The Complicity of Geek Masculinity on the Big Bang Theory

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This is the 2nd of two video essays about gender on The Big Bang Theory. The 1st focuses on a popular media trope I like to call the Adorkable Misogynist. You can see that episode here: • The Adorkable Misogyny...
The Big Bang Theory delights in poking fun at its male characters for their geeky obsessions but there's something even more pernicious going on just under the surface. Beyond the mocking of geekdom, the show is relentless in making fun of its male leads for not being 'real men." In their quest to prove their manhood the four geeks then end up being complicit in many of the most harmful aspects of hypermasculinity.
PATREON
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RECOMMENDED BOOKS
• Masculinities by R. W. Connell
www.amazon.com/Masculinities-...
• The Men and the Boys by R. W. Connell
www.amazon.com/Men-Boys-R-W-C...
• The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love
www.amazon.com/Will-Change-Me...
• The Gender Knot: Unraveling Our Patriarchal Legacy
www.amazon.com/Gender-Knot-Un...
FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT HERE
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FAIR USE
All multimedia clips included in this video constitute a 'fair use' of any copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of U.S. Copyright law, which allows for criticism, comment and scholarship. Learn more about fair use with this awesome app by New Media Rights! newmediarights.org/fairuse
CREDITS
Writer/Producer: Jonathan McIntosh
Motion Graphics: Jonathan McIntosh
Logo Design: Justin McIntosh
Outro music: Jonathan Mann
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Опубликовано:

28 сен 2017

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Комментарии : 797

@olivierdubois9372 6 лет назад

The canned laughter is starting to make me feel sick...

@pandalandalopalis6515 18 дней назад

the show was filmed in front of a live audience but i feel like that makes this worse

@alemobra5747 4 дня назад

it was filmed in front of a live audience... something incredibly common in 2007 sitcoms lmfao

@terbentur2943 6 лет назад

This guy ruins show after show and movie after movie for me... and all in all I have to thank him for that. Sometimes it hurts to open your eyes.

@PopCultureDetective 6 лет назад

You're welcome ;)

@milfshanks 5 лет назад

Raj: “I happen to be comfortable with my masculinity.” Howard: “How is that possible?” The best summary of the show in two lines tbh.

@CanaAlyce 6 лет назад

I also hate the fact the show thinks that women can't be nerds.

@lukewheeler5188 4 дня назад

What about that girl that dated Stewart tbf she wasn’t a main character

@alemobra5747 4 дня назад

it literally had a character that was nerdier than sheldon

@twenty2093 2 дня назад

Also when this show was airing and even now the percentage of male to female nerds still has men higher.

@alemobra5747 2 дня назад

@@twenty2093 yeah i dont understand this point... the character had a female super nerd lmfao

@n.l.g.6401 6 лет назад

"Why are nerds who are bullied about not being manly enough turn around and replicate that behavior in their own communities?" That is the greatest mystery of "gamer" culture, my friend.

@MasterKnightDH 6 лет назад

I'm a gamer myself and I agree that "gamers" will gladly pull that shit. You saw my lengthy comment on this video, right?

@queenlele6193 6 лет назад

Thank you for revealing that nerds and so called “ nice guys “ can be sexist too. They can treat women like objects and nothing more than a “ status “ too. I’m also glad you mentioned how Hollywood loves to mock Asian men for their sexuality.

@AndresGomez-ct7qb 6 лет назад

You realize the show isn't written by nerds or nice guys, right? Nerds actually despise the show and have for years. There are countless blogs about that ever since the 2nd season of the show turned into: "I'm a nerd, that makes everything I do hilarious."

@queenlele6193 6 лет назад

Andrés Gómez I’m a nerd and I have dated nerds before . I’m into books and video games . I have been in those spaces and nerds can be sexist and misogynist. They can also BE racist too . I am a black woman and I dealt with racism and sexism in those communities . Just because YOU aren’t doesn’t mean every nerd isn’t . I used the Big Bang Theory as ONE example .

@FireFairy1994 5 лет назад

So basically, Raj is the only one secure in his masculinity out of the whole show.

@lilmskill 6 лет назад

Unfortunately the "geeky guys hating femininity" thing is a real thing. It is prevalent in geek culture especially gaming culture.

