The Adorkable Misogyny of The Big Bang Theory
Вставка
- Опубліковано 20 вер 2024
- Watch part 2 here:
• The Complicity of Geek...
Help me make more videos! ⤵️
PATREON
Support this media project on Patreon:
/ popdetective
PAYPAL
Make a one-time donation via PayPal:
www.paypal.me/...
WISHLIST
Send research materials for video essays:
www.amazon.com...
PODCAST LINKS
Apple Podcasts podcasts.apple...
Spotify: open.spotify.c...
Google Podcasts: podcasts.googl...
The Big Bang Theory provides a perfect lens through which to deconstruct a popular media trope I like to call the Adorkable Misogynist. Adorkable Misogynists are male characters whose geeky version of masculinity is framed as comically pathetic yet still endearing. Their status as nerdy “nice guys” then lets them off the hook for a wide range of creepy, entitled, and sexist behaviors.
This is the 1st of two video essays about gender on The Big Bang Theory. Next month I'll focus on how the show relentlessly mocks its four male leads for not acting like “real men," and in so doing reinforces a whole bunch of regressive ideas about masculinity.
• Yes, The Big Bang Theory was the most watched scripted TV show in 2016 according to Nielsen: www.nielsen.com...
PATREON
This video was made possible by support from viewers like you! If you’d like to see more videos focusing on the intersections of entertainment, politics and masculinity, please head over to my Patreon page and help fund this web series:
/ popdetective
PAYPAL
If you'd rather make a one-time donation you can do that via PayPal:
www.paypal.me/...
FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT
popculturedetec...
COMMENTS
UA-cam comments are held for approval due to harassment of this channel. If you would like to participate in constructive online conversations about this video, please share it on your social media networks, or join other supporters on Patreon, where backers-only discussion threads are provided for each new video.
/ popdetective
FAIR USE
All multimedia clips included in this video constitute a 'fair use' of any copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of U.S. Copyright law, which allows for criticism, comment and scholarship. Learn more about fair use with this awesome app by New Media Rights! newmediarights....
CREDITS
Writer/Producer: Jonathan McIntosh
Motion Graphics: Jonathan McIntosh
Logo Design: Justin McIntosh
Outro music: Jonathan Mann
/ jonathanmann
Help caption and translate this video!
amara.org/v/9vWo/
I once saw a quote “Sheldon loves Spock, but Spock would really despise Sheldon for his prejudices” and I think that’s brilliant
@@people2chronically-onlineMisogyny
my brother in Christ Sheldon is NOT meant to be a good person, that's the fucking point, everyone in the cast hates that part of him did any of you actually watch the show???
@@NeroKaligula Nothing phchik said contradicts anything you said. In fact, you just reinforced their quote.
@@NeroKaligula Yes, that's the point of the quote. You're agreeing with user phchik.
@@NeroKaligula What part of their quote are you disagreeing with, exactly? Do they SAY he's a good person? Do they protest that the show or the other characters treat him as a good person?
"acknowledging bigotry is not the same thing as critiquing bigotry"
PUT THIS ON A BILLBOARD
Why?
@@javierclement3047 because acknowledging doesn't necessarily lead to change. you can say "I'm an asshole" and keep being an asshole, just like when Sheldon said "that was racist" with clearly no intention of stopping being racist. while critiquing bigotry means you don't like it, and therefore a person critiquing their own bigotry is willing to change or already changing and a media critiquing bigotry conveys the message that bigotry is not OK instead of normalising it and/or portraying it as harmless and funny
@@javierclement3047I almost thought you and OP were the same person.
That’s just funny to me.
🙌🏻
This is so wonderful. There's no way a woman doing this video wouldn't have been dismissed for being a "feminazi" or told to "shut up". It almost makes me cry that there really are men out there who care enough to say these things. I've been a girl in the geek world since I was very little and I've seen all of this. Casual misogyny cannot be allowed to stand and we need men like you to say it. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
Couldn't have said it better myself
The episode where Penny finally calls him out on his sexual harassment always made me, as a woman, feel so uncomfortable. The fact that they guilt-tripped her into apologizing did not make sense to me at all.
I agree. I honestly thought that her Penny calling him out to his awful bs would finally make him see how horrible of a person he is and change!
I knoooow, y todavía él es la victima y ella se tiene qué disculpar , como por???
Omg yes
I like the show overall but you are right here. They should have forced Howard to apologize.
