Current Events > Why is Abed so beloved among nerds while Sheldon is so hated?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Casual audiences like both

But actual nerds detest Sheldon while liking Abed . I'm one of them.

Both characters are unflattering portrayals of intelligent people on the spectrum.

Both are intended to be incredibly annoying and one dimensional.

Both shows are irreverent comedies that don't even attempt to make sense.

Is it because of Troy? Is it because Sheldon Is the main character while Abed is a side one? Or something else.

I don't think you can say its because Community is better written considering how popular BBT is and how Community isnt that well written.

What do you think?

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UnfairRepresent posted...

I don't think you can say its because Community is better written considering how popular BBT is and how Community isnt that well written.

Uh
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Charisma and personality.

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How on earth is Abed portrayed as 'unflattering?' Jeff refers to him as a god at one point, and he's clearly the writers' darling who's rarely wrong or humbled...

UnfairRepresent posted...

I don't think you can say its because Community is better written considering how popular BBT is and how Community isnt that well written.

Ah, should've paid more attention to who made the topic. Moving on.

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ArianaGrandSlam posted...

Community is better written

Bazinga

Ba
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masterpug53 posted...

Ah, should've paid more attention to who made the topic. Moving on.

Lol my exact thought as well

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Kajagogo posted...

Charisma and personality.

That's true

The guy who plays Sheldon always looks like he is acting

Abed doesn't across as much as a performance even though the character is performing

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Sheldon is Autism black face

BBT as a whole is a less likeable show once you get past the first 2-3 seasons.

It had it's charm when it was just a group of loveable losers looking for love.

Once they all found it, it just became "Friends: The one where they're all nerds".


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I prefer community to bbt, but it isnt better written than bbt after s4 of community and onward. Community s1-3 absolutely it better written.

abed never really developed, sheldon did. Sheldon near the end was starting to become more tolerable.

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metallica846 posted...

No laugh track.

Now you mention it,I think this might be it

Bbt's laugh track is unbearable

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Barber102 posted...

I prefer community to bbt, but it isnt better written than bbt after s4 of community and onward. Community s1-3 absolutely it better written.

abed never really developed, sheldon did. Sheldon near the end was starting to become more tolerable.

Abed did change a bit by the end of Community.

Thought they did a good job with his family stuff.

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lww99 posted...

Abed did change a bit by the end of Community.

Thought they did a good job with his family stuff.

No one changed in community there was zero continuity or arcs

It had some really lazy writing in that regard, especially once they lost Troy and Pierce ..

It would be like if Simpsons lost Bart and Marge

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IIRC, the creators of Big Bang Theory confirmed Sheldon didn't have autism. However, the signs were very recognizable.

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The-Apostle posted...

, the creators of Big Bang Theory confirmed Sheldon didn't have

X) Doubt

That's just them them damage controlling people telling at them

Sheldon is definitely supposed to be on the spectrum, even in Young Sheldon

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UnfairRepresent posted...

X) Doubt

That's just them them damage controlling people telling at them

Sheldon is definitely supposed to be on the spectrum, even in Young Sheldon

I agree, I was just going off what they said.

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Abed is insufferable though, he's kind of like Ted Mosby in that he at first glance seems like a likeable and noble person then you realise how selfish he actually is and how much other characters have to walk on eggshells around him so they don't "set him off"

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YoungMutual posted...

Abed is insufferable though, he's kind of like Ted Mosby in that he at first glance seems like a likeable and noble person then you realise how selfish he actually is and how much other characters have to walk on eggshells around him so they don't "set him off"

And yet he's beloved by nerds and Sheldon isn't

thats the point of the topic

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Is it actually acknowledged that Abed is on the spectrum?

Because TBBT went to great lengths to deny Sheldon is, and it's like, bruh...

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LordFarquad1312 posted...

Is it actually acknowledged that Abed is on the spectrum?

Yeah they said it at some point

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Abed is based off a real person the show creator knew. Although things can get very unrealistic on the show, it is at least based in reality. Sheldon is just mocking Autism and claiming that it isn't because the character is not autistic.

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LordFarquad1312 posted...

Is it actually acknowledged that Abed is on the spectrum?

