DOCSLIB.ORG

A Study of Sarcasm in the American Sitcom the Big Bang Theory

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
A Study of Sarcasm in the American Sitcom the Big Bang Theory PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI A STUDY OF SARCASM IN THE AMERICAN SITCOM THE BIG BANG THEORY A SARJANA PENDIDIKAN THESIS Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree in English Language Education By Emma Hadiana Cahyani Student Number: 131214086 ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA 2017 PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI A STUDY OF SARCASM IN THE AMERICAN SITCOM THE BIG BANG THEORY A SARJANA PENDIDIKAN THESIS Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree in English Language Education By Emma Hadiana Cahyani Student Number: 131214086 ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA 2017 i PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI ABSTRACT Cahyani, Emma Hadiana. (2017). A Study of Sarcasm in the American Sitcom The Big Bang Theory. Yogyakarta: English Language Education Study Program, Department of Language and Arts Education, Faculty of Teachers Training and Education, Sanata Dharma University. Language as a means of communication leads to variations in humans’ verbal exchanges. They can deliver their utterances through direct and indirect speech acts. In this study, the researcher analyzed a form of indirect speech act namely sarcasm. Sarcastic utterances are conveyed in a non-detrimental manner but are aimed to hurt the addressees’ feelings through implied meanings. Taking this phenomenon into account, the researcher chose The Big Bang Theory because sarcasm is frequently used in the sitcom. In this research, the researcher addressed two research questions. The first research question is 1) Which maxims are flouted by the characters in their sarcastic utterances in the American sitcom The Big Bang Theory? The second research question is 2) What are the purposes of sarcastic utterances in the American sitcom The Big Bang Theory? In conducting this research, the researcher employed a qualitative method, specifically discourse analysis. The data were collected from the transcripts of five episodes of The Big Bang Theory Season 9. Then, the data were analyzed using Miles and Huberman’s (1994) data analysis technique. To answer the first research question, the data were classified into which maxims were flouted by the characters using Grice’s (1967, 1975) theory on the Cooperative Principle. To answer the second research question, the data were categorized into the purposes of sarcastic utterances based on Attardo’s (2002) theory. The research results revealed that all four maxims were flouted by the characters in the American sitcom The Big Bang Theory. Additionally, there were several sarcastic utterances in which the characters flouted more than one maxim. Based on the research results, the maxim of quality was most frequently flouted (72.34%). Then, the results of this study also showed that all purposes of sarcasm were present in the sarcastic utterances. There were even several sarcastic utterances which served more than one purpose. Based on the analysis of the research results, sarcasm as a sophistication was found most frequently (25.53%) followed by sarcasm as an evaluation (23.4%). Keywords: The Big Bang Theory, sarcasm, the Cooperative Principle, maxim flouting vi PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI ABSTRAK Cahyani, Emma Hadiana. (2017). A Study of Sarcasm in the American Sitcom The Big Bang Theory. Yogyakarta: Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Jurusan Pendidikan Bahasa dan Seni, Fakultas Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan, Universitas Sanata Dharma. Bahasa sebagai alat komunikasi memunculkan variasi di dalam komunikasi. Bahasa memungkinkan manusia untuk menyatakan tuturan mereka secara langsung dan tidak langsung. Di dalam penelitian ini, peneliti mengaji sebuah bentuk tindak tutur tidak langsung, yaitu sarkasme. Tuturan sarkastik disampaikan secara halus, tetapi dimaksudkan untuk menyinggung perasaan pendengar melalui makna tersirat. Dengan mengaji fenomena ini, peneliti memilih The Big Bang Theory karena sarkasme sering digunakan di sitkom