The Big Bang Theory- Offensive to the nerds and pretty girls?

Some of you may or may not have seen the CBS show "The big bang theory," but either way this harmless sitcom really has a lot of undertoning popular culture issues that we have a class have discussed throughout the winter semester. The main theme of the show (if the picture didn't give it away already) is that four "nerdy" guys live in an apartment complex, and one day a beautiful girl moves in near them. Of course to give the show its entertainment, these nerds become friends with the blonde bombshell. If you have seen an episode, you would know that it is filled with geeky humour, following the stereotype that "nerdy" people such as the four guys don't know how to act around such a pretty girl; they merely know mathematics and science, not the social aspects of talking to the opposite sex. As for the beautiful girl, she's mostly portrayed as the one who went her whole life living off of her good looks, and never bothered with academics in school. Though the show is entertaining and has become a hit for CBS, the obvious pop culture issues dealing with sexism and stereotypes is quite apparent in such a sitcom.

Because it is just a harmless sitcom, some might think these stereotypes are overcompensated throughout the series and are just a means to entertain its audiences. In actuality, because it is just a harmless sitcom on CBS it shows us how in today's popular culture we see society. Many times we associate the smart kids in our classes to have no lives and are constantly stuck in their books 24/7. Why is this? As Frecerro asks us to not look at pop. culture representations as "good" or "bad," The Big Bang Theory is pretty much putting these stereotypical messages in their show as good or bad. Just because you do good in school and care about your studies, does NOT mean you cannot have a social life too. Of course, there are some people who just stick to the books and choose not to go out on a weekend night to a frat or bar, but this is by choice- the nerds in the show look at is as they "can't" go out because they just do not have the social skills. As for the one girl in the show who is put in it merely to be an opposition to the nerds, she would rather read a cosmo then to do an extensive equation. This as well can be offensive and seen as sexist to female viewers. Stereotypes again seem to go in the pattern that if a girl is good looking and goes out and parties, she most likely does not care for her studies and only cares about looking pretty and finding a rich husband. Girls are allowed to be good looking AND smart in academics too can't they? Once again, there are cases where I personally know girls who will stick to an easy major, and hope to be a "trophy wife," but in most cases in college girls want to be looked at as just as smart as the guys, and prove that they can be more than just a pretty face.

The Big Bang Theory is just a sitcom, but it as well as along with many other sitcoms on television today throw these stereotypes of sexism and power in our faces and expect us to laugh...which we do. The fact of the matter is pop. culture thrives off of these stereotypes and find it entertaining to see a nerdy guy trying to hit on a cute girl way out of his "league." So is this show really offensive? Or is it the fact that all of us are stereotypical, and only find shows entertaining that pertain to these popular culture issues?