@MasterKnightDH 6 лет назад

As I basically pointed out in my own comment. I don't even know how bathroom detail could make a person any less of a man.

@npc-1436 6 лет назад

This^

@WideNerdy 10 дней назад

Speak for yourself. I'm not going to be thrown under the bus for your brownie points

@MsAbixxx 6 лет назад

During my limited time watching the show, the one I felt the most sorry for was Rajesh because of the way the others constantly belittle him for his interests. He is by no means perfect, and does show some toxic behaviours himself, but I can't help but sympathise with a guy being tormented for being too feminine by is supposed best friend.

@DaedricSheep 6 лет назад

Agreed. It's also telling that the most effeminate guy on the group is also the source for some of the most obscenely toxic behaviors, most of that trophy goes to Howard, but Raj is a damn close second.

@jaimechapman8275 4 года назад

The idea of using femininity as an insult is just so disheartening to me. I am whole, fully rounded person with depth and intelligence and the notion that a man being like me somehow lessens his value has its effects. And the idea that Penny being physically stronger or showing more stereotypically 'manly' traits is somehow the basis for a joke is also just as damaging.

@JaylukKhan 6 лет назад

Wait so enjoying The Princess Bride is unmanly? I don't envy manly men one bit if that's the case.

@dokboy77 6 лет назад

11:55 You wont sit with a guy drinking a grasshopper with a little umbrella, but you expect him to sit with you while you wear that horribly ugly, unflattering shirt?

@hedgehog3180 6 лет назад

I think the joke may partially have been that they didn't get that?

@catscats4427 6 лет назад

This show is horribly racist too.

@LeahLaushway 6 лет назад

Cats Cats The actor who plays Raj doesn't even have the accent IRL.

@hedgehog3180 6 лет назад

Is he actually an immigrant from India in the show?

@CuteBrainiacGirl 2 года назад

Honestly I could never get over how they kept raj single. The actor is the most physically attractive guy, and personality of his character was so sweet, funny and genuine. I think any woman would want him over the rest....

@MrTacticalinuit 6 лет назад

I love how this is feminist pop culture analysis and it's presented by a male writer/voiceover and he doesn't explicitly say feminist, so that makes it totally fine for everyone for some reason. If feministfrequency made this exact same analysis there would be a million response vids strawmanning it. Think about what that says about youtube culture.

@InsanityDancing 6 лет назад

I love how this channel keeps ripping Big Bang Theory a new one.

@HamzaAnsari1425 6 лет назад

As it should :)

@Elina_Strongbear 5 лет назад

It always worried me about how they addressed depression and suicide. Every scene with Stuart in it made me really sad. The group's casual dismissal of his suicidal comments.

@synaptotagmin69 6 лет назад

shoutout to all the boys out there who: - sometimes hide when they're sad or hurt - wish they had someone to talk about their feelings - want to cry sometimes - or just enjoy sandra bullock movies or putting on makeup the way you feel is completely okay and doesn't make you any less of a man and i really love you.

@mre6201 6 лет назад

-_-

@ChiakiMotomaru 6 лет назад

Well said, I hope there are more people like you.

@liamshanley4920 6 лет назад

👏🙌👏

@olivmaybee8818 6 лет назад

We're almost there, shout out to boys that have to hide their feelings because of masculinity, all boys cry dont be ashamed of it, and dont be scared of begin femenine, there's nothing wrong with that, be yourself, your honest self you are masculine enough even if you are super femenine

@tesseraph 6 лет назад

Thanks for this comment. I know this and am in fairly safe place in this regard, but it still feels good to see that written out. :)

@Shoulderpads-mcgee 6 лет назад

It saddens me that so many men reject feminism as something attacking their masculinity, but it's not just helping women get respect, it's trying to help guys live a healthier life with emotional support and friendly touches vital to mental health that so many guys deny themselves because it's too "gay"

@RainAngel111 6 лет назад

REALLY enjoyed this video. So many men need to see this. Feminism isn't just about letting women escape from the stereotypes of their sex, it is also an invitation to men to just be who they are without ridicule or questioning their identity.