ini. Dalam melakukan penelitian ini, peneliti merumuskan dua rumusan masalah. Rumusan masalah pertama adalah 1) Maksim yang mana yang dilanggar oleh para tokoh di dalam tuturan sarkastik mereka di sitkom Amerika The Big Bang Theory? Rumusan masalah kedua adalah 2) Apa tujuan tuturan sarkastik di sitkom Amerika The Big Bang Theory? Dalam melaksanakan penelitian ini, peneliti memakai metode kualitatif, khususnya analisis wacana. Data penelitian dikumpulkan dari transkripsi lima episode The Big Bang Theory Musim 9. Lalu, data tersebut dianalisis memakai teknik analisis data menurut Miles dan Huberman (1994). Untuk menjawab rumusan masalah pertama, data tersebut diklasifikasikan berdasarkan maksim yang dilanggar oleh para tokoh menurut teori Grice (1967, 1975) tentang the Cooperative Principle. Untuk menjawab rumusan masalah kedua, data dikategorikan berdasarkan tujuan tuturan sarkastik menurut teori Attardo (2002). Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa seluruh empat maksim dilanggar oleh karakter di sitkom Amerika The Big Bang Theory. Selain itu, ada beberapa tuturan sarkastik yang menunjukkan pelanggaran lebih dari satu maksim. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian, maksim yang paling sering dilanggar adalah maksim kualitas (72,34%). Lalu, hasil penelitian ini juga menunjukkan bahwa semua tujuan sarkasme muncul pada tuturan sarkastik. Bahkan, ada beberapa tuturan sarkastik yang mempunyai lebih dari satu tujuan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa sarkasme sebagai sophistication paling sering ditemukan (25,53%), diikuti dengan sarkasme sebagai evaluation (23,4%). Kata kunci: The Big Bang Theory, sarcasm, the Cooperative Principle, maxim flouting vii PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to express my gratitude to God for his blessings, strength, and unconditional love in every moment of my life. I would like to thank both of my parents, Ignatius Sunarno Hadi and Bernadeta Padmi Indarwati, for their love, supports, and prayers. I would also like to thank my beloved aunt, Anastasia Hery Purwati, my siblings, Felix Kurniawan Hadi Pratama & Yovita Caesa Febiona, and my whole family for being my support system. Then, I would like to thank my advisor, Truly Almendo Pasaribu, S.S., M.A., for her time, patience, and encouragement to help me in finishing this thesis. I would like to send my deepest gratitude to my academic advisor, F. X. Ouda Teda Ena, S.Pd., M.Pd., Ed.D., and English Language Education Study Program (ELESP) lecturers. They have given me intellectual care, emotional support, and love during my study in Sanata Dharma University. I would like to send my warmest love to every member of ELESP batch 2013, especially Class C and D, for making my college experience wonderful and full of laughter. I would love to send my gratitude to my colleagues in Dream Catcher and Lembaga Bahasa for helping me to grow and develop as a professional. I thank Christine Permata Sari, S.Pd. and Simon Arsa Manggala, S.S., M.Hum., for helping me validate my research data. I also thank Vitaloka Irmala Dewi, Amado Anthony G. Mendoza III, and Mark Laurence D. Garcia as my proofreaders. I would never forget my best friends, Odilia Ratna Mayasari, Lusia Rita Nugraheni, Irene Jessica Isa Paskha, Dian Natalia Aryani, Yacintha Septrianti Nago, Claudia, Tri Mulyani Tampubolon, Yosephin Diva Fabiola Nuralita, Irene Benita Novenia Ardiananta, Rosendi Galih Susani, and Joanna Chue. They have motivated and inspired me in doing great things I never thought would be possible. I would love to thank them for being the fuel to my fire. Emma Hadiana Cahyani viii PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI TABLE OF CONTENTS TITLE PAGE ........................................................................................................... i APPROVAL PAGES .............................................................................................. ii STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY ...................................................... iv PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI ........................................................ v ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................... vi ABSTRAK .............................................................................................................. vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS ....................................................................................... ix LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................. xi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................... xii LIST OF APPENDICES ...................................................................................... xiii CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................. 1 A. Research Background................................................... 1 B. Research Questions ...................................................... 4 C. Research Significance .................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • INDICE 1. Introduzione 3 2. Rassegna Della Letteratura 7 3. Metodo 15 4
    INDICE 1. Introduzione 3 2. Rassegna della letteratura 7 2.1. Introduzione 7 2.2. Studi linguistici sulla sitcom The Big Bang Theory 7 2.3. Conclusioni 13 3. Metodo 15 3.1. Introduzione 15 3.2. Quesiti della ricerca 15 3.3. Quadro teorico di riferimento 15 3.3.1. Il Principio Cooperativo di Grice 16 3.3.2. La Teoria della Pertinenza di Sperber e Wilson 22 3.3.3. La cortesia 25 3.3.3.1. Il modello di Leech 26 3.3.3.2. Il modello di Brown e Levinson 32 3.3.3.3. Conclusioni 36 3.4. Raccolta, preparazione e analisi dei dati 37 3.4.1. Raccolta dei dati 37 3.4.2. Preparazione dei dati 38 3.4.3. Analisi qualitativa 40 3.4.4 Analisi quantitativa 53 3.5. Conclusioni 53 4. Risultati 55 4.1. Introduzione 55 4.2. Risultati analitici quantitativi e qualitativi della ricerca 55 4.2.1. Risultati della prima stagione 56 4.2.2. Risultati della seconda stagione 62 4.2.3. Risultati della terza stagione 69 4.2.4. Risultati della quarta stagione 75 4.2.5. Risultati della quinta stagione 82 4.2.6. Risultati della sesta stagione 88 4.2.7. Risultati della settima stagione 94 4.2.8. Risultati della ottava stagione 101 4.2.9. Risultati della nona stagione 107 1 4.2.10. Risultati della decima stagione 114 4.3. Risultati quantitativi e qualitativi sintetici della ricerca 120 4.3.1. (In)efficienza comunicativa 120 4.3.1.2. Il Principio Cooperativo di Grice 120 4.3.1.3.
    [Show full text]
  • Bazinga! Uma Análise Neotribal Da Sitcom the Big Bang Theory Arthur
    Intercom – Sociedade Brasileira de Estudos Interdisciplinares da Comunicação XVI Congresso de Ciências da Comunicação na Região Sudeste – São Paulo - SP – 12 a 14 de maio de 2011 Bazinga! Uma Análise Neotribal Da Sitcom The Big Bang Theory 1 Arthur Carlos FRANCO OLIVEIRA 2 Mirna TONUS 3 Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, MG RESUMO O presente artigo tem como objetivo analisar a sitcom The Big Bang Theory sob a ótica da teoria neotribalista proposta por Michel Maffesoli. A partir do método observacional, assistiu-se a todos os episódios das quatro temporadas da sitcom, procurando identificar em seus personagens elementos que os relacionassem a uma neotribo. Assim, foi possível concluir que os sujeitos analisados não atendem a todas as características de uma neotribo. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: sitcom, neotribalismo, televisão, humor. “Bazinga!” – Sheldon Cooper Desde o surgimento da televisão, suas funções têm sido as mais diversas. Informar, emocionar e fazer rir são alguns dos papéis que ela exerce no contexto atual. Suas atrações sempre buscam aumentar a audiência e cativar o público, sendo que, nos últimos anos, a televisão tem mais do que nunca se utilizado do público para fazer sucesso. Séries humorísticas, programas de auditório recheados de casos engraçados e comentários ácidos e inteligentes são alguns artifícios veiculados para divertir o público. E, entre os programas de humor, estão as chamadas sitcoms . O termo, segundo o Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa4, é uma série televisiva que aborda situações do dia–a-dia em tom de comédia. A palavra vem do termo inglês “situation comedy ”, que, literalmente, significa situação de comédia. Desde o seu 1 Trabalho apresentado no DT 4 – Comunicação Audiovisua do XVI Congresso de Ciências da Comunicação na Região Sudeste realizado de 12 a 14 de maio de 2011.
