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The Big Bang Theory's Penny, Sheldon Cooper and Bernadette Rostenkowski are all *very* different people, but on the show they did have one thing in common: they had to work hard to show the...
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00:00The Big Bang Theory's Bernadette might be tiny,
00:03but she is far from meek.
00:04Her tiny frame and high-pitched voice
00:07might make her seem unthreatening at first,
00:09but one wrong move and you'll quickly learn the truth.
00:12The tow truck didn't scratch your car.
00:13How do you know?
00:14Cause I did it!
00:15Though she started her time on the show as a minor character,
00:18once she was permanently added to the main cast,
00:21Bernadette got to let loose and share her entire personality.
00:24And it turned out that a big part of that personality
00:27was being pretty bossy.
00:29I know I can be tough,
00:30but that's just cause I'm surrounded by useless idiots.
00:33But instead of making her hated,
00:34her willingness to stand up for herself and speak her mind
00:37actually made her beloved, both on the show and in real life.
00:41And while her attitude could occasionally cause some problems,
00:45it was also what allowed her to build her dream life
00:48and help out her friends.
00:49So let's take a deeper look at where Bernadette's attitude comes from
00:52and how she learned to use her mean girl powers for good.
00:57Bernadette's personality is a bit of a contradiction that the other characters
01:00don't at first expect and sometimes still get surprised by
01:03even once they do know her well.
01:05She's a very sweet and caring person and a great friend,
01:08but she can also be harsh and loves being in control.
01:12It was like a whole other universe.
01:14If I wanted to, I could wipe it out with my thumb like a god.
01:18She's also kind of split between the worlds of the show.
01:21When we first meet her,
01:22she works at the Cheesecake Factory with Penny,
01:23and seems to be more of a Penny type.
01:26But we come to learn that she's also a brainiac.
01:29She's waitressing to pay for her graduate degree in microbiology.
01:32Because of this, she's the one character on the show
01:34that really understands both social spheres on the show,
01:37how normal everyday people interact, and how the nerds think and process things.
01:42This gives her the ability to meet everyone where they're at
01:45and connect with them on their level.
01:47Bernadette is not afraid to go after what she wants,
01:50whether it's something seemingly trivial or a major life milestone.
01:53After working her butt off to pay her way through university,
01:56she knows that she doesn't want to have to worry about money ever again.
01:59So she gets a job that is, well, a little ethically questionable,
02:03but definitely pulls in the big bucks.
02:05Don't go into science for the money.
02:07Speak for yourself.
02:08Last month my company both invented and cured restless eye syndrome.
02:16Ka-ching, you blinky chumps!
02:18She also thinks that she knows what's best for everyone else, too.
02:21And to be fair, she's not always wrong.
02:24But her friends do often start to feel like she's a bit intense
02:27when it comes to having things her way.
02:30Have you ever gone into a steel cage with a wolverine?
02:32Faster, faster, faster!
02:33Do you not know that word?
02:34While Bernadette is generally a great friend and girlfriend,
02:37there's no denying that she has a bit of a mean streak.
02:40She can be passive-aggressive, and sometimes just straight-up
02:43aggressive-aggressive, and isn't afraid of confrontationā
02:46in fact, sometimes even seeking it out.
02:48Her friends are even kind of afraid of her,
02:50because they know if they slip up she's gonna rain down fire.
02:53Could you do me a favor and not tell Bernadette how badly
02:56I blew this interview?
02:58She'll get upset, and honestly, I'm a little terrified of her.
03:01But Bernadette clearly isn't a bad person,
03:03or a true mean girl.
03:05So what is it that drives the more abrasive side of her personality?
03:09A big part of the more intense side of Bernadette's personality
03:12comes from the fact that she's got a pretty major case
03:15of oldest child syndrome.
03:17She's the firstborn of six kids, and given that her parents
03:20were often gone, that meant that she was usually the one
03:23left dealing with the struggle of raising her five younger siblings.
03:26Having to essentially become a surrogate mother at such a young age
03:29was incredibly draining, and meant that Bernadette had to grow up quickly
03:33and develop an air of authority to keep everything in her life in order.
03:37Being the oldest child, especially if you're left with
03:39the responsibility of caring for your younger siblings,
03:42can have long-lasting effects on your personality.
03:45As Very Well Mind notes,
03:46firstborn children are usually characterized as responsible,
03:49type-A personalities, who are often drawn to leadership-type roles
03:53in the family and in their lives.
03:55And when you spend your whole childhood having to manage
03:57and make decisions for those around you,
03:59it can be hard to shake that habit when you grow into an adult.
04:01Hey!
04:02Shut in Leonard's living room right now!
04:04Very Well Mind explains,
04:05the child may continue to view relationships
04:08as areas where they are an authority figure,
04:10which may create conflicts in future relationships during adulthood.
