15 Reasons To Love 'The Big Bang Theory'

These days, it's pretty hard to find a sitcom that makes us laugh, inspires us, and makes us think about being better people. Reality shows are all the rage and although there are a bunch of good ones, there is just something about fictional shows that get us attached to the characters and make us think. Seinfeld and Friends were huge in the 90s, of course, but what about today? What sitcom speaks to us about our generation, world, and culture? One of those is definitely The Big Bang Theory. It's funny, sure, but it teaches us a lot too. It's a pretty realistic portrayal of being a millennial today. But why are we flocking to this show? Most of us love the awesome chemistry among the characters, the excellent writing, and the interesting facts about science that we learn in each and every single episode. We also get to see how quirky people make out in the world: not too badly, as long as they can find their tribe. Here are 15 reasons to love The Big Bang Theory.

15 Cool Girls Can Date Nerds

Never before has a show been so open about a lot of topics, including the fact that the typical high school groups (you know -- nerds, jocks, popular girls, etc.) are total crap! On this sitcom, people can meet on equal ground and become friends and even date! There are no boundaries or social groups that can't be crossed. If two people are attracted to each other, like Penny and Leonard, their attraction will light up the universe. It is gratifying and exciting to see a show portray a couple in such a realistic way since this couple deals with their chemistry, stressful situations, not being sure about each other, etc. It gives us some real hope that what is on the inside counts, not on the outside (though of course, Penny and Leonard are both pretty cute!). Of course, we're all attracted to people initially because of how they look, but what's on the surface is not nearly as important as what's inside.

14 Sheldon Might Be Autistic

Fans wonder if the character of Sheldon Cooper has Autism or Asperger's. While it's not official, actor Jim Parsons has said that Sheldon acts in some ways that would make sense with Asperger's. With all the misinformation out there on autism, it is great that there is a show (and a popular sitcom at that) that shows a main character with this condition. He sees the world through this incredible lens and it's very difficult and yet very rewarding too. Autism has a spectrum of functional levels in society. All people are high in some areas and low in others. The good thing about Sheldon Cooper is his high intelligence. The difficult part is the way that he deals with other people and relates to them. This is explored humorously when it can be in the show. Laughter, after all, can educate in some ways. Sometimes, Sheldon's condition is dealt with more seriously as he faces his anxiety over his friendships and his romantic relationship with Amy.

13 Nerds Have A Lot To Offer Too

We tend to laugh at nerdier people and say they are boring since they talk about their particular interests all day and we say that no one else can relate to them or enjoy hanging out with them. However, in The Big Bang Theory, Leonard and his friends introduce Penny, Bernadette, and Amy to many of the games and other things that they enjoy. And it goes well. They all learn something new. The ladies have also exposed the boys to some games and ways of doing things. The result is that the boys learned something new, bonded with their lady loves, and people do not just see individuals on the spectrum or with other quirks/ with different brains as inferior or weird. They are viewed as originals and as having original ideas to share and teach. We all can teach one another new things and it is important to remember this when we are among family and friends.

12 Two Hilarious Women: Bernadette And Howard's Mom

Who did not pee their pants laughing when watching both Howard's Mom and Bernadette, both separately and interacting with each other?! The word "funny" barely scratches the surface. The fact that all of us, parents or not, can relate to Howard's nagging, hypochondriac mom whenever she says something. And we do not even get to see her at all in the episodes. And Bernadette. Where do we start? Here is a woman that is intelligent, funny, beautiful, sassy, and can put Howard in his place in seconds if he steps out of line. She can do the same for the rest of the troupe, and we love her confidence and honesty. She is so real, so feisty, and so funny. We instinctively root for a woman like her just on principal. How many of us stick to our guns and run a pretty fantastic life while we are doing it?

