Why do NTs enjoy Big Bang Theory so much?

Page 1 of 1 [ 15 posts ]

FMX
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 16 Mar 2012
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,319

01 Apr 2013, 12:49 pm

OK, so I've only just recently started watching Big Bang Theory. Yes, I know, I must have been living under a rock or something. Of course, I've heard of the show many times, watched clips now and then and have even been compared to Sheldon, but I've never watched an episode properly until recently. I just assumed it would be your typical American sitcom, which I usually don't like.

Well, having watched it, I love it! The laugh track still annoys me. (Thank you so much for letting me know that you tried to make a joke, Mr. Producer - I don't think I could have figured it out without your help!) Anyway, despite that, I really enjoy the show, and it's because I can see so much of my younger self in Sheldon. He's much more intelligent and articulate, though, so he often expresses things I couldn't. I think it's so funny to me, because I can see why he would react a certain way in a certain social situation (eg. answering rhetorical questions), but I'm now past that and understand why it's not the appropriate response. (I think I'm more around the Leonard level of social awareness now.) In other cases I still agree with him and I just love how well he expresses the way I feel about something (eg. giving gifts). I cannot believe there are even any debates about whether he's an aspie. I mean, he is the very embodiment of aspie thinking!

So I understand why I enjoy the show, but my question is: why do so many NTs enjoy it? The show is very popular and there are obviously not enough aspies to account for that, so it must be popular among NTs, who cannot identify with it the way I do. So what do they like about it so much?

naturalplastic
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 26 Aug 2010
Age: 70
Gender: Male
Posts: 35,189
Location: temperate zone

01 Apr 2013, 1:51 pm

Why do folks like beavis and butthead, Ren and Stumpy, Laurel and Hardy, Abott and Costello, whatever?

The characters are morons, but in the BBT they are morons with the twist that they are dumb because they are so smart. So its old wine in a slightly new bottle.

Some folks, both nt and aspie, say that they get bored with a show that's based solely on the eccentricity of one character. But many of those same people are addicted to 'Monk', and to 'House' which get really old for me real fast for that very reason.

arielhawksquill
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 28 Jun 2008
Age: 49
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,830
Location: Midwest

01 Apr 2013, 2:37 pm

NTs relate to Penny, and her reactions to the nerdiness of the guys.

redrobin62
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 2 Apr 2012
Age: 63
Gender: Male
Posts: 13,009
Location: Seattle, WA

01 Apr 2013, 3:45 pm

Just so you know, the show is filmed in front of a live audience so there is no laugh track. That's a real audience response.

_________________
One Day At A Time.
His first book: http://www.amazon.com/Wetland-Other-Sto ... B00E0NVTL2
His second book: https://www.amazon.com/COMMONER-VAGABON ... oks&sr=1-2
His blog: http://seattlewordsmith.wordpress.com/

InnaLucia
Sea Gull

Joined: 29 Feb 2012
Age: 37
Gender: Female
Posts: 220
Location: North east england.

01 Apr 2013, 4:51 pm

Because it's funny and good?

MannyBoo
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 2 Mar 2013
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,968
Location: Hyperspace

01 Apr 2013, 4:54 pm

I have never actually seen a full episode of this series ever, and have only heard of people talking about it.

Is there something characteristically NT about it?

What is the particular appeal of it anyway?

The title sounds interesting though.

The_Walrus
Forum Moderator

Joined: 27 Jan 2010
Age: 30
Gender: Male
Posts: 8,878
Location: London

01 Apr 2013, 5:32 pm

redrobin62 wrote:

Just so you know, the show is filmed in front of a live audience so there is no laugh track. That's a real audience response.

Although they film several times and choose the best responses.

pluto
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 26 Aug 2006
Age: 64
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,576
Location: Paisley,Scotland UK

01 Apr 2013, 5:55 pm

I think a good sense of humour is universal,there aren't necessarily different "Aspie/NT" types of humour.The Big Bang Theory is clever,funny and most people can relate to at least one of the characters in some way.

_________________
I have lost the will to be apathetic

Stargazer43
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 6 Nov 2011
Age: 39
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,604

01 Apr 2013, 9:47 pm

redrobin62 wrote:

Just so you know, the show is filmed in front of a live audience so there is no laugh track. That's a real audience response.

They usually have big red lights that light up telling people to laugh at the appropriate moments. I've been to a few TV show recordings and at all of them that's what they did...they'd basically tell you when to laugh, clap, or be quiet.

Ganondox
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 7 Oct 2011
Age: 29
Gender: Male
Posts: 5,778
Location: USA

02 Apr 2013, 2:40 am

arielhawksquill wrote:

NTs relate to Penny, and her reactions to the nerdiness of the guys.

No, from what I've seen Penny isn't the character people like or relate to the best.

_________________
Cinnamon and sugary
Softly Spoken lies
You never know just how you look
Through other people's eyes

Autism FAQs http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt186115.html

FMX
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 16 Mar 2012
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,319

02 Apr 2013, 3:08 am

I suppose it's possible that NTs relate to Penny, but like Ganondox, I'm not convinced that's the reason. She's not around all the time. Maybe they just like laughing at "those nerds", even without fully understanding why they do certain things, as I do?