04:13This is pretty much exactly what happened to Bernadette.
04:16She had to be the confident decision-maker
04:18and responsible party for her siblings,
04:20and so now, as an adult,
04:21she attempts to do the same thing for her adult friends and her husband.
04:25Two weeks ago, I was an astronaut.
04:27Yeah, well, now you're a smurf. Keep walking.
04:29But Bernadette isn't just a little controlling.
04:32She's also not always so nice in how she goes about it,
04:35but that actually stems from her childhood as well.
04:37While her parents were often distant and detached
04:40when they were around, they had a big impact on her.
04:42Her mother was incredibly overbearing.
04:45That's nothing.
04:46I couldn't ride a bicycle because my mother was afraid
04:48I'd hit a bump and lose my virginity.
04:50So on top of the stress of having to raise her siblings,
04:52Bernadette also had to deal with her mother trying to control her every move.
04:56Her mother also pushed her beauty pageants,
04:58where she had to learn to hide her displeasure behind a smile.
05:02And you should pick me for Miss California Quiznos 1999,
05:05because I want to tell you what I want,
05:07what I really, really want.
05:08Given all of that, it's not surprising that in adulthood,
05:11Bernadette really wanted to assert her agency and individuality,
05:14and make sure that no one was going to tell her what to do or how to be anymore.
05:19The reason this can sometimes come out in a rather mean manner
05:22is likely due to her father's bad temper.
05:24She had to live in fear of him blowing up at any moment about anything,
05:28and likely absorbed some of that behavior herself.
05:30If he's shouting at you, you're okay.
05:32But if he starts to get real quiet,
05:34leave as quickly as you can without making eye contact.
05:37Not in a straight line. Throw some zigzum zags in there.
05:39All of these facets of her childhood converge to create a pretty prickly side
05:44to her personality as a grown-up.
05:45Because she spent so much of her childhood always having to be on and in charge,
05:49she can find it hard to tone down the intensity in adulthood.
05:53I'm nice to everyone!
05:55She's always willing to put her foot down in any situation,
05:58and make sure things go the way she wants.
06:01Well, it's simple.
06:02This was my idea.
06:03I'm driving.
06:04I'm Cinderella.
06:05If bitches got a problem with that,
06:06we could stop the car right now.
06:08This pushiness also bleeds into how she can be prone to bossing other people around
06:12and telling them how they should live their lives.
06:14Sometimes this can actually be the helpful push her friends need
06:18, but other times it can be a bit much.
06:21Bernadette's tendency to mother those around her
06:24is also a big part of her relationship with Howard.
06:26He's got a pretty, uh, close relationship with his own mother,
06:30and has a hard time getting free from her orbit.
06:32I'd love for things between me and Mom to get back to normal.
06:35Normal's a strong word, but sure.
06:38So it makes sense that he falls for Bernadette,
06:40who doesn't admonish him for his more childish behavior,
06:43but instead leans into it.
06:44We're very different people, Howard,
06:46so communication's a little tricky.
06:48Does he like the pancakes?
06:50He didn't try them yet!
06:52She helps him make decisions,
06:54and pretty much all of the care work
06:56while he plays video games with his friends.
06:58She's also the breadwinner in the relationship,
07:00which, in addition to her being the only one of the two with a PhD,
07:04can at times make Howard feel a bit emasculated,
07:07but is also what allows him to live the life he enjoys.
07:10I love that I worked and do all the cleaning,
07:12and you're okay with that?
07:13See, I am.
07:14Isn't this great?
07:15But Bernadette is different from his mother,
07:17in that she doesn't just coddle him.
07:20She also pushes him to go after what he wants in life,
07:22whether that be finally moving out of his mother's house,
07:25or postponing their wedding to go to space.
07:28She's also not afraid to call him out when he's being a little too childish,
07:31or trying to put off a big life goal out of fear.
07:34My arm is feeling numb.
07:36That's the wrong arm for a heart attack, doofus.
07:38Another major reason for Bernadette's attitude towards life,
07:41and those around her, is just the reality of her being.
07:44She's a teeny tiny adorable lady, with a super high-pitched voice.
07:47If she wasn't ultra-confident and ready to snap at anyone who gets in her way,
07:51no one would ever take her seriously.
07:52If she doesn't want to get steamrolled by society,
07:55she has to assert herself in a way that no one can second-guess.
07:58Hey, I learned a long time ago when you're four feet eleven,
08:01and I level with every guy's crotch, that's where you punch.
08:04As the show goes on, she also has to deal with new stressors.
08:07In addition to her high-powered job and caring for her husband,
08:10she also ends up having two children.
08:13And I carried it, had to stay in bed for four months,
08:15sacrifice my body and my job,
08:16and soon it's gonna burst its way out of me like the Kool-Aid man.
