# What's the appeal of Big Bang Theory? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 27, 2009, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-appeal-of-big-bang-theory/497834 "2009-05-27T19:24:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2009, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-appeal-of-big-bang-theory/497834/61 "2009-05-29T01:50:30Z")
Really? You’re cute. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2009, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-appeal-of-big-bang-theory/497834/62 "2009-05-29T05:50:05Z")
I love this show and HIMYM - I don’t like pretty much every other sitcom that was on last year. I agree that it’s about geeks who happen to be (well two of them) physicists rather than the other way around (although I find most of the physics to be passable, and I loved the chicken joke). I love all the geek humor and references. The characters are great and the chemistry between the actors is also great. There was one episode where I noticed the laugh track and it annoyed me but usually either it’s not as noticeable or I just tune it out. There are a couple of things I would change, but not an episode goes by where I am not made to feel giddy from knowing the various references and to laugh out loud at the situational humor. Occasionally there are even touching character moments. How can you not love this show? Actually I’m just surprised that a show I appreciate is so popular in the ratings 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Taber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ac91a4/32.png) [@Taber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taber)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2009, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-appeal-of-big-bang-theory/497834/63 "2009-05-29T07:12:53Z")
I actually have a youtube of the joke that made me abandon this show. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOQHw4Ymy6c](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOQHw4Ymy6c) It was an ok joke, until some director had Sheldon make some hand gestures to make sure the pun about levels wasn’t too sciencey for the audience. ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2009, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-appeal-of-big-bang-theory/497834/64 "2009-05-29T07:20:51Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > Raj was Thor (I forget if he was supposed to by the Nordic myth version or the Marvel version) > [@FriarTed](#): > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5KaeCZ\_AaY](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5KaeCZ_AaY) He’s blond, so it must be the Marvel Thor. ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2009, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-appeal-of-big-bang-theory/497834/65 "2009-05-29T07:41:22Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > Am I missing some great comedies out there? It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, season 1. (not the rest) The Life and Times of Tim Lucky Louie (cancelled after 1 season) Flight of The Conchords ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2009, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-appeal-of-big-bang-theory/497834/66 "2009-05-29T08:31:49Z")
> [@tim314](#): > > This show has recently tied Numb3rs as the #1 show everyone thinks I would like just because I have a degree in physics. (I just recently finished my Ph.D.) I’ve also seen more than one poster on here mentioning it as one of their favorites. > > So recently I tried to watch an episode, and I only made it one scene in before giving up and changing the channel. Now, I realize that may not be a fair sampling. So tell me, why is it worth giving another chance (or is it)? > > In the scene I saw, one character didn’t know what he was going to do tomorrow (or something like that), and made some joke like “I’m like one of Heisenberg’s particles. I can tell where I am, or where I’m going, but not both at once.” > > There are several reasons why this bothered me: > > Apparently I’m supposed to be amused that the show is referencing Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle. Why, exactly? They didn’t even bother to make the joke funny – in fact, there doesn’t even seem to be any joke there beyond “Ha ha, this guy is such a geek he references Heisenberg in his casual conversation.” > > The thing is, it _is_ possible to make a funny joke out of the Uncertainty Principle. When I was in college, someone had graffitied the wall of the men’s room in the Physics Building with “Heisenberg might have been here.” Now _that_ made me laugh. But notice how it’s actually kind of subtle. It _doesn’t_ explain the joke (which is essential when the humor is derived from the audience picking up on an obscure reference). It also references pop culture (“Kilroy was here”), rather than merely saying “Guess what, we physics students can namedrop concepts from quantum mechanics.” Looking at why that joke was funny shines a spotlight on why Big Bang Theory’s joke wasn’t. > > Not only does explaining the joke ruin whatever humor there might have been, but it also isn’t remotely true to the characters. They’re supposed to be some sort of physics prodigies, right? When the one character started elaborating with “I can’t know my position and …” the other one should have jumped in with “Yeah, I get it, I’ve known about Heisenberg since I was 12!” It’s actually not an obscure reference at all to anyone who has even read a few popular books about physics. > > Moreover, he wasn’t even getting the