Meet Dr Sheldon Cooper (The Big Bang Theory)

I must say that I'm one of the huge fans of The Big Bang Theory sitcom. What more could we have asked for other than the attractive casts, hilarious show with a brilliant scriptwriting! Well, Dr Sheldon Cooper himself is an interesting character to begin with!


He is usually characterized as extremely intelligent, socially clumsy and strictly logical. Regardless of his intellect, he sometimes displays a lack of common sense. He also possesses childlike qualities which he seems unaware, such as extreme stubbornness. Sheldon also has a broad general knowledge in many subjects. Although his friends have similar intellects to him, his peculiarity, stubbornness and lack of empathy often annoy them. Sheldon occasionally uses slang, and follows jokes with his catchphrase "Bazinga!”. In response to criticism from his friends that he is mentally ill, Sheldon often reply angrily, "I'm not crazy, my mother had me tested”. Like his friends, Sheldon is scientifically of a mind person and is fond of comic books, costumes, role-playing games, video games, customizable card games, action figures, fantasy, and science fiction, particularly Star Trek, in which his favourite character is Spock.


What an interesting character no? Well, he has all the traits of someone with Asperger's Syndrome (not that it is ever mentioned on the show). Several viewers have claimed that Sheldon's behaviour is consistent with Asperger’s syndrome but the writer Bill Prady knows the character better than we do. Prady said that Sheldon does not have Asperger's but instead thought of his actions as "Sheldony" plus, he never had the syndrome in mind when the character was created.

"We write the character as the character. A lot of people see various things in him and make the connections. Our feeling is that Sheldon's mother never got a diagnosis, so we don't have one."

 (Bill Prady)

 
Does Sheldon have Asperger's?
 

**this is the best video I could find. The rest are mostly in Spanish I think?

“I do wonder. Okay, so we’re not writing a character with Asperger’s, but what Aspergerian stories are you pulling some of this from?  I believe one of our writers has a relative that has Asperger’s. And like I say, I think a lot of this really intellectual work that somebody like Sheldon does, the way his brain works, it’s so focused on the intellectual topics at hand that thinking he’s autistic is an easy leap for people watching the show to make. The way Sheldon goes “Huh?” to a social and emotional situation because he’s so focused on what he’s doing. His brain is so wrapped up in it.” (Jim Parsons)

There are good reasons why the writers do not want to label Sheldon as having Asperger's.  Main reason is that if he's afflicted with the real disease, how can his friends make fun of him the way they do? Sheldon may be as annoying and fussy but mocking people like him (if he were to be diagnosed with Asperger's) is not really a brilliant thing to show to the whole world right? If that is so, then his fellow friends are a bunch of jerks? Hmmm...  If Sheldon did have a diagnosis, his friends could no longer mock him and I guess the show would have been banned for life then! 

References

Collins, P. (2009, February 6). Is the world ready for an Asperger's sitcom? Retrieved November 6, 2012, from Slate Magazine: http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/television/2009/02/mustgeek_tv.html

Murray, N. (2009, May 1). Interview: Jim Parsons. Retrieved November 6, 2012, from A.V CLUB: http://www.avclub.com/articles/jim-parsons,27415/

The Big Bang Theory. (n.d.). Retrieved November 6, 2012, from CBS: http://www.cbs.com/shows/big_bang_theory/about/

Waldman, A. (2009, August 14). Come up with a new theory: Sheldon does NOT have Asperger's. Retrieved November 6, 2012, from The Huffington Post: http://www.aoltv.com/2009/08/14/come-up-with-a-new-theory-sheldon-does-not-have-aspergers