08:19At first, she's not really interested in having kids,
08:22which makes sense given her upbringing.
08:23But she eventually is excited about it and happy to have them.
08:27But loving your children doesn't change the fact
08:29that raising them can be exhausting at times.
08:31Bernadette's personality might have gotten turned up a bit
08:34over the seasons for laughs,
08:36but she also grew as a person with the help of her friends.
08:39While Bernadette's friends might be a little afraid of her,
08:42they also love her and are a big part of her ability to grow as a person.
08:46Penny, in particular, is a large part of this.
08:48She and Bernadette had been friends since before we met them on the show.
08:51They both work together at the Cheesecake Factory,
08:53and so their long-term bond means that Penny is both able to put up
08:57with Bernadette's ways and push back on them
09:00when she gets to be a little too much.
09:01When Penny realizes how mean Bernadette has been to her boss
09:05and how afraid of her he is,
09:07she's open with Bernadette about how she comes across
09:09and that it's not great.
09:11And instead of getting angry,
09:12Bernadette takes what Penny says to heart and apologizes.
09:15Just want you to know I didn't mean to be rude about your grandson.
09:18No, it's okay?
09:19No, it's not.
09:21Penny told me that everyone's scared of me.
09:23And this goes both ways.
09:24Bernadette uses her skills to help her friends, too.
09:27She's always there for them and to remind them
09:29that they deserve it to stand up for themselves.
09:32What if they don't listen to me?
09:33Then you be really mean to them.
09:34Have I taught you nothing?
09:35At her core, she's a kind, loyal, and outgoing person,
09:38and the fact that she's multidimensional means that she's able to be there
09:42in different ways for different people,
09:44even if she can be a little scary when she does it.
09:47While the rest of the group might knock Penny for not being as book smart as them
09:51or for not having her life together,
09:53Bernadette is always there to push her to believe in herself
09:56and fight for what she deserves.
09:57That's not an offer.
09:58Do you know how amazing this girl is?
10:00Oh, you think I'm amazing?
10:01Stay out of this!
10:02Bernadette and Amy have a bit more of a competitive friendship.
10:06Gosh, Amy, I'm sensing a little hostility.
10:08Is it maybe because, like Sheldon's work,
10:10your sex life is also theoretical?
10:12But they bond over their shared love of science and general similarities,
10:16and develop a closeness that's able to overcome any tiff.
10:20Bernadette has a particularly special friendship with Sheldon.
10:23As we talked about in our video on him,
10:25Sheldon often finds it hard to really connect with others
10:28or to figure out what the best course of action is in social situations.
10:31But because Bernadette is so used to dealing with other people's quirks,
10:34she has no problem understanding him and standing up for him.
10:38Sheldon doesn't know when he's being mean because the part of his brain
10:41that should know is getting a wedgie from the rest of his brain.
10:44From helping him overcome his fear of birds,
10:46to just making sure he takes care of himself,
10:49Bernadette uses her ability to understand both the nerdy
10:52and social worlds to assist him.
10:54And also sometimes to just make him do the right thing
10:57when he's being extra stubborn.
10:59So march in there, brush your teeth, and go to bed.
11:02But I don't want to go to bed.
11:04I'm gonna count to three.
11:06One.
11:06All right.
11:08While her relationship with Howard hits a few snags over the seasons,
11:11they clearly care for one another
11:13and provide a level of understanding to one another
11:15that they don't get anywhere else.
11:17She helps him grow into a more independent adult
11:19and finally move out of his mother's house,
11:21and lets him know that while she will take care of him,
11:24she won't let him turn her into just another mother
11:27or forget that she's a real catch.
11:29The past is the past.
11:31But he should know that I am the kind of girl
11:33who can get all the giant missiles she wants.
11:36They aren't always great with communication,
11:38but he does learn over time to consider her needs
11:41and to be willing to put her first, too,
11:43which helps them develop a loving and equal relationship.
11:46Oh, I love you, too.
11:48If I don't talk to you before you go to sleep,
11:49I'll meet you in dreamland.
11:50In the end, while she might occasionally get a little scary,
11:54Bernadette was an important addition to the group.
11:56She brought a level of confidence that no one except Sheldon had,
11:59and used her lack of fear to help push everyone towards their goals.
12:02She was also always there to stand up for people
12:05when they were at their lowest,
12:06and didn't feel like they could stand up for themselves.
12:09You better find my husband's mother,
12:11cause one way or another we're walking out of this airport with a dead woman.
12:14She might not have ever totally overcome her oldest child syndrome,
12:18but she did find ways to use it for good instead of just personal gain.
12:22And it's through that combination of personal growth and self-determination
12:26that she was able to build a happy life for herself,
12:29where she had everything she wanted,
12:30and the agency to make choices for herself,
12:33while also having other people in her life that she knew she could fall back on.
12:38Every one of you has the capacity to be anything you want to be.