@Simok1234 6 лет назад

100% on point

@lawrencemashiyane2986 6 лет назад

As a gay man of colour, I would like to say that notions of masculinity are also present in the gay community. While, in heterosexual hypermasculine settings emotions and anything feminine can be a sign of weakness, the same happens in gay communities. It is caused, I believe, by some absurd need or desire by the gay community to mirror the heterosexual world. Gay men who are more masculine and mascular, those who easily pass as straight, are more desired than those who are effeminate. This from both feminine and masculine gay and bisexual men. Also, if you are highly feminine then you basically have the status of a woman in a heterosexual and misogynist world in the gay community. I was having a discussion with some friends of mine about how oppressive the gay community is. How, in the gay community, the worst thing you could possibly be is feminine, black, thick (or fat) and poor. For an oppressed group, the gay community can sometimes be surprisingly racist, (can’t think of a word to describe someone who has issues with people’s body size), classist and also embody notions of toxic masculinity. It seems that in general society, whether heterosexual or otherwise, feminity is negatively stereotyped and masculinity is always desirable. Sadly

@Bairinde 6 лет назад

One of the most horrible examples I think was the episode in which they mock Howard for Bernadette making more money than him. It was so ridiculous! It made me wonder "Are men today actually threatened if their girlfriend/wife makes more money than them?". And the shows treatment of poor Raj (and Stuart) was what made me start hating it. At first, Raj was depicted as at least somewhat desirable, like Sheldon's sister Missy obviously preferred him over the others and he got together with that one girl at Penny's party. In the beginning, I think they also had some heart-felt moments between Leonard and Sheldon, where they comfort each other and it's not played for laughs. This stops to happen at some point and the group becomes a bunch of douchy assholes that beg the question why you would wanna continue to hang out with them, especially if you are Raj or Stuart.

@stormRed 6 лет назад

13:02 He likes cute dogs. How... Atrocious??

@hedgehog3180 6 лет назад

That doggo was obviously good. It's the other guys loss.

@etrules100 6 лет назад

Watching these clips of Sheldon makes me astonished that someone like that received a spinoff/prequel.

@twistysunshine 6 лет назад

Carlos Matias as someone who has family members who love this show, and Sheldon, it's because they love to laugh at an autistic stereotype.

@Clydelyng 6 лет назад

Twisty Sunshine So true and so depressing

@geminijoule5522 6 лет назад

And as someone in the spectrum, that shit is incredibly heartbreaking to me. Ive had my best friend compare me to Sheldon, and I wasn't even diagnosed yet and he thought it was funny...

@etrules100 6 лет назад

That makes it even worse.

@thisisatonofbs 6 лет назад

Which is funny as both the actor and the writers have said he isn't autistic.

@sadtitties222 6 лет назад

The animated cartoon, The Amazing World of Gumball, is more boy positive and accepting of boys presenting and embracing themselves in different ways than TBBT is. That's kind of sad.

@stanloona8953 6 лет назад

Ooomph. Didnt even realize the "haha funny virgin asian" trope in Raj until you pointed it out, but it makes so much sense

@AudreyKaneWaypaststrange 6 лет назад

fun side note- they often refer to the "alpha male" as though it were a fact of life intelligent people observe when that. is a largely false representation of animal behavior.

@Bakerygo 4 года назад

As a scientist I never liked the way they depicted scientists in general. So I can understand that geeks also got offended. Everything is very far fetched.

@DrPlaneteer 6 лет назад

I used to be a fan of the show, then I got bored of it and didn't pay attention to it anymore... but with both of these videos now I kinda hate it

@lisaitvvlv6519 6 лет назад

Same

@CassandraDidoMedea 6 лет назад

Same here. I cringe everytime it's on TV now

@sunflowerlove60 6 лет назад

I totally agree! I hadn't seen that scene of Penny and Amy being told to strip before but I am appalled! This show is so insulting to both women and real men, all for cheap (fake) laughs

@terejov 5 лет назад

The most likeable character is Raj. He is he most genuine to who he is and isn't afraid to be feminine and doesn't see something wrong with it.

@liamshanley4920 6 лет назад

2:48 The thing about Leonard not knowing anything about sports is that I actually laughed at those clips. Not because "Oh, he is failing at being a man", but because I relate to being very much clueless while watching sports as well. It would be fine if he learned that there isn't anything wrong with not knowing sports, but that doesn't seem to be the case on the show.

