The Nerd Stereotype as it Relates to Gender in The Big Bang Theory (Essay Sample)

First and Last Name Instructor Course Name Due Date The Nerd Stereotype as it Relates to Gender in The Big Bang Theory The nerd stereotype is a common trope in media. Usually the “nerd” is the object of fun, with members of the audience invited to enjoy humor made at the expense of the nerd in question. At the same, the nerd is considered an endearing and loveable character. Though socially awkward, the nerd has become a stock character for a reason. Television series The Big Bang Theory demonstrates how the trope can be effectively employed to create nerd characters who are relatable and likable. Perhaps in spite of their lack of conventional masculinity, and perhaps because of it, the nerds are seen as harmless. In so doing, they make a statement about gender and gender roles This paper is concerned with the ways that the nerd stereotype are reflected in gender performance and the way that gender performance can shape opinions of gender. The Big Bang Theory constructs the idea of “nerdiness” as something male, in opposition to femaleness. Although the series added two female characters as regular cast members in later seasons, the initial concept revolved around just five characters. Sheldon, Leonard, Wolowitz and Raj are friends and fellow scientists. Penny is Sheldon and Leonard’s neighbor whose presence complicates the mens’ lives. The “nerd” trope implies social awkwardness. The four friends cannot communicate with a woman like Penny because they do not have the skills to do so effectively. As researchers Filippo Cervelli and Benjamin Schaper argue, social ineptitude is an essential part of the nerd trope. Because they are intelligent, nerds are often regarded as outcasts and because they are socially inept they are unable to overcome this stigma (Cervelli & Schaper 3). Though it is not clear whether the guys are developmentally different or just “strange” in some unidentified way, viewers have argued that Sheldon is autistic based on his behavior (Gaeke-Franz 309). As outcasts, the men are vulnerable. Because they do not “fit in” they are non-threatening. The four men appear helpless when forced to spend time around Penny, and their awkwardness is something the audience is invited to laugh at. But at the same time, the nerds are meant to be relatable to members of the audience. Male viewers can see themselves in the four friends and identify with them. By creating four characters whose defining characteristics are awkwardness and a lack of skill in communicating with women, these qualities are the ones that viewers form a bond around. As nerds, the characters consume lots of media, especially movies and comic books (Gaeke-Franz 310). This creates a point of agreement between the characters and the viewers, who are themselves media consumers. Fans of The Big Bang Theory are often fans of the same properties that the characters on the show enjoy. This means that the viewers come to identify with the characters and see their nerdiness as part of a shared experience (Bednarik 201). The viewers are absorbing the other aspects of being a “nerd” from watching how these men behave. Viewers are learning that being a nerd means being lonely and socially awkward. But just as the men are all awkward but form a group of their own, the show’s fans can imagine themselves as part of this group. This can be positive, but it can also have negative aspects as well. By identifying with the nerds on The Big Bang Theory, fans come to understand that not understanding women is part of what makes them men. Nerds are generally understood to be single because they are awkward. The nerd tries and fails to secure a romantic partner because he cannot communicate effectively with members of the opposite sex (Larsen 26). But there is more to this failure to communicate than an inability to find the right words. The four men find it difficult to talk to women because they do not place much value in understanding how to speak to women. Sheldon frequently insults Penny without realizing it. Even when it is pointed out to him that his behavior is annoying, he does not show remorse. Being indifferent to the feelings of others is part of what makes him a nerd (Gaeke-Franz 313). Interestingly, communication skills and sensitivity are often considered feminine (Dennin para. 3). So, when the men show insensitivity, they are at the same time displaying their masculinity. By making insensitivity a key part of who Sheldon is, this becomes part of what defines him as a man. He signals that he is different from Penny by insulting her, and the differences between them signal the differences between masculinity and femininity. While maleness is expressed through nerdiness, it is a particular kind of maleness. The men do things to signal that they are unlike Penny, but they also signal that they are unlike conventional men. A contrast is often created between Leonard and the men that Penny often dates (Larsen 53). Because Leonard pursues Penny as a romantic partner from the start of the series onward, he is often portrayed as a better alternative. The show often implies that the hypermasculine men Penny dates are wrong for her. In the pilot episode of the series, Leonard is forced to confront Penny’s ex-boyfriend. Kurt is masculine all the ways that Leonard is not. He is muscular and dominant, in contrast with Leonard (Blosser 141). Kurt’s hypermasculinity makes him insensitive, and this is the reason that Penny gives for breaking up with him. Because he is a nerd, Leonard is vulnerable. He cannot dominate anyone, and his non-threatening status is meant to signal that he is a more sensitive man because he is weaker than Kurt. This is apparently why Penny should choose Leonard over Kurt. However, as mentioned above, the men can also show insensitivity when doing so signals their maleness (Larsen 53). Leonard is meant to be sympathetic towards Penny. However, he might just as easily be awkward around her if doing so provides humor. This awkwardness is not simply because Leonard does not know the right thing to say to Penny. It is a general lack of concern for her feelings. For instance, Leonard uses Penny’s breakup with a guy as an opportunity to win her affections for herself. He struggles with the decision at first, but then uses her vulnerability to his advantage (Larsen 54). The contradiction over sensitivity speaks to the challenge of making a character both nerdy and likable. To be nerdy, a man must be insensitive. But by being insensitive, he is no better than a hypermasculine man. This means he must be insensitive and then sensitive when the situation calls for it. When he needs to prove that he is a man, he will be insensitive. But when he needs to show he is better than a conventional man, Leonard will do that. For her part, Penny offers a contrast with the nerdy characters by displaying strongly masculine traits. Despite being the female that the men measure themselves against, Penny is also quite masculine herself (Dennin para. 13). Conventional female tropes play up women’s passivity in contrast with men. Women are often expected to be subordinate to men (Blosser 139). Penny breaks with this convention. The men are scientists. They are highly intelligent and have knowledge that Penny does not. But Penny challenges the idea that the guys’ superior knowledge of math and science place them above her in any meaningful way. She does not value their knowledge of pop culture either. For Penny, the men’s knowledge is not interesting because it does not relate to anything she values. It is not feminine, but it is not masculine either. The love of science that the four friends display is something socially awkward, and therefore not something she wants to associate herself with (Blosser 140). Instead, Penny is masculine in ways the men are not. Penny is assertive. Though she does have as much formal education as her male friends, she does not see this as a sign that she should be subordinate to them in any way. Actually, the opposite is true. She is probably the least intelligent character in the series (Dennin para. 18). But she is also the most self-confident. If their nerdiness makes the men less-than-masculine, then Penny’s lack of nerdiness makes her the opposite. She can perform the conventions of femininity. She is valued for her beauty and attractiveness. These qualities are feminine and they are part of why the men in the show are interested in her (Blosser 143). In contrast with the men, Penny does not need to prove her femininity or its opposite. She is effortlessly feminine without being vulnerable the way the men are. For this reason, Penny can be called “masculine” even while performing conventional feminine stereotypes of beauty and attractiveness. Her femaleness is meant to contrast the nerds’ maleness. Her lack of intelligence is another way in which she is set apart from them. But even though she is the ...