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[zoukka]

Because BBT is of bad writing and acting quality?

 

[HP_Wuvcraft]

Because The Big Bang theory is the modern day equivalent of a minstrel show about (EMPHASIS ON THE QUOTES) "Nerd Culture".

This is the main distinction.

They both are crap, but at least one is genuine.

Don't even get me started on how offensive the character of Sheldon is. They all but say he has Autism/Asperger's, because if they actually came out and defined his disability, then they couldn't make jokes about the group of people they obviously are making jokes about.

Whereas you have Community, which embraces Abed's Asperger's and gets away with making fun of it because they take the time to give him character moments where his actions are explained. The jokes become funnier once we understand his POV. They even had an episode where we met the opposite of Abed: a guy with AS that simply thought he was better than everyone else.

 

[NinjaBoiX]

What is all this "minstrel show" talk? Isn't a minstrel show were white people used to don black face paint and perform songs and skits in the 19th century? I don't see the connection.

 

[Herne]

What is all this "minstrel show" talk? Isn't a minstrel show were white people used to don black face paint and perform songs and skits in the 19th century? I don't see the connection.

I guess by that they mean it's as insulting to geeks and nerds as that was to black people. I certainly don't think so myself, but I do think the show is laughing at geeks and not with them, which is the important thing that seperates it from the IT Crowd.

 

[Trojita]

I'm surprised that it hasn't been mentioned on the show that Penny has a serious drinking problem.

 

[Chuckie]

I'm surprised that it hasn't been mentioned on the show that Penny has a serious drinking problem.

I don't think they do those awareness shows in sitcoms anymore. You are right though...she does drink a lot in the show.

 

[maharg]

I'm surprised that it hasn't been mentioned on the show that Penny has a serious drinking problem.

I would say Raj is the one with the drinking problem, since it actually affects his life.

 

[Chuckie]

I would say Raj is the one with the drinking problem, since it actually affects his life.

It (kind of) normalizes him, as long as he doesn't overdo it. Penny sleeps with people and forgets about it all.

I guess they both have an alcohol problem though.

 

[Captain_Spanky]

The story arcs from BBT where the characters have to deal with growing out of a self-perpetuated man child stage are the most poignant, possibly because they hit pretty close to home.

For instance, in one of the earlier seasons, there's a female physician Howard meets at a club while trolling for booty. He takes her to work on the promise that she will get to drive a Mars rover by remote. Of course, it all goes horribly wrong and he ends up screwing up a multi billion dollar mission because of it. Who amongst us hasn't tried their darnedest to impress a girl only to have it all go wrong?

Later in that same season, the same girl starts dating Leonard and practically moves in with him, spending so much time at his place that Sheldon starts demanding she pay rent. When she suggests that she and Leonard just stop pretending and move in together for real, it exposes a bunch of commitment issues Leonard has, he being content for the half-arsed status quo to continue. I watched that episode with my then girlfriend (now wife) while we were having the exact same conflict and it gave me all sorts of uncomfortable feels.

Not to mention Howard's arrested development and codependent relationships (his mum, Raj), Raj's crippling social anxiety and dealing with being a brown boy in a dating market where whiteness is the default and Sheldon's grappling with the mundane interactions we all take for granted. Add Penny's nonexiststent acting career, Amy's endearing attempts to make up for a lonely friendless childhood in adulthood (and homoerotic admiration for Penny) as well as Bernadette's obliviousness to so many of Howard's flaws and you get a great show.

That's what the show is about, not some throwaway geek references here and there. If Leonard and Sheldon had a poster of a hot rod up beside their door instead of a replica of the Valyrian steel greatsword Ice, the jokes would work exactly the same way.

But sure, trot out the Bazinga hate if that's your thing.

That's all fairly standard American Sitcom plotlines and humor. Friends does all that, for example.

 

[NinjaBoiX]

That's all fairly standard American Sitcom plotlines and humor. Friends does all that, for example.

Friends in in a different league, character wise to BBT. Just finding out some random childhood fact about one of the gang in Friends was hilarious. In BBT, they are well defined characters, but they don't really tend to build on it that much.

I'd say Friends is probably the most character driven US sitcom ever, in terms of how strongly it affects the storylines and gags. I really gave a shit about them too, I'm not sure I could care less what happens to the BBT gang, even as a fan.

 

[Trojita]

There was a scene when I had it on where they were discussing who the bravest person in Marvel is. They give jokes like She Hulk's bikini waxer and Captain America's Undocumented landscaper. Sheldon says he has them all beat. He states that the bravest person in comics is the guy who has to check Wolverine's Prostate.

Sheldon, why are you so dumb? Why would Wolverine even need to have his prostate checked? He has a healing factor. It's not like he is going to get cancer.

 

[Fari]

Sheldon, why are you so dumb? Why would Wolverine even need to have his prostate checked? He has a healing factor. It's not like he is going to get cancer.

The most shocking incident was when he claimed that Mario 64 used a memory card.

 

[Gummifaust]

We need a gif of Moss on the arcade bike.

 

[Chuckie]

There was a scene when I had it on where they were discussing who the bravest person in Marvel is. They give jokes like She Hulk's bikini waxer and Captain America's Undocumented landscaper. Sheldon says he has them all beat. He states that the bravest person in comics is the guy who has to check Wolverine's Prostate.

Sheldon, why are you so dumb? Why would Wolverine even need to have his prostate checked? He has a healing factor. It's not like he is going to get cancer.

Wouldn't the bravest person be the one getting a prostate check from Wolverine?

 

[Crazylegs]

Here's some:

I am generally embarrassed to watch TBBT with my teenaged kids in the room. We started watching because, hey, we're a family of nerds and thought we would identify with the characters and humour. However, I find the show leans WAY too heavily on sexual innuendo for 'humour'. I'm in no way a prude, but the writing is always lowest common denominator.

The IT Crowd is a show I can watch with my family and we laugh our asses off. I find it resonates much more authentically with nerd culture and the writing/characters are not lazy in the same manner as TBBT.

YMMV

 

[Zoe]

It (kind of) normalizes him, as long as he doesn't overdo it. Penny sleeps with people and forgets about it all.

I guess they both have an alcohol problem though.

They do call her a slut fairly often.

Raj pretty much always has a beer in his hands these days.

 

[TheExodu5]

Wouldn't the bravest person be the one getting a prostate check from Wolverine?

I just splurted out my invisible milk.

 

[Silver_key]

Watched that before IT crowd and loved it as well.

Every time I watch UK Coupling, I curse the steaming piles Friends and U.S. Coupling were.

 

[Uncle]

Every time I watch UK Coupling, I curse the steaming piles Friends and U.S. Coupling were.

US Coupling is kinda amazing. The episodes I saw copied the originals almost word for word, but everything just fell flat.