@veronicatr320 6 лет назад

My family is *very* into sports. Especially my aunt. 'Go sports!' was quite funny to me too because of that, but the fact that it's then used to humiliate ruins it :/

@wesleybrock315 4 года назад

What's strange to me about this show is that I've never met a self-described geek who thinks its a good show. It really is just your typical sit-com simply dressed up in nerd cosplay.

@tiebackcomics6902 6 лет назад

It's sad they pick on Raj the way they do. Out of the four, I think he would make the best partner. He's sensitive and thoughtful. He's my favorite character.

@Bruinschuss 6 лет назад

I really hate how a lot of men feel pressured to bottle their feelings. I'd say 80% of my relationship issues I've ever had stem from this, and the miscommunication resulting from it. Even my now husband was unwilling to communicate his feelings to me, and instead took to picking off his fingernails and not sleeping to deal with the anxiety stemming from this. It took almost a year of gentle pressure to get him to finally open up. IT IS HUMAN TO HAVE FEELINGS. And we have to share them, men and women. There's nothing unmanly about taking care of yourself and working through your emotions with other people.

@demJem09 6 лет назад

I love this video. I've always had a problem with how Sheldon talks about women and how Raj, the only brown dude on the show, is laughed at for embracing the shit he likes. Do people really have friends like this? I also want to make a note about Penny and her attitude to Leonard in their relationship; she's always making fun of Leonard's passions, career and physical limitations so why are they together? The show created seasons of trials for the two to overcome but by the time they finally end up together (for good), it doesn't feel right because 1) we've seen that Penny has no interest or respect for nerd/geek culture - a core part of Leonards personality - and 2) Leonard is driven by some sort of romanticism where it's FATE that will see him married to the beautiful girl across the hall. So Penny settles for a man who's always chased her and Leonard settles for a trophy he gets to flaunt to his friends. Oh and I'm still wondering how Howard actually managed to get married considering he's a terrible partner and his wife is out of his league.

@blackfish86 6 лет назад

Thank you, so much for this I have have always said that if you scratch the surface of a homophobe there always a misogynist underneath; this perfectly illustrates why.

@toomuchinformation 6 лет назад

Elizabeth Salmon I once heard a gay guy describe misogyny as "hatred of the feminine", not just women. Misogyny was often the basis of homophobia.

@MahaBasheikh 6 лет назад

Elizabeth Salmon I really wonder if homophobia would even be likely, or possible, if sexism didn't exist. Both exist because of the stringent rules society sets out for what it is acceptable for men and women to do.

@jhamptonjr 6 лет назад

I learned I didn't have to conform to what others thought my masculinity should be. Having an overbearing step dad growing up who was a sports "star" in high school and always despised me for getting straight As and playing some type of instrument from the time I was 8 drove him crazy. But I never had a problem with it. And I learned that I was the judge of who was the man.

@GeoNeilUK 6 лет назад

That line... "Y'know, for guys who say that they're always being bullied, you can be a bunch of jerks." ...and was met by silence from the crowd. How nice it would have been had that line been met by applause. It just might have led to the cancellation of the show. The problem with The Big Bang Theory appears to me that this is a show about the geeks and nerds written not by geeks and nerds, but by the high school bullies who were stuffing geeks and nerds into lockers. I have to be honest, I've never watched the show, even though it is being broadcast in the UK but it is always as mean-spirited as the clips in this video?

@mariedit9935 Год назад

Being gay irl and playing the most misogynistic male characters ever in sitcom history: Jim Parsons 🤝🏻 Neil Patrick Harris

@Qjimbo 6 лет назад

There is so much depth in your reviews, and you keep it interesting the entire time. You are a master of exposing the undesirable aspects in pop culture to the average person.

@PopCultureDetective 6 лет назад

Thanks, I appreciate you saying that.

@Qjimbo 6 лет назад

You're very welcome, I look forward to watching more from you!

@petrad5758 5 лет назад

"Here is an unfortunate tendency in our culture to try to pin the blame for men's emascalation on women. But most of the time the perpetrators are men who are participating in this competition for dominance." (17.51) THANK YOU.