12:41Unless you want to be Cinderella.
12:46Come at me, see what happens.
12:47The Big Bang Theory's Sheldon Cooper isn't just a smart guy.
12:51He's pretty much the smartest guy, at least as far as he's concerned.
12:54Don't you think if I were wrong, I'd know it?
12:57While he is incredibly book smart,
12:59there are other parts of life that he definitely doesn't get.
13:03His oversized ego and belief that his opinion is the only one that matters,
13:07can make him pretty tiring to be around.
13:09But he also has a deeper, more caring side that he's able to let out with the help of his friends.
13:15Sheldon's story is the perfect example of why emotional intelligence
13:19is an important part of a happy life.
13:21Even if you think your book smarts are more than enough.
13:23I always listen to myself, it's one of the great joys of my life.
13:26Let's take a deeper look at Sheldon's story,
13:29and how he grew from a self-centered smart guy that scares away everyone in his life,
13:34into a self-centered smart guy whose life is filled with deep connections.
13:39This honor doesn't just belong to me.
13:41I wouldn't be up here if it weren't for some very important people in my life.
13:46Sheldon Cooper isn't just your regular smart guy.
13:48He was a literal child prodigy and started college at only 11 years old.
13:53He taught as a visiting professor at the Heidelberg Institute in Germany at only 15,
13:58and got his first PhD at only 16.
14:00Being aware of and secure in his great capacity for absorbing knowledge,
14:05and thinking constructively about physics from such an early age,
14:08gave Sheldon a supreme level of confidence in his own smarts.
14:12He not only never questions himself,
14:14he thinks he's always the most correct,
14:17and possibly one of the smartest people to ever live.
14:20His superiority complex developed early,
14:22with him coming to the conclusion that he was clearly better than his siblings,
14:26because they weren't as smart as he was.
14:28I'm exceedingly smart.
14:30I graduated college at 14.
14:32While my brother was getting an STD, I was getting a PhD.
14:36But his nerdy nature also led to some problems.
14:38His father wanted him to be into more stereotypically male things like football,
14:43instead of Star Trek and comic books.
14:45And kids at school often bullied him,
14:48both because of his nerd status and his better-than-everyone attitude.
14:52Sheldon never really had much of a strong interest in human connection.
14:55His focus was always on science and discovery.
14:58On Young Sheldon, the Big Bang Theory prequel focused on his childhood,
15:02we see that Sheldon did on occasion learn important life lessons,
15:05and seemed to grow as a person.
15:07But the Sheldon we meet in the first season of The Big Bang Theory
15:10seems to have possibly regressed a bit in that regard.
15:13Please email it to sheldon at bazinga.biz.
15:18Why dot biz?
15:19Because I just gave you the business.
15:21And also bazinga.com was taken.
15:23This actually isn't a total surprise.
15:25Sheldon went through a lot in the years between the era of young Sheldon
15:28and the point we're introduced to him in the first episode of The Big Bang Theory.
15:32He continued on focusing solely on his academic career,
15:35and so never got to be a normal kid or teen.
15:38He essentially jumped straight from being a smart baby to a tiny adult.
15:42Because he had such immense success in this one specific area of life,
15:46he never really felt the need to branch out or work on other facets of himself.
15:51So Sheldon's arrested development when it comes to emotional intelligence
15:55actually makes a lot of sense.
15:56You may not realize it, but I have difficulty navigating certain aspects of daily life.
16:01You know, understanding sarcasm, feigning interest in others,
16:05not talking about trains as much as I want to.
16:07Because he's always been so knowledgeable about his areas of interest,
16:10he thinks he's right about everything.
16:13This can lead to him being quite stubborn, demanding, and even rude pretty regularly.
16:18He wants to be in control, because as far as he's concerned,
16:22he is the only person that can make the right decisions,
16:25even though that often isn't the case.
16:28He sees himself as more logical than everyone else,
16:31even though he has his own fair share of illogical thought patterns,
16:34like his refusal to sit anywhere on the couch other than his spot.
16:38Though, of course, he always feels like he has a logical explanation for everything.
16:43The fact is, it wouldn't kill us to meet some new people.
16:46For the record, it could kill us to meet new people.
16:51They could be murderers or the carriers of unusual pathogens.
16:55And I'm not insane. My mother had me tested.
16:58Sheldon also thinks he should always win in every situation,
17:02even in things that should be fairly split, like his roommate agreement with Leonard,
17:06which Sheldon somehow manages to always tip in his favor.
17:10The show itself even makes fun of this trait when the friends find the one ring prop from
17:14The Lord of the Rings, and Sheldon immediately decides that he must have it,
17:18and spends the entire rest of the episode on a journey to steal it away from the others.
17:23Because he never really had to learn how to get along with others,
17:26he can be quite difficult to be around.
