A ‘nerd’ can mean many things today, and its definition is now a lot more fluid and inclusive than it was in the mid-2000’s when The Big Bang Theory began. The fandom of the show were - to put it bluntly - were the same ‘geeks’ that the show targeted with its cruel jokes and this sent a confusing message to its viewers. Not to mention the many stereotypes about nerd culture that the show gets wrong.
But then there are certain things TBBT explores quite accurately and its impact on modern nerd culture as we know it, is undeniable. So, what are some of the things the show gets right about modern geeks and what does it get wrong?
Right: The Small Social Circle
The concept of a core, almost restrictive friend circle is very prevalent in nerd culture for many reasons. In the millennial age and with the rise of self-love as a concept, young people tend to conform to a small social group that makes them feel good about themselves and share their interests, so they can spend their time talking about things they love. Of course, social media plays a big factor too, as you can only share memes and tag people you know would get the reference. In TBBT, Sheldon, Raj, Leonard and Howard were pretty cagy about letting other people into their core circle and it checks out.
Wrong: Ignorance Of Pop Culture
For some ludicrous reason the show established Leonard and Sheldon, as people who are so shockingly ignorant about popular culture that they don’t even know who Radiohead or Britney Spears are. The show simply narrowed down nerd culture to boring physics talk that no one could engage with.
For people who spend hours on social media and have spent significant time abroad, and not to mention the many pop culture references they find in their favorite movies and shows, it’s absolutely unbelievable that two leading scientists wouldn’t be aware of some of the biggest cultural milestones.
Right: The Need To Establish The Bigger Nerd
Much like in some frat boys group or sororities, in nerd culture too establishing the ‘alpha nerd’ is a familiar maneuver that friends engage in. In some friend circles it’s just playful banter, but in some fan clubs or interest-based groups, this could turn out to be quite intense. It basically refers to identifying that one person who has the most priced collection from a certain franchise or can quote any line from Harry Potter. Like when Leonard and the gang fought over the Sword of Azeroth or when they would argue about who gets the physics on Superman right.
Wrong: The Self Loathing
The biggest disservice the show did was to pigeonhole ‘nerds’ into frustrated people who are ashamed of how much they know; they want be ‘mainstream’ and simply get laid.
The fandom of the show took this offense quite personally simply because being a nerd in this age is a way of indulging one’s best side, to make room for creativity and imagination and staying in touch with one’s childhood and actually connecting with like-minded people. Nothing about this is shameful, and in the show the gang’s entire origin of self-loathing was based around the fact that they can’t seem to score with women which is ridiculous.
Right: The Love For The Obscure
Leonard, Sheldon and gang share a love for a lot of things that are niche and obscure, and basically helps them realize their superior nerd self. Like how Sheldon is obsessed with vintage video games or playing the Theremin. Or how they actually picked some lesser known mountain horror movies when they went to the North Pole just so they could have a relevant watchlist. Modern nerd culture actually revels in the love for niche, alternative merchandise and trivia that most people simply would not know, thus helping them stand out from the crowd.
Wrong: Too Much Social Time
Leonard, Sheldon and the rest simply spend too much time with each other, and most nerds actually prioritize their alone-time, so much so that they may not see their friends for days on end. The gang on TBBT meet each other everyday and each day of the week is allotted some joint group activity, be it Pizza night or comic book store night.
Even for tight-knit friend groups this is something quite rare because most nerd value their alone time too much to give every day of the week to hang out with their friends, no matter how much they like each other.
Right: The Toxicity
The backhanded insults and the intellectual bullying is sadly a big part of nerd culture, and especially exists in academia. The biggest example of this would be Sheldon’s treatment of Howard. It is also important to note that when Sheldon puts down Howard, his other friends do not admonish him or call him out and do not confront him about his behavior. This is something that is all too prevalent in nerd culture and humiliating someone’s credentials or their lack of knowledge about something is actually one of the most problematic aspects of this lifestyle, so to speak.
Wrong: The General Misogyny
While there have been instances of some rather problematic, sexist online bullying even in Hollywood and people have even spoken up about it; women and minorities have faced discrimination on broader platforms. But TBBT establishes every other nerd as a misogynist who does not understand women and is simply frustrated because they cannot seem to sleep with them.
This rather one-dimensional viewpoint has often been called out by the fans of the show because it does the scientific community a disservice because it shows a gifted physicist like Sheldon to be a sexist, condescending mess of a person and all his friends are projected in more or less the same light.
Right: Anxiety Over Canceled Shows
To be fair any one gets bothered when their favorite series get canceled especially now that the streaming platforms have become quite ruthless about ending a fictional trajectory. But for nerds, it is a much bigger deal because they get too invested if they like something, so watching a show leads to finding out other fans of the show online, discussing fan theories, arguing over hidden Easter eggs, and what not. So when a show gets cancelled it is especially hard on them, so it makes sense that Sheldon would be so very upset at the cancelation of Firefly or Alphas.
Wrong: The Self Labelling
Being a nerd is not a condition, and it really is a very nuanced term and the show seemed incapable of grasping exactly how diverse nerd culture really is. For instance, ‘nerds’ don’t really identify themselves as nerds or geeks, and when they love something or obsess over a fictional franchise or a director, they do so quite organically, be it with their friends or online. In TBBT the boys made a pretty big meal of being nerds by repeatedly calling each other nerdy or making inane jokes about fixing printers, with a need to drive home the point that they are different which made it seem like some sort of a social handicap.