I don't think humour is universal at all. I've read that aspies and NTs do have noticeably different senses of humour and that's consistent with my own experience.

redrobin62 wrote:

Just so you know, the show is filmed in front of a live audience so there is no laugh track. That's a real audience response.

Yes, I do know that, but that's still a "laugh track" - it's recorded separately from the voices of the actors and mixed in later. I wish they would at least make it optional on DVDs, like sub-titles. If you're hearing-impaired you can turn on the sub-titles. Similarly, if you're humour-impaired and don't know when to laugh, but feel that you should for some unknown reason, you can turn on the laugh track.

Schneekugel
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 18 Jul 2012
Age: 44
Gender: Female
Posts: 2,612

02 Apr 2013, 9:53 am

arielhawksquill wrote:

NTs relate to Penny, and her reactions to the nerdiness of the guys.

I dont think, the show is suited for typical NTS. Its more for nerds, geeks and so on. As example the scene when Sheldon tells Penny after saying "It´s a trap!" that she shall imagine him with a giant fish head. So if you dont know, that this is related to an existing scene of Star Wars that became famous, you cant laugh about the joke. Because you simply dont know what Sheldon means. The funny thing is that you are facing it from the perspective of a geek, so what Sheldons says, makes complete sense to you and other geeks. Its the reaction of penny you laugh about, because of being faced with someone that seems to be complete nonsense if you dont know the facts behind. So all of my friends, who are themselfs into Comics, Computergames, Movies, Fantasy roleplaying and so on, love the series because of all that jokes, no matter if Asperger or not.

While the ones that are not linked with geek hobbies, dont get the jokes. So its not funny, when you are depending on others to explain you a joke.

Its aslo about new jokes, so the older you get, the more jokes you already know. So every joke about normal things become boring. On Bigbangtheory they dare to do jokes that are new, by doing jokes about things that many people dont know. So its a risk, because many people may not understand the jokes (or are laughing on the nerdy weird guys, trying to be funny out of their view) but on the other side, you get to know jokes you never thought of, they are new, so they are more fun. Sheldons "Doppler-effect" costume as example. ^^

ScrewyWabbit
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 8 Oct 2008
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,158

02 Apr 2013, 2:31 pm

FMX wrote:

(Thank you so much for letting me know that you tried to make a joke, Mr. Producer - I don't think I could have figured it out without your help!) Anyway, despite that, I really enjoy the show, and it's because I can see so much of my younger self in Sheldon. He's much more intelligent and articulate, though, so he often expresses things I couldn't. I think it's so funny to me, because I can see why he would react a certain way in a certain social situation (eg. answering rhetorical questions), but I'm now past that and understand why it's not the appropriate response. (I think I'm more around the Leonard level of social awareness now.) In other cases I still agree with him and I just love how well he expresses the way I feel about something (eg. giving gifts). I cannot believe there are even any debates about whether he's an aspie. I mean, he is the very embodiment of aspie thinking!

So I understand why I enjoy the show, but my question is: why do so many NTs enjoy it? The show is very popular and there are obviously not enough aspies to account for that, so it must be popular among NTs, who cannot identify with it the way I do. So what do they like about it so much?

They like it mostly because of Sheldon. Nerdy / Geeky characters seem to do well among the NT's, especially when the character does not recognize their own ineptness - look at the success of things like The 40 Year Old Virgin, Napolean Dynamite, and even that "reality" show from several years ago "Beauty And The Geek."

Besides that, the other three main male characters are almost as nerdy as Sheldon. Plus, the Penny / Leonard on-again/off-again romance is sort of cute and I'm sure it must go over well with the ladies.

OliveOilMom
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 11 Nov 2011
Age: 61
Gender: Female
Posts: 11,447
Location: About 50 miles past the middle of nowhere

02 Apr 2013, 2:46 pm

They probably enjoy it for the same reasons many Aspies enjoy it. Because it's funny. There is no humor that only Aspies or only NT's can appreciate. What is funny to one person may not be funny to another person who has the same neurological makeup, racial makeup, ethnic makeup, physical attributes, hair color, eye color, career, relationship status, religion, sexual orientation, etc etc etc.

In other words, because people are people and find things funny sometimes.

_________________
I'm giving it another shot. We will see.
My forum is still there and everyone is welcome to come join as well. There is a private women only subforum there if anyone is interested. Also, there is no CAPTCHA. ;-)

The link to the forum is http://www.rightplanet.proboards.com

Kraichgauer
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 12 Apr 2010
Gender: Male
Posts: 49,241
Location: Spokane area, Washington state.

03 Apr 2013, 5:04 am

Because Sheldon comes across as such an oddball that NT's laugh at the situations he gets into. Same reasons why we Aspies relate to him.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

Page 1 of 1 [ 15 posts ]

Jump to:

Why do NTs enjoy Big Bang Theory so much? Post Reply New Topic

Why do NTs enjoy Big Bang Theory so much?