I like The Big Bang Theory despite its problems. Yes, the laugh track is obnoxious, there aren't that many jokes and it's clearly running on fumes at this point but when the jokes land, they do land, seasons 1-6 were genuinely fun and I'm invested in the characters (when the writers know what to do with them that is).
However, I do know that I am way more lenient to the show than most people who criticise it for being unfunny and a stereotypical portrayal of geek culture (failing to realise that people like the male characters on The Big Bang Theory do exist). One of the biggest points of contention centres around show's breakout character, Sheldon.
Sheldon has joined the ranks of Barney Stinson (How I Met Your Mother), Arnold Rimmer (Red Dwarf) and Maurice Moss (The IT Crowd) among the supporting characters in sitcoms that are more popular than the main protagonists. To be fair, it's hard not to see why. Jim Parsons puts on a great performance, the character is central to the funniest moments of the show and he's far more interesting than all the other characters.
Nevertheless, the character has faced criticism for being an at best stereotypical and at worst offensive portrayal of someone with autism/Asperger's syndrome. There is some validity to that particular criticism. The other characters are openly spiteful towards him, making many mean comments about his quirky behaviour and Sheldon himself is presented as rude and obnoxious (almost justifying the mean comments). Other than that though, I fail to see what is wrong with Sheldon as a representative of people in the spectrum.
Before I start my argument, I should probably mention that the writers never confirmed that Sheldon was autistic or had Asperger's, claiming that he was simply conceived with a unique personality. However, the actors have admitted that Sheldon exhibits some traits of the syndrome. For example, Sheldon has a strict adherence to routine, he hates change, he has savant syndrome (meaning that he is a prodigy in his particular topic, in this case, physics), he is immensely passionate about trivial things such as Star Trek, he (initially) has an aversion to physical contact and he struggles with social conventions. It's clear that, despite what the writers say, Sheldon does have something akin to autism/Asperger's so it's not like the critics are basing their complaints on nothing. However, I may have to respectfully disagree and say that while Sheldon may not be the best autistic character to be put on screen, he's still a decent portrayal.
For one thing, he's presented as a man with a successful life. He has a well-paying job as a respected theoretical physicist (even the late Stephen Hawking respected him), he has a lovely apartment, his friends, despite being frequently at odds with him, do appreciate and love him (especially Penny and Leonard), and he has a loving girlfriend who he eventually marries in the season 11 finale. He's not someone who is down on his luck nor is he someone we are manipulated into feeling sorry for. In fact, despite his unusual education (he went to college when he was 11), he had a pretty normal life.
He also has an affectionate side. He loves his mother and 'Meemaw' and he truly loves his girlfriend/wife Amy. In fact, one of the only good aspects of the current run of the show is how healthy and affectionate his relationship with Amy it's clear they made each other better. Amy has matured and Sheldon is less cold and more emotional. He even has affection for his friends as he has difficulty leaving behind Leonard because of how much the latter means to him. There's a brilliant scene in the season 8 episode 'The Space Probe Disintegration' where Sheldon and Leonard open up about how difficult it is to live with the former and Sheldon even thanks Leonard for putting up with him. Here's the clip (note, the title of the video is very misleading):
It's also clear that the likes of Leonard and Penny do care for him in times of trouble, such as when Sheldon loses one of his childhood icons, Professor Proton, or even in general, such as the episode where Sheldon and Penny try a test designed to make each other fall in love (it doesn't work but they do grow closer as friends). Howard and Raj are less close to him but they stick around and have their moments of caring (e.g. Sheldon and Howard going to Texas together or Sheldon and Raj naming an asteroid together). Amy, of course, loves him dearly and even Bernadette starts to like him after he treats her pregnancy with respect. However, they don't simply put up with his shenanigans. They do tell him that he is being rude and condescending and he does stop after he understands what he's doing is wrong. Of course, he does still act condescending for comedic purposes (it is a sitcom after all) but it's clear that he never means to hurt anyone and the other characters put their foot down when he goes too far.
And honestly, that's happening less and less which leads me to my biggest reason as to why I think Sheldon is a decent portrayal of autism/Asperger's: he evolves. Granted he doesn't turn into a space fetus a la 2001: A Space Odyssey but he changes and evolves. He becomes more affectionate, he becomes more open to physical contact, he improves his relationships and the episodes where he acts completely off the rails happen less frequently. Granted his quirks are still there but even they are given legitimate reasons. For example, his 'knock, knock, knock, Penny' (x3) routine is seen as a funny quirk at first but is then given a tragic reason as it's revealed it was the result of Sheldon discovering his father's infidelity. That scene is taken seriously and it's a realistic portrayal of how an autistic child would deal with a traumatic incident.
The point is, he gradually matures over the course of the show and it's treated as a good thing. The episodes where Sheldon takes the next step with Amy are treated like events are usually the only interesting episodes in the show's current run. It's intentionally frustrating when Sheldon doesn't pay her much romantic attention but it is equally rewarding when he finally steps up and becomes a better boyfriend after she dumps him. The episode where Sheldon finally decides to lose his virginity to Amy is regarded as one of the best episodes of the show (to the point where it has become an annual event), Sheldon's engagement to Amy is treated as a massive cliffhanger and his marriage to Amy is given a much bigger fanfare than Leonard and Penny's relationship (which is the central relationship of the show). When Sheldon makes these decisions, the studio audience cheers and the other characters act delighted. And it's only when Sheldon realises that he makes mistakes does he decide to improve on them.
And honestly, that's a healthy way to approach people with autism. We are capable of learning social cues and changing our callous attitudes but we do need to be taught how. Now changes like that can't happen instantaneously so you have to be patient with us but it can be done. I know I changed to adapt to society better because my mum raised me to be a gentleman and a good man. But at the same time, autism can't be completely stopped. There are some symptoms or quirks that can't be changed and that's okay. They're what made Sheldon a popular character and it's what made us, us. But it's nice to see a show that says that you can change people for the better, even people with autism.
And to those people who criticise the depiction of autism/Asperger's in the show, I get it. Because the writers won't admit that Sheldon is autistic, the condition isn't explored as strongly (I'd recommend the Netflix show Atypical for that) but for what they do explore, it's not half bad. They make sure that Sheldon is likeable and interesting, they show that he does care about his friends and loved ones and they show a bold but important message in that just because someone is autistic, doesn't mean you have to take it when they act rude or condescending and that it is possible to teach them to be better people. Think of him as 'Autism for Beginners,' if you will.
So I implore you to give Sheldon Cooper and indeed The Big Bang Theory another shot, this time watching the show from beginning to end. There is a clear progression in the show, even if it does slow down in the later seasons and who knows? You might actually have fun watching it. And if you still don't like it, there's always The IT Crowd.
And that concludes this thought from an autistic mind. Did you agree? Disagree? What do you think of The Big Bang Theory? Is Sheldon a good character? Let me know in the comments below and be sure to share this around and like my Facebook page 'Joel Mole.' I'll see you next time but until then, fare thee well good people of the internet!
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| For those of you who think Sheldon isn't funny. He is... he really is... (from the season 2 episode 'The Griffin Equivalency') |