17:28He's scared away all of his roommates before Leonard, and puts people down all the time,
17:33even his friends.
17:34But his attitude provides challenges for him, too.
17:43He doesn't understand many social interactions, and often doesn't pick up on jokes,
17:47and just generally has a pretty hard time with the human nature part of being a human.
17:52Many fans noted during the show's run that all of Sheldon's traits,
17:56from his savant status, to his difficulty understanding social interactions,
18:00to his sensory issues and more, all seem to point to him possibly being on the autism spectrum.
18:06And while this was apparently never intended by the show's creators,
18:09and they've always stayed away from explicitly labeling him,
18:13they didn't have a problem with his fans connecting with the character in that way.
18:16In a conversation with NPR, Jim Parsons noted,
18:19I think the writers really celebrate those traits.
18:22I think it's such an original reaction to see the world through a filter like that,
18:25to look at the world through those eyes.
18:27And Mayim Bialik, who plays Sheldon's eventual wife Amy, has said that,
18:31though Sheldon was never explicitly labeled as being on the spectrum,
18:35the show's main intent was to show a positive representation of people who share his traits.
18:40This is a group of people who likely were teased, mocked, told that they will never be
18:45appreciated or loved, and we have a group of people who have successful careers,
18:49active social lives that involve things like Dungeons and Dragons in video games,
18:53but they also have relationships, and that's a fulfilling and satisfying life,
18:58and I think that's what we really try and show on our show.
19:00And it's really this that makes Sheldon such a special character.
19:03The show doesn't force him to change who he is, but importantly does allow him to grow
19:08while still being true to himself, and not having to iron out his quirks.
19:12And while Sheldon might have already known everything about physics,
19:16he had a lot to learn about being a friend.
19:19Sheldon's singular focus on himself and his own interests can make it hard for him to connect
19:24with others, and even his friends can have a hard time handling his attitude.
19:29I did a bad thing.
19:30Does it affect me?
19:31No.
19:32And suffer in silence?
19:34As much as they love him, it can be grating to constantly get talked down to.
19:38He puts down Penny for not being book smart,
19:40bullies Howard for only being an engineer and not having a PhD,
19:44and even disrespects Amy's accomplishments for not being as important as his.
19:49But instead of just shunning him for being annoying,
19:52his friends try to get through to him and allow him to see their side of things.
19:56By opening himself up to learning new things in the realm of social interactions,
20:00Sheldon gets the opportunity to expand his world, from dating to figuring out sarcasm.
20:05This is why I've been saying we should keep champagne on ice!
20:10Sarcasm?
20:11Yes.
20:12That was tricky, because when it comes to alcohol, she generally means business.
20:16While Sheldon might not always be the most community-focused person,
20:20he does have moments where his ability to care for others shines through.
20:23When he was a kid, he attempted to build a nuclear reactor to give his entire city electricity for
20:29free, and only failed because he was stopped by the government.
20:33And in adulthood, he begins to mature emotionally by developing deeper relationships with his friends.
20:39For as much as he makes fun of Penny, the pair clearly have a connection from early on.
20:43They might not totally get everything about one another,
20:46but they're always there for each other in their own way.
20:49Why are you crying?
20:50Because I'm stupid!
20:53Well, that's no reason to cry.
20:56One cries because one is sad.
20:58For example, I cry because others are stupid and it makes me sad.
21:02In the same way that Penny provides the audience a more relatable connection into this world of super
21:07smart people, she also supplies a similar kind of connection for Sheldon,
21:11giving him insight into how average people think.
21:14And even if she does sometimes find him annoying,
21:17she never makes him feel bad for being who he is or feeling how he feels.
21:21This is easier around people than I'm comfortable with.
21:24Oh, sweetie, I'm comfortable around you too.
21:27Of course you are. I'm warm and soothing.
21:29I'm like a human bowl of tomato soup.
21:32He's also willing to help her out in big ways, letting her borrow money and not being concerned
21:36about getting it back, and even overcoming his fear of driving,
21:40to take her to the hospital when she dislocated her shoulder, and then singing her to sleep.
21:45Another major relationship that helps Sheldon grow is of course the one with his friend,
21:49girlfriend, and eventual wife, Amy.
21:51Through their relationship, he learns the value of both emotional and physical intimacy.
21:57Initially, he's not particularly interested in or even seemingly aware of the latter.
22:02May I ask you a question before I...
22:05give it to you?
22:09Of course.
22:10Why are we saying give it to you like that?
22:12But when he learns how important it is to Amy,
22:15he goes for it and they figure out a situation that works for both of them.
22:19Amy also importantly is able to push back on Sheldon's more intense self-centered tendencies
22:23in a way that actually gets through to him.
22:26For example, when Sheldon becomes totally unbearable when he's ill,
22:29everyone in his life attempts to avoid him. Amy leaves for a conference,
22:33and his friends all attempt to take a trip to Las Vegas without him.