Yes ...and it broke my heart in the last season when the writers inexplicably gave her AMNESIA and made her suddenly want KIDS. She was SO clear about her intentions and NOT wanting children. They really got my hopes up with that representation just to smash them 😞😮💨
Okay, I never saw that clip of him calling Marie Curie an "honorary man" before. That was... That was something.
Basically giving away the game right there, saying the quiet part out loud.
Which he’s made fun of for. The shows not saying it’s a good thing
They are mockinf his behaviour.
Yeah. I liked how he slipped the transphobia in at the end there by implication. Truly horrible.
@@people2chronically-online i guess you completely misunderstood the video you're watching, funny
“On television men’s feelings and bruised egos are nearly always depicted as more important than women’s comfort or women’s safety.” just had to reiterate that
@@people2chronically-online “wrong” 🤡
opposite in the actual world though
@@idkwhattoputheretbhbuthere **LOUD INCORRECT BUZZER**
@@Mitzy655 It's true. People are more empathetic towards women and show more care towards them. It's a problematic double standard.
I support women, but I can still acknowledge reality.
@@idkwhattoputheretbhbuthere Just because people are more "sympathetic" with women, it doesn't mean that "male ego" isn't prioritized much more than safety of women. And you talk only about the West like it's only world around you. If a woman reports some man for sexual assault, there is a guarantee that his parents will blame her for "ruining our boy's reputation".
Additionally, Amy and Bernadette have PhD's as well. Rarely are they referred to as Dr. on the show as the guys are.
actually not? one of the current jokes on the show is that Bernadette is more successful as howard, Amy is corrent seen as the most smart of the group…I could tell more
@@robertasantos7493 Current jokes? You realize the series ended more than five years ago? Regardless, it's true that neither Amy nor Bernadette have their degrees acknowledged as often as the men.
@@amypetty5013 what they mean is that the newer episodes point out that both penny and bernie make more money than their husbands
@@blodwynnUK I'm well aware of what they meant, I don't need you to mansplain. My point was, and remains, that how much money they make was NOT the point the OP was making. The "well ackshually" that Robert tried to negate their point with was irrelevant to what they were saying.
Such a wrong statement if you have actually watched the show without memory loss
"On television men's feelings and men's egos are nearly always depicted as more important than women's comfort or women's safety" And there it is everybody, that's the kicker right there.
Pretty sure it's the other way around.
@@Vishnuk-fe9ivno it’s not
@@Bubbles603 Look at any talk show with middle age women, that's where men's egos and feelings go to die.
@@nope1083All those talk shows combined can't even compare to TBBT and real life. Hilariously bad comparison.
@@muhdancent4362 The View?
I just know that the writers thought that that Marie Curie line was throwing us women a bone, when all it essentially tells women is that the only way you can be respected by men is to be considered a man. I know I've had that feeling in my life since I was 4 years old, it's the reason why "pick me girls" exist.
I very much doubt they thought they were throwing us a bone when the entire point of that scene is the "honorary man" bit; it was exclusively about Sheldon's b.s. They knew what they were doing and had no illusions whatsoever that they were giving us something.
I don't think they were throwing us a bone at all. "A penis made of science;" he basically said you can't be intelligent and female at the same time.
Keep in mind the context. Effectively, he was angry as the woman he was going to propose to broke up with him. This doesn't make the comments any better, but the writers were intentionally making him more inflammatory towards the women in that moment. It was more to show immaturity in his reaction, showing that Amy was justified in breaking up with him. That episode tends to be taken out of context, as he usually isn't that bad, and even in the moments of that episode doesn't mean what he is saying. This is shown in subsequent episodes and personal growth.
As a woman in STEM I feel this every day from my colleagues.
Women in STEM! I hope things are better for you since you left this comment. As a girl who's obsessed with paleontology, I can relate, but I know we can make a difference
As a female who was or is frequently the only one present in a comic store, magic tournament, d&d campaign, board game night at a cafe, or any online gaming group...I heartily agree with all of this. I especially love how nerd boys still try to make me prove my credentials when I've literally been gaming longer than they've been alive (I'm 35). You should hear it on Overwatch voice coms when I make callouts. Everything stops and you hear "Grill? Is that a grill??"
i mean, hearing a grill on a voice com can be quite surprising
@@xiyue-554 why do you think you hear so few, then
As a father of girls who share my passion for video games, comics, and science fiction who felt themselves pushed away from the lunchroom 'nerd table' as the boys started getting 'creepy' (their word) this whole video filled me with rage at the toxic way women are portrayed in media. I never bothered watching more than bits and pieces of that show, and all of them were awful. Thank you for pouring that filth into your brain, Pop Culture Detective, so that we don't have to.