physics right with his reference. Saying “Heisenberg’s particles” makes it sound like Heisenberg discovered some new particles that obey the uncertainty principle. In fact, Heisenberg was talking about ordinary particles. You know, atoms and electrons and what not. I’ve never once heard someone actually use the phrase “Heisenberg’s particles”. > > If they wanted to make the joke funnier, maybe they could have had an exchange like this: > > Character 1: Hey, where do you think you’ll be tomorrow at 2:00? > Character 2: Even if I knew, I still wouldn’t know where I was going. > Character 1: Dammit, Heisenberg! > > Just leave it at that, no explanation given. Of course, most T.V. viewers wouldn’t get it. But the thing is, they won’t really _get it_ anyway. I mean, if you’ve never heard of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, then the whole joke just boils down to “Wow, he just referenced some law of physics I’ve never heard of. What a geek!” Is this really that funny to anyone? > > But beyond that, what turned me off to the show was that the humor is apparently derived from a bunch of physics geeks not knowing how to act like human beings. The thing is, physicists aren’t actually like that. Other than the fact that they actually like learning about physics, most of them are pretty normal. My first year of grad school we all had a required quantum mechanics class in the late morning, and then a required seminar in the afternoon. In between, a bunch of us would go have a beer at one of the campus bars, gripe about how much work our professors were assigning, and talk about our plans for the weekend. I know, what freakish nerds we all were, right? > > I get that T.V. sitcoms aren’t concerned with realism, and characters are bound to be exaggerated and stereotyped for humorous effects. But the whole “scientists have no social skills” thing isn’t even remotely original. It’s trite and obvious. If the show was all about how fat people are a bunch of food obsessed gluttons whose furniture is constantly collapsing underneath them, I would be able to say “Yes, I am familiar with those absurd sitcom conventions”, but I sure wouldn’t want to _watch_ the show. > > I realize that spending the whole post complaining about the show isn’t the best way to solicit positive feedback from its fans. But really, I do know that I only watched one scene, and I may have the complete wrong impression. So tell me, have I come to the wrong conclusion here? Or are my complaints about the show accurate, but it nevertheless has positive qualities that more than make up for the flaws? Heh! That is _soooo_ Sheldon… ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2009, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-appeal-of-big-bang-theory/497834/67 "2009-05-29T16:45:26Z")
Hasn’t everone known a Sheldon in their time. Someone just totally clueless, who just doesn’t get it, is never going to get it, yet goes on their merry way living the life they want but without hurting other people. 99% of the time, you are either laughing at them or incredibly frustrated at their unawareness of how life works and how to relate to other people. 1% of the time you are very envious of their ability to live like they want to, totally innocent of how other people see them. ---
**Author:** ![Skott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Skott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skott)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-appeal-of-big-bang-theory/497834/68 "2009-05-30T00:26:00Z")
My Theory of Geek Big Bang Theory Dislike: The closer your personality approaches Sheldon’s or, to a lesser extent, one of the other three, the less likely you are to enjoy the show. > [@cmyk](#): > > Heh! That is _soooo_ Sheldon… I rest my case. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![groo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecd19e/32.png) [@groo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groo)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-appeal-of-big-bang-theory/497834/69 "2009-05-30T03:02:48Z")
I have a physics degree from a famous university in Pasadena, near where BBT is set, and I like the show. I don’t bother to fact-check sitcoms; they’re trying to tell jokes to a mainstream audience, but with the premise that these odd characters made their way to a place where they don’t feel all that odd, and sometimes take their hobbies and interests to extremes. It rings true to me, and I have known people exactly like the main characters. Some were or are completely lacking in social graces, whose attitudes ranged from complete indifference (such as Sheldon) to great sadness (such as many, many people). Others can fit in a little better and are hopeful and/or confused, spending a great deal of effort attempting to fit into the rest of the world, like Leonard and everyone else on Earth. In one episode, they gave a quick description of Schroedinger’s Cat, and showed how the main characters, when thinking about romantic relationships, might view relationships through the lens (or slits) of quantum mechanics. This is completely normal behavior, given the characters they’re portraying, and I thought it provided a humorous way for the characters to interpret the situation. As **Skara\_Brae** said, they treat the characters with some affection. Sheldon can appear to have rather bizarre thought processes, but I think they generally try to show that, from his perspective, everything he says makes total sense, and Koothrappali exists as more than a one-dimensional stereotype, who contemplates amazingly normal things just like normal people. Of course, I have the gift of having very low standards; I thought The Core was a great movie, despite people trying to convince me that I should have hated it. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Sensitive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58956e/32.png) [@Darth\_Sensitive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Sensitive)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-appeal-of-big-bang-theory/497834/70 "2009-05-30T03:27:15Z")
