CAPS #5

Much of what we learn about the world, we learn by what we see on TV, and most of the time we aren't watching a documentary (though I watch my fair share). Usually we find ourselves watching some sitcom or another. Most of these sitcoms use some form of stereotyping. One of my favorite shows to watch is Big Bang Theory, and even though I know there are stereotypes, I never really paid much attention to them.

One stereotypes that jumps out right away is the one portrayed in the character Rajesh Koothrappali. Now for those of you who have never seen the show, Raj is from India, and is a Hindu, though most of the time Sheldon gives more accurate information about Raj's culture. Throughout the series all of the characters make jokes about Raj and his culture, most of which are stereotypical of India. They joke about the number of people living there, the food, his parents even put pressure on him to marry "a nice Indian girl." The clip above shows some of Raj's best moments and some of the stereotypes he portrays.

The Second stereotype I've noticed hits a little closer to home, Penny the main female character in the series is from Omaha, NE (sound familiar?). There are several moments in the show where she references Omaha as if it were in the middle of nowhere, she often talks about seeing nothing but corn, or being a member of the Corn Queens Court. Another moment is portrayed in the video below.

The third stereotype in the show is that of Texans as portrayed by Sheldon's mom. She is seen as a born again Christian from deep Texas with very conservative values. She is often seen talking about how Sheldon got his smarts from Jesus, or she talks about praying. She often gives Raj and Howard a hard time because they are of, as she see it, the devil religions. The clip below shows how she and Sheldon are different and a glimpse into the Texas Christian stereotype.

References

Martin, J. N. & Nakayama, T. K. (2012). Intercultural communication in contexts (6th ed.).    Boston, MA: McGraw Hill.