Support NeoGAF

[Pegasus Actual]

Blackface for nerds.

Kaley Cuoco was pretty hot at least. I bet Penny's so brave and trans in a reboot in the next couple of years.

 

[Rran]

Unpopular opinion incoming: there's nothing inherently wrong with studio audiences. They turn the show into a shared experience; the audience is part of the show, sometimes enhancing and energizing the performance of the actors (or comedian). It's similar to watching a play with a bunch of people. The characters feed off the energy and it enhances the experience.

There's a reason why you never see stand-up routines where it's simply a comic by himself telling jokes in front of the camera.

And the whole "it's awkward without a laugh track" is kind of funny but misses the point for the same reason. Take out the pause for laughter at a comedy routine or a play and it'd be similarly weird.

Also ALSO you get a lot of people saying, "I don't need something to tell me when to laugh" and then laud other comedies without studio laughter. But other comedies still do that, they just do it via other methods to amplify the humor. Quick cuts (Family Guy), quirky musical stings (The Simpsons), pauses before a punchline (Parks & Rec), character voice overs contradicting what's onscreen (The Office). And it's fine, it's a show! It's all edited and manipulated to elicit an emotional response.

My less-unpopular opinion is that Big Bang Theory just wasn't all that funny when I watched it. The studio laughter isn't the problem, it's more that the show's writing feels kinda cheap. Lots of references without much in the way of punchlines, and Sheldon is like a poor man's Niles Crane. That said, there are usually a few good jokes, at least from the episodes I've seen.

 

[NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt]

If you want to watch an actual excellent comedy series from around that time that has lots of nerd references (focused more on movies and TV series, but there are a bit here and there for video games, cartoons, etc.) in an actual clever way rather than just, “I named a thing! Please laugh!” as well as just great humor in general due to having actual fleshed out characters, then Community is a must watch for you.

Honestly the Emmy nominations drove me crazy. Sheldon, Leonard, and Howard all nominated for Acting. Sheldon, sure, that actor’s great, but Leonard and Howard felt like standard performances to me most of the time. Meanwhile, none of the cast for Community got a single nomination, WTF. At least Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas won Best Animation and Remedial Chaos Theory, one of the best episodes, got nominated for Best Writing, but they should have had way more nominations for the Emmys.

God I love Community

Wish it lasted longer but at least it's getting a movie

I think the movie that's coming should be called Six Seasons And A Movie

But I like the first 3 to 4 seasons the most. Unfortunately I felt that the show wasn't as good when Donald Glover and Chevy Chase (Which I understand) left

 

[Trogdor1123]

Always liked it. It’s mindless fun. Plus, Penny. That’s reason enough.

 

[Halfkut]

Sheldon cooper is just a weaker version of dick Solomon without the alien excuse for being an asshole

 

[Quasicat]

I binge watched it during Covid having missed it completely when it was on the air. When you watch a series like that, the gradual shift in the story telling becomes very apparent. The first few seasons were charming, the characters worked well…about half way through the series the characters were just mean to each other (especially Leonard and Penny). Its almost like the show’s characters lost their chemistry that made the show work.

 

[Kamina]

It was a banger mostly, but some joke themes were lame or overstayed their welcome.
Overall i am happy that it existed.

Penny is hot.

 

[Trunx81]

Same why a show like How I met your mother works. People can make fun of the characters. British comedy shows on the other hand give you clever twists and “how will they ever get out of this situation” stories. IT Crowd was already mentioned (Moss at the bar is comedy gold) and I also recommend “Coupling”, the better Friends/HIMYM. The episode with the girl from Israel is so good!

 

[SJRB]

When your comedy needs a laugh track so the audience knows when something supposedly funny happened.

 

[mansoor1980]

 

[AV]

If you're writing xD in messages in 2024 then yeah, TBBT is probably for you

 

[-Minsc-]

If you're writing xD in messages in 2024 then yeah, TBBT is probably for you

(^_________________________^)

Yeah i know 'it has to evolve" but i disagree. It doesn't have to. Because now that it did it became shit.

The jist I'm getting is the show should have ended after three seasons.

I never got into watching TBBT. By the time it came around I largely moved on to streaming anime. Whenever I did see it on TV I never felt compelled to keep watching.

Nerds and people I knew who worked in the sciences seemed to hate it.