It's so nice that a man is doing a video like this, but also sad it's the only way most people would validate the criticism
Why are there no replies ?
@@moon_blow4150 whoa 50k people liked it
@@moon_blow4150Because there isn’t much more to add onto this. Just a huge wave of silent agreement
"Geeky Guys can be sexist, too" well, every girl who plays online Games can agree to that.
The kind of abuse that gets beamed at women on mics is fucking crazy.
@@Appathetic_Substance_Abusemute
@@Appathetic_Substance_Abuse Thankfully, a lot of us take it well.
They ain’t only sexist, they say the most devious stuff known to man so sometimes I pretend to be white.
Are you new to video games? They're toxic to everybody lol
Come to think of it, the guy who essentially sexually assaulted me always threw pity parties about how he wasn't like "other guys."
Did he call himself a nice guy?
Sorry that happened to you. You will also see this behavior by some male feminists.
Skill issue
@@people2chronically-online
Mate, there’s a line between dark humor and edginess
@@axe-tq2wnthey always do!
It's so nice to hear men standing up for women
Thank you! I'm so tired of the "nice guy" stereotype, endlessly complaining about being friend zoned as though women owed them something in return for not being assholes.
To add to your list of nerdy male characters who aren't sexist- Tom Holland's Spider-Man was a really good depiction of a movie character like that
Excellent addition to the list! I think Jonathan was working on this before Homecoming came out, but Holland's Peter Parker is right up there with Abed and Ben Wyatt in my book.
Could you elaborate? Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love Tom Holland's take on Peter Parker, so I'd just like to add a bit more to love about the movie!
I dunno, I had someone who hated it because of that one bit at the start where they're crushing on the girl and talking about her sweater.
I like Riz Gukgak from Fantasy High, as well!
The most eye opening part of this video for me was your analysis of Leonard. I realized that I know so many Leonards. So many people who won’t challenge the misogyny I experience in life. So many “nice guys”. What’s even worse is realizing that *I* can be a Leonard. It’s so easy to roll my eyes and to just play off jokes as just that. It can be exhausting. I guess I just have to do better. Call out what I see and challenge what I experience.
👍
А почему я должен бросать вызов мизогинии? Что мне это даст?
"nerds" are just as hyper-masculine as "jocks". They actively make a point of excluding women from typically nerdy activities and women are constantly being told to "prove" that they're a "real nerd/fan" . Why can't we just let people enjoy things?
I'm so glad a man brought attention to this issue as I think that a woman would have been criticised for being "overly-sensitive" or a "feminazi". It's a shame that when it comes to talking gender equality, men are commonly taken a lot more seriously when voicing their opinions about it. Great video!
You might not see it here now that he's able to moderate comments, but there used to be loads of vicious dudebros taking over the comment sections, deeming him a "cuck" or "fag" or other bigoted language for being over-sensitive himself and daring not to fall in line with what they think a man should stand for. He is getting traction, but there was some strong resistance leading to where he is now. But maybe this was a special case, I dunno.
Its a very unfunny show on top of being sexist, but if you point out either failing you're going to be attacked online, by the same type of guys they were portraying ON the show, which actually makes sense.
Wrong. No woman is shamed for showing the issues which is sexist. People calls her feminazi when she twists it and try to paint Men bad.
@@Vishnuk-fe9iv there ; you proved her point
Just like how Men gets called mysognyst or "incel" when point the sexist tv shows against Men.
"honorary man".
That makes me so sad. The struggle that women had to go through. What a shitty thing to say :(
Leonard clearly hates him for that how do yall call the show sexist
@@people2chronically-onlinedid you not watch The video?
@@spettmedia2185 Lol quite apparently.....not. Hahahahha
Now that women are equal how is it. You can't blame 'the popularity culture' for women doing worse in math. Male chess grandmasters have defeated women fair and square.
@@people2chronically-onlinehes an enabler
I personally never saw the "Heart of gold" in Howard. He's just creepy.
i always felt strangely repelled by this tv show's humour, and you made me realise what I couldn't
You should try thinking about things
@@ot1438🤓🤓🤓
@@gunieupig543 😂
I thought I was too sensitive when I thought they are all creepy. Especially in the case of Sheldon who seems to despise women to a point I am surprised that he is in a relationship.
i stopped watching this show when penny finally called out howard's creepy behavior and then he got depressed the entire episode, until penny apologised to him
She punched him
Bro didn’t watch the entire episode
@@people2chronically-online deserved
That whole episode I was screaming at my screen like “DONT FUCKING APOLOGIZE”
@@people2chronically-onlinehow would you feel if your mother punched someone for harrassing her?
