Does anyone watch The Big Bang Theory?

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Because I was just wondering what you guys think of Sheldon. Is he too much of a stereotypical Aspie, or does the way he is portrayed do us justice?

I watch it! Sheldon usually presents the most annoying characteristics of Aspie-osity, but, occasionally, he shows some of the better Aspie abilities.

I watch it and I do find it funny.

But I also do have a problem with how Sheldon's seen and treated. I don't blame the character, I find him to be by far the most sympathetic character in the show. It's Penny I really can't stand. I'm not impressed by Leonard, his supposed friend, either.

This blog in the link below (not mine) summarizes very well all the reasons BBT has bothered me since I saw the first episode years ago, and it says it better than I could.

http://butmyopinionisright.tumblr.com/p ... ang-theory

Watched it, hated it.

I used to watch it, but became disillusioned with it after realizing Sheldon's personality is the brunt of most of the jokes and laughs.

Sorry, but making a character who clearly has Asperger's a comedic relief character is stupid in this day and age.

Really good article.

I honestly don't know what to think when people tell me they love my son because "he is Sheldon." They intend it as a compliment, but is it? They do think of him as brilliant, but don't realize he likes to talk more than he likes to verify his facts. People tell me my son is funny. Well, in a family of comedians, him and I are actually the straight men. So why do people outside of our family find him so funny? My bet is that it isn't the jokes he cracks, but him being him (although as an actor he can do some wicked good imitations, so maybe that is it?). He doesn't mind laughing at himself, too, and does so often, but what does that MEAN?

I find myself happy that people want to be around him and accept him, but suspicious of why they do and whether or not they are really viewing him through a positive lens. I'm not going to judge them anymore than I want them to judge him or us, but at times I really wonder.

I despise the show. It's complete shameless mocking of AS with no acknowledgement that that's what they're doing.

I tolerate South Park's spoof (see the episode Ass Burgers) and I honestly kind of thought the Onion's "autistic reporter" Michael Falk was funny. At least in these they were honest of what they were doing and society considers at least at the edge of what's appropriate.

I have just recently started to watch Season 9 as it airs here in the UK for the first time.
I'm also catching up on previous seasons as they are repeated but that causes problems as one episode can be season 1 then the following episode is season 4.

I like Amy as she looks like my niece.

Sheldon, to me, is an obvious caricature of an Aspergian person.

It's one of my favorite shows. I know Sheldon has a lot of characteristics of Aspergers, but I wasn't sure if he actually had it or not because I've never heard anyone mention that he was suppose to be on the spectrum or anything.

I think his characteristics might be a little exaggerated for it to be funny, but I don't take offense to it.

They totally deny he has it though

I've never understood why people love it so much. I was very, very surprised to find people singing its praises on THIS website even (different thread). I understand why it's supposed to be funny, but I don't find it funny. Yes, the show is laughing AT nerds, without a doubt. Yes, it's sexist. Yes, Sheldon appears to have AS. And this is somehow a smashing hit? Bizarre. I think the article posted earlier is a good one to summarise why I don't like it- I don't even identify as a nerd but I still find it cringe-worthy. Am I just a humourless goat? I don't know...

As for Sheldon.. I think he's a caricature of Asperger's Syndrome. You're supposed to laugh at him. They make that easy by making him apparently not care about anybody else. Which from I know of AS, is the public perception of it, but not accurate.

Edited to add something and then change a typo.

I have been increasingly uncomfortable with the show. I still watch it, but through a means that won't improve their rating. I still find it funny, I get almost all the references in the show and the references are funny. But the jokes are made at people who get the references, which I don't like. By the time I rationalized why I was uncomfortable with the show, I was in Season 5.

Great article. This is why I like Futurama. Futurama laughs with us nerds, not at us, with the references. No one has understood me when I said that.
As for Sheldon, he takes on most of the jokes, and I'm uncomfortable with the way he's treated in the show.

Additionally, anyone ever seen The IT Crowd?

Unfortunately I'm fairly sure you're right about that.



I like SP, they make fun of everyone. I had no problem with that episode (which by the way had very little to do with AS at all). SP makes jabs at everyone and that is good fun IMO.
For the same reason I like "Married with children" and "Two and a half men". The characters are all equally bad in different ways (and great fun) and the snarky remarks go all ways.
BBT OTOH has one guy they all are against, mock and treat like an inferior and an annoyance. Although there are some remarks between the other guys too, and even Sheldon gets to make some jabs from time to time, it's WAY too much at Sheldon's expense, and they all turn on him.

I agree. By tolerating it, I was just meaning it didn't offend me, but frankly it wasn't that funny either. It was a mediocre episode.

Ah. Thanks for clarifying, PlainsAspie. And I agree that the episode in question was mediocre, one of the less memorable ones.