 

[Valedix]

there are some really funny scenes i'll admit like

 

[Cyberpunkd]

But somehow, Leaonard is portrayed as being the lucky one to have snatched Penny, just because she is pretty.

Because it looks like once you get above a certain beauty standard all you want is to become a model / an influencer / marry rich guy.

 

[Power Pro]

there are some really funny scenes i'll admit like

See, I hate this because it shows the writers didn't know real nerds who game, because a real one would've just bought both.

 

[winjer]

Because it looks like once you get above a certain beauty standard all you want is to become a model / an influencer / marry rich guy.

But Penny is the one hat would be lucky to get someone like Leonard.
The only thing Penny had going for her, was the looks. But her personality was self-cantered. She was vapid. Lacked intelligence. She was just a waitress hoping to one day get an acting job. And most of her relations were a dumpster fire.
Leonard wasn't perfect. He had issues with his mother, lacked social skills and wasn't very handsome. But he was much more intelligent than Penny. Had a proper carer in sciences. And a proper high paying job at a faculty. He also had a tight knit group of friends. And plenty of hobbies and interests.
Bernadette and Fowler were much better catches than Penny. Much more intelligent. Better carers. And higher social status.

 

[Queso de Grande]

I may have liked the show, but I find the guy who plays Sheldon extremely off putting. I don’t like anything he is in.

 

[jufonuk]

less is more essentially. They keep trying to make everything a punchline the timing is off.

Young Sheldon is infinitely better it lets the jokes build and have a punch line. It goes at a nice pace and doesn’t have a force laugh track. Not saying big bang isn’t funny. Because it is (in parts and not all the time) They just try turning everything into a “hahahahahaha” canned laughter bit. It’s like they are insulting your comedic intelligence so I tell the writers don’t test man on comedies. I will fuck you up and send you to a comedic phantom zone.
Bust out some inbetweeners, phone shop, father ted. Mighty boosh. The boy fools and horses. Dad’s army. Porridge. Fast show. Harry Enfield. Hale and pace.
League of gentlemen, toast of London.
Spaced. Black books. Green wing.peep show Thru Alan partridge.to the day today.
Phone hacker face jacker, trigger happy TV
Ricky Gervais. The holy bills Bailey,Burr and Hicks
Snuff box. Dark green wing. Brass eye and Jam to truly show you way
Then when you reeling.
Some keeping up appearances and the vicar of Dibley

Mr Bean.
Ya done now. ‘Low it.

 

[Doom85]

But Penny is the one hat would be lucky to get someone like Leonard.
The only thing Penny had going for her, was the looks. But her personality was self-cantered. She was vapid. Lacked intelligence. She was just a waitress hoping to one day get an acting job. And most of her relations were a dumpster fire.
Leonard wasn't perfect. He had issues with his mother, lacked social skills and wasn't very handsome. But he was much more intelligent than Penny. Had a proper carer in sciences. And a proper high paying job at a faculty. He also had a tight knit group of friends. And plenty of hobbies and interests.
Bernadette and Fowler were much better catches than Penny. Much more intelligent. Better carers. And higher social status.

In terms of women Leonard dated, Stephanie (I think from Season 1 or 2) was way better than Penny. Prettier, was a surgical resident, and never bullied him and so simply communicating with her about one’s worries was fine by her (in terms of Leonard feeling rushed that she wanted to move in so soon, all he had to do was tell her that and she said that was fine and she could wait). Even Sheldon had no major issues with her IIRC.

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

But Penny is the one hat would be lucky to get someone like Leonard.
The only thing Penny had going for her, was the looks. But her personality was self-cantered. She was vapid. Lacked intelligence. She was just a waitress hoping to one day get an acting job. And most of her relations were a dumpster fire.
Leonard wasn't perfect. He had issues with his mother, lacked social skills and wasn't very handsome. But he was much more intelligent than Penny. Had a proper carer in sciences. And a proper high paying job at a faculty. He also had a tight knit group of friends. And plenty of hobbies and interests.
Bernadette and Fowler were much better catches than Penny. Much more intelligent. Better carers. And higher social status.

Everyone is disfunctional in TBBT. Sheldon is an easy way to make everyone else look “normal” enough, ie quirky, faulty, neurotic, but ultimately capable of living an average life. But everyone in the show is disfunctional. Bernadette is too, as is Amy. I guarantee that in real life you’d still want Penny as the mother of your children, not Bernadette.

