The Big Bang Theory Ideologies

There are many common ideologies found in today’s culture and they are often supported in television shows, television ads, and other sources of media. The Big Bang Theory is just one of many shows that embraces ideologies and stereotypes that are found in culture today, such as cultural myths about geeks, culture, and women.
The Big Bang Theory characterizes intellectuals, particularly men as unsexy, unpopular, bad athletes, unstylish, and social inept children looking for a mother figure. These ideologies are wrong but it continues to predominate in the mass media, which wants us to believe that those who are very smart or academic are not attractive to the opposite sex. One character on The Big Bang Theory is Rajesh "Raj" Koothrappali. As an Indian astrophysicist, Raj displays many characteristics often associated with both Indians and nerds. The character speaks with a thick Indian accent and often makes remarks about how great certain aspects of America are compared to Indian practices, illustrating the common behavior of Indians admiring Americans. Raj also suffers from a form of selective mutisim, which prevents him from speaking to women unless he is inebriated. This inability to talk to women seems to play into both the idea that male nerds have trouble talking to the opposite sex and the stereotype that young, foreign men having difficulty communicating with attractive women. Additionally, Raj’s parents are frequently shown trying to interfere with his romantic life – strengthening the association between Raj and what our culture believe to be typical Indian characteristics. Finally, Raj being both a nerd and Indian plays off of the resonance had by our culture between individuals of Asian ancestry being nerds versus the dissonance of Hispanic or African individuals being nerds. Viewers are encouraged to take Asian nerds seriously, while black nerds such as Steve Urkel are viewed humorously because they don't fit into society's conception of nerds