@fritzophrenia3146 3 года назад

Man, big bang theory would actually be a really interesting show if it was aware of and tried to explore these issues

@Colleywoodstudios 6 лет назад

By the way the estrogen in soy thing is BS. its called phytoestrogen. Its a different compound but has the same structure. The compound itself has little effect on humans and is more of a chemical used by plants for reproduction and growth but its only similarities to humans, like i said, is its structure.

@julestia2 6 лет назад

this is the annihilation of the Big Bang theory

@margaretcummings4146 6 лет назад

Let's hope so

@repulsethemonkey1396 6 лет назад

This show likes to go for the lowest hanging fruit

@jebediahhonker-tonker5901 2 года назад

I find it hilarious that Raj got made fun of for wanting to drink "girly" drinks and then Penny later called the guys "girls" for not wanting a beer, when those "girly" drinks probably have 40% alcohol content and will get you shit faced a hundred times faster than beer lmao

@shanrose91 6 лет назад

I'd be interested for you to analyse Friends, I used to really love it as a teenager before I started to see that the show keeps pushing rachel back to ross despite his controlling and creepy behaviour - and never expects him to change. The jokes where the punchline is 'haha isnt joey stupid' also bother me.

@imagiccion 3 года назад

Watching this, I can't help but think of the old phrase, "With friends like this, who needs enemies?"

@imogenmobberley1824 6 лет назад

I'm always glad and happy to see you release one of these, and as a gay person myself, find it deeply sad that so many discriminating behaviours, like homophobia, sexism and lack of empathy towards ones' peers can be traced to this competitive toxic masculinity.

@amrosie4913 6 лет назад

i completely agree

@michaelsimmons8613 6 лет назад

Gods, it feels disturbing to think i was ever even amused by this show. It took me way to long to see the cruel heart at its core. Thankfully there are so much better geeky sitcoms out there now.

@aronbrown7286 4 года назад

The fact that we have an early version of Sheldon calling someone a Soy Boy really just solidifies the connection between creepy gamergate dudes and BBT guys for me

@fat025 6 лет назад

I feel for Raj man. Like him I'm the most feminine in my group of friends and the only one who has no girlfriend. After a while it starts to hurt and you build up some resentment towards your friends for putting their happiness in your face and women for not wanting you at all. It took me awhile to get out of that mindset but it still hurts sometimes

@Latetothegame 6 лет назад

I feel so bad for you. Youve had to watch so much of this show in order to make these videos for us. You poor tortured soul.

@jazeba.1532 6 лет назад

Late to the game the show is not that bad honestly...

@MinaF99 6 лет назад

These are so lovely and thoughtful, but how many hours of Big Bang theory have you sat through to make these?

@masonanderson1811 6 лет назад

Mina F Too Many

@lynndavinci4753 6 лет назад

Too many. I've seen 2 and that was too many.

@Skrublorde 6 лет назад

I believe he said that he watched all of it twice in a comment on the last one. Hopefully he sped it up.

@jtroxler8 6 лет назад

God bless his soul

@stef4305 6 лет назад

Yeah I was thinking this as well-dunno if I could have stuck that particular brand of torture to make such eloquent points as these!

@Eilowyn 6 лет назад

For some reason I'm feeling resistance to the idea of Captain America as an example of hegemonic masculinity. Steve Rogers doesn't fit in the same category as James Bond and Conan the Barbarian because deep down he's still the small guy who isn't capable of performing masculinity the same way Bucky does. His physical hegemonic masculinity doesn't match his interior masculinity. He's a lot less problematic in personality. I think Tony Stark would have been a much better example of hegemonic masculinity.

@caronovo9668 6 лет назад

Honestly, I think Tony Stark would be a better example of how hegemonic masculinity can influence a person. James Bond and Conan's masculinity is really who they are as a person, while Tony is just trying to imitate that because of what he was taught. His father telling him not to cry and being neglectful, saying that they "are made of iron", society's expectations, etc. kinda forced Tony into creating a persona that resembles hegemonic masculinity. But if you see past that persona you find a person who has a kind heart but is plagued with insecurities, toxic environments, and unfair expectations.