Because TBBT went to great lengths to deny Sheldon is, and it's like, bruh...

I think they mention it more than once

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UnfairRepresent posted...

And yet he's beloved by nerds and Sheldon isn't

thats the point of the topic

I'm a nerd and I hate both, so the premise in this topic is incorrect

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"Be my father, Jeff."
"I don't want to be your father."
"Perfect. You already know the lines."

In TBBT, the joke is that Sheldon is a nerd. It's, 'Look, he has a Superman lunch box,' that's the joke.
In Community, Abed is a smart person who uses his skills to show the audience another perspective. The joke isn't that he has social problems from a disability, but the way other people treat him. The joke is rarely, 'Look, I'm non-social.' And it's better written...

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YoungMutual posted...

I'm a nerd and I hate both, so the premise in this topic is incorrect

I never said "all" quit being so hyperliteral


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ChocoboMogALT posted...

In TBBT, the joke is that Sheldon is a nerd. It's, 'Look, he has a Superman lunch box,' that's the joke.
In Community, Abed is a smart person who uses his skills to show the audience another perspective. The joke isn't that he has social problems from a disability, but the way other people treat him. The joke is rarely, 'Look, I'm non-social.' And it's better written...

Couldn't agree more. TBBT might have been more popular, but the 'comedy' of it is always clumsy and boring.

I've never gotten the impression that BBT was ever mocking autism, tbqh

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ChocoboMogALT posted...

In TBBT, the joke is that Sheldon is a nerd. It's, 'Look, he has a Superman lunch box,' that's the joke.
In Community, Abed is a smart person who uses his skills to show the audience another perspective. The joke isn't that he has social problems from a disability, but the way other people treat him. The joke is rarely, 'Look, I'm non-social.' And it's better written...

This is kind of unfair to BBT. BBT just uses exaggerated characters to play against each other. There's plenty of legitimate jokes, and usually pretty clear respect to different aspects of nerd culture.

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Abed was written by nerds for nerds.
Sheldon was written by non-nerds for non-nerds.

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newhorrorguy posted...

This is kind of unfair to BBT. BBT just uses exaggerated characters to play against each other. There's plenty of legitimate jokes, and usually pretty clear respect to different aspects of nerd culture.

I mean they referenced Loom for Christ's sake. Someone on the writing team was a real nerd

There's clearly some love there. Abed was all Nic cage and Farscape. You could tell the writers weren't nerds.

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newhorrorguy posted...

I've never gotten the impression that BBT was ever mocking autism, tbqh

Seriously? Sheldon is clearly on the spectrum and he is the butt of every single joke on the show

Derwood posted...

Seriously? Sheldon is clearly on the spectrum and he is the butt of every single joke on the show

Not only that, a lot of the jokes are literally just "Hey look! He likes something Nerdy!" with no actually funny humor or real punchline

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UnfairRepresent posted...

Not only that, a lot of the jokes are literally just "Hey look! He likes something Nerdy!" with no actually funny humor or real punchline

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ib889nSZVU&t=48s

It always thought Leonard was the main character and Sheldon was the annoying friend.

Anyways I had a family memember that worked security at a place full of super smart people (scientists and such) and she said they acted a lot like they cast of BBT. Not like the nerdy aspects just their general behaviors.


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Derwood posted...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ib889nSZVU&t=48s

Eleanor Sherman
1 year ago
I dont know how to describe it but this is how depression feels

LOL

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UnfairRepresent posted...

I mean they referenced Loom for Christ's sake. Someone on the writing team was a real nerd

There's clearly some love there. Abed was all Nic cage and Farscape. You could tell the writers weren't nerds.

This is maybe the most hilariously wrong opinion I've ever seen you give.
A) Dan Harmon is a huge & vocal nerd.
B) Community had entire episodes centered on 'nerd topics' like the gang getting together to play D&D, making jokes like Chang cosplaying as a Drow that only hardcore nerds would get. (Which is why idiots had it pulled from streaming)
C) Or the entire episode that is a GI Joe cartoon that Jeff is hallucinating.
D) Or the entire episode that revolves around the group playing a videogame to help Pierce get his inheritance.
E) Those types of theme episodes go so far down the 'nerd' rabbit hole whereas TBBT would have...
UnfairRepresent posted...

