The Big Bang Theory ends with a whimper
To mark the show’s demise, here are 10 reasons why no one should miss it
The news that The Big Bang Theory is coming to an end following its upcoming 12th season is a bit of a headscratcher. With the popular sitcom still pulling in millions of viewers in the United States and its stars still pulling in million dollar pay cheques, I assumed the show would carry on until the apocalypse.
But I’m delighted it’s not. The Big Bang Theory is terrible. It always has been. Why so many people willingly watch it instead of switching their TVs off and staring at a wall for 30 minutes is completely beyond me.
So to mark the show’s end – finally – I give you 10 reasons why nobody should miss it.
1. It’s not funny
Let’s start with the most obvious problem. The Big Bang Theory is the situation comedy without the comedy. It’s riddled with stupid puns and lazy writing.
It’s also guilty of just throwing out the names of things that are popular in the geek culture it supposedly celebrates and hoping a laugh track will disguise the lack of a joke.
Take this line from the show that encapsulates all that is wrong with
the writing: “The fate of Doctor Who’s Tardis will be decided by a Game of Thrones-inspired deathmatch on the battlefield of Thundercats versus Transformers.”
As one viewer so eloquently screamed on Twitter: “Where was the joke? How is this comedy? Why are you laughing?!”
2. It doesn’t celebrate geeks
Instead, scientists Leonard, Sheldon, Howard and Raj and the pastimes they hold dear are usually the butt of The Big Bang Theory’s alleged jokes.
3. The stereotypes
According to the show, anyone who’s highly intelligent is also completely socially inept and has very poor fashion sense.
4. The Penny problem
Kaley Cuoco’s character Penny has always been problematic. Beginning life on The Big Bang Theory as Sheldon and Leonard’s neighbour before eventually becoming Leonard’s wife, she’s either depicted as a dumb blonde being patronised by the geeks or held up as an object to ogle.
5. The treatment of women in general
But the Penny issue is just the tip of the sexism iceberg. Women were long reduced to tokenism on the show before they eventually included two new female characters in the form of scientists Amy and Bernadette. However, in the case of Amy especially, they were also presented as — you guessed it — socially inept and incredibly frumpy.
6. The gay panic jokes
Resorting to gay panic jokes between male characters isn’t a problem that’s unique to The Big Bang Theory, but it still makes me cringe every time I see Raj and Howard freak out at the suggestion they might be in love with each other.
7. Creepy much?
For the longest time, Howard’s shtick was being as predatory as possible around women.
Remember when he and Raj used satellites to spy on topless sunbathing America’s Next Top Model contestants?
The show’s also been criticised over making light of sexual assault. Take this complaint from Amy, for example: “In college, I passed out at a frat party and woke up with more clothes on.” Hilarious! Right?
8. Let’s not forget the racism
The Big Bang Theory’s treatment of Raj was best summed up by MTV India when they described the character as being “the stereotypical brown guy with an exotic accent, crippled by his inability to speak to women and trying to escape the arranged marriages foisted on him by his bossy parents”.
9. Then, there’s Sheldon
Sheldon Cooper is the biggest reason for The Big Bang Theory’s success, yet even his character has grown tiresome over the years. But we actually have Jim Parsons, the actor who plays him, to thank for the show coming to an end.
Apparently Parsons has had enough of being a 45-year-old man who regularly shouts “Bazinga!” Because not even the offer of US$1 million ($1.51m) an episode plus a share of profits could convince him to come back to the show — which means curtains for the whole thing.
10. But wait, there’s Young Sheldon
Of course, my celebrations about The Big Bang Theory’s end are premature. Between its spin-off, Young Sheldon, and reruns that will probably air for the rest of time, we shall never truly escape Sheldon, Leonard, Penny and the gang.
Which is bad news for me, but should comfort those millions of people who still inexplicably adore this racist, misogynistic joke of a show.