If anyone ever felt personally insulted by TBBT’s humor, they 100% have skeletons in their closet from their pre-teen and teenage years. I don’t doubt for a second that some apparently exaggerated scenes from the show, especially in the earlier seasons, must have hit very close to home for a lot of people. The real geeks wish they were never as dumb and dorky as the guys in the show. If you didn’t do it, at least you thought about doing it at least once. Admit it

I enjoyed the show all the way to the end. It’s not a masterpiece of TV, but it’s light-hearted fun. Comparisons with Community make no sense. Community is pure genius. It’s TV Tropes, the show. It’s TV making fun of itself, and it’s incredibly brilliant and well-acted. And the characters are way crazier than TBBT’s ever aspired to be. But it’s a very different show.

 

[pauljeremiah]

I liked seasons 2 & 3, but after that, the show became "Smart Friends." Also, I found that over time, nerd culture just became a punchline; the earlier seasons at least tried to embrace nerd culture, but then you would have Penny answer a question by saying either "Star Wars?" or "Star Trek?" and the canned laughter kicks in. Also, FYI, most of the canned laughter you hear on TV was recorded in the 1950s and 1960s, and most of the recorded people are now dead, so think of that when you're watching BBT, and you hear that laughter echoing from the graveyard.

 

[winjer]

Everyone is disfunctional in TBBT. Sheldon is an easy way to make everyone else look “normal” enough, ie quirky, faulty, neurotic, but ultimately capable of living an average life. But everyone in the show is disfunctional. Bernadette is too, as is Amy. I guarantee that in real life you’d still want Penny as the mother of your children, not Bernadette.

If anyone ever felt personally insulted by TBBT’s humor, they 100% have skeletons in their closet from their pre-teen and teenage years. I don’t doubt for a second that some apparently exaggerated scenes from the show, especially in the earlier seasons, must have hit very close to home for a lot of people. The real geeks wish they were never as dumb and dorky as the guys in the show. If you didn’t do it, at least you thought about doing it at least once. Admit it

I enjoyed the show all the way to the end. It’s not a masterpiece of TV, but it’s light-hearted fun. Comparisons with Community make no sense. Community is pure genius. It’s TV Tropes, the show. It’s TV making fun of itself, and it’s incredibly brilliant and well-acted. And the characters are way crazier than TBBT’s ever aspired to be. But it’s a very different show.

Remove all the quicky aspects of those characters and they all improve. But Penny remains a waitress in a dead end job, with not much going for her, except her looks.

I only saw the first or 3 seasons. By the time I stopped watching, I was already feed up with the same jokes, over and over again.
In the first couple of seasons there was a modic of quality, and some fun to be had. But the formula grew stale soon enough.

 

[Paasei]

Can’t day I hate it because I never truly watched this show.

I am quite biased on American sitcoms. 9/10 times, so there are exceptions, American shows just aren’t funny. It’s a a miracle to see Americans with a sense of humor.

 

[INC]

I hate how they pretend to always have take out food, but onlying push the food around with their forks.

Oh and it's lack of humour, it's decent when penny is cold tho

 

[TGO]

I personally liked it, mainly for Kaley

(been watching her since 8 Simple Rules)
I generally found it mostly funny when the guys did their thing like in the earlier seasons.
But when Amy & Bernadette became regulars I think it lost focus, the guys was still funny but yeah the focus shifted.
But.... Penny

 

[Reizo Ryuu]

I hate how they pretend to always have take out food, but onlying push the food around with their forks.

This is one of my cinema pet peeves, I absolutely hate it when scenes are framed this way, I understand it's hard to have actors actually eat between takes, but at least make some effort, hollow out the burgers, have spit buckets etc., and if you can't make this effort than just stop framing dinner scenes all together, none of that bs pushing food around or just eating a single pea nonsense, just have the scene start when they just finished the meals instead.
Every time an actor actually eats on screen I'm like

 

[TGO]

This is one of my cinema pet peeves, I absolutely hate it when scenes are framed this way, I understand it's hard to have actors actually eat between takes, but at least make some effort, hollow out the burgers, have spit buckets etc., and if you can't make this effort than just stop framing dinner scenes all together, none of that bs pushing food around or just eating a single pea nonsense, just have the scene start when they just finished the meals instead.
Every time an actor actually eats on screen I'm like