They also never apologize. They state that it's racist or sexist but never apologize.
My best friend is an engineering major and one of 4 women in her intro to mechanical engineering lecture. First day of class, she walks in and sits down. The guy next to her says "You know this is an engineering lecture, right? Do you need help finding the right lecture hall?"... So yes, the misogyny in this show is very real and thriving. And making light of it with overdone jokes and subpar comedy is not helping anyone. TBBT has been trash since the beginning, I truly don't understand how it ever took off.
It told creepy guys that their bad behavior is permissible. It told them what they wanted to hear.
How is that mysogny? That Guy was helping her. The same goes for Men.
… he was not helping her. He was questioning why she was there, in an engineering lecture hall.
@@Vishnuk-fe9ivhelping her by assuming she didn’t belong in that class that she signed up for?
@@Vishnuk-fe9iv why are you trying so hard in every comment section
Is this show paying your food tax or something?
I used to love TBBT. But all of this is correct. And I can’t believe I had felt sorry for Howard when Penny called him out for being ’pathetic and creepy’. And then SHE apologised?!! The whole show is yucky...
women on this show are ONLY there to be viewed romantically. as soon as a women arrives, whoever they are, they automatically have to be a love interest to one of the guys and I found that to be a problem. like, women aren't just objects made to be beautiful for men, they can contribute to society just as much as men can.
also, when sheldon said that madam curie was an "honorary man" it was almost as like they had to consider her male to respect her. disgusting. now I'm 12 years old, and I know better than that.
"it was almost as like they had to consider her male to respect her"
No. It was exactly like that, that was precisely the point of Sheldon's remark. I'm impressed you were able to recognize that. You're very clear-eyed and analytical if you are in fact 12 (or rather 14, given this is a 2 year old comment). Keep it up!
I feel bad for Mayim Bialik, she's a part of the backbone of the show. She's a neuroscientist and fact checks all of the formulas etc written on white boards in the show but her character is completely bashed all the time. The show acknowledges Sheldon turning down Amy because he "doesn't know how relationships work" but when Amy says no to Sheldon or she needs space he stalks her. Seriously what the ever loving fuck is wrong with this show.
well all the characters do tell Sheldon when he is behaviour is upsetting others and they joke about how hard it is being his friend. He doesnt just do all that and get praised for it.
I actually threw up in my mouth when he called Marie Curie an "honorary man". What a fascinating insight into the vile mind of Chuck Lorre, who basically does this stuff in all of his shows.
For a video that has the word "Misogyny" in the title, it has a surprisingly tame comment section.
I have autism, and I frequently get compared to Sheldon. Unlike Sheldon, I am bad at math, but I am good at history and literature; I do not say inappropriate things to people, in fact I do not say anything at all; I may have immature behaviour, but I do not display this behaviour to anyone; Sheldon is aloof to his own actions and words, but I am very aware of how actions and words affect people, and Sheldon does not appear to have sensory overload, which happens to me all the time. But people still believe Sheldon is a good example of how neurodivergents are, so I just want to say, if you think Big Bang Theory can teach you about the basics of neurodivergent people, turn off the TV and try meeting real us as people.
THANK YOU!!!! I also have autism can definitely relate to you! I hate the stereotype that autistics are socially awkward know-it-all savants at math and science. I'm terrible at math and science but I'm good at literature and history. I'm not socially awkward, I just don't say anything and prefer to be by myself. Sheldon is garbage representation for neurodivergent people, and I'm glad we can both see that.
Unfortunately, watching TV os far easier than meeting neurodivergent people
I also have autism and very much agee with everything you said there is almost no good representation of autism out there and it sucks cause I can't relate to anyone
I am embarrassed to be born with autism because of this "TV Show"
This is so real, except I love physics and I am currently studying it with maths. I’m also autistic. With this combo I am always called “female Sheldon” and it’s so annoying because he is such a stereotypical portrayal of autism
Even without the sexism the show's humour is constantly really mean. They just say mean oneliners to each other and that's the whole show. Even the geek culture references are really superficial.
when a nerdy guy gets rejected they always think its because theyre nerdy but most of the time it's because they're like these guys^^^ and don't think sexism is that bad
Or they don't have a pleasant personality and they're as average as a rock, and a rock can be interesting enough to have an entire science on it, geology.
I always hated that Penny ended up apologising to Howard after she called him out on his behaviour, I don't watch TBBT anymore because I don't really like the characters however I never thought about the sexism in the show that much, this really was an eye-opener, thank you!
