# Big Bang Theory: I can't stand Sheldon



## wingsandsword (May 1, 2011)

I realize I like to watch The Big Bang Theory, but the more I watch it the more I realize that I just can't stand Sheldon.  

Dr. Sheldon Cooper is a horrible person: he's callous, insensitive, inconsiderate, and poorly tries to be manipulative.  He holds is "friends" to imposing and onerous contracts regulating every single aspect of friendship (such as the exact restaurant that take out food for regular gatherings is ordered from) and breaking off friends after three violations of these rules (which can be so petty as forwarding a funny e-mail to him) unless they take his class at the university.  

In Thursday's episode "The Agreement Dissection", Sheldon seemed to have crossed that line.

Blackmailing Leonard into signing an abusive contract by putting an "self destruct" timer that will make his laptop send out e-mails that will ruin his relationship by telling compromising information to his girlfriend's parents was too far.  I was watching that and thinking "destroy the laptop" as in smash it and break it over your knee, or throw it out the window and let it fall six stories to the pavement below.  

I really like the show, but I would so love to see Sheldon get his comeuppance sometime as the primary antagonist that he seems to be on the show, instead of getting the upper hand in the end.  Is anybody else here in a similar situation?


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## Mark CMG (May 1, 2011)

He could theoretically send that email at any time later of his choosing, so the countdown was merely for effect.

The conflicts in that show thrive based on how onerous each of the characters can be at any given time.  I think each of the characters has crossed the line in terms of where the audience might reasonably suspect those lines are drawn but most have had underlying motivations that allow the suspension of disbelief.  The other four main characters have crossed their own lines because of their pursuit of love, and often they are caught or it backfires in some way.

I happen to agree, though, that this last episode raised the stakes (Sheldon was merely being selfish, though maybe with some tinge of envy) and I am wondering what the fallout will be.  If it is simply swept under the carpet or ignored going forward, I'd being willing to join your side.


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## Kzach (May 1, 2011)

You do realise it's a comedy, right?


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## Wycen (May 1, 2011)

I've watched perhaps 4 episodes total and I suspect maybe really only 2 or 3.  

There is a problem with many comedies, perhaps it is my attention span or view of such shows, I'm not sure.

I'd lump Big Bang Theory into a broad category like The Drew Carey Show and Arrested Development, you can probably add others, in which the central idea is that no matter what the "hero" does, he gets crapped on in the end.  Sure it is funny for a certain amount of time, but eventually I reach a point where I don't care anymore.  I placed the BBT into this category after watching Sheldon's crap.  

From reading Mark's post maybe I'm missing the stuff the other characters do, but that would accelerate my disinterest I suspect.


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## Crothian (May 1, 2011)

It was all done to break up Leonard and the girl.  That's not why Sheldon did it, that's why the writers did it.  It's a fine show but very formulaic and in the end not realistic though I doubt it is supposed to be.


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## IronWolf (May 1, 2011)

I think Sheldon is great, of course I do realize the show is a comedy and it gets it's laughs by painting certain things to the extreme. In this case Sheldon seems to have Asperger traits taken to the point of making funny situations.


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## wingsandsword (May 1, 2011)

I know this is a comedy, I also know that within the context of the show the reason that Leonard puts up with Sheldon is a backstory that Sheldon saved his life earlier (with a flashback in an episode showing it).  However, that last bit of that episode really seemed to be not-fun, like that moment in a game when a player does one of those things you would never do (the thread "That Thing You Won't Ever Do").  

It's a funny show, but as Mark CMG put it, Sheldon really raised the stakes/crossed a line.  Leonard is genuinely happy with Priya.  Sheldon was quite willing to destroy his roommate's happiness and quite possibly get Priya disowned or recalled back to India by her parents just to get an uneven "roommate agreement" contract signed.  

Usually Sheldon's quirks and annoyances are petty and quirky, like insisting on sitting in a certain seat, or other harmless things. 