Eh. I watch it because I hope it will become less Sheldon centric - but mainly because the gal and I started watching it in combination with HIMYM, which is phenomenal. He is severely lacking in redeeming qualities, and I just don’t get why the others put up with his crap. If he’d display a little more along the lines of his loaning money and actually being a friend, I’d like him a bunch more. But episodes centered around “Sheldon is so socially clueless or anal retentive!” just don’t do it for me, the ones aimed at the interplay of all of them are much better. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-appeal-of-big-bang-theory/497834/71 "2009-05-30T06:59:59Z")
> [@mr.jp](#): > > It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, season 1. (not the rest) > > The Life and Times of Tim > > Lucky Louie (cancelled after 1 season) > > Flight of The Conchords Thanks. I’ve never seen any of the first three - although I’ve heard great things about Sunny in Philadelphia. Flight of the Conchords I’ve only seen on flights, since I don’t get HBO, but it IS a brilliant show, IMO. I’d have been surprised if it got green-lighted or lasted a single season on ABC/NBC/CBS/Fox, though. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-appeal-of-big-bang-theory/497834/72 "2009-05-30T12:07:20Z")
**groo** I agree with you. Computer Science is abused easily as much or more than physics in TV and movies. I can’t be bothered to get up in arms about it. As you say, I’m there for the story or the jokes. (I thought that the Schroedinger’s Cat joke was a lot of fun!) ---
**Author:** ![Cillasi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@Cillasi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cillasi)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-appeal-of-big-bang-theory/497834/73 "2009-05-30T12:23:55Z")
Scientists dislike BBT for the same reasons lawyers dislike law shows and doctors dislike medical shows and cops dislike police shows, etc. I can appreciate a reference to Heisenberg’s principle or Schroedinger’s Cat because I know just enough to recognize the terminology - not because I understand the theories in all their complexity. Sherman is funny because he’s a charicature of someone with Asperger’s Syndrome and a touch of OCD. Anyone who has Asperger’s or knows someone with Asperger’s recognizes the “flatness” of Sherman’s character and if the show was about people with Asperger’s, would probably be offended by it. But Sherman’s Asperger’s is a facet of the show, not a focus of the show. If you ask an attorney why he won’t watch law shows or read legal novels, the response would likely be “because that’s not the way it is.” A cop will tell you the same thing about a cop show, and a doctor will tell you the same thing about a medical show. But, just like these shows have bred thousands of armchair lawyers, doctors and cops (however misinformed), shows like BBT and Eureka and Numb3rs may breed thousands of armchair scientists and mathematicians. We are affected by our TV shows much more than we consciously realize. If these shows entice more kids and young adults into the fields of science and mathematics, which professions are sorely lacking (for teachers as well as theorecticians and researchers), TV will have accomplished something the rest of our efforts have not. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-appeal-of-big-bang-theory/497834/74 "2009-05-30T12:30:31Z")
Who is Sherman? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-appeal-of-big-bang-theory/497834/75 "2009-05-30T12:57:44Z")
> [@groo](#): > > In one episode, they gave a quick description of Schroedinger’s Cat, and showed how the main characters, when thinking about romantic relationships, might view relationships through the lens (or slits) of quantum mechanics. This is completely normal behavior, given the characters they’re portraying, and I thought it provided a humorous way for the characters to interpret the situation. I was thinking about the Schrodinger’s Cat episode…the reason that was funny was because it was an example of something they would all use as a reference that other people wouldn’t understand. We, the audience didn’t have to understand it, either, to get the joke…we only had to put ourselves in Penny’s shoes, who is stuck trying to have a conversation with someone who is using references she doesn’t understand, and who has to start it out by saying “OK, see, Schrodinger had a cat…” The humor is that they live across the hall from each other, but come from two totally different planets. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-appeal-of-big-bang-theory/497834/76 "2009-05-30T13:15:43Z")
I find it interesting that so many people are comparing BBT to _How I Met Your Mother_. The male characters in HIMYM are also huge geeks (yes, even Barney - remember the Stormtrooper in his living room? Remember his Hot/Crazy graph?), it’s just that they’re high-functioning geeks, with healthy love lives and good social skills. If the guys in BBT are the geeks we’re afraid we are, the guys in HIMYM are the geeks we hope to be. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-appeal-of-big-bang-theory/497834/77 "2009-05-30T13:19:33Z")
