[colecut]

Is big bang theory really "tech humor?"

I haven't watched much because the laugh track and general cheesiness turned me off.. but I thought it was just jokes about him being a "nerd" in the ways mainstream people think of nerds..

[chrisfosterelli]

I'm convinced the big bang theory is intended for older audiences that see their grand children or children in the main characters; they relate to watching smart young people who can do things they don't understand learn to handle basic social conflict; and the trouble is never serious and is typically resolved nicely within 30 minutes so you know everyone will be OK.

[pavlov]

> "jokes about him being a 'nerd' in the ways mainstream people think of nerds"

"Big Bang Theory" was initially written that way, but the original pilot episode was a famous flop. Test audiences hated the characters. (The unaired pilot can be found with a Google search.)

Even though the pilot failed, the studio liked the concept enough that the showrunners were given the rare opportunity to reshoot the pilot with a new script. They introduced the character of Penny and balanced the scenes carefully around emotional connection, to make it clear to audiences when the characters are connecting or failing to connect. And that's probably closer to why millions of people love the show — it's not the tech jokes or laughing at nerds but the empathy.

[mlrtime]

Interesting, And I'd still rather watch a episode of IT Crowd than any BBT.

[pavlov]

Likewise, “IT Crowd” is great.

But the point about BBT is that it isn’t really a show about nerds or physics; it’s about emotional intelligence. This was a fairly groundbreaking angle for a Hollywood sitcom at the time when comparable mainstream shows were built on rather mean-spirited writing and stunted character development, like “How I Met Your Mother” and “Two and a Half Men.”

[lupire]

Are you ignoring the whole era of ABC TGIF and family sitcoms?

Seinfeld was invented as an antithesis to that whole genre. "No hugging, no learning". Maybe they were so successful that they obsoleted what they were rebelling against.

[saagarjha]

Give me the tech jokes I don’t need empathy

[corobo]

[studio audience laughs]

[dkarl]

To me, it feels like a nerd minstrel show, like, "Oh, that's how they see us."

[getwiththeprog]

No, it is advertising.