11  Sheldon And Leonard's Funny And Realistic Friendship

Do two male best friends love each other one minute and want to beat the heck out of each other the next? You betcha! And that is what makes Leonard and Sheldon's friendship so funny and realistic. Of course, they take it a notch further with Penny and Leonard making a joke on one episode of having “joint custody” of Sheldon when they are broken up, but still, the ups and downs of a close friendship are realistically examined. The men realize what it is they love and hate about one another and how to continue to help the relationship grow, which is definitely not an easy feat. But the two of them do it with humor, a believable quality, and warmth. We all find ourselves rooting for these two in their platonic and close friendships and even with their romantic relationships. We want it to work out for them in all areas of their life.

10 Amy And Sheldon's Quirky Relationship

The truth is that Amy and Sheldon are the cutest odd couple there is! They are smart, attractive, strange, and funny all rolled into one package. They make the rest of us treasure our own strangeness, eccentricity, and originality. After all, there is only one of each of us. We need to make it count, people! The way the show depicts their meeting, dating, and (spoiler alert), eventual mating, is absolutely exquisite and wonderfully done. They are not afraid to be themselves in a world that sometimes tells them to be otherwise. They fight against being odd, but that is their best characteristic. They are unique, vulnerable, and beautiful in their shared oddities which endear them to us. I don't know about you readers, but most of us were not the prom kings and queens of our high schools. We can relate greatly to characters that did not fit in the way the rest of the world seemed to. It makes them feel more genuinely like us.

9 Raj Is Socially Awkward… And We Love It

And then there is Raj. He is the character that just can't talk to a woman unless he is drunk. He is beyond shy and withdrawn. Of course, sleeping with women is no problem too when he is drunk. It seems to make him more confident and less inhibited. We all see how hard Raj is trying to work through his issues and how he struggles. It is just showing a realistic portrait of a man who struggles with himself, with intimacy, and with all things romantically related. Of course, we can all relate to this in some way! We all have a little Raj in us, whether or not we are scientists or engineers. We need to pace ourselves with our peers, take the time to get to know ourselves, and remember that sometimes it is intimate relationships with ourselves that is the first step to finding intimate relationships with others.

8 The Depiction Of The Ups And Downs Of Love

We have seen Penny and Leonard break up. We have also seen Amy and Sheldon break up. And Bernadette and Howard have had some problems. This show shows seriously realistic relationship drama and we really appreciate that. In real life, we all have issues with our partners over intimacy, jealousy, and other issues. We love one another, but there are times when we are fed up with dealing with all the crap that come with relationships. We may say we are never getting together with our partners again. We may try counseling. But regardless, we have our ups and downs and our difficulties in relationships. This is what makes us human and seeing how others sometimes fail at relationships makes us see that we are not imperfect if we fail. It makes us feel less alone and more connected to others than ever before. Everyone, no matter how young, old, smart, rich, struggles with relationships and finding that balance with another human being.

7 Awesome Writing (And Jokes)

And who can forget the amazing writing on The Big Bang Theory?!. The jokes are flying at you a mile a minute. They are precise, modern, on target, and definitely make us realize what is really important about life and what is just plain old funny and embarrassing. A lot of people are afraid to laugh at themselves and life. This is the wrong attitude to take! Life is funny. People are funny. If we don't laugh at ourselves, we will lose out on a lot of very interesting things on our journey of life. That is why it is so important when we can relate to others around us and see that we are all just the same really… well, save a PhD or two. But seriously, a show as well-written as Big Bang will explore these topics with us and make us see how connected we really are and it's definitely a reason to tune into this sitcom!

6 The Millennial Commentary

The commentary that this show makes on millennials is super great. Our generation is all about not living by old rules. We don't want to work merely for the money or in an environment that is creatively stifling. We're pretty much all about the concept of work/life balance and we won't stop until we get it! When we do have a baby or raise a family, we are definitely going to think even more about having a work/life balance. We want to live life to the fullest and make sure that we're happy. Sure, some people call us lazy or other super negative words, but we're not listening to that! We don't think that wanting to be happy and have balance in our lives is a bad thing. And that's another reason to love this show: for its brilliant and realistic commentary on millennials. We can relate to each and every one of the characters.