@rosaamandlagarciamuro9938 6 лет назад

I have to disagree, I'm a huge fan of the star spangled Cap, but I think he was put in that list not because of his character or ark, but because of the kind of role model he imposes on the viewers, something like : "you aren't good enough to fulfill your dreams, but if you get buff and become an alpha male you'll have everything you dream of, and will be appreciated and loved by those around you". Little kids look up to him and instead of dreaming to be the sensitive kind hearted man Steve is inside, they dream to get some sort of magical serum that turns them into big muscular powerful men because that is the only way to get anywhere in life. Of course this is just my opinion

@hedgehog3180 6 лет назад

I mean his character is ultimately linked to him being a soldier, and specifically the WWII G.I. So I think that puts him in the vicinity.

@wm2429 6 лет назад

Is hegemonic masculinity objectively a bad thing? I'm actually curious what the definition is. Captain America is (to me at least) the ideal man. He's brave, caring, empathetic, protective, and strong. He's the ideal I strive towards. I think that could fit in with hegemonic masculinity.

@Saktoth 6 лет назад

Men really need to hear this, maybe feminism would stop being such a dirty word on the internet if they understood how toxic masculinity hurts them.

@Daruqe 5 лет назад

Raj deserves better friends.

@BetaMaxx_ 6 лет назад

These Big Bang Theory videos are incredible. Thank you for making them

@KatBlaque 6 лет назад

This channel is my kink.

@Pschokid 6 лет назад

Kat Blaque same

@doodlcakes 6 лет назад

me too kat

@sisterimmaculata1680 6 лет назад

I'm fan-girling here.

@18shadowolf 6 лет назад

Mine to

@sagecrops7368 6 лет назад

Kat Blaque same

@Rachel-fi4sc Год назад

Thank you for explicitly pointing out the intersections between homophobia, sexism, and racism. I've seen so many men dismiss it or ridicule it like it's not the aspect of social masculinity that puts them at the most risk.

@mari-hf9xp 6 лет назад

I'd be really interested in seeing what you think of Community and Troy and Abed's friendship, I think that not only does it do a lot right when depicting a close and caring friendship between men, but it's also maybe the only empathetic depiction of an autistic man and his relationships with others that I've seen in a sitcom (or maybe in anything), completely unlike Sheldon who in my opinion is an extremely vitriolic representation of the condition. It's all the more significant since both Troy and Abed are geeky men of colour, and even though the show does encourage you to find it funny when they do nerdy things together it never feels malicious and more so endearing. It's not perfect by any means, but it's definitely one of the better male friendships I've seen on TV.

@Jonnz98 6 лет назад

Excellent analysis and I totally agree with everything, but just saying, if it was a woman doing this video it would be filled with "Fucking SJW" or "Tumblr feminists strike again" which also shows the deeply down rooted misogyny in todays real society.

@lavieboheme0911 6 лет назад

As an Asian male who resents the culture and mindset that worship hegemonic masculinity and condone misogynistic behaviors, I find your analysis interesting because I do have somewhat different reactions to the show. I don't think the writers intend to ridicule the characters for "not being manly enough". Instead, the jokes rely on the incongruity and discomfort of them trying to imitate the norms of a masculine culture and overcompensate for their supposed "lack of manhood". When these characters are just engaged in their non-masculine activities (either video games or lab research), they don't get taunted in the same way. For me, the writers attempt to use these characters to parody masculinity instead of glorifying it. After all, this show does put non-masculine "nerds" front and center for the audience to identify with. Also, the tone of the show does shift after the women characters are introduced and depicted as equally successful professionals in their fields. On the other hand, I do agree that the portrayal of the Indian character Raj is very reductive and fits into the effeminate stereotype of Asian men, and the insults among the male characters as well as the occasional misogynistic comments by Sheldon, though often get chided or "checked" by other characters, do walk a thin line between irony and normalizing misogyny.

@Papershire 6 лет назад

Being a man means a lot of things - not just the "masculine" bullshit. My dad for instance - sews, cooks, gardens, tended after animals and raised 3 girls single handed while my mom was abroad working . But he was also a mechanic and is adept at intimidating any man who looks at him. My western boyfriend was raised in a hypermasculine toxic environment and yet cowers when my tiny asian dad is around. It's actually pretty hilarious.

@geminibynature 6 лет назад

It took me a while to figure out there was something about the Big Bang Theory that I didn't like, and stop watching. I didn't really know why until I saw your videos, and this one helps to articulate it perfectly. Thanks so much for making these!