As I said, I realized while watching that scene that if anybody I knew, Aspergers or not, saved my life or not, tried to blackmail me like that the friendship would be toast, and I would have probably immediately destroyed the computer while it was counting down, or if I thought about it, just unplugged the wireless router. . .then moved out that night, start hauling stuff off because he's just crossed a point of no return and you can't trust him as a friend or roommate anymore.  

I've been in a situation where I had a friend and roommate that crossed a line like that, not quite that bad though, but close, and I moved out and severed ties not long thereafter.

It's a comedy, but Sheldon crossed a line in that last episode.  I know there is a debate on whether Sheldon has Aspergers Syndrome (officially the producers say no, the actor says he plays Sheldon as if he has it and assumes he does).  I would hope there would be some consequences for such an act, but given that this show alternates between progress and change and a huge reset button, I'm not holding out hope for it.


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## Olgar Shiverstone (May 1, 2011)

Crothian said:


> ... and in the end not realistic though I doubt it is supposed to be.




If you'd known my college roommates you wouldn't say that.  My wife and I find BBT to be extremely funny given its resemblance to real life!


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## Krug (May 1, 2011)

These days, in the post Seinfeld era, all comedies seem to have extreme characters. For the Office it's Dwight Schrute, Community it's the Asian guy, and for BBT it's Sheldon. I guess it's just the nature of comedy these days because being out there, eccentric and socially inept is part of the deal. BBT is one of those shows I watch but never quite really love, and I think without Sheldon it's just be really bland.


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## Super Pony (May 1, 2011)

Krug said:


> These days, in the post Seinfeld era, all comedies seem to have extreme characters. For the Office it's Dwight Schrute, Community it's the Asian guy, and for BBT it's Sheldon. I guess it's just the nature of comedy these days because being out there, eccentric and socially inept is part of the deal. BBT is one of those shows I watch but never quite really love, and I think without Sheldon it's just be really bland.




To be fair the "out there" characters have been around for most of modern sit-com history:

Fonzie, Nick Moore, Screech, Carlton, Mr. Furley, Barney Fife, Mike Seaver (or Boner...I mean come on), Joey, Jeannie, Endora, etc.


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## Crothian (May 1, 2011)

wingsandsword said:


> Leonard is genuinely happy with Priya.  Sheldon was quite willing to destroy his roommate's happiness and quite possibly get Priya disowned or recalled back to India by her parents just to get an uneven "roommate agreement" contract signed.




While the motives were completely selfish it is going to turn out to be a good thing because Priya was hiding Leonard from her parents.  Sheldon accidentally points out a problem in the relationship that Leonard was unaware of.  Something had to come along and break them up because as I'm sure everyone expects Leonard has to end up with Penny.


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## Krug (May 1, 2011)

Super Pony said:


> To be fair the "out there" characters have been around for most of modern sit-com history:
> 
> Fonzie, Nick Moore, Screech, Carlton, Mr. Furley, Barney Fife, Mike Seaver (or Boner...I mean come on), Joey, Jeannie, Endora, etc.




Not that familiar with most of the names besides Fonzie. I don't think they've been as unlikeable though.


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## cyderak (May 1, 2011)

I think Sheldon is like the friend everyone else plays off of.  

His quirks and despicable behavior give the other people in their group purpose.

It'd be a very boring show without Sheldon being an utter Jerk-Wad.


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## Henry (May 1, 2011)

wingsandsword said:


> I know this is a comedy, I also know that within the context of the show the reason that Leonard puts up with Sheldon is a backstory that Sheldon saved his life earlier (with a flashback in an episode showing it).  However, that last bit of that episode really seemed to be not-fun, like that moment in a game when a player does one of those things you would never do (the thread "That Thing You Won't Ever Do").
> 
> It's a funny show, but as Mark CMG put it, Sheldon really raised the stakes/crossed a line.  Leonard is genuinely happy with Priya.  Sheldon was quite willing to destroy his roommate's happiness and quite possibly get Priya disowned or recalled back to India by her parents just to get an uneven "roommate agreement" contract signed.
> 
> ...




