Derogatory Comment On Madhuri Dixit, Sexism, And More Issues ‘The Big Bang Theory’ Stirred Controversy For!
The show has been more problematic than funny!
The popular sitcom The Big Bang Theory has landed in some trouble over a derogatory term used for Madhuri Dixit in the show. Mithun Vijay Kumar, a political analyst, has sent a legal notice to Netflix and asked the streaming platform to remove episode one of season two. He pointed out that Madhuri Dixit is called a ‘leprous prostitute’ when being compared to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan by Raj Koothrapalli, and demands that the episode be taken down. You will be surprised to know that this is not the first time the actors from the show have stirred controversies. Read about other problematic things said by The Big Bang Theory’s cast.
Recently, I came across an episode of the show Big Bang Theory on Netflix where Kunal Nayyar's character uses an offensive and derogatory term to refer to the legendary Bollywood actress @MadhuriDixit. As a fan of Madhuri Dixit since childhood, I was deeply disturbed by the… pic.twitter.com/pvRCKd5Ne4
— Mithun Vijay Kumar (@MVJonline) March 22, 2023
Comment on Hardik Pandya and Bhuvneshwar Kumar
In season seven, episode 11 of The Big Bang Theory, Rajesh ends up making a ‘joke’ about cricket which did not sit well with the fans. After convincing Howard to watch a match with him, Rajesh points to Ravichandran Ashwin and says that he makes Hardik Pandya look like Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
S7:E11 of The Big Bang Theory namechecks @ashwinravi99 as Raj convinces Howard to watch a game of cricket, much to the latter's chagrin. Curiously the next dialogue is "He makes Hardik Pandya look like Bhuvneshwar Kumar." Why tho?#Ashwin #tbbt #Cricket pic.twitter.com/RGi8jC4b3O
— Samanway Banerjee (@qriosam) February 16, 2021
Evidently sexist dialogues and slut shaming Penny
Despite being a hardcore The Big Bang Theory fan, you cannot deny that Penny, played by Kaley Cuoco, was constantly slut-shamed on the show. She was constantly shamed for the clothes she wore and only treated as eye candy on the show. Penny, who from the very start did not want to have a baby, is shown to cave in and ends up having one.
The infamous Soft Kitty lawsuit!
Remember that song that Sheldon made anyone around him sing to him when he was sick? That is actually a Polish song that the makers did not have the right to use in the show. In 2015, the original song creator’s daughters filed a lawsuit which went on in court for many years.
https://twitter.com/clay10_outta10/status/1219353773329600513
Problematic South Asian representation in TBBT
Raj Koothrapalli, played by Kunal Nayyar, is portrayed as a Delhi boy who has south Indian roots. His Indian accent is purposely made to sound a certain way so as to add a comical effect to his dialogues. Also, there are several instances wherein it is shown that Indians cannot have normal conversations with people of the opposite gender.
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Mayim Bialik’s sexist op-ed piece
Mayim Balik who essayed the role of Amy in the show wrote an op-ed for NYT. She wrote that she went on to ‘protect’ herself in the industry to prevent her objectification by ‘dressing modestly’ and not ‘flirting’ with me. She was called by Emily Ratajkowski, Patricia Arquette and many others on social media for her comments.
So @missmayim "advice" is: I was never pretty & never tried to be & ladies, take note if you don't want to be harassed? This isn't feminism pic.twitter.com/0Rrx6jrE5K
— Emily Ratajkowski (@emrata) October 15, 2017
Also read: “Gandi Zubaan,” Says Jaya Bachchan To Kunal Nayyar’s Remark On Madhuri Dixit In The Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory has landed itself in controversies so many times now, and it is not funny anymore. The makers should have realised the kind of content they are curating in the name of comedy, and that it is offensive.