    [Show full text]
  • REDEFINING “NERDINESS”: the Big Bang Theory Reconsidered REDEFINING “NERDINESS”: Many Studies Define “Nerdiness” Differently
    ARTICLE Title REDEFINING “NERDINESS”: The Big Bang Theory Reconsidered REDEFINING “NERDINESS”: Many studies define “nerdiness” differently. Some textual cues including explicit and implicit cues. These would define gifted students as “nerds” (O’Connor 293), terms are adopted from Culpeper’s The Language and The Big Bang Theory Reconsidered suggesting that the word is based solely on intelligence. Characterisation: People in Plays and Other Texts, in which he Others may define “nerds” as “physical self-loathing [and explains that these textual cues can help a viewer make having] technological mastery” (Eglash 49), suggesting certain inferences about a specific character (Language that “nerds” have body issues or are somehow more and Characterisation 167). Explicit cues are when charac- BY JACLYN GINGRICH technologically savvy than the average person. Bednarek ters specifically express information about themselves or defines “nerdiness” as displaying the following linguistic others (Language of Characterisation 167). An example framework: “believes in his own intelligence,” “was a child would be when Leonard says, “Yeah, I’m a frickin’ genius” ABSTRACT it is that they are average people socializing with each prodigy,” “struggles with social skills,” “is different,” “is health (“The Middle Earth Paradigm”). Here he is explicitly other and living normal lives. The Big Bang Theory displays This paper analyzes the linguistic characteristics of Leonard obsessed/has food issues,” “has an affinity for and knowl- saying that he believes he has intellectual superiority. the comical reality of what normally happens in these Hofstadter, television character from The Big Bang Theory and edge of computer-related activities,” “does not like change,” Implicit cues are implied.
    [Show full text]
  • Subtitling, Working Memory, and L2 Learning: a Correlational Study Legendagem, Memória De Trabalho E Aprendizagem Em L2: Um Estudo Correlacional
    http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/1984-6398201812773 Subtitling, Working Memory, and L2 Learning: A Correlational Study Legendagem, memória de trabalho e aprendizagem em L2: um estudo correlacional Rafael Matielo* *Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC), Fortaleza, Ceará / Brasil [email protected] Roberta Pires de Oliveira** **Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianópolis, Santa Catarina / Brasil [email protected] Luciane Baretta*** ***Universidade Estadual do Centro-Oeste (UNICENTRO), Guarapuava, Paraná / Brasil [email protected] ABSTRACT: This study investigates the impact of intralingual and interlingual subtitles on Brazilian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners as a result of their processing of a North-American sitcom. More specifi cally, it examines whether subtitling interacts with one’s individual differences, working memory (WM) as the case in point. Thirty-six intermediate-level EFL learners were evenly divided into two experimental groups (intralingual subtitles and interlingual subtitles) and one control group (no subtitles). Participants’ performance was measured based on an L2 video comprehension test and an L2 vocabulary test. Participants’ performance was correlated with their scores on two WM tests. The results obtained revealed that both participants’ L2 video comprehension, as well as their L2 vocabulary test performance, did not signifi cantly interact with their WM capacity under any of the experimental conditions. These results are discussed in light of the possible processing mechanisms employed by the participants that may account for the lack of statistically signifi cant correlations found. KEYWORDS: subtitled videos; L2 video comprehension; L2 vocabulary learning; working memory. RESUMO: Este estudo investiga o impacto de legendas intralinguais e interlinguais em aprendizes brasileiros de Inglês como Língua Estrangeira (ILE) resultante do processamento de um sitcom Norte-Americano.