Not only that, a lot of the jokes are literally just "Hey look! He likes something Nerdy!" with no actually funny humor or real punchline

Done just that. Obviously there was a nerd or two they consulted with for TBBT, but the humor is clearly aimed at non-nerds.

UnfairRepresent posted...

I don't think you can say its because Community is better written considering how popular BBT is and how Community isnt that well written.

lmao peak trolling

mooreandrew58 posted...

It always thought Leonard was the main character and Sheldon was the annoying friend.

Anyways I had a family memember that worked security at a place full of super smart people (scientists and such) and she said they acted a lot like they cast of BBT. Not like the nerdy aspects just their general behaviors.

Penny is the main character

garan posted...

This is maybe the most hilariously wrong opinion I've ever seen you give.
A) Dan Harmon is a huge & vocal nerd.
B) Community had entire episodes centered on 'nerd topics' like the gang getting together to play D&D, making jokes like Chang cosplaying as a Drow that only hardcore nerds would get. (Which is why idiots had it pulled from streaming)
C) Or the entire episode that is a GI Joe cartoon that Jeff is hallucinating.
D) Or the entire episode that revolves around the group playing a videogame to help Pierce get his inheritance.
E) Those types of theme episodes go so far down the 'nerd' rabbit hole whereas TBBT would have...

The only one of those that doesn't seem skin deep is the Drow.

I mean the video game episode (both the one you're talking about and the Prinicpal playing VR one) was super duper cringe because they clearly weren't gamers and a lot of the shit was just "lol video games."

I legit can't believe you're holding that up as an example, I'd use it as example of literally the opposite point.

Where was the nods to Loom or conversations about how cool the dialogue system of Fallout 1 was or anything that implies actually playing games? It was just "lol pixels. lol dying and coming back. lol video games lol!"

I half expected them to start talking about Giant Chickens and the secret cow level. The script and the performance were clearly people who had no idea WTF video games were like on any personal level/experience. Especially Gus Fring who played it like it was a power rangers episode.

Not your wavelength at all here.

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oh my god people are actually engaging with this unironically

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WingsOfGood posted...

Bazinga

Ba
Zing
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This is a dumb meme thats not even true.

He says it like 27 times in the entirety of the show and like 10 instances are in 1 episode.

But leave it to the internet to roast things because its cool to do so.
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Choco posted...

oh my god people are actually engaging with this unironically

Yeah ?

It's almost like conversations are good, fun and healthy

And being weird cynical recluse with no friends who whines constantly is silly and depressing.

You should join in.

Unless you're afraid of what someone who thinks differently to you might have to say?

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Most of it has been covered but I'll also add that Abed was a way for the show to go meta which wasn't a thing with Sheldon.

I think the hate for Sheldon on the internet is overblown though. The real answer to the topic was that Big Bang Theory was the most popular sitcom of its time and shows like it aren't popular on internet boards like this. Community in comparison was a cult hit that resonates with our demographic more due to how it's written.

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soulunison2 posted...

Penny is the main character

Idk I guess I just assumed the main character would be the more likeable character and it was clearly between leonard or Sheldon.

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You do not have to engage

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Darmik posted...

Most of it has been covered but I'll also add that Abed was a way for the show to go meta which wasn't a thing with Sheldon.

I think the hate for Sheldon on the internet is overblown though. The real answer to the topic was that Big Bang Theory was the most popular sitcom of its time and shows like it aren't popular on internet boards like this. Community in comparison was a cult hit.

Darmik posted...

Most of it has been covered but I'll also add that Abed was a way for the show to go meta which wasn't a thing with Sheldon.

I think the hate for Sheldon on the internet is overblown though. The real answer to the topic was that Big Bang Theory was the most popular sitcom of its time and shows like it aren't popular on internet boards like this. Community in comparison was a cult hit.

That's true too

I bet if Community was popular, people would hate on it more just to be contrarian.

Like Fallout 4 and MCU movies. They get a ton of undeserved hate just because they do so well.

People give the benefit of the doubt to things that didn't set the world on fire

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