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One can hardly argue with the idea that television is one of the most important technologies created in the 20th century. Its power lies beyond a simple reflection of modern culture. TV is not only a medium but also a technology that shapes cultural and social norms, and sitcoms occupy a special place among all its products. Entertaining and amusing, they are often seen as superficial and unimportant by the audience, but such style makes the values and messages hidden in sitcoms more convincing for the viewers than appeals of any other TV show. The recent announcement made by CBS about the final season of The Big Bang Theory (TBBT) creates a perfect opportunity for analysis of the influence that this show has on modern culture. The story of Sheldon, Leonard, Raj, Howard, and Penny has its roots in nerd culture and reflects such sociocultural trends as digitalization and popularization of comics. In addition to this reflection, TBBT also constructs a positive image of science and young professionals who work in this field.

TBBT as a Reflection of Modern Culture

Like any other TV show, TBBT is a product of modern culture, and as such, it reflects several important trends that people experience every day. One of them is digitalization of reality. The 21st century is an era of technology, rapid scientific progress, and massive information flows. In fact, any cultural phenomenon is closely connected with technology. Social networks, gadgets, and the Internet represent the means of production and consumption of modern culture. All characters of TBBT actively use all kinds of electronic devices, such as smartphones, laptops, and gaming consoles, while some of the existing scientific organizations, such as NASA, support the show (Weitekamp 47). Thus, scientific and technological progress is the core element of TBBT.

Another trend that is reflected in the sitcom is the growing popularity of comic and video game culture. Originally considered as “low culture products,” video games, comic books, and blockbuster movies received enormous popularity in the mid-2000s (Kessler). TBBT not only perfectly reflects this phenomenon but also uses it as a source of jokes and awkward situations. Sheldon, Leonard, Raj, and Howard often visit comic conventions and other related events, dress up as superheroes (so-called cosplay), and constantly spend time in the local comic store. In that way, the show reflects the global change of public attitude towards forms of culture that were previously viewed in a negative context.

Finally, TBBT is a show that is full of references and unimportant mentions of other cultural products, such as movies, books, or video games. Such type of narration is called intertextuality, and it has enormous popularity in modern culture. Currently, every blockbuster film has a huge number of references and hidden details (so-called Easter eggs) from other motion pictures, and the process of its watching transforms into a decoding game that requires a certain knowledge of cultural context from the viewers (Kessler). TBBT is not an exception and also has certain demands for its audience, but as India Ross outlines, the wide range of topics ensure that any person in age from 19 to 49 would find a variety of jokes to laugh at. In other words, the complexity of TBBT reflects the popularization of intertextuality in modern culture.

Cultural Roots of TBBT

While the show reflects various trends, it has roots in one distinctive cultural aspect – nerd and geek culture. Originated from the educational sphere, “nerd” and “geek” were the words that other students called kids who succeeded in education but had insufficient social skills. In her essay, Monica Bednarek outlines that in addition to intelligence and social isolation, these people also demonstrate an interest or obsession with knowledge and technology, love of sci-fi and fantasy genres, physical weakness, absence of conventionally attractive appearance, and sexual inactivity (203). All these features combined create an image of a stereotypical nerd/geek, and TBBT fully explores these stereotypes. All four young scientists as well as their female friends, Bernadette and Amy who appeared in later seasons, enjoy technological and fantasy things, lack social skills, feel awkward during every attempt of socialization, and experience certain problems in their sexual lives. In other words, TBBT is derived from the geek/nerd culture and constantly outlines this fact.

Another source of inspiration that can be seen in portraying of TBBT characters is the stereotypical image of a scientist. In her analysis devoted to this question, Margaret Weitekamp insists that scientists in literature or TV shows are always depicted as socially isolated and lonely men and women whose passion to studying transforms them into outcasts (44). In some cases, these images have extremely negative connotation, thus picturing so-called “mad scientist,” a person whose dedication to science had devastating consequences. Weitekamp outlines that even in comedies, the scientists are portrayed with all these negative stereotypes, and it can be seen vividly in the series (45). The obsession of four main characters with rational scientific formulas and explanation serves as a limitless source of awkward situations that in their turn, generate problems and challenges. In this way, TBBT is also derived from cultural stereotypes related to scientists. Mixing them with the image of a typical nerd/geek, the showrunners build the entire narration.