I got so uncomfortable while watching 16 Candles for the first time. My mom had talked me into watching it with her and she only realized how creepy it was when I pointed it out.
YES! You hit the nail right on the head with this video.
Another thing about BBT that bothers me and wasn't really touched on in this video is its incorrect assumption that all women are uninterested in "nerd stuff." Whenever one of the girls walks into a comic store it's like the men in there have never seen a woman before in their lives. Whenever the guys talk about Star Trek, Doctor Who, Star Wars or something similar the girls are always completely disinterested and dismissive. It's fine to have a couple female characters be uninterested in nerdy things, but to present every woman in the world as being clueless to, say, the difference between Star Trek and Star Wars is absurd and ridiculous.
I literally cannot watch big bang theory because it reminds me so much of my old roommates boyfriend and his friends/roommates. They were so rude, dismissive and downright disrespectful. I remember we all watched a movie and I didn't think it was particularly funny and they all went off on how low my IQ was because I read Twilight when I was 14 and all I actually paid attention to was how nice my eyeliner looked and they constantly compared themselves to Big Bang Theory. They treated my other roommate like shit too, constantly making allusions to her intellect and her being a blonde. They only took my roommate, his gf (who mostly nerded out for HIS benefit) and our other roommate who placated them by essentially asking them to mansplain everything, seriously. It was like every time I opened my mouth they were hell-bent on proving me wrong or why I wasn't as correct as I thought I was. Anytime I brought up something remotely dealing with clothes, cosmetics, or vanity I was immediately labelled VAPID...needless to say, I didn't live with those roommates too much longer...
As an autistic woman, Sheldon's behaviour bothers me the most; you can't use social disabilities as an excuse to say bigoted things
I feel sorry for you. Based on the clips you used, it seems like you actually had to sit through multiple seasons of this show. I hope you made it out okay. Get well soon.
I watched all 230 episodes....twice. It was not fun.
You could also add Jake Peralta from B99 to the list. He's not as nerdy as the males from BBT, and he has stuffed up, but the main difference is that B99 calls attention to it, and doesn't let him get away with his mistakes. Jake learns, and is actually a nerdy guy who's super nice, and pretty much the ideal. He calls out people for their bigotry and apologises when he is called out himself.
This is disgusting, I can't believe I never noticed this before
If you remove the laugh track, They're very awkward and unfunny
The show is trash, but obviously removing the laugh track would totally ruin the comedic timing and make it awkward.. there are plenty of valid critiques without resorting to cheap oh it had a laugh track nonsense
@@ot1438 I don't know about that. Like if you remove the laugh track from Friends for example, yes it's awkward because of the long pause, but it's not uncomfortable or creepy. Big Bang Theory feels like that though. Remove the laugh track and I feel like I need a shower.
@ot1438 if it was trash then why is it one of the most popular American sitcom
@@misaeldoesanimation4408 because most of humanity is very easy to please. a very small percentage of people are able to identify when something is harmful or low quality, probably because only around 20% of people are self aware. i enjoyed big bang theory when i was a kid, as soon as my brain started developing i realized how fucking lame it is lol
Idk man
Thank you so much for including Ben and Abed as counter examples to how nerds can be written without those awful underlying tones of misogyny! Ben was so supportive of Leslie and their relationship was truly beautiful. And Abed is a bit like Sheldon in the way that they seem to have some sort of autism. But with Abed it is never mean spirited and especially his relationship with Annie was just wonderfully depicted. And when he went too far, he was always called out on his behaviour. Also both Parks&Rec and Community were smart, but also laugh-out-loud comedies which can't be said about TBBT. Thank you so much for this essay!
as a person who is majoring in a "nerdy" field i can assure you their sexism is very, very real and normalized. things are changing (half of the class is made of very open minded and chill people) but the other half is... well, let's just say our vacations just ended and we already have a racism scandal
Its funny cause in the Pilot episode pitching the show it actually had a girl geek in place of Rajh and Howard, which means they actively replaced her
Jesus christ the "honorary man/penis made of science" is the most objectively sexist and offensive joke ive heard in awhile
I would never be able to watch enough of the Big Bang Theory to put together a video like this.
In the end video, Jonathan looks like he had a mental breakdown after watching hours of BBT
I wouldn't blame him if he did. Thank you, good sir, for watching all that crap so we don't have to.
I love that show.
really goes to show how our culture feeds the "nice guy" syndrome so many guys have where they feel a woman owes them a relationship after they've been friends for so long. You can't be a 'Chad' if you're a nerd right?