22:37At first, he feels like he's the victim, but Amy kindly but honestly gets him to understand that
22:42he was really the one being mean to everyone else. Instead of shutting down or continuing to
22:47complain, he accepts that she's right and goes on a full-blown apology tour with commemorative
22:52shirts and everything. While he might initially think he doesn't need anyone but himself,
22:57as the show goes on, Sheldon does come to appreciate his friends and their place in his life,
23:01even if he isn't always the best at showing it. And in return, they continue to help him flourish.
23:07He had always been pretty anti-birthday due to a bad experience as a child,
23:11where his sister tricked him into waiting all day for Batman to show up.
23:15His friends, wanting to help him move past his childhood trauma,
23:19decide to throw him in an awesome birthday party so he can see how loved he truly is.
23:23Even when he's overcome with anxiety and has to flee the party,
23:27Penny is there for him and reminds him that everyone likes him for who he is.
23:32Sweetie, you are weird.
23:36Everyone knows you're weird, but they're all still here because they care about you so much.
23:41And with Amy, he not only gets the love of his life,
23:44but the achievement of his life as well when they win the Nobel Prize for their work.
23:48In his acceptance speech, we see how much Sheldon has really grown, and importantly, so does he.
23:54He finally fully recognizes how important everyone in his life is to him,
23:59and how they've helped him become the person he is.
24:02I have been encouraged, sustained, inspired, and tolerated, not only by my wife,
24:13but by the greatest group of friends anyone ever had.
24:17Sheldon was always a smart person, but it's his friends that helped him grow to become a caring
24:22person. And it's through that shift in mindset that he's not only able to better connect with othersā¦
24:27Yeah, it's okay.
24:28What?
24:28When I lost my own father, I didn't have any friends to help me through it.
24:36You didn't.
24:37But also create a happy, fulfilling life for himself. Sheldon's story is the perfect
24:42illustration of how life can become so much richer by combining our own special skills with those of
24:47others around us. Even when you think you're perfect, your life can still be improved by
24:53fostering connections with the people that care about you.
24:56There's no denying I have feelings for you that can't be explained in any other way.
25:00I briefly considered that I had a brain parasite, but that seems even more far-fetched. The only
25:05conclusion was love. The concept of the dumb blonde has long been a trope in film and television.
25:11I'm a mouse. Duh.
25:13But some of media's most notable blondes have been the ones that subvert and expand upon this tired
25:18archetype. What, like it's hard?
25:20And while the Big Bang Theory may have initially established Penny as the hot,
25:24odd one out of the brainiac group of main characters, a deeper look at this beloved blonde
25:29quickly proves that she is way more than just her good looks.
25:32See a penny, pick her up, and all the day you'll have good luck.
25:37No, you won't.
25:37Let's take a look at what made Penny so much more than a stereotypical dumb blonde,
25:42and uncover how her intricate character evolution provided the emotional glue
25:46necessary to keep one of TV's most iconic sitcoms together.
25:50Oh, hi.
25:51Hi.
25:52Hi.
25:52Hi.
25:53Hi.
25:53Hi.
25:55Hi?
25:56On first glance, Penny appears as a surface-level, hot girl-next-door character.
26:00The entirety of the season's pilot revolves around Sheldon Leonard and the rest of the
26:04crew ogling over Penny's looks and trying to gain her trust in order to sleep with her.
26:09So she's available for coitus?
26:10Can we please just stop saying coitus?
26:12While she may initially seem like a shallow side character that's only going to serve as
26:17a prop for the male characters to interact with,
26:19Kaley Cuoco's performance starts to bring a new, more interesting depth to the character
26:24and begins shaking up this archetype that has long been simplified for laughs.
26:27Oh, yeah. A lot of people think I'm a water sign.
26:30From the moment we meet Penny, she makes us care about her,
26:33which is a true testament to the strength of Cuoco's performance.
26:36It's clear that while the show may want to play up her looks as a gag,
26:39there is a true kindness to Penny that shines through these sexist tropes.
26:43I just, ugh, you're so terrific.
26:46Despite being the only female character in the show's main cast for its first three seasons,
26:51Cuoco held her own against her male counterparts, elevating Penny from a forgettable,
26:55ditzy blonde to a hilarious and endearing screen-stealer.
26:58Chuck Lorre, creator of The Big Bang Theory, expressed regret at this initial lack of character depth.
27:03In Jessica Radloff's 2022 book Taking a Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Series,
27:08Lore stated,
27:09it was really obvious immediately that we hadn't developed the character
27:12beyond the pretty girl next door.
27:14And Kaylee was certainly capable of doing a great deal more than what was asked of her.
27:18We had to make the character more fully realized.