    [Show full text]
  • Usf-Graduate-Studies-Electronic-Thesis-And-Dissertation-Guidebook.Pdf
    Electronic Thesis & Dissertation Guidebook Prepared for students by the Office of Graduate Studies Updated June 6, 2014 Table of Contents List of Figures ............................................................................................................................................ iii List of Examples ......................................................................................................................................... iv Chapter One: Understanding the ETD Process ......................................................................................... 1 Chapter Two: Deadlines ............................................................................................................................. 2 Chapter Three: Process Checklists .............................................................................................................. 3 Master’s Thesis Process Checklist .................................................................................................. 3 Preparing for Your Final Semester .................................................................................... 3 Beginning Your Final Semester ......................................................................................... 3 Plagiarism Check and Certificate of Approval Submission ............................................... 3 Upload the Committee-approved ETD to the USF ProQuest Website ........................... 3 After the ETD Has Been Submitted to ProQuest ...........................................................
    [Show full text]
  • In American Television Studies Jews Are Generally Thrown Into the Grab Bag of White Ethnics
    Premium Jews In American television studies Jews are generally thrown into the grab bag of white ethnics. Tony's Italian, Uncle Jesse's Greek and Krusty's Jewish. From there it’s tempting to undergo an accounting process through which to determine the quantity and quality of Jewish-American TV presence. First you count up all the Jews. Then you see whether or not most of them are "good." You make sure they are smart and love their kids and you keep the stereotype police on speed dial just in case they’re too smart or love their kids too much. Finally, you make sure there's a certain amount of variety in your televisual Semites. There should be some men and some women, some old people and some young, some doctors and some lawyers. Such a process done today quickly shows that while there is certainly something left to be desired in Jewish-American representation, the Jews on TV are not that different from the ones filling out their census forms. Of course, this white-ethnic approach ignores some important things. Most obviously, I hope, is the fact that not all Jews are white. There are Sephardic Jews, Arab Jews and, yes, even Black Jews. The ethnic diversity of Jews in America pales in comparison to that of Israel, but it remains the case that not every American Jew has precious family stories about Uncle Tevya milking cows in a shtetl back in the Old Country. Even more so, there's the fact that Judaism is not an ethnicity.
    [Show full text]
  • Filosofická Fakulta Masarykovy Univerzity
    Masaryk University Faculty of Arts Department of English and American Studies English Language and Literature Bc. Jana Vaverková Accents of English in Czech Dubbing Master‘s Diploma Thesis Supervisor: PhDr. KateřinaTomková, Ph.D. 2018 I declare that I have worked on this thesis independently, using only the primary and secondary sources listed in the bibliography. …………………………………………….. Author‘s signature I would like to thank to my supervisor, PhDr. KateřinaTomková, Ph.D., for valuable pieces of advice not only with my diploma thesis and also to my family for their never ending support and love. Table of Contents List of Tables .................................................................................................................... 8 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 9 1 Accents of English .............................................................................................. 12 1.1 What Is an Accent ............................................................................................... 12 1.2 General British and General American ............................................................... 13 1.2.1 Received Pronunciation and General British ............................................ 13 1.2.2 General American ..................................................................................... 15 1.2.3 Difference between General British and General American .................... 16 1.3 Non-Native Accents of English
    [Show full text]
  • Page 1 1 ALL in the FAMILY ARCHIE Bunker Emmy AWARD
    ALL IN THE FAMILY ARCHIE Bunker Based on the British sitcom Till MEATHEAD Emmy AWARD winner for all DEATH Us Do Part MIKE Stivic four lead actors DINGBAT NORMAN Lear (creator) BIGOT EDITH Bunker Archie Bunker’s PLACE (spinoff) Danielle BRISEBOIS FIVE consecutive years as QUEENS CARROLL O’Connor number-one TV series Rob REINER Archie’s and Edith’s CHAIRS GLORIA (spinoff) SALLY Struthers displayed in Smithsonian GOOD Times (spinoff) Jean STAPLETON Institution 704 HAUSER (spinoff) STEPHANIE Mills CHECKING In (spinoff) The JEFFERSONS (spinoff) “STIFLE yourself.” “Those Were the DAYS” MALAPROPS Gloria STIVIC (theme) MAUDE (spinoff) WORKING class T S Q L D A H R S Y C V K J F C D T E L A W I C H S G B R I N H A A U O O A E Q N P I E V E T A S P B R C R I O W G N E H D E I E L K R K D S S O I W R R U S R I E R A P R T T E S Z P I A N S O T I C E E A R E J R R G M W U C O G F P B V C B D A E H T A E M N F H G G A M A L A P R O P S E E A N L L A R C H I E M U L N J N I O P N A M R O N Z F L D E I D R E D O O G S T I V I C A E N I K H T I D E T S A L L Y Y U A I O M Y G S T X X Z E D R S Q M 1 84052-2 TV Trivia Word Search Puzzles.indd 1 10/31/19 12:10 PM THE BIG BANG THEORY The show has a science Sheldon COOPER Mayim Bialik has a Ph.D.
