Big Bang Theory.

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I still kind of like the show but everyone at work is saying I'm like Sheldon and have taken to calling me Sheldon or Shelly, what his Mum and Sister calls him. They don't 100% know I am autistic but I'm weird enough they compare me to him, so that's enough to say the show can make people stereotype us even worse.

Weighing in on this, I saw someone say that autistic people often make INAPPROPRIATE eye contact, in one direction or another...when I worked as a peer mentor with a guy who was in fact much lower-functioning (though I dislike that term) than me, he would make very intense eye contact. I, meanwhile, am uncomfortable with eye contact altogether, so it would actually make for funny situations in which my eyes were pretty much running away from his chasing them when we talked.

For those who fear TBBT's portrayal of Aspergers I actually wonder how meny people really make the connection between Aspergers and Sheldon, my own dad and his family couldn't make the connection between Sheldon and myself and they are all big fans of TBBT, watching every episode.

leonard ruins the show.

why?

He has some aspie traits and all but the writers have stated that they didnt intend him to have asperger because that would limit what things he could do and so on.

Its supposedly based on an acquaintance of them.

his character is very emotional
voice is annoying
seems corny (usually means bad acting in my experience)

well...he doesn't ruin it just erks me i suppose...

I think the portrayal of AS in The Big Bang Theory is actually positive. Yes, Sheldon makes social errors etc, but he also has a decent job, is mostly independent, has a good social life and is in a relationship. This shows that people on the spectrum can have successful and fulfilling lives.

My feelings exactly!

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

There is no reasonable doubt the writers have AS in mind with the character. This tactic of denail gives them carte blanche to have the character perform any embarrassing behavior without admonishment of degrading people with AS.

Consider the Amos & Andy entertainment franchise from the 1930's and 40's. It is shockingly racist by today's standards, and doubly so considering that it started as a radio show where the black duo was portrayed by white voice actors. I'm sure that the producers and writers of that show would have used similar denial tactics to TBBT's in order to prevent being labeled as outright racists.

Just because somebody says something is false doesn't mean it isn't true.

Agreed, 100%.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

IF this is true, their "acquaintance" was undoubtedly on the spectrum and they just didn't know it.

Im not denying that he has plenty of aspie traits.

I m just saying that not everything he does is aspie-like(if that is even a term) because they wanted a character that wasnt limited by a diagnosis if that makes sense

I really do believe Sheldon has AS - he has so many traits that associated with ASD

He has
a list of people he hates - ( I have a list of seven people I hate and I only told the top2 I hate them)
He is really bad at basketball and sports ( I dropped out of P.E right before year 10 ended)
He doesn't understand sarcasm ( Sometimes I do not know if someone is joking - was very upset when my mum said at 49 she nearly 51 she wanted a baby because we were watching a home video of me and my brother as toddlers at a party.
Her ex boyfriend offered her a baby and I got so upset when she said this in front of my dad and brother and me and months later I asked mum why did John offer her a baby and she said it was a joke he has a had a vasectomy he has 3 kids over 30 and hes 58 now and has so many health issues. I almost marched down to the BBQ he was having and wanted to ask him why? in front of all of his friends and I hadn't even talked to him in 2 years and 8 months at the time. He hasn't been around in 17 or 18 months which the longest time he hasn't been around to my house and in a couple of years time she will have a grandson or granddaughter when me and my soon to be husband get married. I couldn't believe my ears she said to me the week before she said this she is happy being an aunt or great aunt or grandmother but not a mother )
No eye contact or social skills
He likes to insult people
He is very very clever
Hates change and routine
He takes things so literally ( I still do but not as much as I used to)

I read an article a while ago where one of the writer's seemed aware that Sheldon had AS.

I used to think it was offensive having a character like that whose friends would sometimes be deliberately mean to him just because of the way he is but then I decided to give it a chance. They once had an episode where he had a shut down. I can't remember what it was about. It's an older episode.

I love watching the show. As a comic book/sci-fi/ex-fantasy geek who has AS the show just makes me feel normal. I watch it to restore some sanity after dealing with a whole lot of people I struggle to relate to. And I agree there's a lot of jokes made only for geeks. They have the best guest stars ever.

I used to have a couch I would always sit on, now I just have main spot on the couch but can sit somewhere else if I need to. Sometimes I want to write up my own room mate agreement. I love Star Trek, Firefly, The Green Lantern, Battlestar Galactica and most things mentioned in the show. I've got an interest in physics. I think Howard is hot and feel dirty about it. I don't like Babylon 5 too and think it's funny that both me and Sheldon hate the same show.

Watching The Big Bang Theory is a part of my watching TV at night routine, with a tea and two biscuits. When I can't I feel uneasy, even a bit angry at others from keeping me from it, particularly on Monday nights because that's when they air new episodes.

I can see some people would find Sheldon annoying and might judge people with AS in the same way. My sister's friend has mentioned it to me. I almost want to tell him he's on the autism spectrum.

I've even done a bit of Sheldon mimicry, though I tend to become more arrogant than I usually am so try to control it.

Oh, and I'm constantly reminded how much I'm like Raj. I still have a bit of selective mutism that is worse around the opposite sex. I drink to talk to people too and just the lines he has would be things I say. I like it how Raj is socially awkward too.

Yes Sheldon is pretty annoying sometimes but what I don't get is why it's considered insulting to be annoying. I know I'm annoying, very annoying at times and when I meet new people I inform them of this fact. I tell them that at times I'm a bit much and can annoy the crap out of them and I ask them to please tell me when I do and I'll stop and that I don't notice it when I'm doing it so they have to tell me. If you treat it like that and joke on yourself a little bit about it at first people will think that yes you can be annoying but you are also eccentric and amusing and they will look over it more than they would otherwise.