That Big Bang Theory thing

[scarlettina]

So I spent some time this afternoon and evening thinking about the essay about The Big Bang Theory (TBBT)--a show I've watched more-or-less since the beginning--that's making the rounds on social media. The essay posits that this show about four super-brainy geeks is actually a show that makes fun of nerds, not a show that loves them. The essay

Comments

[shelly_rae]

I haven't watched much of TBBT (no tv here) but from what I've seen I agree. Leonard is definitely the viewpoint character. Penny and the dumb blonde, dumber boyfriends, and the binge drinking is also a stereotype and the trouble she gets into, well, sheesh.

Definitely not the first geek show. I think Buffy qualifies as does that show with the cute cosplay girl who does forensic science. Is that csi? Anyway.

Nice piece.
Anon

[scarlettina]

Part of the author of the other essay's position is that Buffy doesn't count because Xander is the only geek and the show is targeted specifically toward geeks, not at the mainstream viewer. I disagree completely with that assertion. Part of the reason I headed off writing my original version of this essay was that it became an exegesis of what constitutes American TV and how shows are chosen to be developed and picked up by studios and networks. Short version? If a studio and sponsors don't perceive a show to be mainstream enough to generate a profitable audience, the show won't go forward, so even a show targeted toward geeks, whether it's Buffy or CSI or Star Trek, must generate income sufficient to satisfy a studio and sponsors before it airs. That means that they believe a show will generate a critical mass of audience, and no show on American TV survives without same--a critical mass of audience means a mainstream audience.

[shelly_rae]

Well yes. Xander and Willow are the first geeks in the group, then Oz who is a cool Geek and they are joined by Giles. They deal with a number of made scientist Geeks, (robot Buffy) and finally the self-proclaimed nemeses Geek trio. I never even thought of Star Trek but yes. How about Lost in Space? Does The Professor from Gilligans Island count?
Guess I should read that essay... :)

Anon

[bedii]

I'm annoyed and I haven't seen the show or read the article. A good case could be made for Mr. Peepers being an adult geek who was the lead of a TV series in 1955, and if you're willing to allow love interests I suspect you could use Our Miss Brooks to extend that back to Radio, although every time he shows up I want to scream at Miss Brooks "You can do better!"

[joycemocha]

Lovely essay and I agree with your take. The other essay made me growly and uncomfortable because the husband and son (one IDed with autism, the other one self-diagnosed) both love the show to death...and it comes close enough to both of their temperaments that if it were laughing at the geeks, they wouldn't go for it.

When you're including The Lone Gunmen, though, don't forget Scully and Mulder themselves. In a lot of ways The X Files was also a show about geeks, with Scully and Mulder top amongst them. And Northern Exposure had faint whiffs of that rarely recognized but still very real category of the rural geek clan.

[garyomaha]

Bingo. You nailed it (IMHO) and quite well-written, too. Thanks for writing this -- I had misinterpreted your FB post to mean that you agreed with the original writer.

I'd love to see your Coopernian analysis some day. ;)

[scarlettina]

Agree with him? Nope, not for a minute! As for the Coopernian analysis, um . . . maybe. If I'm ever unemployed again and have nothing better to do with my time. :-)

[willowgreen]

Thank you for this. As I said in my comment to your earlier post, I don't think the show could reproduce nerd culture as accurately as it does without a lot of love. Once there was a scene set in Leonard's lab, and my spouse spotted an instrument there that he developed -- which he confirmed was the type of instrument that would be in that kind of lab. He was SO excited. :-)

Also, I for one would be delighted to read your Dr. Cooper-style point-by-point refutation of the original article.

[scarlettina]

As I said in my comment to your earlier post, I don't think the show could reproduce nerd culture as accurately as it does without a lot of love.

Yep. Couldn't agree more. You can't write this stuff if you don't know it thoroughly yourself. See above re: laughing at oneself.