    [Show full text]
  • Synopsis of the Big Bang Theory's Main Characters Dr. Leonard
    Synopsis of the Big Bang Theory's Main Characters Dr. Leonard Hofstadter Experimental Physicist at Caltech Best Friends with roommate Sheldon Come from a family of over-achievers; feels overshadowed by highly accomplished brothers and sisters and aims to be considered accomplished by his mother Is the most socially adept of the four male scientists Has a crush for Penny, whom he eventually dates Dr. Sheldon Cooper Theoretical Physicist at Caltech Best Friends with roommate Leonard A child prodigy, holds multiple university degrees, received his PhD at 16 Shows traits of Asperger's syndrome and Obsessive Compulsive personality disorder Has both an eidetic memory and extensive knowledge of multiple fields Is dating Amy, who shares similar intellectual and personality traits with Sheldon Penny Waitress at the Cheesecake Factory Moved from Nebraska to California to become an Actress, in recent seasons she has taken acting lessons to achieve her goal Did not go to college/university, but in recent seasons has enrolled in community college While she does not have a higher education, she has the most "street smarts" of all the main characters and is extremely knowledgeable about pop culture Is outgoing and has had many romantic relationships; is currently dating Leonard Howard Wolowitz Aerospace Engineer at Caltech Holds a Master's degree from MIT; gets constantly picked on by the other male characters for his lack of PhD; trained for a mission to the International Space station Best friends with Raj Is a womanizer; thinks he is a ladies' man, but fails spectacularly each time he attempts to pick up a woman Lives at home with his mother (until he marries Bernadette) Eventually falls in loves and marries Bernadette, toning down some of Howard's womanizing personality Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • It Reveals Who I Really Am”: New Metaphors, Symbols, and Motifs in Representations of Autism Spectrum Disorders in Popular Culture
    “IT REVEALS WHO I REALLY AM”: NEW METAPHORS, SYMBOLS, AND MOTIFS IN REPRESENTATIONS OF AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS IN POPULAR CULTURE By Summer Joy O’Neal A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English Middle Tennessee State University 2013 Dissertation Committee: Dr. Angela Hague, Chair Dr. David Lavery Dr. Robert Petersen Copyright © 2013 Summer Joy O’Neal ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There simply is not enough thanks to thank my family, my faithful parents, T. Brian and Pamela O’Neal, and my understanding sisters, Auburn and Taffeta, for their lifelong support; without their love, belief in my strengths, patience with my struggles, and encouragement, I would not be in this position today. I am forever grateful to my wonderful director, Dr. Angela Hague, whose commitment to this project went above and beyond what I deserved to expect. To the rest of my committee, Dr. David Lavery and Dr. Robert Petersen, for their seasoned advice and willingness to participate, I am also indebted. Beyond these, I would like to recognize some “unofficial” members of my committee, including Dr. Elyce Helford, Dr. Alicia Broderick, Ari Ne’eman, Chris Foss, and Melanie Yergau, who graciously offered me necessary guidance and insightful advice for this project, particularly in the field of Disability Studies. Yet most of all, Ephesians 3.20-21. iii ABSTRACT Autism has been sensationalized by the media because of the disorder’s purported prevalence: Diagnoses of this condition that was traditionally considered to be quite rare have radically increased in recent years, and an analogous fascination with autism has emerged in the field of popular culture.