I typed in “Big Bang theory cringe” looking to laugh at the bad jokes but this was just… so much worse. As a woman, I’m kind of embarrassed that I didn’t notice the harassment and assault in these shows that star “nerds”. This was very awakening
As a woman I never even noticed this which is perhaps worse than noticing it. I’ve become so accustomed to hearing these kinds of things in the real world that I’ve become blind to it.
it’s interesting to me how mayim bialik is an advocate for feminism and a very intelligent woman but still supports and works for a show that’s so blatantly misogynistic
I loved the analysis on how lampshading doesn't actually fix the problem.
Also this kind of trope is why I hate characters like mineta from bnha
Oh my god. A man who understands how serious sexism is. I love this channel. Thank you so much.
One of my old friends was a nerdy guy, and he tried to date me multiple times. At one point he asked me for nudes while I had a boyfriend then tried to rape me. But when I was angry at him and stopped being friends with him everyone was mad at me cause he didn't know what he was doing. Now whenever any guy tries to touch me in any way I flinch because of him. But everyone said I should have just let him cause he doesn't get much
UA-cam would not leave me the fuck alone until I watched this.
Can this guy please make a video about the Breaking Bad community's constant hate toward the main female character because she was 'annoying', while also sympathizing with the male lead because 'he had his reasons'? I feel like he'd hit the nail right on the head.
I know this is besides the point but now I realize why I love Ben Wyatt so much. He manages to be a complete dork with his quirks (like his affinity for calzones) WITHOUT being a creep. He respected Leslie from the moment they began to form a friendship, even poking fun at men who absolutely require their fiances to take their soon-to-be husbands name on the night of his and Leslie's wedding. He's my all time favorite character from anything I've ever seen and I wish more nerdy guy characters could be like him.
As someone who, as a kid, was good with computers, has been playing RPGs and video games, I always hated how geeks are depicted in TV and movies. Why can't they just behave normally? Why does expertise or being part of a fandom, or even social awkwardness has to mean they can't behave in a socially accepted way? Seriously, even being socially awkward doesn't mean that a person has to behave in scandallous manner. It mostly just means less social interactions initiated, nothing dramatic.
Is the first time I watch a video on youtube talking about Misogyny and I am agree with everything, I never had thought about the "adorable nerd" un til today and I am 100% agree. Excellent video!
I don't know if you all remember the time when penny had to apologise to howard because she protested against Howard's misbehaviour towards her. I really didn't understand what was the writer eating before writing this script. Lol. Total hypocrisy.
The series is basically r/iamverysmart and r/niceguys combined
That's the worst part of nerdy guys turned bullies, they'll always feel like they're the ones being attacked
I work at a comic book store. I don't get any of the blatant sexism, or weird looks. I get more "fake gamer" comments. I am female, I can't also be a nerd... unless I am an UBER NERD who knows ALL the things!
"hey guys, I'm a sexist and pretty racist too but I'm geeky and nerdy and don't know how to socialize so who cares lol" is basically the entire fucking show
As a fangirl and nerd it is always disappointing to watch shows where I am automatically othered or treated as fictional.
The fact that they made penny apologize was disgusting.
I liked the show overall all but that didn't sit well with me either. If howard was just doing pick up lines it would be more tolerant, but all the other stuff went too far at times
"The trouble isn't with me, it's with your gender." That line says it all, doesn't it? These garbage movies and sitcoms push this idea that the reason these guys can't catch a break isn't because they're total clods with bad (yes, BAD) personalities, but because the women rejecting them are just being unreasonable. Surely, if only these women knew well enough to "get off their high horse" they'd lower their "impossible" standards and settle for these chums because they deserve it somehow. "Nonono, HEEEE shouldn't have to change his behavior at all! He shouldn't be expected to improve himself! It's those nasty women being too demanding! They should be happy just to get the attention!" It paints a hopeless future for geeks by portraying them as incapable of ever "getting the girl" through less than nefarious means. Like there's just NO WAY they could ever get someone interested in them without having to TRICK the girl by appearing to be someone they're not, so $%#& it, right? Then she'll see what she's been missing out on! Blegh. As an autistic person, it also pisses me off that people try to blame the more harmful aspects of characters like Sheldon on his autism, as if he just can't help himself so he should get a free pass. Because hey, if he wasn't autistic he wouldn't act this way, right? I'm sure that's the entire cause of all his many many problems. It just makes people like me look bad. And now they're making an entire series dedicated to his childhood, and whatever made him the way he is. DEAR GOD PLEASE NO.