5 Bob Newhart As Professor Proton

And then there is Bob Newhart as Professor Proton, Sheldon's childhood hero and a person who he still has a huge (man) crush on! His usual deadpan humor fits in so well on the set, especially since he plays against Sheldon's precise monotony and eccentric characteristics. They work well off each other and help us learn to navigate science, social structures, and everything else around them and us. We see how Sheldon's life pretty much unraveled through his adoration of Professor Proton and all the things this professor represents. It is endearing and funny at the same time. The two actors have such a great chemistry that we can't help enjoying their interactions with one another. It is truly a meeting of the minds, and even when annoyed, we see that Sheldon eventually starts to grow on Professor Proton. It is not an easy thing to do, but Sheldon manages to win his prof over.

4 Leonard's Mom And His Childhood

Who doesn't love Leonard's mom? Christine Jane Baranski plays Leonard's mom and she is super sophisticated, strict, yet hilarious. She's a psychologist who wrote a book about raising children based on her experience raising him… for better or worse! We learn a lot more about her as the show goes on as she psychoanalyzes everyone, including Penny. She tells Leonard, much to his embarrassment, what Penny needs. She also tells Penny really discreet things about Leonard, which of course, totally and completely embarrasses him. It gives the viewers a good laugh, as most of us can relate about embarrassing times with our own parents when they told stories about us to other people. We wished they would stay quiet, but it seems they could not resist sharing it. This is very typical in families of all income brackets and educational levels. This is yet another reason the show is so popular. People can relate to all the antics.

3 Raj's Friend Stuart

Stuart is another amazing character who makes us laugh with his deadpan humor and his sci fi-nerdy demeanor. He owns a comic book store and is a seriously great addition to the show. He's got a super serious face and makes outrageously honest comments, and we've all met someone like this at one point or another in our lives. He's definitely smart and has a lot to offer the world but is pretty lonely. He has a hard time making friends, finding romantic love, and just seems to be the oddball even among the nerdier crowds. There have been lots of jokes made at his expense, but Stu is loveable, a dear friend of Raj's and makes us all appreciate our close friends and family even more. We need to be reminded that we're definitely not alone and that we can always feel free to reach out in love and friendship to those closest to us. That is what true love and friendship is all about.

2 It Makes Science Easy To Understand

Or, well, a bit easier! Hearing Sheldon, Leonard, and the gang talk about science in a way that makes it somewhat understandable makes the rest of us non-science people feel smarter, too! We can kind of figure out what they're talking about, even when it's really detailed, and we find ourselves learning all kinds of cool things. Sheldon's scientific calculations and experiments always have us amazed and laughing as he figures out formulas for practically everything, and the addition of Amy and Bernadette with their science talk and incredible discoveries, have us all thinking maybe we can go back to school to get that science degree. It is not always easy, but it's exciting to learn about all of these cools things and to grow as people ourselves from the learning. The best is when the whole gang argues science facts. Then we get laughs and knowledge at the same time.

1 The Female Friendship

Finally, something beautiful about this show is the friendship between Amy, Bernadette, and Penny. These three women are unlikely friends but they do bond thanks to the fact that they're dating three male best friends, Sheldon, Howard, and Leonard. They soon realize that they love each other a lot and have stuff in common, especially Amy and Bernadette since they are both scientists. They teach Peggy to believe in her intelligence, and Peggy teaches them to be confident about their looks and other attributes. All women have some wisdom to impart and some life lesson to teach to others. It is good that all three of these wonderful ladies found it in themselves to give to others. They go on to support each other through marriage, moving in together, breaking up and getting back together, and any other new event that occurs in their lives. This is what true bonding is all about. So there you have it -- 15 reasons to love this awesome show. It is a show that transcends race, ethnicity, and class, and simply showcases characters who are funny, smart and believable, and having the adventure of a lifetime.