Geek and Nerd Masculinity in the Big Bang Theory
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Geek and nerd masculinity in The Big Bang Theory Marie Louise Skou Larsen Master’s thesis Mia Rendix 02 June 2020 Characters: 190,519 L a r s e n | 2 Table of Contents Abstract ......................................................................................................................................................... 3 Keywords ....................................................................................................................................................... 3 Topic .............................................................................................................................................................. 4 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 4 Method ............................................................................................................................................ 6 A brief history of masculinity ........................................................................................................................ 7 Judith Butler on gender performativity ...................................................................................................... 13 Raewyn Connell on masculinities ............................................................................................................... 15 Male intimacy and homosocial groups ....................................................................................................... 21 Geek and nerd culture and masculinity in cinema ..................................................................................... 25 Analysis ....................................................................................................................................................... 28 Geekdom and nerdiness in The Big Bang Theory .......................................................................... 29 Competitiveness ............................................................................................................................ 36 Emotional detachment .................................................................................................................. 45 The sexualization of women: the woman as an object and less than ........................................... 51 The sexualization of women: the rejection of femininity in other men ........................................ 61 Racism in The Big Bang Theory ...................................................................................................... 69 Discussion: ideology and impact ................................................................................................................. 75 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................... 79 Works cited ................................................................................................................................................. 82 L a r s e n | 3 Abstract Having once been equated with subordinated masculinity, the nerd trope has moved into a less underprivileged position of marginalization since the 1980s, while the geek trope has become a fully valid aspect of hegemonic masculinity in certain situations. As a consequence, both nerd and geek characters are now seen in leading roles in popular media to a greater extent than ever before. The American sitcom The Big Bang Theory is one such popular media text that portrays four marginalized, geeky nerds and their friendships and everyday life as scientists, niche culture, and more. Through the theoretical lenses of Butler, Connell, and others, I have tried to map out how the geek and masculinity is portrayed in the series. While shows main male characters are both socially awkward and not stereotypically attractive, the men are portrayed as welcome and better alternatives to the hypermasculine man commonly known from Hollywood and in this way rejects some stereotypical notions of being ‘manly’. However, despite the characters being portrayed as genuinely nice guys, they still perform certain aspects of their masculinity in ways that seeks to emulate hegemonic practices, some of which are oppressive to others including each other and, in extension, themselves. The one who is most often targeted by the others’ discriminatory behavior is Raj, who is both non-white and consistently effeminate and therefore is the only one of the men who are subordinated. As such, the men regularly behave in ways that are racist, emotionally detached, objectifying, anti-feminine, homophobic, and competitive at the expense of other. However, because of their status as nice guys with generally good intentions, their oppressive behavior is excused as good-natured fun at best and misunderstood at worst. The men’s oppressive behavior is not in the show by accident, as it creates the foundation for most of its punchlines based on the premise that seeing marginalized and subordinated men trying, and largely failing, to emulate hegemonic masculinity is unexpected and thus funny. However, the show never actually questions the behavior it portrays and this this way, while it may not be framed as worthy of glorification, it is not framed as being truly harmful to men or women either. Instead, it is framed as a harmless, as quirks, as not worthy of changing and even as an inevitable and natural part of manhood. Keywords: Masculinity, Masculinities, The Big Bang Theory, Raewyn Connell, Judith Butler. L a r s e n | 4 Topic How is nerd and geek masculinity portrayed in the American sitcom The Big Bang Theory and with what effect? Introduction The way the media portrays sex and gender is an ever-topical subject of debate in society and the academic fields alike and has been for the last decades. One of the reasons for this is that the mass media is a powerful aspect of circulating gendered images (Connell 185-188) and plays a significant role in producing and normalizing hegemonic forms of masculinity and femininity (Blosser 140). Connell argues that fictional men may just as well be visible bearers of hegemonic masculinity as real men (Connell 77) and thus fictional characters may play powerful roles when it comes to producing and reproducing norms of hegemony and thus they may contribute to the enforcing and normalization of hegemonic norms. A great many over-generalized stereotypes of masculine behavior in everyday life and the media seem to be based around these persistent gender expectations. As such, stereotypes and expectations of masculinity generally involve personality traits such as detachment, independence, and agency, while emotional behavior, is typically associated with femininity. Stereotypes are part of human existence, and the concept can be said to be both based on individual experiences as well as a highly social concept based on societal discourses which enable us to make sense of the world (Stangor and Schaller 4). By utilizing stereotypes, we are better able to organize the impressions we get and avoid sensory overload from the constant stream of information which we are faced with on a daily basis (Osland et al. 65). However, while fundamental to human functioning, stereotypes are not always positive, or even accurate, and may be limiting or harmful to the individual (Benshoff and Griffin 7). Because of this, the power of the media to shape our view of the world calls attention to the importance of analyzing and remaining critical of the discursive constructs of the many texts many of us interact with on a daily basis – particularly in today’s times, where the media is increasingly omnipresent. With its huge popularity, the American sitcom The Big Bang Theory is one such text which may potentially have had a large impact on its viewers. L a r s e n | 5 The Big Bang Theory ran from 2007 until 2019 and consists of twelve seasons with a total of 279 episodes. The show primarily revolves around the lives of four fictional male friends living in Pasadena, California: Leonard Hofstadter, an awkward but generally amiable experimental physicists; Sheldon Cooper, a brilliant but eccentric theoretical physicist who pays little attention to social conventions; Rajesh Koothrappali, a sensitive astrophysicist with selective mutism who is originally from India; and Howard Wolowitz, a Jewish, wannabe pickup artist and aerospace engineer. Another central character of the show is Penny, a beautiful woman who moves in across the hall from Sheldon and Leonard on the first episode. Penny is a waitress and aspiring actress who is quickly absorbed into their group of friends and whom Leonard soon begins dating and ends up marrying towards the end of the series. While the men all work in scientific fields Penny is of average intelligence, which becomes a recurring focal point of jokes in the series. Later on, two additional female characters join the main cast: Bernadette Rostenkowski, a sweet and headstrong microbiologist who becomes Howard’s love interest and later his wife; as well as Amy Farrah Fowler, a good-natured but socially awkward neuroscientist who later enters a relationship with Sheldon and ends up marrying him. In its lifetime, The Big Bang Theory became one of the most popular shows on American television, attracting millions of viewers each episode and gaining a vast and loyal fanbase. Additionally, it is perhaps the first comedy sitcom with nerdy, Ph.D. level scientists as