Points of Elaboration

At the same time, TBBT goes beyond a simple use of stereotypes and sees them as a foundation of elaboration point, which is a creation of new, more positive image of geek/nerd culture. Despite the originally negative connotation of these words, the nerds and geeks become more and more popular. According to Ross, this is a result of technological progress and rise of the knowledge-based economy where such successful entrepreneurs as Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, and Bill Gates represent a new type of masculinity. As Bednarek outlines, the main characters of the show may exploit popular stereotypes, but they also have their individuality and personal differences (223). For example, Leonard, Howard, Raj, and Sheldon react and behave absolutely differently when it comes to a sexual sphere or intimate relationships. In other words, the series tries to show that geek culture is extremely rich and diverse, and such desire aims to change negative public opinion about this way of life.

Unfortunately, in their attempt to speak with the extremely diverse audience, the showrunners of TBBT cannot always ensure the quality of the show’s humor. Many fans and ordinary viewers criticize the sitcom for being superficial and unrealistic in terms of representation of geek/nerd culture. The majority of negative commentaries positively evaluate first seasons of the show while criticizing more recent episodes for plain and silly jokes (Edmundson-Cornell). Such criticism is justifiable since the majority of comic situations in later seasons of the show are built on the simple mentioning of pop culture product or scientific concept in an unexpected concept. Apart from that, in order to ensure the entertaining aspect of the sitcom, the authors exploit certain gender stereotypes, as it can be seen in the character of Penny who was more independent and intelligent in the earlier versions of the pilot series (Weitekamp 44). Therefore, one cannot deny the passion and dedication of the show in its attempt to elaborate on the positive image of geeks and nerds.

The Influence on Modern Culture and Society

Most importantly, the ideas and images proposed by TBBT have a certain influence on modern culture and society. Such impact is manifested in viewers’ perception of science. Through constant consultation with experienced scientists and detailed explanatory techniques for the actors, the showrunners managed to portray this extremely complicated concept in light and humorous manner (Weitekamp 47). While some of the jokes and puns built on scientific theories remain unknown for the audience, the natural curiosity forces the viewers to search for an explanation online. In addition, the sitcom features several strong female characters who moved away from traditional values in search for personal happiness. Needless to say, Bernadette, Amy, and some secondary characters, such as Leslie Winkle or Raj’s sister Priya, inspire young girls to try themselves in a career. Therefore, the show stimulates the interest towards science among its viewers in general and women in particular. Finally, TBBT is one of the few TV products that openly promote such forms of pop culture as comic books, blockbuster movies, and video games (Delaney and Madigan 44). Surely, the sitcom cannot be considered as the main factor of the growing popularity of comic events, superhero movies, or video game tournaments. In this way, passion and enthusiasm of the authors play important role in these processes.

Conclusion

All in all, TBBT is a milestone in comedy genre and one of the most successful TV sitcoms of the recent decade. The reasons for such status are quite logical. Firstly, TBBT is a mirror of modern culture that reflects several important trends, such as digitalization, the rise of pop culture, and popularization of intertextuality. Secondly, the show was not created out of thin air but has distinctive roots in geek/nerd culture. Thirdly, the sitcom masterfully connects popular stereotypes to elaborate on the more positive image of geeks, nerds, and young scientists. Finally, TBBT changes people’s perception of pop culture and inspires its viewers to learn and research more about scientific concepts. While not all fans are satisfied with the direction that the show took in later seasons focusing more on the emotional relationship among the characters, one cannot deny the influence and importance of TBBT for the modern culture.

Works Cited

Bednarek, Monica. “Constructing ‘Nerdiness’: Characterisation in The Big Bang Theory.” Multilingua, vol. 31, 2012, pp. 199-229.

Delaney, Tim, and Tim Madigan. Lessons Learned from Popular Culture. SUNY Press, 2016.

Edmundson-Cornell, Harry. “The Big Bang Theory and Geek Culture.” Sequart Organization, 2014, sequart.org/magazine/38229/the-big-bang-theory-and-geek-culture/. Accessed 8 September 2018.

Kessler, Sabrina. “How I Met Your Mother and The Big Bang Theory: Sitcoms Get Smarter.” Fair Observer, 2012, www.fairobserver.com/region/north_america/how-i-met-your-mother-and-big-bang-theory-sitcoms-get-smarter/. Accessed 8 September 2018.

Ross, India. “‘The Big Bang Theory’ and the Rise of the Pathologically Nerdy in Sitcom TV.” PopMatters, 2013, www.popmatters.com/174101-the-one-with-the-scientists-2495735936.html. Accessed 8 September 2018.

Weitekamp, Margaret. “The Image of Scientists in The Big Bang Theory.” Physics Today, vol. 70, no. 1, 2017, pp. 40-48.