Post by Beth on Mar 10, 2013 13:13:56 GMT -5
Do any of you watching TBBT and if so what are your thoughts on it? I go from loving it to being really annoyed with it, often several times in the space of twenty minutes, and I can't really decide how I feel about it.
There are quite a lot of things I find problematic about it (and I'd definitely recommend this post on being a fan of problematic things). The first of these is the trans-bashing we get in a few episodes. For those of you who haven't seen the series, before Penny moved in opposite Leonard and Penny the apartment was occupied by a black transvestite. This is referred to a couple of times in a few episodes, such as:
And I really don't like the suggestion that a trans person should be the crazy one. I was reading a few blogs a while back and one of them said: 'The only ep of the show I ever caught had trans-misogyny and the character being mocked was Black. I couldn't believe I had friends who think themselves "allies" who raved about how great this show was.' I would consider myself an LGBT ally (although I am aware of the arguments that it's not up to us to claim ally status), and I do not find the trans references at all funny. However, other aspects of the show I do, and so I'm trying to reconcile my dislike of this kind of humour with the show itself. I think it's possible to do so - as long as you're aware of the problems with what you're watching and recognise that for all you enoy it there are issues - but it is something I've been giving a lot of thought to
Another thing I really, really dislike is Howard and his attitude towards women. Partly I dislike this because it conforms to the 'geeks are socially awkward misfits who can't get girls' stereotype and even though he's now married to Bernadette I still find his attitude abhorrent in lots of ways. Lines like
are supposed to be funny but I think they end up alienating quite a few people - mainly women - who find no place for themselves in TBBT just as they find no place in the predominantly male geek culture of the real world.
I do feel like things have improved to some extent since they've introduced Bernadette and Amy, but I still think it falls into the trap of assuming girls have no interest in geek culture at all, and female scientists are somehow 'lesser' than their male equivalents (who study things like theoretical physics instead of microbiology). The last episode I watched (spoilers for people in the UK) had Sheldon, Leonard and Howard talking about how to get women more involved in the sciences, and going to a school to talk to female students. A lot of what they said actually reminded me of the discussion we've been having on the 'women in comics panel' thread, especially when they had the realisation that maybe instead of men talking to women about studying sciences, the students should be listening to female scientists instead. I'd actually have liked to see them develop that a bit more.
There are quite a lot of things I find problematic about it (and I'd definitely recommend this post on being a fan of problematic things). The first of these is the trans-bashing we get in a few episodes. For those of you who haven't seen the series, before Penny moved in opposite Leonard and Penny the apartment was occupied by a black transvestite. This is referred to a couple of times in a few episodes, such as:
Leonard: Anyway, I went upstairs and knocked on the door.
Large Black Transvestite: Yeah?
Past Leonard: Dr. Cooper?
Transvestite: No, you want the crazy guy across the hall.
Leonard: In retrospect, that was clue number two.
Large Black Transvestite: Yeah?
Past Leonard: Dr. Cooper?
Transvestite: No, you want the crazy guy across the hall.
Leonard: In retrospect, that was clue number two.
And I really don't like the suggestion that a trans person should be the crazy one. I was reading a few blogs a while back and one of them said: 'The only ep of the show I ever caught had trans-misogyny and the character being mocked was Black. I couldn't believe I had friends who think themselves "allies" who raved about how great this show was.' I would consider myself an LGBT ally (although I am aware of the arguments that it's not up to us to claim ally status), and I do not find the trans references at all funny. However, other aspects of the show I do, and so I'm trying to reconcile my dislike of this kind of humour with the show itself. I think it's possible to do so - as long as you're aware of the problems with what you're watching and recognise that for all you enoy it there are issues - but it is something I've been giving a lot of thought to
Another thing I really, really dislike is Howard and his attitude towards women. Partly I dislike this because it conforms to the 'geeks are socially awkward misfits who can't get girls' stereotype and even though he's now married to Bernadette I still find his attitude abhorrent in lots of ways. Lines like
“Love is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. A relentless pursuit that only ends when she falls into your arms. Or hits you with the pepper spray.”
“Sit with her. Hold her, comfort her. And if the moment feels right, see if you can cop a feel.”
“There’s a whole new crop of female grad students about to put on just enough winter weight to make them needy and vulnerable.”
“Sit with her. Hold her, comfort her. And if the moment feels right, see if you can cop a feel.”
“There’s a whole new crop of female grad students about to put on just enough winter weight to make them needy and vulnerable.”
are supposed to be funny but I think they end up alienating quite a few people - mainly women - who find no place for themselves in TBBT just as they find no place in the predominantly male geek culture of the real world.
I do feel like things have improved to some extent since they've introduced Bernadette and Amy, but I still think it falls into the trap of assuming girls have no interest in geek culture at all, and female scientists are somehow 'lesser' than their male equivalents (who study things like theoretical physics instead of microbiology). The last episode I watched (spoilers for people in the UK) had Sheldon, Leonard and Howard talking about how to get women more involved in the sciences, and going to a school to talk to female students. A lot of what they said actually reminded me of the discussion we've been having on the 'women in comics panel' thread, especially when they had the realisation that maybe instead of men talking to women about studying sciences, the students should be listening to female scientists instead. I'd actually have liked to see them develop that a bit more.
.