A Deeper Look Into “The Big Bang Theory”

The Big Bang Theory is a show that many people know due to popular culture. I was introduced to the Big Bang Theory due to the comical factor and it was not until recently that I was able to view the show as a great example of advocacy. 

Sarcasm

Many people enjoy the comedy of the show and the hilarious encounters of the character Sheldon Cooper. I know he is one of my favourites. His inability to recognize sarcasm, along with his excessive OCD make him a great comedic character. It was not until I was in my KIN 120 (learning about recreation with persons of disability) and we were talking about the media’s portrayal of characters with disability, that I began to see Sheldon, as well as the entire show, in a new light. 

It is made quite known that Sheldon is portrayed as a character who most likely has Asperger’s Syndrome as well as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. My professor brought up the fact that some people quite dislike the Big Band Theory, due to the issue that they believe it makes fun of people with disabilities. I had never thought of it in this way before. My professor then countered that argument by stating that The Big Bang Theory actually advocates and provides a great image for people with disability. 

One of my professors reasoning for the Big Bang Theory being a great advocate was do to how they create Sheldon’s character. The portrayal people with disability often face is the myth that they are incapable of completing tasks and living life to the fullest by themselves. If you look at media and how they portray this ideology it is no wonder people have this assumption. As terrible as it is our society is very influenced by media, but this is a whole different rant that I’ll save for another day. The Big Bang Theory COUNTERS this argument because they show Sheldon, a very intelligent individual able to function and live solely on his own. He has a very good job, he has a group of friends who although they do not always admit it, care about and accept him for who he is. 

 

The reason I am writing about this today is because as I stated in my About Me section, I am a HUGE television junkie, and so watching my Thursday Night shows today was an episode of the Big Bang Theory. There is one scene towards the end of the episode where Sheldon begins talking about the progress he has made with his social interaction. He explains to Penny and Lenard that he used to have  issues with simple social interactions that come so normal to others such as shaking people’s hands or hugging. He then explains that he is working on it. Now this scene blew me away! Not only was it BLOODY HILARIOUS but it truly did provide a GREAT example for people with disabilities. It showed Sheldon, someone who rarely admits that he is beneath people, explaining that he can work on himself and overcome issues such as social interaction. 

Anyways my point for this post was to provide insight about how media portrays people with disability and give my praise to the producers of the Big Bang Theory. They have become great advocators to people with disability I think.  

Note: notice how throughout this post I use the terminology “people with disability” and not “a disabled person”. Another tip learned from Kin 120 that we, as educators, should all be taking note and using. 

Thanks again for reading 🙂

-Allison