A few years ago, my neighbor called me and asked if I'd watched that new show, The Big Bang Theory. I hadn't even heard of it, so she just giggled and told me I had to watch it. The next night, my engineer hubby & I watched it and nearly died laughing. We know Leonard, Raj, Howard, and Sheldon in real life. These are our people and we embraced the show with open arms.But here's what annoys me - I get Leonard's obsession with Penny. She's pretty, and perky, and girly. That's what every guy wants, right?
Is it?
I don't think so. While I loved the interplay between the guys on the show and understood every nerdy scientific joke, I detested Penny. I spent too many years as a teen falling head-over-heels for nerdy guys who would only put me in the friend category because I wasn't a cheerleader. Or pretty. Or perky. Or girly. That sucked.
But I still felt bad for Leonard. He continued to be hung up on Penny, who, in my opinion, always treated him like he should be grateful she bothered to date him. This season, as they slowly find their way back to each other, I see the playing field leveling. Leonard finally has a bit more say in their relationship, which I LOVE. He should! Just because he's the nerd and she's the hot girl doesn't mean she's better than he is. I think Penny's starting to realize he's more than just her nerdy next door neighbor that she can toy with, which I do find kinda sweet.
So, tell me, how do you feel about the nerdy guy dating the hot girl? Should the hotter person have more power in the relationship than the nerdy character? Would you like to see more of the nerdy girl with the nerdy guy? Or are you cool with whatever?
XoXo,
Megg
Hmmm, I'm not sure I really care either way. It does bother me when one person acts as though the other should be grateful for his/her love or whatever, but that goes whether the person's a nerd or a hotty. I know a lot of people love this show, but I just haven't been able to get into it myself. :(
ReplyDeleteTrue, April. Relationships should mean equal partners, regardless of their looks. :D
DeleteI think the hot girl falling for the nerdy guy is a MALE fantasy. ;) Personally, I think more hot girls should fall in love with nerdy guys, because they're awesome husband material. But the nerdy guys won't be satisfied with them unless they're hot AND smart (this is why I loved Pria, in spite of the fact that she was toying with Leonard too). I was excited to see Leonard level the playing field - that boy's got a lot going on: smart, sensitive, knows how to rock a sweater/hoodie combination. :)
ReplyDeleteI adore Leonard!!!! I think I feel too protective toward him. lol
DeleteHmm, if this is what's expected (hot girl has all the power), then I think I'd find a book where a nerdy guy and a cheerleader dated--and the nerdy guy had the cheerleader head-over-heels for HIM--really interesting, just because it plays against the stereotype. *brain churns with ideas*
ReplyDeleteKatie - write, write, WRITE!!!! :D
DeleteI'd read it.
DeleteI love this show too, but the hot girl with the not-so-hot guy is (unfotunately)a male fantasy standard in sitcoms (King of Queens)...it is so annoying, esp since Disney isn't going to be releasing Handsome and the Beast any day soon :)
ReplyDeleteHandsome and the Beast - LOVE THAT!!!!! lol
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DeleteComing from the perspective of being the male nerd, it is a bit of a fantasy. We hear about female gamers that are too hot for their stereotypes, popular girls who are into the same things we are, and thing there is a chance.
ReplyDeleteWhat I don't get is Leonard sticking around Penny when they have nothing in common aside from living in the same apartment complex. They've dated, but mostly it's been a social observation into how the other one lives. I'm not saying Leonard should just find a nerd, but find someone with enough similarities that it's easy to enjoy the other's company. Or train her to be more like what you want. Sheldon did that. I kinda want to try that on my brother's girlfriend
What about us nerdy girls who are already into the same things and don't need to be trained? :p lol!
DeleteMy husband, of course, tells me I'm beautiful - however I think he fell for me when I told him how obsessed I was with Babylon 5 and that one of my favorite 80s movies was He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. :D
I def. think nerdy guys in highschool make awesome husbands and are often quite successful as adults. They deserve way more than credit then they get. But honestly, I can't remember falling for any of them in high school. Looks play too important a role for teenagers and I don't think that's going to change. And looks are pretty important for some adults too.
ReplyDeleteI never watched the show but it looks good!
I always fell for nerdy guys. Love them! lol
DeleteI think sometimes this might be a fantasy scenario, but it really only works out in the long term if both of them can truly come to love each other and see each other as equals. Relationships where one person has more power and one person obviously loves more than the other are definitely not my idea of healthy and to me, often border on abusive.
ReplyDeleteI am definitely one of those girls who has married a nerdy computer geek (not scientist, but I like computer nerds, haha). The funny and sweet thing is that HE thinks I am the hot girl, haha. Of course I know better. I'm the band geek who never quite fit in with the popular crowd and still sometimes feels awkward about her body. But in his eyes, I'm the hot girl :). I love that. Of course, I think he's pretty hot too, haha!
BAND GEEKS RULE!!!!!! :D
DeleteI've started watching the show this year, and I think that Penny's appeal is rooted in her very different (as compared to the boys) kind of intelligence.
ReplyDeleteShe has a higher EQ, something that Leonard craves because his typical social/professional circle is so skewed against it.
Leonard definitely lives on the borderline of geekdom. In some ways, he's neither here nor there. And Penny is cute...that can't be denied. ;)
DeleteI'd like to see the nerdy girl dating a hot guy.
ReplyDeleteFor me, it's whatever works! I think if two people really love each other, they're equal. Or perhaps I'm just overly idealistic... :)
ReplyDeleteFor some reason this reminds of an episode of How I met your Mother. They said that in every relationship there is a reacher and a settler. Someone who reached out of their league and someone who settled below theirs.
ReplyDeleteI love the dichotomy of two people in love who aren't the same. Makes for a more interesting story.
I think like all cliques, it's over done. And I've never liked it because too often the reasons behind the attraction aren't good. But, when they are, and the romance works for all the right reasons, then I like it. It all comes down to the characters and writing I guess.
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