Sheldon Cooper, The Big Bang Theory’s Big Misstep

Knock knock knock, representation! Since the scientist-centered sitcom The Big Bang Theory launched in 2007, Sheldon Cooper has become the poster boy for adult autism among the general public. I admit, I used to be a fan of the show for its references to Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and other geeky things I was interested in, but now that my autism representation goggles seem to be fused to my face (/fig), my attitude towards Big Bang is much less positive. Given his status as the go-to example of autism in pop culture (except for Rain Man, but that is another post) and his multitude of stereotypical characteristics, it may surprise you to learn that Sheldon is never labeled as autistic on the show or in commentary by the creators. Yes, you read that right, Sheldon is technically a headcanon, a Type 2 autism representation. So, why does everyone compare autistic adults back to this character, and why does that make me so angry?

If I had to choose one word to describe Sheldon Cooper, it would be “stereotypical”. Sheldon is a physicist who started university when he was eleven years old, has a thing for trains, despises physical contact including sex, can do complex calculations in his head, is up to his eyeballs in classic nerd culture bits such as sci-fi, and has certain repetitive behaviors that he has to do or else his brain gets itchy (like the knocking I referenced at the beginning of the post). He is basically what the writers pictured a probably autistic savant prodigy child to act like as an adult. He is very particular about what he eats on which days, where he sits on the couch, and even when he goes to the toilet, which is an extreme version of the reliance on routine that autistic people have. He is described as having “Vulcan hearing” and a “sensitive butt”, indicating a heightened sensory profile, but he is not seen stimming or doing much to accommodate his sensory differences, other than complaining. Sheldon is aloof and removed from his peers because he believes his 187 IQ makes him superior, and certain nuances of communication confuse or annoy him. He hates small talk, and sarcasm goes right over his head. He has the common comorbidity synesthesia, a condition that cross-wires one’s senses, making Sheldon able to assign colors and smells to numbers. His autobiographical memory is very strong, which some autistic people can relate to, but not all. Sheldon even has absolute pitch, to the point where he can recognize that Leonard’s nose whistles in E-flat. (This trait in particular makes no sense to me because although the likelihood of developing absolute pitch is higher in autistic people, it is more connected to whether someone had exposure to complex music as a baby, and Sheldon is not a musical person, with the exception of that episode where he played the bongos). 

Sheldon has what could be recognized as autism traits, but it seems like the shows play them for laughs or plot convenience or otherwise miss the point. His sensory issues are there to make him seem quirky so his friends can roll their eyes and the laugh track can roll. His strict routines and particularities drive the plot forward as he and the rest of the cast come up with ways to work around them or face consequences when they are disrupted. There is this whole air of “look at this super smart guy who has all these particulars because he’s smart, isn’t that hilarious?” All of Sheldon’s traits are treated as precious and incredibly singular, and Sheldon himself is treated as superior, despite the other cast members being more capable than he is in multiple aspects of life. No one ever looks into why he can hear people whispering about him two rooms away but is totally deaf to sarcasm; it is always written off as something only Sheldon does and nobody is allowed to question it. 

Speaking of Sheldon’s relationship with the rest of the characters, the way they treat him is rather problematic. Sheldon is, when you get down to it, an unpleasant man with the attitude of a seven-year-old, throwing hissy fits when people do not cater to his every specific whim and lording his intelligence over the other scientists. He also has a childish view on sex and relationships. Leonard and Penny even discuss Sheldon as if he is a kid and they are his parents who have to take care of him. He is seldom called out for his behavior or asked to adjust for the needs of others, which enables his self-centeredness and never allows him to grow and progress. Real autistic people are often told they are being rude when they are unaware of it, and unless they are uncaring brats, they try to learn from their mistakes. I also find it incredibly hard to believe that Sheldon has been friends with the others for years and still has no idea when they are being sarcastic or non-literal. Myself and a ton of other autistic people I know have described being able to read their friends and family because those people are close to them, but strangers are still hard to figure out. Instead of helping Sheldon learn and treating him like another adult, the other characters treat him like a spoiled child, and that is what his personality reflects. 

Big Bang’s greatest crime is how the writers chose to handle diagnosis and labels. When people ask what is “wrong” with Sheldon on the show, the response is that no one is sure. (There is nothing wrong with actual autistic people, by the way, but that is beside the point). I find it extremely hard to believe that this cishet, middle class white boy with incredibly stereotypical characteristics including a special interest in trains walked into the evaluation room and came away inconclusive. There are people of color, low-income people, AFAB people who do not even make it to an evaluation, let alone walk away with the right diagnosis, because of bias within the medical and psychiatric fields. And we cannot forget every autistic person who is not a savant or prodigy, who has lasers that are not related to math, science, or trains, and who mask their traits because the world has taught them that their way of being a person is unacceptable even when they have caused no harm. Sheldon Cooper is not the face of inconclusiveness, and as someone who actually used to be inconclusive, I find the handling of Sheldon’s autism, or lack thereof, hurtful, insensitive, and invalidating. 

I have wanted to get this rant review out for some time now, and I hope all of you appreciate it too. I realize that I may have left some specifics out, so feel free to pile on in the comments. No matter how little or much like Sheldon you are, you deserve to be recognized and represented authentically, so stay gold.