@latue87 6 лет назад

I remember watching the show and thinking "why does Raj always get picked on". Now with this context it explains a lot.

@bigDean636 6 лет назад

In the real world, the constant belittling and one-upsmanship would destroy their relationships. As you point out, toxic masculinity often makes it extremely hard to have close personal relationships with other men.

@cerebralclown_ 6 лет назад

These episodes should be shown to both boys and girls in grade school.

@HikariMichi42 6 лет назад

Right, little kids are actually very open-minded before they learn toxic behaviours from the adults in their lives and society and pass it on to each other. The earlier you start learning about this, the better.

@helenasvachova444 6 лет назад

I've never watched the show (thanks God) but I find it so sad that the only guy who I would maybe realistically find attractive is Raj, who's consistently portrayed as the most undesirable of this thoroughly "eeewww" bunch. It's kind of heartbreaking really that so many men and boys are conditioned to believe that these softer masculine qualities are unattractive to women, and encouraged to behave in a more stereotypically masculine (read: misogynistic) way, when in fact their true qualities can be highly attractive and valued. Up until not so many decades ago, men used to be much less afraid of their feminine side, and I hope the day comes they will find courage to embrace it again. despite the messed-up societal pressure. I admit I find macho men super boring, it's the balanced, sincere, empathetic guys who interest me - and it's not just a matter of romantic interest, I just find it so much easier to form any kind of genuine connection with them. I really wish the day comes again when gentleness is considered strength.

@meridiannemesis 6 лет назад

I always thought that Raj is so comfortable with himself compared to the others, because he wasn't raised in the USA among all that agressive stereotyping and hypermasculinity.

@ZanraiKid 5 лет назад

9:59 Sorry, did Big Bang Theory just ape PJW’s wildly inaccurate theory on soy compounds containing estrogen? What the actual fuck?

@PopCultureDetective 5 лет назад

Other way around I think

@joserics 3 года назад

This is sickening... I wonder how much of this we as men have absorbed, not from TBBT but for every other movie or series that have this...

@wompwomp9946 6 лет назад

As a woman, I wish women would be less competitive and more supportive, as well. :(

@phoney2627 2 года назад

9:58 Sheldon, guess what actually has estrogen and not just estrogen-mimicking compounds. Milk. Because it's taken directly from a female animal.

@laceyisnotreading 3 года назад

THANK YOU for diving into societal treatment of asian men in tandem with masculinity. Great work, thank you!

@Autissm420 6 лет назад

Keep dragging big bang theory, ur doin' amazing sweety 😻

@allisas8018 6 лет назад

10:06 is Sheldon making the soy boy argument?? was that (false) statement really shown on TV? God help us all

@SunlightHugger 6 лет назад

Look, boys, if you like the same stuff my little sister likes, that's not a bad thing. That just makes you a better conversation partner. Don't be ashamed of liking or doing traditionally feminine stuff.

@mindovermindfuck 6 лет назад

These videos suddenly became so much more relevant after acquiring a bunch of male, nerd friends...

@chloegoodwin2482 6 лет назад

What is that supposed to mean?

@thrownstair 5 лет назад

Sheldon calls Leonard a soy boy holy shit why did I ever enjoy this

@sunnypiper 6 лет назад

Great vid! I will say, another thing the writers do repeatedly that's lost its charm (if it indeed ever had any) is Howard taking the p**s out of Raj by impersonating/mocking his accent. It's just cringe. Like most folks on here I don't watch the show much anymore!

@klarapopilkova5791 3 года назад

There was that joke about soy boy / feminine boy that Sheldon said, but the weird thing about this is that it is not true. The hormones in soy simply dont work like that. And I would think Sheldon would know it. But jokes aside, this was a really good video (and also the previous one about TBBT) and I appreciate all of your invested time and energy. And also simply the fact that someone care about the issue. Thank you. Even though I see I am quite late :D.

@HridithSudev 4 года назад

There are so many issues with Raj's portrayal in the show.The horrible misogyny and toxic hypermasculinity of the show often gets hidden under layers after layers of weird jokes and humor beats. Thank you for bringing attention to it! Love your video essays.