    [Show full text]
  • The Wolowitz Excitation”
    “THE WOLOWITZ EXCITATION” By Tim Scharf 223 Via Serena Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688 (949) 525-3402 [email protected] Copyright (c) 2014 This screenplay may not be used or reproduced without the express written permission of the author. 1 COLD OPEN FADE IN: EXT. UNIVERSITY PARKING LOT, HOWARD/SHELDON’S PARKING SPOT – DAY (DAY 1) (Wolowitz, Koothrappali, Leslie, Harold) WOLOWITZ AND KOOTHRAPPALI EXIT HOWARD’S CAR. KOOTHRAPPALI I’m so glad you have a car now. It’s nice to have someone who can give me a ride to work when I need it. WOLOWITZ What about Leonard? KOOTHRAPPALI (WITH A LOOK) I’m not asking Leonard. Can you imagine having to ride in to work with Sheldon for a week? WOLOWITZ (MOVING) Yeah, yeah, yeah. What’s wrong with your car anyway? KOOTHRAPPALI I had to have it thoroughly cleaned. My little princess got ahold of something that made her sick on the way home from our walk on the beach. 2 WOLOWITZ That’s going to take a whole week? What was it? KOOTHRAPPALI It was a nasty mess dude. (SOURLY) I think it was a condom. WOLOWITZ Ugh, sorry I asked. LOOKING AHEAD WOLOWITZ STOPS SUDDENLY AND HITS KOOTHRAPPALI WITH THE BACK OF HIS HAND. KOOTHRAPPALI (RUBBING HIS CHEST, SOTTO) Owe. WOLOWITZ (RAISED EYEBROW) Really? (POINTING AHEAD) Is that who I think it is? KOOTHRAPPALI (GLANCING AHEAD THEN AT WOLOWITZ) It looks like Leslie Winkle. WOLOWITZ (PEERS, GRINS) It is. Let’s go say hi. KOOTHRAPPALI You sure you want to talk to her after how things ended with you two? 3 WOLOWITZ (WITH A LOOK) Are you kidding me? Since she’s last seen me I’ve gotten married and become an astronaut.
    [Show full text]
  • Pop-Column: Making a Big Bang with Lasers
    31.01.2018 / ATHANASSIOS KALIUDIS Pop-Column: Making a big bang with lasers Photons make you rich and sexy — I’ll bet you anything ! The incessant hum of the ventilation system blends with the sizzling of the soldering iron as it touches the damp sponge, releasing toxic fumes. A tangle of cables fills the space between the measuring instruments and the test rig, a daily hazard to be negotiated with the utmost care. We’re in a research laboratory—and it has about as much sex appeal as a magazine column boring its readers with a clumsy attempt at scene setting ! Leonard Hofstadter’s lab experiences are in a whole different league. He is one of the leads in the U.S. sitcom “The Big Bang Theory,” in which he plays a gifted physicist. In one episode, his girlfriend Penny, a waitress, pays him a visit in the lab, and Leonard shows her a floating hologram that can be controlled with gestures—a hologram based on laser technology. Love, touch and photons Penny, who normally dismisses Leonard’s scientific explanations as “boooooring,” is suitably impressed, and shortly afterwards we see Leonard sitting in the cafeteria, completely disheveled. The obvious conclusion is that lasers make you sexier ! And not just to waitresses—I’ll bet you ten to one that any halfway decent venture capitalist would have found Leonard equally irresistible after his hologram demonstration. Throw out the words venture capital and disruptive technologies, and most people immediately think of software and apps. But there’s another field with huge disruptive potential that is just waiting to be tapped into by would-be start-up founders with smart ideas: photonics.
    [Show full text]