Nick on Planet Ripple I have Asperger's but since I'm female no one believes me. And I'm asexual but people think I'm picky and it might be a religious thing.
Hey Nick? Thank you for your words and restoring a bit of my hope in humanity.
"it's okay to be asexual as long as you still have sex and aren't sex-repulsed" Yeah, that line was clearly written by someone who isn't ace. It just panders to non-ace peoples' insecurities. Nobody likes the idea of a partner being physically "repulsed" by them. It's a reversal of "You just want me for my body." In this case it's like "You only like me for my mind!" I'm not ace, so I... don't feel I have the standing to say any more about ace peoples' experiences. But I will say autistic characters being ace a lot of the time is just creating another stereotype that autists are inherently asexual beings with no physical desires. It's just used as another way to make us sound like defective, unfeeling robots, to dehumanize us and justify treating us badly. I'm not saying that doesn't happen to ace people, just to be clear, but it's so easy to compound it with autism as if they're two symptoms of the same "sickness." A lot of the time we might just not be open about our sexuality because we don't know how to go about it or if potential partners would even accept us that way, and that anxiety makes it awkward.
Nick on Planet Ripple This was a brilliant post!!
I think it's because most humans are terrified of being alone and the idea of never getting physically intimate is a form of loneliness, like it's a requirement to do it or "You haven't really lived." I think it's mostly an evolutionary thing, that mammals are built to seek physical contact in various forms. It's why animals love being petted or nuzzling each other. It's not strictly a sexual thing, just something that incentivizes some mammals to form groups, and we're very social animals. But us humans... we just have weird hangups those other animals don't.
And ooooohhh you bet we are infantilized. I'm sure you've noticed in most of these stories, there's ONE SPECIAL THING the character is really good at or knowledgeable of, but they're completely incapable when it comes to everything else. It's a cute basic story where they get to show everyone what they're made of, but it's so played out and overdone it's become the face of autism. People expect us to have some secret super power and act disappointed when they find out we don't. It's like "Oh sure, Timmy may be a screw up in general, but at least he can count faster than a computer! THAT'S where his value comes from! It's his redeeming quality!" basically it makes it look like that's all we're good for, and if we don't have a talent or quirk like that to make us stand out, we're worthless to society. Just a useless lump that can't even do the one special magic trick right.
Another thing is we're usually portrayed as... weirdly angelic. It's not very often you see an autistic character who's realistically capable of being an asshole, and the times you DO see an autistic jerk, it's someone like Sheldon. Clumsy portrayals such as these just make it look like those bad qualities come from the autism, like he's only a jerk because he's atypical.
you always find the best ways to explain things i know are sexist but can never put my finger on
Receipts everywhere.
It just doesn't hurt women, it hurts us all. Sexism, like all isms are detrimental to the whole society. Btw thanks for making this video.
Fan girls of all things geeky have learned to mask their fandom because of the way male geeks behave towards them. This is spot on.
God i hate that laugh track
Genneth It's a live audience, not a track. Still annoying though.
"On television men's feelings and bruised egos are nearly always decipted as more important than women's comfort or women's safety" -YES, thank you.
I'll admit that I've been a big TBBT fan because even though there are many jokes that annoy me (every single storyline regarding Howard's unwillingness to do house chores or the human resources lady to name a few) others really make me laugh. But I'm sure that if I were in a position where I had to face that kind of behaviour in real life I wouldn't find this show funny at all. You've really made me rethink what should be condemned in movies and TV and now I'm going to stop watching.
Also, this video had me thinking of that quote in The Social Network "you are going to go through life thinking girls don't like you cause you're a nerd. And I want you to know from the bottom of my heart, that that won't be true. It'll be because, you're an asshole."
I was never confused as to how Raj & Howard didn't manage to get girlfriends but how the heck they managed to get any girl to like them considering their behaviour, attitudes & apparent unwillingness to change.
Summed up everything I hate about this show. I love that you show alternative ways to write this character at the end. We do need to retire these tropes.
I was a manager at an LGS as the "comic book girl" for ten years. I started when i was 19. My therapist says i literally have ptsd due to the sexual harassment. I experienced all of this.
They tend to believe that they are "better" than other men. The rascism and sexual harassment was fucking crazy. They think that because they are not traditionally masculine their own misogyny is excused.
I felt genuinely afraid almost every FNM i had to host, when people would corner me, and claim i was faking results created by the wizard manager.
I have had a boyfriend of three weeks being asked questions meant for me just because he was a man.