OK, taking it within the context of "It's a comedy, it's fictitious," _yadda yadda  yadda_, a few points I feel need bringing up in the analysis of Sheldon:

--Sheldon is petty. Sheldon is always petty, but Jim Parsons (the actor) portrays it in such a way that rather than coming off as a jerk, he comes off as ineffectual and the object of ridicule. Contrast him to the character of Barry Kripke, who is a mirror of Sheldon's pettiness to the point of being abusive to those who don't agree with him. Contrast him to Wil Wheaton's "nemesis" portrayals, where his railing against Wheaton is always ineffectual and a little saddening.

--For his faults, Sheldon is a good person, one who assists his friends in need, even if he does it in some of the most convoluted methods possible. He has been the one to lend money to friends when needed, has helped them hide embarrassing facts, and has driven Penny to the hospital (being terrified of driving) when she had dislocated her shoulder. I forgot about this one from Wikipedia -- he tried to build a nuclear reactor to give his home town free electricity. 

--His concern for Penny is a really interesting piece of the show for me -- I'm one of those oddballs who thinks that the writers will have Sheldon and Penny dating at some point, if only for a single episode to show how weird it would be. She seems to have an understanding of him that no other character on the show has, and their dynamic has always been a highlight of the show for me. He shows the softest spot in his personality for her without fail.

--For all of his "culture snobbery", he has many holdovers from his Texan rural upbringing that show up in odd ways. His desire for hot dog franks in his spaghetti, his knowledge of football, his love for "mee-maw" and "moon pies", and his "Soft Kitty" song. For me, just when I think his snobbery is intolerable, he reveals a fact that makes him that much more human and vulnerable.

In the end, though Sheldon has his roommate agreements and his pettiness, he is often the butt of a given joke due to his eccentricities. It's hard for me to dislike someone who frequently has their plans blow up in their face to humorous effect.


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## Crothian (May 1, 2011)

Can't give you more XP at this time Henry but that is a great analysis!


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## Kzach (May 2, 2011)

wingsandsword said:


> I know this is a comedy...




Unfortunately everything you say after this indicates that you don't really _understand_ that it's a comedy or what comedy entails.

Comedy, at its very essence, is farce; taking anything in a comedy remotely seriously is missing the entire point of the genre.

Now, if you personally don't find Sheldon to be funny, well that's a matter of prerogative taste, but to do any sort of serious analysis of a comedic character's motives, actions or personality, other than for the purpose of amusement, is a fruitless endeavour because characters in comedy are purposefully farcical.


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## Mark CMG (May 2, 2011)

Henry said:


> --His concern for Penny is a really interesting piece of the show for me -- I'm one of those oddballs who thinks that the writers will have Sheldon and Penny dating at some point, if only for a single episode to show how weird it would be. She seems to have an understanding of him that no other character on the show has, and their dynamic has always been a highlight of the show for me. He shows the softest spot in his personality for her without fail.
> 
> --For all of his "culture snobbery", he has many holdovers from his Texan rural upbringing that show up in odd ways. His desire for hot dog franks in his spaghetti, his knowledge of football, his love for "mee-maw" and "moon pies", and his "Soft Kitty" song. For me, just when I think his snobbery is intolerable, he reveals a fact that makes him that much more human and vulnerable.





[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-qra604RbU]YouTube - The Big Bang Theory - Soft Kitty[/ame]


[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9DdiZBnpoQ]YouTube - Penny sings Soft Kitty again for Sheldon[/ame]


[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-Z5wQHGn5g]YouTube - Big Bang Theory - Sheldon / Penny Soft Kitty in a round[/ame]


[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvqFNFRfF_s[/ame]



And proving that being a BBT fan is a _kind_ of sick - 


[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_5_jt8hlI4]YouTube - BIG BANG THEORY CAST SING SOFT KITTY[/ame]


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## John Crichton (May 2, 2011)

wingsandsword said:


> I really like the show, but I would so love to see Sheldon get his comeuppance sometime as the primary antagonist that he seems to be on the show, instead of getting the upper hand in the end.  Is anybody else here in a similar situation?