27:21And while her good looks and ditzy demeanor continued to be a focal point of her character,
27:25over time the show began to sexualize Penny less,
27:28instead giving her character a sharp wit that wasn't afraid to call out the men
27:32she surrounded herself with.
27:33You sign anything she puts in front of you because you are the luckiest man alive.
27:37If you let her go, there is no way you can find anyone else.
27:39Speaking on behalf of all women, it is not going to happen.
27:41We had a meeting.
27:42With this came her eventual decision to give up her acting career in Season 8,
27:46which, while shocking to some viewers, showed just how much agency the show had given her.
27:50She had been stuck in an endless cycle of financial upset and stagnation for years,
27:55making this decision not only a stable one, but a mature one key to her character growth.
28:00Decent? I make twice what you make.
28:02Wait, twice?
28:03After being belittled by the group for her lack of intellect for years,
28:06for once Penny has the upper hand, and while she may not be viewed as a total equal,
28:10this career change showed the gang that there are valuable skills
28:14to be found outside of pure book smarts.
28:16While Penny's lack of book smarts may set her apart from the rest of the main crew,
28:20she still makes an effort to understand and support her friends' nerdy interests.
28:25When Darth Vader struck down Obi-Wan,
28:27did Luke cry like a baby and go to his funeral?
28:30Now he blew up the Death Star.
28:32Why do I know this?
28:33Time after time, she shows how much she cares for her friends,
28:36wanting the best for them even though they can be more than a little difficult at times.
28:41I know more about dating than you,
28:42and if you were as smart as you think you are, you would listen to me.
28:45If you know so much, how come I have a date tonight,
28:50and you have nothing better to do than drive me to it?
28:52And although her on-again-off-again relationship with Leonard may be her most
28:56memorable relationship on the show, it is Penny's friendship with Sheldon
29:00that is arguably the most touching friendship on the entire show.
29:03Oh, sweetie, you just made my day.
29:06Okay.
29:07Leonard and Amy care deeply for Sheldon,
29:09but often patronize him and treat him like a child.
29:12Penny is quick to call out Sheldon when he's being, well, Sheldon,
29:16but she still speaks to him like a real adult person.
29:20Sheldon, I know this wasn't easy for you,
29:21and I'm really glad we could have this conversation.
29:23Over time, they develop a true brother-sister relationship,
29:26often bickering and getting on each other's nerves,
29:28but with a deep sense of care and respect for one another.
29:31This is possible because Penny is genuinely kind.
29:34She loves Sheldon, and through this genuine connection,
29:37is able to bring out the most vulnerable parts of him.
29:39Thank you for letting me stay here.
29:42Oh, you're welcome, sweetie.
29:45Okay, I'm sleepy now, get out.
29:46Yes, Penny may be a hot blonde,
29:48but she's so much more than just a pretty face.
29:50In fact, she's the glue that keeps the group together.
29:53You see, in the winter, that seat is close enough to the radiator,
29:55so that he's warm, yet not so close that he sweats.
29:58It's safe to say that the majority of the Big Bang Theory's audience
30:01are not quantum physicists.
30:04M-A equals M-Gā¦
30:07Squared?
30:08No.
30:10Aristotle?
30:10No.
30:12Fine.
30:13Sheldon, Leonard, Howard, Amy, and Raj may be hilarious in their own right,
30:17but they're not necessarilyā¦ relatable.
30:19Penny, on the other hand, is a much more average,
30:21everyday character that much of the audience can more easily see themselves in.
30:25I suppose if someone could teach sign language to Coco the gorilla,
30:31I could teach you some rudimentary physics.
30:33Great!
30:34It's a little insulting, but great!
30:36Her struggles in dating, career, and simply keeping herself afloat
30:39are much more identifiable to most of us than the more lofty troubles
30:43the others have to contend with, like Howard's lack of a PhD.
30:47In fact, the series was only greenlit after Cuoco was cast as Penny,
30:51due to a pilot that failed to connect with wider audiences.
30:54Even Cuoco noticed how her role quickly won audiences over, telling Emmy Magazine,
30:58Viewers were on her side from day one because she was always kind.
31:01She laughed with them, not at them.
31:03She was always part of the group.
31:04This type of character certainly isn't unique to the Big Bang Theory.
31:08Most popular sitcoms are designed around a straight man or audience mirror
31:12to balance out the absurdity of the characters surrounding them.
31:15But rarely is the straight man played by the hot one, especially a woman.
31:19Leonard may be the typical sitcom straight man,
31:21and all of the characters are relatable in their own ways,
31:24but it's surprisingly Penny, who the show uses to connect us to this world.
31:28Now, that's not to say that everyone wholly relates to Penny,
31:31but she works as our surrogate in this world of above-it-all brainiacs
31:35to bring them, and thus the show as a whole, back down to Earth.