> [@Khadaji](#): > > Who is Sherman? 🙂 Mr. Peabody’s boy. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-appeal-of-big-bang-theory/497834/78 "2009-05-30T13:32:41Z")
What **Cillasi** said. I’m not a physicist, nor a degree in any of the sciences, but I understand 95% of the jokes they’re making, simply because I’ve always had an interest in science and can be said to be a geek, although a socially adept one. And like **Manda JO** said, “It’s about geeks who happen to be physicists, not physicists who happen to be geeks,” which is the best observation about the characters and the show’s dynamic. What makes it work is these characters are tremendous geeks who all have degrees and jobs in their feilds of interest. Only Sheldon fancies himself as a true genius, while the rest are just trying to be good at what they do and fit in with society. The show is about geeks, who make geeky jokes and relate scientific phenomena and observation to everyday life. I’m surprised they make it as funny as they do with that premise, and it still appeals to such a broad audience. Sheldon is the extreme in the show, which every sitcom needs to make the situations as outrageous as possible. Unfortunately, the focus on Sheldon was obvious in the second season, but still, it’s a great sitcom if you like sitcoms. My wife loves it, and she’s no where near a geek (but married to one). Besides, Wolowitz’s mom, makes one _hell_ of a brisket. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-appeal-of-big-bang-theory/497834/79 "2009-05-30T15:08:44Z")
The problem isn’t the physics or the believability of the characters. The problem is, it’s a tv show whose actual intended audience is the general public - the vast majority of whom are not physicists. The main joke of the show is “Look at these lovable eggheads!” For most people, it works or it doesn’t dependent on a willing suspension of disbelief that these guys are, in fact, eggheads and thus different from the “normal” viewers and thus appropriate subjects for laughter. Now, some real-life eggheads see enough traits in the tv eggehads that they can relax and join in the joke-thats-on-them. Some real-life eggheads only see the flaws in the tv-eggheads. It’s like one of those magic eye posters. But that’s the crux here - for the purposes of a wide audience tv show, the characters have to be simultaneously uber-nerds whose dialog & situations are easily understood by non-nerds. The show Lie To Me has something of the same problem. The main character is supposed to be this wizard scientist who can interperet human behavior based on fleeting “micro expressions” that most humans never notice. But for the purpose of the show, the characters need to exhibit recognizable expressions so that the audience at home isn’t just watching a bunch of blank-faced people. If the show didn’t have recognizable expressions, it’d look like the main character was making it all up. It may be less realistic - but it _feels_ more believable. I kind of like Big Bang Theory but only after I got to know Sheldon and started seeing myself in him. Personally, I find the need to play it up for the audience is less of a problem with the sitcom than with the drama when we’re supposed to be all impressed with the main character. ---
**Author:** ![groo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecd19e/32.png) [@groo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groo)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2009, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-appeal-of-big-bang-theory/497834/80 "2009-05-31T01:17:54Z")
> [@Darth\_Sensitive](#): > > … I just don’t get why the others put up with his crap. > … If you have a person like Sheldon in your circle of friends, you will never, ever have a boring conversation. > [@Khadaji](#): > > **groo** I agree with you. Computer Science is abused easily as much or more than physics in TV and movies. I can’t be bothered to get up in arms about it. As you say, I’m there for the story or the jokes. > > (I thought that the Schroedinger’s Cat joke was a lot of fun!) As a CS person, you undoubtedly have a portable netbook with a dongle that allows you to reprogram ATMs in 60 seconds so they disgorge lots of cash. I should get me one of those. 🙂 > [@Cillasi](#): > > Scientists dislike BBT for the same reasons lawyers dislike law shows and doctors dislike medical shows and cops dislike police shows, etc. > > … That’s a good point. Whenever I’ve been in jury duty, the first few hours of deliberations have been incredibly frustrating, with people bringing up half-understood laws that are not actually laws and have nothing to do with the actual trial. I could see lawyers getting irritated at that. But scientists & engineers tend to be portrayed as one-dimensional, disposable characters (e.g., so divorced from humanity that their first impulse will be to kill E.T. so they can dissect him). So I’m happy when they’re portrayed otherwise. IAC, to me, it’s enough that they get the terminology and images out there. In one episode, Sheldon had a throwaway line (paraphrased), “Yes, he has a mild crush on you, sort of like the one Menelaus had on Helen of Troy.” Not in any way related to science, but maybe some kid out there will have his or her curiosity piqued and look it up. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-appeal-of-big-bang-theory/497834.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-appeal-of-big-bang-theory/497834.md?page=5)