I think we are watching different shows.  Sheldon, as do all the characters, get what's coming to him all the time.


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## Herschel (May 2, 2011)

Kzach said:


> ...characters in comedy are purposefully farcical.




True, but I have to admit, a couple of times the Sheldon bits have really crushed my already tenuous suspension of disbelief where I find I don't enjoy the show as much. Strangely enough, until that point it was one of the funnier episodes I've seen lately.


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## wingsandsword (May 3, 2011)

Herschel said:


> True, but I have to admit, a couple of times the Sheldon bits have really crushed my already tenuous suspension of disbelief where I find I don't enjoy the show as much. Strangely enough, until that point it was one of the funnier episodes I've seen lately.



I may have spoken particularly harshly in my original post, but as Herschel said, that scene with the "self destruct" really was crossing a line.  The show is quite often entertaining, and one of the few TV shows I watch even somewhat regularly, but when Sheldon goes to his extremes it can make things not very fun.

I haven't seen every episode of the show, and I apparently haven't seen a lot of the episodes where he does good deeds or gets thwarted.  Honestly, recently a lot of my entertainment lately in watching has come from the Amy Farrah Fowler (the fact that the actress herself has a PhD in Neuroscience gives it an extra level of amusement, kind of like how Pauley Perette on NCIS has a degree in Criminology and apparently knew at least entry-level crime lab procedures in real life before taking the part).


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## Richards (May 3, 2011)

wingsandsword said:


> ...the fact that the actress herself has a PhD in Neuroscience gives it an extra level of amusement...



That is AWESOME!

Johnathan


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## Crothian (May 3, 2011)

We always knew Blossom would grow up into a successful woman!


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## Ahzad (May 3, 2011)

wingsandsword;5546591 Leonard is genuinely happy with Priya.  [/QUOTE said:
			
		

> I think Leonard is happy to have a girlfriend and to have regular sex rather than being genuinely happy. We've seen enough episodes with Priya attempting to change him into more of the boyfriend that she wants. In those scenes you can always see that hesitation in him as to whether or not to do that, and he talks about it somewhat to Penny. I think we'll see them break up before to long and Penny move back into the relationship with Leonard. I can't wait until she's gone b/c she reminds me to much of girls I've dated who wanted to change me, or friends that have had that same experience.


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## Richards (May 4, 2011)

Amy Farrah Fowler is _Blossom_?

*head explodes*

Johnathan


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## Kzach (May 4, 2011)

Ahzad said:


> I can't wait until she's gone b/c she reminds me to much of girls I've dated who wanted to change me, or friends that have had that same experience.




This isn't a bad thing. If you're a slob and your girlfriend wants to turn you into a non-slob, then you should listen.


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## Ahzad (May 4, 2011)

but leonard isn't a slob just a geeky guy who likes his geeky hobbies, that pryia doesn't seem to approve of or at least think that's appropriate for an adult.

anyone with bad hygiene needs someone to tell them about it there's really no excuse for not washing yourself. i've tossed guys out of my comic book store for not bathing. i don't need your funk irritating myself or my other customers. i've told them either bath or find somewhere else to shop, and they bathed or at least bathed before they came to pick up their books.

or if you can't pick up after yourself and keep your place presentable then you probably don't really need to have a g/f or significant other just stay in your hovel and don't bother the rest of society. but somehow those people find others with those same traits and keep breeding unfortunately. granted there are those that have a mental disorder, but i'm not talking about them. i'm talking about the lazy ones where the only thing wrong with them is laziness and bad upbringing.


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## Moogleproof (May 9, 2011)

I haven't watched all the latest episodes, but I'd have to agree with some of the posters here the show would be quite bland without Sheldon. I don't think I would watch it if that was the case.

Yes, Sheldon would be annoying in real life, but that doesn't bother me when I'm watching fiction. Someone mentioned Dwight Schrute, almost the same scenario, although not entirely, but the best moments practically always included him.


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