The Big Bang Theory

[frizzlebyte]

The first couple of seasons were a decent enough mix of both nerd humour and gentle poking fun at nerds.

I'm led to believe (I stopped watching regularly midway through the third season) that all it's become now pretty much is "LOL THESE NERDS LOOK AT HOW NERDY THEY ARE WITH THEIR [insert "nerd" reference here]"

I do still like the theme tune though.

This. I like the show okay, but the early seasons were better because it was less "making fun" and more "having fun exaggerating stereotypes for comic effect." I've never been a super-fan geeky-nerd type, but I don't see it as "weird" either, and the early shows were more like that.

Side note: They can be a little obsessive, yes, but some of the stuff to come from those fans, like the guy that's building a life-size Millenium Falcon in Tennessee, is nothing to make fun of. It's awesome.

But BBT would make some crack about how the guy needs to "get a hobby," or some crap, when THIS IS HIS HOBBY.

That's why lots of people don't like BBT.

 

[Something Amyss]

Obviously they're fake and exaggerated, the community of 4chins isn't going to look up the transcript of a BBT episode that fits the bill.

Or care that one doesn't exist.

It's kind of funny, but I was just watching a video about how the right-wing echo chamber incestuously sources one another to prove their conspiratorial claims, and now this thread is up and people are doing the same thing. I'd be amazed to find any more accuracy to the accusations made here than I would about Obama being a secret muslim kenyan homosexual.

 

[Bluestorm83]

I don't like it because, basically, the punchline to every joke is ME. It's "Hey everyone, laugh at the nerds!" whereas other Nerd-centric things, like the seminal and immortal "Revenge of the Nerds" franchise, was, "Hey, everyone! Laugh with us Nerds!"

It's insulting because it doesn't know or care that it's insulting. And that's the worst insult of all.

 

[Something Amyss]

Why is it that whenever someone levies any genuine complaints about the poor quality of the show, the fans will just say, "lol u jst mad cuz you a nerd"?

Why has this never happened to me?

 

[Vausch]

Put simply, it isn't funny in the slightest and the writing is astoundingly lazy.

I'm one of the biggest proponents of the "humor is subjective" point of view, but considering how widely and pasionately despised it is, it must be doing something truly wrong.

This video is a good example. If you still find it funny, good on you. Most of us do not.

Using the no laugh track as proof it's not funny doesn't work if you think about it for any amount of time.

The most important element in humour is timing. Even low-brow humour can be made funny if the timing is done right. With the no-laugh track, you're just adding awkward pauses between the sentences. That doesn't prove that the show isn't funny because it doesn't have a laugh track, it suggests any sitcom without a laugh track won't work as well because of the timing.

 

[Bluestorm83]

Obviously they're fake and exaggerated, the community of 4chins isn't going to look up the transcript of a BBT episode that fits the bill.

Or care that one doesn't exist.

It's kind of funny, but I was just watching a video about how the right-wing echo chamber incestuously sources one another to prove their conspiratorial claims, and now this thread is up and people are doing the same thing. I'd be amazed to find any more accuracy to the accusations made here than I would about Obama being a secret muslim kenyan homosexual.

You forgot Socialist. He's a secret Muslim homosexual Kenyan socialist... with ties to the JFK assassination.

 

[mrdude2010]

It's a little too pleased with itself and a little to lazy for me to find it funny.

 

[Flutterguy]

It is a generic sitcom. Does nothing spectacular. Sitcoms have been around since the 60's. They simulate social interaction and tell the viewer what 'normal' is. I do not like the concept myself.

I would recommend watching an episode of 'Green Acres' though if you have the chance. Was one of the early sitcoms that had legitimately good humor most of which still holds up.

Saddening, I was hoping it would be a chat about the start of the universe.

 

[TheYellowCellPhone]

Or care that one doesn't exist.