I had to listen to hours upon hours of these guys hating women for "not giving them a chance" when they were blatantly rude to them and chased them out of the shop.
the first time i came in as a costumer i was Literally circled and thrown comic questions i had to answer. For every one i got right, the crowd got bigger. It was like a sideshow. I should have known then.
I was physiccally assaulted by some teenaged kids buying pokemon cards and then blamed for "not standing up for myself." They genuinely dont view women as people.
Nerd misogyny is a different breed. I wish i never had that job.
My god im so so sorry you had to go through that! I wish people could realize women are into "nerdy" hobbies too, but are treated so poorly by men in the community they just dont even speak about it, really sucks!
I’m so sorry you had to go through that. Hope you are doing better now and if not know that you are human, you have feelings, thoughts, needs and wants that are YOUR OWN. Sending love from Ireland ❤
У меня на работе есть типичный альфач-спортсмен. Он постоянно лезет к РСПшке в коллективе: мешает ей пройти, делает сальные намёки, распускает руки. А она заливисто смеётся и не останавливает его. Но если я сделаю хоть что-нибудь из вышеперечисленного, сразу поднимется вой до небес. Ну и где тут справедливость?
Yes! Completely agree! I'm into geeky stuff, but I've always wondered why so many guys, who want women to like them, start calling girls "fake" for liking what they're into. I never understood it, why would you hate someone for liking the same thing you're into, especially if you're attracted to them?! Why not welcome it and have a good time? That's totally backwards....great video! 🤓
I hadn't really watched BBT much before, but I find it interesting that the actress who plays Amy is a very outspoken feminist, speaking about how men should refrain from referring to women as "girls" for example, yet hasn't spoken out about the show.
Oh my God Sheldon calling Marie Curie an "honorary man" had me fucking disgusted.
In reality Leonard gave no fucks about Penny, he held her to ransom and made her apologise to Howard because he wanted to win a Robot wars competition. Penny was a prop for his ego, the fact he sent a bikini picture to his old school club friends, shows he viewed her as an object.
Having watched the first three seasons of TBBT without remembering seeing any blatant misogyny, I went into this video thinking "not another SJW whining about nothing". But wow, did you change my mind. I guess the sexist comments flew under my radar because they're more sprinkled in occasionally and since it's lovable nerds saying it, you don't really pay that much attention to it, but seeing it all in a row now, it's actually quite disturbing. Good job on this video!
Other than Sheldon's casual sexism, none of this ever bothered me that much. What bothered me was that they made the women all "anti geek" how they treated geeky things as stupid. As a geeky girl it bothered me that none of the women (especially the attractive ones) were interested in the same stuff as the guys and would constantly put them down for the stuff they liked. As if only geeky men exist.
DRAG👏THEM👏
I love this video and the issues it represents but I also feel like it would be brushed off as a "feminazi rant" had it been said by a female voice. though I am glad that someone is pointing it out because sexism is a serious problem in most societies that as you said gets brushed off as unimportant even though it is. also this video earned a sub from me good video keep up the good work.
never liked BBT in the first place and that "penis made of science" comment really solidified it for me
I never watched the show. I caught small snippets while remote surfing, but I did gauge the racism towards the Indian guy.
You talked about Abed! I'm so glad! Your examples of positive nerdy masculinity were the perfect counterpoint to the casual misogyny of every scene on TBBT.
Me too! I love Abed.
The other thing that puts Community streets ahead of tbbt, is that it actually goes deep into references to geeky stuff, rather than saying " wow they like a thing that we said the name of, laugh at them"
"Cool. Cool cool cool."
Shit I never noticed this. How is that possible? Now I'm kinda disturbed...
This is so fucking on point.
Jesus, I'd heard "Revenge Of The Nerds" was bad, but I didn't realise it was that bad. Ewww
17:40 "Well, despite your... 'quirks,' you three are very accomplished in your respective fields."
Hey look, it's the entire reason the Me Too movement exists, distilled down into one supporting character's line on an asinine TV show, which definitely will not age well.
I am very disappointed in myself for not seeing this trope earlier, and excusing real life experiences that are like this in the past. I really wish this was talked about more.
As a younger kid, growing up I never understood why people hated the show. I enjoyed the irony but looking back I understand and disappointed about a show I grew up loving.
I watched the episode where Sheldon got the female research assistant and treated her like crap for being a woman. I waited for him (the clear villain) to get his punishment, and was furious when essentially nothing came of it. Never watched it again.
It's so comforting to hear a man point out misogyny and acknowledge that it's not ok. 👏🏻❤️
Wow I never knew I needed this kind of content