31:38Every character has something special about them that draws audience members to them,
31:42but Penny provides an anchor that keeps things rooted in reality.
31:45Yes, unfortunately, Penny is often sexualized,
31:48and has her average Joe intellect played for laughs,
31:51but without her perspective, the show wouldn't work.
31:54While she carries great empathy for the guys,
31:56she is also unafraid to call them out when their smarts
31:58get in the way of their social skills, or even basic kindness,
32:02often saying what many regular viewers themselves likely would in the same situation.
32:06How do you know these things?
32:09I go outside and I talk to people!
32:11But even though Penny isn't afraid to serve up her fair share of roasts,
32:14her deep empathy towards her friends extends itself to the audience's perception of these
32:19characters as well. Even though Raj is unable to speak to Penny for a majority of the show's
32:23early seasons, she still makes an effort to talk to and interact with him out of sheer
32:27kindness and understanding of his social awkwardness. In fact, her continual engagement
32:32with him is the reason why he ends up overcoming this trait.
32:36You're talking to me.
32:38I am.
32:40And now I'm crying for a whole different reason!
32:44And while Penny and Amy did not start off on the best foot,
32:47by the end of the series, the two develop a true friendship,
32:50with Penny becoming Amy's first best friend and encouraging her growth.
32:54Sheldon Cooper, I've got a bone to pick with you,
32:56and I'm about to do it in front of all your friends.
32:58Yeah, you picked that bone, you picked that bone clean!
33:00Her unwavering support of her friends does not go unnoticed,
33:03serving as one of the main catalysts for their own character developments.
33:07It's impossible to talk about Penny without discussing
33:09her on and off relationship with Leonard.
33:11What about me?
33:13What about you what?
33:17What about if you went out with me?
33:19While Sheldon and Amy eventually took the spotlight,
33:22Leonard and Penny's endless will-they-won't-they romance
33:25served as one of the series' main dramatic questions for its first few seasons.
33:30Although the hot girl falling for the nerdy nice guy trope can feel a bit cliche,
33:34it is touching to watch Penny fall for and eventually marry Leonard.
33:38What did you mean when you said you were going to miss me?
33:42Um, I don't know. You'll be gone and I'll notice.
33:47Their relationship is nowhere near perfect,
33:49but it operates as a major catalyst for Penny's character development.
33:53She begins the show as a young 20-something struggling with severe commitment issues,
33:57wasting her kindness on men that don't care about her in return.
34:00But it's Leonard who shows her what it means to be truly loved.
34:04God, what is wrong with me?
34:06Nothing. You're perfect.
34:08I'm not perfect.
34:09Yes, you are.
34:10Yes, their romance has severe ups and downs,
34:12with some fans even calling it toxic.
34:15But dealing with and overcoming these obstacles is key to their character development.
34:19By working together and always being there for one another,
34:22they reach a new level of maturity and emotional growth.
34:25Despite generally being a fan-favorite relationship,
34:28Big Bang Theory fans had some major complaints about the end of Penny's storyline,
34:33particularly her unexpected pregnancy.
34:35Throughout the series, Penny was adamant about her desire to not have children,
34:39so the reveal of her pregnancy was shocking, to say the least.
34:43What I meant was, what if we didn't have kids?
34:47Ever?
34:48I mean, our life is so great, why would we want to change that?
34:51The representation of onscreen female characters who don't want children is already minimal,
34:56making this decision feel like a significant stripping of agency
35:00from a woman who was confident in her stance.
35:03Also, viewers don't even see Penny discover that she's pregnant,
35:06instead learning about it briefly and then finding out more
35:09when she's forced to tell Sheldon.
35:11It's disappointing that such a pivotal moment for this character
35:14is played for pure comedic relief,
35:16glossing over the emotional weight of this decision completely.
35:19Even Cuoco has expressed regret at this plot choice.
35:22In the behind-the-scenes Big Bang Theory book, she said,
35:25I actually wished that they did not make Penny pregnant,
35:28because I loved that message of Penny not wanting kids so much.
35:32While her choice to become a mother could have been impactful if executed correctly,
35:36the series' failure to add nuance and agency to her sudden decision
35:40fails an otherwise strong and self-assured character.
35:43But despite how unsatisfactory this part of her ending may feel,
35:46Penny remains one of the biggest highlights of the Big Bang Theory.
35:49What started as a surface-level iteration of the dumb blonde trope
35:53quickly transformed into a witty, honest, and kind woman
35:56elevated by Cuoco's masterclass comedic performance.
36:00Well then, good news!
36:01Today's the day a girl's finally going to touch you in your little special place.
36:04If there's one thing Penny's taught us,
36:06it's that you really cannot judge a book by its cover.
36:10That's the take! Click here to watch a video we think you'll love,
36:13or here to check out a whole playlist of awesome content.
36:16Don't forget to subscribe and turn on notifications!
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