It's kind of funny, but I was just watching a video about how the right-wing echo chamber incestuously sources one another to prove their conspiratorial claims, and now this thread is up and people are doing the same thing. I'd be amazed to find any more accuracy to the accusations made here than I would about Obama being a secret muslim kenyan homosexual.

Thank FOX News for the small business owners who exercise their second amendment rights, I thought that the Marxists were winning when they passed socialismcare entitlementcare Obamacare, even though global warming is NOT from human interactions but actually a natural climate change.

I don't know what I was saying in that sentence above. I was making the point that exaggeration is what a lot of comedies rely on.

 

[VanQ]

So your theory as to why people dislike TBBT, regardless of the fact that many people have outright stated that they simply find it unfunny, is because they're racist/sexist/misogynist/an atheist or a combination of those things?

I like the part that you treat the portion of the population I'm talking about as though they're automatically the same group. I'm not sure if that's dishonest or just lazy, but either way, you might want to save the condescending attitude until you're actually on the proper page.

EDIT:

I like the fact that you threw in atheist as a group because I mentioned one specific guy with atheist in his name. The mere mention of The Amazing Atheist in a negative context evidently means I...hate atheists and think atheists are bad for not liking TBBT?

Huh. That's...Interesting.

And I like the fact that you somehow made a connection as arbitrary and unrelated as "Dislikes TBBT" and "Craps all over feminist threads." But you go ahead and keep telling me I'm not on the proper page. I love ironic humor.

 

[Vigormortis]

Why has this never happened to me?

Luck, I guess?

It's almost always the response I get. Someone will invariably say that I have to watch the show because, "you're a nerd and it's a show for nerds, so you'll love it!"

But the moment I tell them that I've watched the show, and found it to be really unfunny, the near universal response I get is, "Well you just don't like it because you're a nerd and it's making fun of you."

So which is it? I'm supposed to like the show because I'm a nerd and it's humor is tailored to appeal to nerds? Or is the reason I don't like the show that I'm a nerd and it's humor is tailored to make fun of nerds?

Really wish people would be less....confusing.

 

[Something Amyss]

You forgot Socialist. He's a secret Muslim homosexual Kenyan socialist... with ties to the JFK assassination.

Ah, crap, how could I leave that out? I'm a terrible patriot.

I don't know what I was saying in that sentence above. I was making the point that exaggeration is what a lot of comedies rely on.

There's a difference between exaggeration and lying or flat-out being wrong, however, and that's what I was getting at before.

That's the flaw with the comic as well as your argument. I mean, keep in mind I didn't argue that hyperbole was bad, rather that this appears to be made up from whole cloth and confirmed by other people who use the same circular confirmation deal that I was referencing in Fox.

And I like the fact that you somehow made a connection as arbitrary and unrelated as "Dislikes TBBT" and "Craps all over feminist threads."

Please stop lying. Thanks.

Really wish people would be less....confusing.

Unfortunately, people are not a hivemind collective and you often see contradictions from large groups because even if we agree 90% of the time, there's still that 10% where we might not.

Now, watch someone make an attempt to shoehorn this into my previous argument despite talking specific people and there being no real contradiction.

But I digress. I mean, there's more than one group that watches TBBT. There's more than one group that dislikes it. This thread asked why the nerd community doesn't like it, which does narrow the scope down a bit. I can't completely preclude nerds saying "you don't like it CUZ YER A NERD LOL!" But it seems particularly unlikely. Except in jest. I call my girlfriend a nerd all the time. For liking the same nerdy things I like. But serious, Ogre-like cries of NERRRRRRRRD? Doesn't seem likely.

I don't know. Maybe I just don't know enough non-nerds.

 

[VanQ]

And I like the fact that you somehow made a connection as arbitrary and unrelated as "Dislikes TBBT" and "Craps all over feminist threads."

Please stop lying. Thanks.

Let's take a look then.

I've noticed a bunch of the people on here who claim offense at the BBT are the same ones who crap all over any topic involving race/gender/feminism. I've frequently seen these folks tell others to take a joke and then in response to the BBT basically espond with "THATS NOT FUNNY!"

