Top 10 The Big Bang Theory Moments That Didn't Age Well

Stuart Bloom, the eccentric owner of the comic book store, became a series regular starting in season six. For his part, he was an endearing element of the show’s later years. Although, that endearment may have been because it was hard not to feel sorry for the guy. The show threw Stuart one curveball after another, whether it was his floundering business, his bad luck with dating, and, most notably, his struggle with mental health. While we lamented his situation, most of the other characters certainly didn’t. On the contrary, Stuart’s uphill battle actually allowed his friends to take advantage of him many times over. Seeing as how depression is a very real struggle for numerous people, we have to wonder why.

Leonard wasn’t so much a son to his neuroscientist mother, Beverly, as he was an unwilling guinea pig in her many experiments. The show was not above poking fun at the Hofstadters’ approach to family life, such as their unconventional holiday traditions. But season three’s, “The Pants Alternative,” gave us a glimpse of how deeply Beverly’s idea of parenting has affected her son. While helping Sheldon overcome his fear of public speaking, Leonard’s attempt at therapy takes a turn when he himself becomes the client. The laugh track feels out of place as he recounts a humiliating story of how Beverly essentially guilted him into giving an award back. Considering how his mother would continue to mistreat him, Leonard deserves every award in the world.

If anything is made clear throughout the series, Penny is not like the rest of the gang. Though she possesses the strongest social skills, she also served as the show’s resident dumb blonde for a lot longer than she should have. It was practically a custom for Sheldon to throw in the occasional jibe about Penny’s upbringing in Nebraska and her lack of a proper education. [1] As expected, Dr. Cooper was often too concerned with his own agenda to understand that he was hurting Penny’s feelings. While some of the jokes at Penny’s expense were all in good fun, others were just outright cruel and demeaning. Don’t think we’ve forgotten the time she was shamed by Sheldon and Amy.

It’s understandable that a group of nerdy and socially awkward people might get nervous when interacting with those they might be attracted to. But “The Big Bang Theory”’s portrayal of gender dynamics remained largely misguided throughout its run. Sexism and gatekeeping went hand in hand, as the series often suggested that only men are able to appreciate pop culture. The group’s fascination with superheroes, science fiction, and fantasy wasn’t typically reciprocated by the women in their lives. But the instances in which Penny, Amy, or Bernadette began to show an interest themselves were complicated by the guys’ failure to comprehend them. There’s nothing weird about women having such interests, and it’s a little sad that the show didn’t make inclusivity a bigger talking point.

Joking about a character’s physical appearance is a cheap exercise in humor that most, if not all, sitcoms resort to at some point. But that doesn’t make the rampant body shaming that goes on in “The Big Bang Theory” any more acceptable. On top of the show’s blatant sexism, obesity and body image were the subject of many moments played for laughs. This is especially true of Howard’s mother, who, prior to her death in season eight, was essentially a walking punchline due to her weight. Sadly, she wasn’t the only victim of the writing team’s attitude. Each of the four guys in the group are guilty to one degree or another, and such behavior remains a smear on the show’s legacy.

Howard and Raj’s friendship is perhaps the series’ most consistent one. Before Howard started dating Bernadette, it seemed as though the two spent every waking moment with one another, often arguing and joking around like a couple. Even as the series progressed, the circumstances surrounding their relationship remained one of its longest running gags. That being said, representation of the LGBTQ+ community has matured to such a degree that it’s easy to view this kind of humor as of its time and a little homophobic. It certainly doesn’t help whenever the two have to quickly jump in and defend themselves. And just when we thought we were done pointing the finger and thinking about queerness in scandalous terms.

If there’s one thing about Sheldon that could possibly rival his brilliant mind, it’s his obliviousness when understanding people. While almost every episode has demonstrated this undesirable quality, he actually lands in hot water for it in season six’s “The Egg Salad Equivalency.” After Sheldon notices his assistant Alex flirting with Leonard, his plan to talk to her about it goes awry courtesy of an inappropriate metaphor. Later, after being called into Human Resources, he manages to make things even worse with some choice words for administrator Janine Davis. Looking back on it now, it’s hard to believe his ignorance went that far. Given the prevalence of both the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements, he’d have gotten a far worse punishment today.

As long as we’re discussing Sheldon’s cultural insensitivity, we had best shine a light on the likeliest source of his behavior: his mother, Mary. While Laurie Metcalf was a perfect addition to the cast as Mrs. Cooper, her character’s Southern charm and born-again Christian values didn’t exactly lend themselves to political correctness. We all knew she meant well, but the show certainly milked a lot of cringeworthy humor from her out-of-touch worldview, especially when Raj was involved. In fact, there’s quite a few jokes across the series’ twelve seasons targeted at Indian culture, with Howard being one of the biggest offenders. You would think helping out your best friend wouldn’t involve donning such a racist impersonation of his accent.

Sometimes, we have to wonder how Howard ever held a job and long lasting friendships in the first place. As his familiarity with CalTech’s HR department might indicate, his past was largely defined by a long history of misconduct. Penny, in particular, was on the receiving end of his unflattering comments, which began all the way back in the series’ second episode. As the guys help their new neighbor assemble some furniture, they, of course, overanalyze and overcomplicate the instructions. When Penny tries to reason with them, she’s met with this unjustified response from Wolowitz. Howard’s superficial view of Penny didn’t improve immediately, making us question why she’s the one who apologizes after finally calling him out in the following season.

Howard and Raj’s early-season quest to meet women seemingly knew no bounds, but we have to draw the line somewhere. Their decision to pick up dates in a goth bar was questionable enough. But misleading women this way is nothing compared to their extreme obsession with “America’s Next Top Model.” After watching the show with Penny, Howard and Raj are so taken in by the contestants that they use military technology to locate their mansion and spy on them. It’s low even for them, as it’s not only reprehensible, but illegal. That the two never get any comeuppance for their actions really is the cherry on top of what is arguably the worst thing they’ve ever done.