Tired of Sheldon Cooper

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Anyway, this was rather unfortunate.

I was out for my birthday, dining solo at my little table in a cafe and I happened to be sitting next to a couple of friends. One was complaining about her ex, and saying that he was like Sheldon Cooper and must therefore have Asperger's and was treating all people with Asperger's or HFA or what have you now due to DSM 5 like we don't have feelings or don't care about others. Legit, she was talking about how selfish he was at a funeral, but that whole generalisation of how people with Asperger's are like Sheldon Cooper just made me mad.

Don't get me wrong. I think he is funny. I am just not like him.

Am I like Sheldon Cooper? Well, let's see.

1. Favourite place to sit? I do but I'm not anal about it.
2. Won't wear a shirt on Friday destined to be worn only on Thursdays? Nah. Not in my code.
3. Inflexible with what I eat every day? Actually, I'm the opposite. I can be spontaneous sometimes. I could suddenly jump in my car and head out to an Indian or Vietnamese restaurant.
4. Germ phobia? Nope. I don't have it.
5. Doesn't like being hugged? Yeah. I'm guilty of that.
6. Don't get sarcasm? Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't.
7. Empathy much? Mind reader? Like Sheldon, I lack that skill. I won't know what someone means unless they tell me.
8. Scientific geek? I used to be but I've settled into a simpler role as a writer.
9. Thoroughly absorbed by special interests? Yep. Guilty of this, too. I've forgotten to eat, take me meds, pay bills, etc because I'm too absorbed in something.
10. Hard to make friends? Yeah, and I think in real life, Sheldon wouldn't have friends either.

[Moved from Autism Politics, Activism, and Media Representation to Television, Film, and Video]

I like many elements of the show (o hai Summer Glau), but televising Autism Spectrum in a sitcom format just seems misleading. Despite how much the show changes they never really reshape characters in any serious way, and this character is presented as an unhealthy mix of OCD, HFA and rigid unpleasantness. It perpetuates the idea that we on the spectrum never come across inner peace and pass it along, and I swear I'd tell the same to anyone who worked on Big Bang Theory.

Also, they made App Development look like a Fisher_Price puzzle...

What's a Sheldon Cooper?
Is it like a mini Cooper?

"Big Bang Theory" is a mean caricature of a show that stigmatizes nerds. The irony is that real-life nerds eat it up as if it gives them popularity, without realizing that people aren't laughing WITH them.

The British show "The IT Crowd" was the right way to do this, because it actually cared about its nerds. It was more subtle and heartfelt and imaginative in all respects.

Honestly this might all be in good fun, you know, if cool nerds didn't exist. My inbox may be a stack of gadgets on an end table but I always find reasons to leave my house!

in hindsight, I also think that it was because all of her complaints didn't even acknowledge that some of us do care. Even if it is misguided.

Maybe I should not feel that way because it was her ex.

But I just felt that we were being brushstroked with a brush that doesn't necessarily apply. It was almost all I could do to not say something because town is so small.

But yes, he is a stereotype.

And a sitcom character.

The way that Sheldon and i are alike are in our mutual lack of sarcasm and social communication ability. Although I tend to sit in the same place and eat the same foods, it is out of convenience and not out of need.

I have little in common with Sheldon, but the traits we share are ones I seldom see reflected in our culture except in very negative or idealized ways. I enjoy seeing a funny (albeit often unintentionally so), sometimes endearing, humanized person with these traits. I mean, off the top of my head, most of the people I see on TV or in movies that have these things in common with Sheldon and I are characters who are serial killers or something!

At the same time, I would dislike constantly being compared to him in my own life. I am real! He is not!

I have always wondered why people don't find this character offensive... the whole point of each show is what an ass Sheldon is... this is terrible for the aspie community. Maybe a small part of society thinks he is cool but most the rest of the world will just use it against us...

I don't have a scientific acumen like Sheldon, though if you erase the word "scientific," and write in "history," then yes, I am very much like him. I can be unintentionally rude or selfish, especially with people I know and can let my guard down while around. Picky eater? You damn betcha! And as for physical affection - when I was younger, I could barely stand to be touched, though that has thankfully diminished in later years.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

The character has gone from funny to annoying.

It was funny at first because of all his quirks and apparent inability to change, but now (as someone here said), it's become the Sheldon Cooper show, and it flip-flops from funny to annoying.

All the other characters are growing and changing. Sheldon shows some growth and change, but then they snap him back into the rigid mold he started from.

For example, when they had Kim (from N. Korea) show up at the university who was clearly smarter than Sheldon, that should have been a wake up call for life. Yeah, he did the whole "I'm yesterday's news" crisis, but as soon as they got Kim off his game, Sheldon goes back to being a pompous ass.

In truth, unless you are excessively dysfunctional, a crisis like that would wake you up to the fact that you aren't as great as you thought you were. You'd be noticeably more humble afterwards. Only a psychopath wouldn't change, and I don't see the character portrayed as a psychopath.

Did she mention Asperger's directly? I'm just curious because I didn't think it was common for people to relate to him as having the disorder (outside of people aware of ASD, such as us and people in the health profession, etc.).

1. Favourite place to sit? Yes, if a suitable place isn't available I will opt for the floor or stand.
2. Won't wear a shirt on Friday destined to be worn only on Thursdays? I don't have dates for wearing clothes, but I would like to buy copies of the same clothing to wear everyday if it wasn't so difficult or unacceptable at work.
3. Inflexible with what I eat every day? I can be spontaneous and try new things sometimes, but I often can't eat them. Its hard to tolerate a lot of foods, so I tend to eat the same foods often.
4. Germ phobia? I don't see it as a phobia, I wash my hands probably 50 times a day or more literally. I am also the least sick person at work, aside from my allergies to pollen.
5. Doesn't like being hugged? Not unexpectedly, I'd rather be asked first. Same goes for touching my arms/shoulders.
6. Don't get sarcasm? Generally, but not always.
7. Empathy much? Mind reader? If it is in context, usually, otherwise no.
8. Scientific geek? Totally. Natural sciences especially, but also Quantum mechanics.
9. Thoroughly absorbed by special interests? Yes, I can spend hours doing something and not notice the time or hunger.
10. Hard to make friends? I don't really attempt to make any since I have two good friends I see maybe once a month, plus I do not drive which makes hanging out difficult. Lately I've just been playing MMOs with them even though they live a few miles away.

Aside from his bragging and outright "superiority" air (and general asexuality), I am pretty much a Sheldon. My parents taught me the moral value of being modest from a young age, but that doesn't stop me from being honest about my capabilities either way.



I don't see it as being particularly "mean", but a caricature for sure. I admit to being more like them than not like them though. One thing I dislike is inaccuracies perpetrated by them towards certain games and fiction, such as some World of Warcraft references (which made my wife angry and I had to explain were not true). Sometimes you have to laugh at yourself, and I don't see the "layman" as getting many of the jokes in the show, so the audience seems much more aimed towards nerds than non-nerds.

That's another one that applies to me - I have certain clothes I have to wear on certain days!

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

I just go to the store and buy 3-packs of colored t-shirts with pockets. When getting dressed, I just grab the next t-shirt in the pile regardless of its color.

I've had issues with that show ever since my therapist compared me to Leonard............

I know she was trying to connect with me but still........