Oh look! The very first sentence you said in the thread! You can keep pretending like you didn't say what you said, but that's exactly what you said.

 

[bartholen_v1legacy]

I only ever saw one episode and found it just as unfunny and dull as the bajillion other generic sitcoms that are on tv. I didn't feel offended or anything, it just wasn't funny, engaging or interesting. From what I've gathered it's the age old situation of it laughing at nerds rather than with nerds.

hell it even takes pot shots at things the nerd community generally agrees on. Like Sheldon calling the Green Lantern movie crap essentially in one episode.

If that's your idea of a joke, then good for you. To me it just seems like stating the obvious: Green Lantern tanked spectacularly and was near-universally panned by all critics, not just nerds. It has 26% on Rotten Tomatoes and has a 39 average on Metacritic. The universal consensus seems to be the movie sucked.

 

[FPLOON]

1. Laugh track - Never a good sign these days... It was fine with The Jeffersons, Mork, Alf, and Steve Urkel (since they technically had LIVE audience watching during the taping, anyway), but now it's more annoying that you think... "We get it! That's where we're suppose to laugh... It's not THAT funny..."
2. The Nerd/Non-nerd portrayals - Look, I'll admit to laughing at a good nerd and/or non-nerd joke sometimes while watching TBBT, but when most nerds see the jokes coming, let along find them to be actually funny despite what the "laugh track" is... It comes off as making fun of said nerd culture... I don't see it, because I don't look for shit like that in my entertainment, but it's just one of those "main reasons" that really turns nerd viewers off from the show, in general...
3. ...I can't think of a third reason that's not been a complaint about modern sitcoms (besides the laugh track) in general...

Yeah... TBBT is more-or-less that nerd sitcom for those that are more than just a standard "Penny"... where not all of the jokes will fly over your head in total obscurity, but still has enough content to please the "simple" nerds... I kinda wish the nerd jokes were more clever than just "tongue and cheek", but whatever... I'll keep watching and realize that it will never get better then this... and I could care less...

 

[Altorin]

my problem with the big bang theory is that everytime they make a reference, it tends to be handled poorly when that's the whole point of the show.

It might be unfair to cast hate on a show from the very first joke, but the very first joke they told on the show, the very first line was Sheldon explaining to Leonard the double-slit experiment, and then saying "it would look really good on a t-shirt".... how exactly? I mean, you could chalk that up to Sheldon being a bit dense in certain ways, but the joke fell flat entirely for me. And almost every time they do something like that, it's wrong. It's just... wrong.

I'm a bit of a pedant perhaps, and I do actually watch the show a lot.. mostly as largely innocuous noise to fill the room (noise makes me comfortable).. but I think the issue with the big bang theory is that it's actually for the Pennys of the world, but it's marketted as being for the Leonards of the world.. But the Leonards of the world see right past all the references and see them as the hamfisted twisted douchefuckery that they tend to be... and the Pennys of the world just laugh it up at the crazy mans talking crazy talk.

that's fine.. If it's for the Pennys, that's a-ok, Pennys deserve their own comedy, I just think it casts too wide a net.

 

[Vigormortis]

Unfortunately, people are not a hivemind collective and you often see contradictions from large groups because even if we agree 90% of the time, there's still that 10% where we might not.

I would agree with this if it weren't for me receiving those conflicting responses from the same people. As in, almost every person who's tried to get me to watch, and was subsequently met with my criticisms of the show, has given me both of those previously listed responses.

But I digress. I mean, there's more than one group that watches TBBT. There's more than one group that dislikes it. This thread asked why the nerd community doesn't like it, which does narrow the scope down a bit. I can't completely preclude nerds saying "you don't like it CUZ YER A NERD LOL!" But it seems particularly unlikely. Except in jest. I call my girlfriend a nerd all the time. For liking the same nerdy things I like. But serious, Ogre-like cries of NERRRRRRRRD? Doesn't seem likely.