Sam & Dean Winchester would make you proud

My peeve is the person playing a Games Handheld or console and it's making Space Invaders noises

 

[deriks]

Show was good in the first couple seasons. Not the best thing ever, but was a nerd easy going thing to see. They changed into a romantic comedy, and most of the jokes weren't funny at all

The hate is because the direction changed and treating "being a nerd" as just *intelligent, weak and weird*

Also, Chuck Lorre is the guy behind, and the lack/change of direction was saw with Two and a Half Men before so there's that

 

[chakadave]

laugh tracks.

 

[Mistake]

It's basically Aspergers the show. Also, every time they talk about computers I want to pull my hair out

 

[Clear]

Because its a truly terrible and unfunny show. I'd rather watch Velma than that!

 

[ShadowNate]

It was unfunny with caricature characters that felt less fresh and more like tired versions (like season 7+ Friends) of what they should have started. I would have thought I fell right in the target demographic for this one (computer nerd, science degree, gaming, introvert, and all that fun) but nope. Every "joke" was off, references felt forced, deadpan delivered or plain too wrong to be relatable and funny.

It kind of felt like the writers were putting down their idea of what a nerd is, based on views from a decade ago, most of which they probably watched in another better comedy show.

I gave it a few episodes because usually it takes a while for the chemistry to settle and the acting to get "warmer", but I didn't have it in me to watch more than half a season. I did see some scattered episodes that people wrote were really good ones (eg. the Xbox vs PS one) and I kind of felt that the show had improved and found its place, but still not enough to hook me -- and the turn offs were still there.

My sister and her husband liked it very much.

Maybe it's because by that time, I'd watched (or was watching) other shows that I appreciated far more than what this was attempting (IT Crowd, The Office (UK and US), Scrubs, Cheers).

I loved Parks & Rec and Community (the early seasons, before whatever the fuck happened and it dissolved itself) that came later than this.

 

[Spyxos]

I found it unfunny and it didn't help that it was shown on TV without end.

 

[Tams]

As already mentioned, it seemwd to be using 'nerd' culture as the butt of many if the jokes.

Plus, for me most American comedy just doesn't do it for me. And it was a stereotypical American sitcom.

But hey, I don't get how people like Fraser, can't stand it even, so take my opinion with a pinch of salt.

 

[od-chan]

Sitcoms with laugh tracks, aka multi cams, are a tough sell in general. TBBT came at a time when my personal tolerance for these ran dry. I could kinda stomach HIMYM for a while still, but didn't finish that either back then. Don't have any desire to go back to these either.

I watched like 3 or 4 seasons TBBT back then iirc. It's not all "bad", in the way that it is "unfunny" per se.

It's just low quality comedy, the lowest of all the low hanging fruits, very typical Chuck Lorre show. Two and a Half Men at least had the insanely charismatic Charle Sheen going for it, TBBT doesn't have anything that heavy carrying it (Penny got old fast, both literally and figuratively). Combine this low quality writing with the obnoxious laugh track and you just have a very unappealing show in general, like I genuinely can't understand how people would want to watch this.

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

Remove all the quicky aspects of those characters and they all improve. But Penny remains a waitress in a dead end job, with not much going for her, except her looks.

I only saw the first or 3 seasons.

I could guess. Penny changes jobs at one point, and it’s a significant step up for her in all respects.

Penny is possibly the character who evolves the most during the whole show. And she definitely turns out to be the best-adjusted one when all is said and done. The guys keep being dorks, while Amy keeps being Amy and Bernadette keeps being a short-fused nutcase with huge knockers.

You can’t remove the quirky aspects of those characters, because the show is all about those. Howard gets married and has kids, and he still uses a camera drone to spy on the girls poolbathing in one late episode. Raj never stops being the adorkable, pretty stereotypical Indian scientist that is too nervous around women to get a satisfying relationship. Leonard barely gets anywhere on his own, despite passing as the most grounded of the bunch. And Sheldon does open up a bit and adapts to relationship life, but he’s s still a weird guy on the spectrum who can’t relate to anyone outside of his small circle of close friends that tolerate him.

 

[winjer]

I could guess. Penny changes jobs at one point, and it’s a significant step up for her in all respects.