@projectmarzanna3658 6 лет назад

Can you please do a video on representations of positive masculinity? Personally I think part of they problem with a lot of these terms such as “toxic masculinity” is that without an opposing idea of positive masculinity, how are guys supposed to act? I don’t think that men have to act feminine in order to be positively masculine.

@stuckupcurlyguy 6 лет назад

Nerdy men who aspire to a masculine standard and police each other are the saddest type of men. My friends and I in high school fit this mould. We were horrible with women, never had a proper relationship, but we relentlessly made fun of each other for masculine failures. It was untenable. With the passage of time and separating into university, we have learned our lesson to some extent. The problem is it doesn't work! It doesn't get you closer to women, and it doesn't help you compete with men. It just makes you unhappy and stressed out. The friend of mine who has been most successful used to dress up as a woman at parties for laughs and was called gay by us. I think he got all his masculine angst out of his system, realised that it's all bullshit, and people can sense that now. Masculine ideals aren't negative in themselves, but accepted uncritically (strength without restraint, resilience without vulnerability, lust without respect, for example) they are (yep) toxic. I haven't watched BBT, but in reality these characters should grow through realising these lessons, not through more fully internalising masculine ideals.

@karlyg.e.m.21 4 года назад

To be honest, I always interpreted the jokes on the show not as "look, these male characters suck at typical man behaviors and that's funny" but as "masculinity is so fragile and that's funny". It is not the fact that Howard wears an apron, it is how he looks unconfortable when he has no reason to be what made me laugh. Same with Leonard opening the jar, Sheldon says: "open this to show how strong you are" and Leonard agrees and he looks so desesperate when he can't do it. I always thought the show poked fun at how absurd those "prove you are a man" conducts are. But I do agree with you about something: male friendship needs a better representation in media

@athomassen3980 6 лет назад

Excited to watch this! Your videos are always thoughtful and well-researched (and of course I can't let an opportunity pass by to shit on Big Bang Theory)

@fostane 6 лет назад

My thoughts exactly.

@TheAyeAye1 6 лет назад

And , as a bonus it, ran it premise out several years ago, and is now a zombie version of whatever it was ,good or bad ,at the start

@LycanTank 6 лет назад

They are not well researched. Its all anecdotal opinion at best.

@aloppai4581 5 лет назад

did Sheldon cooper just call Leonard a soy boy.

@TopHatSchneider 6 лет назад

I stopped watching Big Bang because I didn't like how mean they were to each other...but I never realized how outright shitty they were to each other and the audience.

@ManuelaKarim 6 лет назад

you're one of my favorite youtube channels! i love the way you describe terminologies and other theories in ways that are digestable and applicable and generally understandable. you don't feel intellectually alienating at all, in my opinion, and that's refreshing.

@PopCultureDetective 6 лет назад

Thank you, Manuela. Accessibility is one of my goals with this project so I'm happy it's coming across.

@sigh824 6 лет назад

As much as I love That's 70 show, it has the same problem I have with TBBT: Why are these people even friends? They only ever seem to be vindictive and competitive towards each other.

@SerjEpic 2 года назад

Anyone remembers that trend on tiktok where women were showing why they are not worried about their bfs cheating? Almost every single one of those women showed their bfs enjoying geeky activities. A true shame and that was all by women. So all the young men and growing boys will remember that as they continue to develop.

@Ali-fs7ze 6 лет назад

Women still have it worse, But men Sure as SHIT don't have it easy. Thank you for doing this show, Helping everyone, even if just a little.

@hedgehog3180 6 лет назад

Patriarchy hurts everyone but anti-feminists seem to refuse to acknowledge this and keep insisting that nothing is wrong. Even though they're usually not the kind of guy who's on top. They probably have just internalized the system and see an attack on it as an attack on them.

@Mike_Ka-Chowski 5 лет назад

I kinda noticed that Raj and Wolowitz is kind of their version of Fez and Kelso from that '70s show but it comes off as disgusting, homophobic, and misogynistic because they're full grown adults who overly objectify women and are super insecure of their sexuality while Fez and Kelso may not be perfect, but they're horny teenagers played off as naive but well-meaning and are actually okay with man on man affection.

@cashbattaglia5875 5 лет назад

I've made jokes within my friend group about having girlfriends the most out of all of them only twice, didn't think much about it until now. Thank you for helping me see wrong in doing so.