I don't know. Maybe I just don't know enough non-nerds.

That's kind of the issue with some people. The whole "you don't like it CUZ YER A NERD LOL!" line. Just look at this thread, it's cropped up from several people already.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Image if, instead of TBBT, we were talking about a show that featured an all gay cast of characters (each fitting into a specific gay stereotype) rather than a cast of stereotypical nerds. And, the entire basis of this show's comedy was built around jokes that take pot-shots at homosexuals and the homosexual "communities". (much like TBBT takes thinly-veiled pot-shots at nerds)

And now imagine that someone tells their gay friend that he or she needs to watch the show because the show is "about" them. That the show is full of "gay humor" and therefore should be right up their alley.

Would it really be all that surprising if that gay friend not only disliked the show but also found the humor the show used, ad nauseam I might add, to be annoying or even insulting?

I wonder then, how many people would tell that person, "Well you just don't like the show because you're gay and it's making fun of you!" Would it really be fair to say they don't like the show simply because they don't get the humor?

I guess what I'm getting at is, many within the "nerd" community don't like the show not only because they find the shows particular brand of comedy unfunny but also because the shows fans are often incredibly dismissive of the detractors grievances.

I don't know. Maybe I'll be able to form a more cohesive line of thought on the matter once I'm not sick and suffering from a severe bout of insomnia.

 

[Battenberg]

I am ashamed to say that I actually do get the odd laugh out of it and, because it's always on repeat, find myself putting it on in the background a lot. That said I can see its flaws and they do annoy the hell out of me to the point that while I do watch it I wouldn't say I like it.

Several people have summarised the issue quite well: the jokes are made at the expense of the nerdy/ geeky characters and this hasn't changed even after however many seasons there have been. Worse still it pretends it's actually being nice to the people it's using as the butt of every joke and that it is in some way a geeky show to watch and this seems to have stuck with some people, meaning that the stereotypes they use as characters are being accepted as accurate representations of 'nerds' and 'nerd culture'. Plus while I do occasionally find it funny I do spend at least as much, if not more, time being fed up with the 2 dimensional characters they use because I find them quite irritating as people and in turn this leads to a lot of the jokes irritating me quite a lot as well because they're simply not funny.

I don't have a problem with people who like TBBT, like I said it does have its moments, however I do take issue with people who look at the 4 'nerds' of the show and assume they are in any way represntative of real life and the community of people who share tastes with them. 'Nerd culture' has started making its way into the mainstream in recent years and I don't like the idea of the people who pioneered this change (so to speak) being misrepresented and mocked in this way. Plus I can't stand those people who flood the internet with crap about how geeky they are because they read a comic book once or do the whole "OMG I'm totally Sheldon because I don't like being around sick people either" because often those people decide, in their minds, that it's ok to make fun of nerds because "they're one too".

 

[Saelune]

I like the show. Mostly because I disagree with the idea that its outsiders making fun of nerds. Penny is an unappealing character, and it makes fun of her being stupid/not smart all the time. But then I also relate heavily to Sheldon. My only real issue is I feel like he is bullied too often for being himself despite all outside influence, something people tell insecure people to do...

 

[Ragsnstitches]

I don't watch it ritualistically, but if its on and I'm not doing much of anything I can watch it and enjoy it. It's a standard sitcom with a, somewhat, original premise. It works a very safe and very generic formula, making much of the humor predictable, but the delivery is pretty good more often then not and it still gets a laugh out of me.

I'm perplexed as to why there is any controversy behind it. As well as being completely average, it has absolutely no teeth to it. It plays so heavily on all stereotypes that to choose one and decry it as offensive just seems like people are being too sensitive.

It's harmless, mildly entertaining and a good time waster when you are idle. But as soon as anything remotely better turns up it's just as quickly forgotten. Much like the vast majority of sitcoms really.