Penny is possibly the character who evolves the most during the whole show. And she definitely turns out to be the best-adjusted one when all is said and done. The guys keep being dorks, while Amy keeps being Amy and Bernadette keeps being a short-fused nutcase with huge knockers.

You can’t remove the quirky aspects of those characters, because the show is all about those. Howard gets married and has kids, and he still uses a camera drone to spy on the girls poolbathing in one late episode. Raj never stops being the adorkable, pretty stereotypical Indian scientist that is too nervous around women to get a satisfying relationship. Leonard barely gets anywhere on his own, despite passing as the most grounded of the bunch. And Sheldon does open up a bit and adapts to relationship life, but he’s s still a weird guy on the spectrum who can’t relate to anyone outside of his small circle of close friends that tolerate him.

Penny with her quirks is a self-centred, narcissistic and with issues t created long lasting relationships. She is very far from being a normal person.

That the rest of the cast remains the same caricatures of dorks, is why so many people hate the show.
The reality is the this show is not about geek culture, rather, it's about making fun of geeks. It's punching down.
Even Stuart, that starts as a geek with normal personality in his first episodes, soon devolves into a caricature of the nerd, that is even worse than anyone else.
And that these characters never evolve, just to keep them being the punch line, just shows how little respect the show runners had for geeks.
All you said, just reinforces how bad the writing was for this show.

 

[Deleted member 1159]

Once I realized how much I hated laugh tracks, basically only Seinfeld remained watchable to me…because the comedy of the absurd still gets me

 

[Doom85]

Even Stuart, that starts as a geek with normal personality in his first episodes, soon devolves into a caricature of the nerd, that is even worse than anyone else.

I mean, didn’t Stuart legitimately face difficult issues during the show? A massive new comic shop opened threatening his business, I forget what caused it but massive water damage (or maybe it was a fire, I can’t remember) ruined his store, etc. Sure, the show had fun with it, but I don’t think the show was acting like Stuart was a loser or something for situations outside his control.

You might have been referring to other things Stuart did that I just don’t remember by this point. But he did meet a legit wonderful woman he had great chemistry with. I love the scene where Sheldon goes to test her because he doesn’t trust anyone else besides Stuart to work at the comic shop and she is able to rapidly deduce Sheldon’s tastes based on his T-shirt alone (Green Lantern, but it’s Alan Scott so she knows Sheldon might prefer something more retro) and so she recommends a lesser known but solid comic about a fantasy-based version of World War 1 to his delight and then when Neil Gaiman of all people walks up and offers his own recommendation, Sheldon just looks at him and goes, “excuse me, sir, we were having a conversation here.”

Like damn, most of the jokes in the show were just so non-memorable, at most earning that forced laugh Sheldon would sometimes give, but on a rare occasion you’d get a good one like that that actually utilizes nerd humor that actually shows a passion for nerd-dom rather than just punching down on them.

 

[E-Cat]

BBT is a show for normies to laugh at nerds

Silicon Valley is a show for nerds to laugh with nerds

 

[OmegaSupreme]

Why is the one guy dressed up like he's auditioning for the monkeys?

 

[Krathoon]

I think the show accurately depicts how obnoxious geniuses can be.

 

[Robofish]

I actually loved the show and did find it funny but i always thought that Alex was a much better fit for Leonard. (stating the obvious)
Shame they did nothing with it. It would be cool to explore that storyline.

 

[Bumblebeetuna]

The internet hates a lot of stuff that is popular.

 

[OmegaSupreme]

The internet hates a lot of stuff that is popular.

With good reason on occasions. This is one of them.

 

[llien]

The major negative stuff about it that I've heard up to this thread, was from the oppression overlords and their zealots.

Yeah, it's laugh at the nerds, so freaking what.
A guy with masters in physics here.

 

[Bumblebeetuna]

With good reason on occasions. This is one of them.

Yep, they always think there are good reasons, including here.

 

[Davey Cakes]

I liked it for four seasons and then it became tedious. Once all the characters started dating each other it just kind of fell off.

 

[Neolombax]

Its okay, the first few seasons were funny but the rest I don't really have memory of despite watching until the finale. I'm rewatching them new, season 3 at the moment. Nothing has topped Arrested Development for me

 

[Valonquar]

IT Crowd was funnier in every way.