greg. Unfortunately, Mike and Molly is not of the same quality. You can always tell a Lorrie sitcom. The jokes have the rhythm and crispness that no other sitcoms can approach, and the timing is usually impeccable. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2012, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981/63 "2012-05-16T05:39:49Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Chuck Lorrie is a god of sitcoms. Just for TBBT and 2.5 men he should be in the pantheon, but there was also Dharma and Greg. Unfortunately, Mike and Molly is not of the same quality. > > You can always tell a Lorrie sitcom. The jokes have the rhythm and crispness that no other sitcoms can approach, and the timing is usually impeccable. I didn’t realize he was also responsible for Mike & Molly. I tried but could never get into that show. It was mostly because of Molly’s mother and sister. They just seemed unrealistic to me. Plus they seemed (insert about 100 negative adjectives here). ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2012, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981/64 "2012-05-16T13:39:59Z")
> [@MegaBee](#): > > I knew people like Sheldon in college. They’re the biggest reason I can’t stand The Big Bang Theory. Holy shit, I didn’t know I had changed my username! This is me, 100%. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2012, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981/65 "2012-05-16T14:16:35Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > No, you mean you **think** they were like Sheldon. I’ve seen that claimed leveled at people I’ve gone to college with (including me, I’ll admit), and it’s never been true, except in the general “these guys are nerds and like science and comics, so they must all be the same” sense. > > Sheldon is the nerd equivalent of blackface comedy. Disagree, then agree. It has nothing to do with Sheldon’s nerdiness or geek interests. The other guys in the show are also nerdy with geek interests and they don’t make me want to kick my tv. The “I knew many Sheldons in college [and fucking Christ I couldn’t stand them]” is 100% about his complete social retardedness combined with complete arrogance that he is better/smarter than everyone else. Fuck the fuck OFF. The most common IRL example I can give were CompSci or Engineering nerds who would be great at math, physics &/or programming, but couldn’t understand (or find) symbolism/allusions in literature, understand that someone can have a completely different stance that was _also_ reached after much thought and analysis (no, not everyone who disagrees with you is stupid or ignorant! :eek: ) and at 20, were still completely incapable of constructing a thesis statement or even knowing basic grammar\*. But _conveniently_, those were just stupid bullshit classes, unlike math/physics/programming; those are the _actual_ classes/areas that are important and are a valid measure of intelligence. Sure is convenient that valid measures of intelligence just happen to be the exact subjects you excel at, _and_ that all the things you reeeeaaaalllly suck at just happen to be bullshit. :rolleyes: However, I do agree with you inasmuch as I think BBT’s humor appears to be geeky, but under the surface seems to be laughing AT geeks/nerds instead of WITH them. It feels like a lot of non-geeks who are making fun of nerds while pretending to be like them (unlike things like Galaxy Quest, which poked fun at scifi/Trek fans with genuine affection). - I mean _basic_, folks. As a writing tutor, I had someone who did not understand why the following was a sentence fragment: “Dante Alighieri, who was born in 1265.” ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2012, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981/66 "2012-05-16T14:26:54Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > Penny might actually deck (Sheldon) one day. Or jump his bones just to show what it’s all about…which is why I’m glad they brought in AmyFF and seem to be headed in that direction with her. The Raj Incident was awkward enough. As for the OP, the answer is reflected in the rest of the cast to some degree. All of them have a power the others rely on, all of them have a unique weakness/kryptonite, all of them have been bullied, and none of them are mean. As someone who has been around mean people, I would hang with good-intentioned abrasiveness any day. Even the uber-annoying roommate agreement is designed around avoiding conflict. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2012, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981/67 "2012-05-16T14:33:32Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > In college I didn’t have a car… (but yeah - after college it would have gotten old real fast). Heck, I didn’t have a car until a few months ago, and I’ve been out of college for at least ten years. That’s not the point. Sheldon isn’t self-sufficient about it, (wasn’t there a scene where he tries to ride the bus but can’t manage due to germophobia,) and can’t admit to his friends that he owes them favors for rides. I watched that episode and felt “Well, I may not know how to drive - but at least I’m not as bad as that.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2012, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981/68 "2012-05-16T14:45:32Z")
I think there’s a lot of genuine affection for nerds in this show. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2012, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981/69 "2012-05-16T14:52:25Z")
> [@ZPG\_Zealot](#): > > He’s eccentric, but he doesn’t try to harm people. Well of course, he’s a robot. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2012, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981/70 "2012-05-16T15:05:59Z")
> [@zweisamkeit](#): > > However, I do agree with you inasmuch as I think BBT’s humor appears to be geeky, but under the surface seems to be laughing AT geeks/nerds instead of WITH them. It feels like a lot of non-geeks who are making fun of nerds while pretending to be like them (unlike things like Galaxy Quest, which poked fun at scifi/Trek fans with genuine affection). AFF actor is a self hating nerd. the show has had on a number of real major scientists, also it has had major scifi personalities that nerds would have very possibly liked. these in real life nerds or parts of nerd culture are making fun of the extreme ends of a culture or life aspects which is how lots of sitcom works. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2012, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981/71 "2012-05-16T15:13:08Z")
