Top 10 Times Penny was the Most Relatable on The Big Bang Theory

Keepsakes, mementos, souvenirs. The keeping of little things that remind us of someone is something we can all relate to, especially when it comes to the people we love and have loved. When Penny takes out her box of memories to show Leonard, we all have a good happy cry because it’s something many of us have as well. A movie stub from a first date, a letter from a significant other, a seashell from a romantic walk on the beach, etc. Not sure if all of us can relate to the negative pregnancy test, but for the rest of it, Penny was just like us.

The World Health Organization has reported that up to 3% of people who play video games suffer from a video game addiction. And given that over three billion people play video games around the world, that makes for about 90 million who can relate to Penny’s addiction to “Age of Conan” in Season 2. Even those of us who aren’t big gamers can relate, as many have obsessions or addictions to other things that manifest in many of the same ways. Thankfully, Penny has Howard there to help her hit her rock bottom.

The typical trope when it comes to TV breakups is that one or both parties are too sad - or angry - about the dissolution of the relationship to spend time together afterwards. However, as hard as breakups can be, sometimes a friendship is strong enough to persist after the romantic part of the relationship has ended. Such is the case for Penny and Leonard after their breakup and subsequent difficulties. Sure, it isn’t always easy, but petty anger and resentment never takes over, and the strength of their friendship always perseveres. Something that more of us can relate to than typical scripted breakups would have you believe.

All women want to have a baby - or at least that’s the standard societal stereotype we’re all familiar with. But the truth is, there are plenty of women out there who don’t yearn for a child. There are some, like Penny, who have doubts and reservations about children and motherhood. Eventually Penny comes around to the idea of children and gets pregnant. However, watching her go through the process of uncertainty and indecision is probably very relatable to many women out there - regardless of whether or not they come to the same conclusion.

We might all aspire to be as neat and organized as Sheldon, but speaking for ourselves, the truth is that many of us fall closer to the Penny side of the spectrum when it comes to tidiness. For us the expression “a place for everything and everything in its place” is only accurate if the floor and the chair in the corner of our bedroom count as “places.” Sure, there are those who would 100% relate to Sheldon’s obsessive cleanliness and organizational attitudes. But for the rest of us, we can see ourselves in Penny’s messiness.

Howard’s aggressive and unappealing flirting with Penny is played for laughs early on the show. However, that kind of unwanted attention is, unfortunately, something many women have to deal with throughout their lives. As much as that aspect of Penny’s relationship with Howard is relatable, we’re proud to say that many can also relate to her standing up to him and setting him straight. Yes, telling him that no women will ever love him and he’ll end up alone is maybe a little mean. But, after a year of constant unrequited flirting, he should’ve got the hint. Still, in the end it takes a punch to the nose for that hint to finally sink in.

Before the guys head off to the North Pole at the end of Season 2, Penny gives Leonard a going away present. When he asks her if it meant anything, she says no, when the truth is she has feelings for him. In Season 3 when Leonard says “I love you” for the first time, Penny only gives him a “thank you” in return. While both moments have fans feeling a little sad, wishing Penny could just admit her feelings, many also relate to her emotional walls and her fear of putting herself out there emotionally. Even when she finally does say those three little words, you can see the realization and fear in her face.

Penny moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career but ended up working as a server at The Cheesecake Factory - a job she thought would be temporary but was anything but. At one point, she even thinks about moving back to Nebraska and giving up on her dream altogether. While not everyone can relate to the specific hardships of an aspiring actor, the struggles of landing your dream job are something many of us completely understand. Unfortunately, many can also relate to Penny’s cringely-awkward performance at her pharmaceutical sales rep job interview. Although, for most of us, we don’t end up getting the job anyway because you and your interviewer are both scared of your best friend.

On the surface, Leonard and Penny’s relationship seems pretty one-sided, with Leonard being lucky such a hot girl is going out with him and Penny fighting below her weight class - so to speak. But on multiple occasions the series takes us inside Penny’s head and exposes us to her insecurities in the relationship. Sure, she’s gorgeous, but Leonard is a genius, and as insecure as he feels about her looks, she feels about his brain. Whether it’s physical appearance, intelligence, money - or something else entirely - relationship insecurities are something we can all relate to.

The first of the month can be a scary time, especially when we realize that rent is once again due - and we just don’t have it. As is the case for Penny when she ends up having to borrow money from Sheldon to cover the rent. Although, it still isn’t enough to also keep the lights on. Sure, most of us probably don’t have neighbors who we can mooch food from every night, but we sure would if we did. And while we can easily relate to the total frustration of Penny’s car breaking down and not having the money to fix it, we wish we could relate to having a significant other awesome enough to buy us a new one.