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Perianne
10-21-2015, 07:45 PM
I used to watch The Big Bang Theory, but then it went downhill with time. What happened? I will give a synopsis from this site (http://whatculture.com/tv/5-ways-the-big-bang-theory-has-gone-downhill.php).

The point I am making is after The Big Bang Theory points, below.



Ways The Big Bang Theory Has Gone Downhill

It's all about relationships:

Now, I understand that the original premise is about a guy who’s in love with a girl, so the inclusion of relationships is somewhat to be expected and I had no problems with the early Leonard and Penny on/off relationship. However, the entire show has just become three relationships and Raj; Leonard and Penny, Howard and Bernadette and Sheldon and Amy.

The main issue I have with the fact that the show is effectively grounded by relationships is the fact that it’s so unlike the characters that we were originally introduced to. We were introduced to socially awkward scientists who couldn’t speak to girls, were too creepy to attract girls or simply had no interest in girls whatsoever. Now one of them is married, the other is in a relationship with an unbelievably attractive woman and the other is Sheldon. Character growth is all well and good, it just feels like the original concept for the show has been kind of ruined because of it.

Leonard is a stud:

The point is, since getting together with Penny originally, there has been very little time when Leonard hasn’t been in a relationship with a very attractive woman of some sort. It’s a bit of an unrealistic character change, considering he started the show being practically unable to talk to girls at all and now he’s getting them left, right and centre. It’s not even a gradual character change, it’s just a matter of Leonard can now pull whoever he wants because he had one relationship with a good looking girl.

Howard got married:

Howard Wolowitz is, in my opinion, the funniest character on the show. His creepy way of trying to chat up women, his ridiculously misguided ways to try and pull at bars and his sarcastic mockery of his friends all made him a funny character.

So, naturally, Howard getting married was a turn for the worse for The Big Bang Theory. It means we get a lot less of Howard in his comedy element, instead it has been replaced with relationship problems (surprise, surprise).


Sheldon isn't the same:

The biggest appeal of Sheldon from the start was always the fact that he was a bit of a sociopath. He didn’t understand how to properly interact people, he didn’t understand sarcasm and he had no problems with just abusing people absent-mindedly because he didn’t understand why he was wrong. This was the Sheldon we found funny, the Sheldon we came to like.

Fast-forward to now and it’s a different story. Sheldon, a man who once turned down a woman when he and Raj went on a double date, now has a girlfriend, a girlfriend who makes him jealous when she goes on a date with another man. Not only that, but he now cares about the feelings of his friends, for example when he tries to convince Penny to tell Leonard what she feels for him because he’s worried that Leonard’s feelings will be hurt. That’s not Sheldon, at least not the Sheldon we want to see. The original Sheldon would simply not care and refuse to get involved. This Sheldon is getting involved with emotional drama and it just doesn’t suit him.

Similar to Leonard’s change, I understand that character growth is something they want to achieve across the seasons of the show and I get that they’re trying to change the character to mix up potential storylines. However, it doesn’t make Sheldon funny anymore. His blunt explanations of things he wasn’t meant to say and his lack of empathy or apathy for anybody’s problems was what made him enjoyable, now he’s just a guy. A regular guy who happens to use a lot of scientific words.






Of course The Big Bang Theory is just a television program and a funny one at that. But it occurred to me that the way they changed a fine program compares to how liberals have conspired to change America. Liberals decided that what made America the most successful country had to be changed. She had to have "character development". What will wind up in the end is that the recipe that made America the greatest country will be modified, the result looking nothing like the country of the best years, when America was a mansion on a hill, for others to look up to.

Sometimes it's better to leave well enough alone.

gabosaurus
10-21-2015, 08:57 PM
I enjoyed the first season of Big Bang Theory. My interest began to slide when I realized that the show was basically a one trick pony. There are certain stereotypes and jokes that are repeated in every episode.
My best friend Beth, who graduated with a degree in Biochemistry, is the biggest nerd I know. Her husband is also a giant nerd. They both work with nerds. She is not a fan of Big Bang Theory.
"Real nerds don't end up with beautiful model types. They end up with other nerds. Nerd life is not TV show interesting. Nerd life is nerdy."

DragonStryk72
10-21-2015, 10:04 PM
The other problem is one of the point that the stereotype of nerd has significantly changed. Much of what was nerd culture is now mainstream. Let's go over how many of the top grossing movies these days are based on comic books?

BBT is okay, but as a geek, a lot of time it's laughing at me, not us laughing about stuff. Sometimes they hit something really funny that is truly nerdy, like when the gang gets way too into streamlining Penny's penny blossoms business, building a Web site, figuring out future automation, just really silly degrees of overthought, cause THAT is nerd humor.

Abbey Marie
10-21-2015, 11:47 PM
The show is a shadow of its former self. Yes, much like America, as you've said.
The actor who plays Sheldon mocks God in real life, and last week, on the show. Time to say bye-bye.

(But I thought the women made the show better).

Gunny
10-22-2015, 04:40 AM
ALL sitcoms go downhill. I noticed it in the early 70s with All in the Family and Sanford and Son. They're funny in the beginning and then some genius writer starts developing the characters. They turned Archie Bunker from an overly-opinionated bigot into a soft-hearted goof. He was funny as a bigot. They basically turned the show into more of a drama than a sitcom.

The trend is the same however with all sitcoms. They start out funny and go downhill from there. Enjoying comedy for what it is does not required character development.

Abbey Marie
10-22-2015, 02:02 PM
ALL sitcoms go downhill. I noticed it in the early 70s with All in the Family and Sanford and Son. They're funny in the beginning and then some genius writer starts developing the characters. They turned Archie Bunker from an overly-opinionated bigot into a soft-hearted goof. He was funny as a bigot. They basically turned the show into more of a drama than a sitcom.

The trend is the same however with all sitcoms. They start out funny and go downhill from there. Enjoying comedy for what it is does not required character development.


I agree, Gunny. I remember liking M*A*S*H, until it got all serious and leftist-preachy.