> [@ZPG\_Zealot](#): > > He’s eccentric, but he doesn’t try to harm people. Many of his more annoying meddling habits are in the spirit of fixing a problem. Heck, being _“that weird and off-putting guy who condescendingly insists your math is in error”_ is the whole reason Sheldon was able to knowledgeably save Leonard’s life – albeit by putting the elevator out of commission – near the start of their relationship. ---
**Author:** ![ZPG\_Zealot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e47c2d/32.png) [@ZPG\_Zealot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZPG_Zealot)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2012, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981/72 "2012-05-16T15:15:50Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Well of course, he’s a robot. You say that like it’s a bad thing. Seriously, I would rather deal with a dozen Sheldon’s and all their quirk than one air-headed Penny anyday. She reminds me of the student that when told literature in the teen library section was alpha by author (which we also had to explain to her) complained that Twilight wasn’t in the S’s. ---
**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 16, 2012, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981/73 "2012-05-16T15:19:30Z")
The only one of the group I wouldn’t want to be around is Leonard. He’s just an asshole. The way he treats women is horrific. ---
**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2012, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981/74 "2012-05-16T15:21:13Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > AFF actor is a self hating nerd. > > the show has had on a number of real major scientists, also it has had major scifi personalities that nerds would have very possibly liked. > > these in real life nerds or parts of nerd culture are making fun of the extreme ends of a culture or life aspects which is how lots of sitcom works. I disagree, she was on NPR’s Science Friday a week or two ago, and she seemed very at ease with her own personal nerdiness, but what has differentiated her from so many others is her ability to NOT make it the focal point of her world. She seems to love the characters, and the show, and also takes pride in the fact that they work hard to get geek culture and touchstones correct. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2012, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981/75 "2012-05-16T15:21:26Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Heck, being _“that weird and off-putting guy who condescendingly insists your math is in error”_ is the whole reason Sheldon was able to knowledgeably save Leonard’s life – albeit by putting the elevator out of commission – near the start of their relationship. yet lots of other times the portrayal of him and chemistry isn’t spectacular. though to be a comedy it has to have elements not realistic so its not a show killer. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2012, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981/76 "2012-05-16T15:24:58Z")
Swap physics for theater, and the group could well be my social circle in college. Smart, creative, weird folks hanging out. As oddballs go, Sheldon is essentially harmless. The thing that baffles me is how Penny can afford an apartment by herself, when she earns minimum wage, while Sheldon and Leonard presumably make more money but have to share. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2012, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981/77 "2012-05-16T15:27:16Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > The four guys have lots of shared interests, comic books, sci-fi, fantasy, video games. They have fun together on Halo Night and playing Klingon Boggle. We just don’t see that on screen very much. Individually: > > Leonard - He is often infuriated by Sheldon, but he has genuine protection feelings for this odd creature he lives with. It stems from his mother, who is similar to Sheldon in many respects. It’s like Leonard is Alfred to Sheldon’s Bruce Wayne. Sheldon actually has Leonard’s back, too. Yep, after we saw Leonard’s mother, it made a lot more sense. Sheldon is like a male version of Leonard’s mother, but Sheldon has interests similar to Leonard’s. ---
**Author:** ![Sister\_Vigilante](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Sister\_Vigilante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sister_Vigilante)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2012, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981/78 "2012-05-16T15:33:10Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Swap physics for theater, and the group could well be my social circle in college. Smart, creative, weird folks hanging out. As oddballs go, Sheldon is essentially harmless. > > The thing that baffles me is how Penny can afford an apartment by herself, when she earns minimum wage, while Sheldon and Leonard presumably make more money but have to share. She earns less than minimum wage, but it if she’s a good waitress, she can make good money in tips. And there has been mention of Leonard and/or Sheldon covering her rent a few times. As well as paying for her food a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2012, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981/79 "2012-05-16T15:33:32Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Heck, being _“that weird and off-putting guy who condescendingly insists your math is in error”_ is the whole reason Sheldon was able to knowledgeably save Leonard’s life – albeit by putting the elevator out of commission – near the start of their relationship. That episode was on rerun last night. Perfect timing with this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2012, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981/80 "2012-05-16T15:39:23Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > The only one of the group I wouldn’t want to be around is Leonard. He’s just an asshole. The way he treats women is horrific. Seriously? Examples please. > [@Tristan](#): > > [AFF] seems to love the characters, and the show, and also takes pride in the fact that they work hard to get geek culture and touchstones correct. Which is a huge 180 from Sheldon, who uses interviews to pretend that he has no idea what any of this geek stuff is and how dare anyone assume he acts like Sheldon in real life. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-how-the/621981.md?page=5)