The Big Bang Theory

'The Big Bang Theory' is an American sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, who make up two of the executive producers for the show along with Steven Mularo. Unlike 'The Inbetweeners', this show focuses solely on a group of nerd scientists and the antics that they get up to. The four main characters, Sheldon, Leonard, Raj and Howard, are scientists at a local university, and they also enjoy participating in activities that can be classed as nerdy or geeky. They collect comic books and superhero figurines, participate in online gaming, are intense Star Trek fans, etc. They are all extremely intelligent and have problems communicating when it comes to women. Raj cannot speak to women at all and Sheldon isn't interested in relationships with women as his sole focus is on his work.

The clip above shows Leonard, Sheldon, Howard, Raj and Penny visit the local comic book store. The way the nerds inside the store react is a classic example of the social anxiety nerds are typically known to show around the opposite sex; they all act as if they have never seen a female before. The articulate manner in which Sheldon speaks is also typically associated with a nerd, and is similar to that of how nerds are portrayed to speak in British television. The way in which Penny reacts to Sheldon's knowledge of 'the multiverse' that exists inside these comic books is one of bewilderment, and it shows that she is miles out of her depth.

This programme provides classic examples of the portrayal of American nerds, which is different to how nerds are portrayed in British television. Unlike Will Mackenzie from 'The Inbetweeners', the nerds in 'The Big Bang Theory' don't wear formal clothing, but instead wear shirts with a superhero print. In the clip above, Howard is seen to be excited when looking at a "new Batman belt buckle", which shows the obsession they have with superheroes. The four nerds can also speak the fictional language of Klingon, which is the language spoken in the Star Trek universe. Lorre and Prady's view of a nerd has both similarities and differences to Beesely and Morris's from 'The Inbetweeners'. The characters are all extremely intelligent like Will Mackenzie, but they are more nerdy in the sense that they participate on more nerdy and geeky things. They enjoy all the superhero stuff and comic book collecting, and these things are not prominent to a nerd's characteristic in British television.

The Inbetweeners

The Inbetweeners is a British comedy, written and created by Damon Beesley and Iain Morris, that focuses on four teenage boys as they engage in typical teenage activities. It isn't a programme that is focuses fully in nerds, but one of the four main characters is a nerd. The character of Will Mackenzie is portrayed to be extremely academic, as well as being formally dressed and being a character who lacks social skills. He had previously attended a private school and he speaks in a formal tone which can be classed as nerdy. He gets called names by the other students, is one of the few students to wear the full school uniform, and carries a briefcase instead of a normal back pack. 

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-inbetweeners/4od#2

The above link leads the Channel 4oD website, which shows the sixth episode of the second series. The episode is named 'End of Term', and is focuses on the students taking their AS exams. Will is the only one out of the four boys that spends time revising, and in the end spends too much time revising. The increased attention and anxiety that Will applies to his revision and exams is a typical characteristic of a nerd/geek. If a person spent most of their time studying at school instead of playing sports or socialising with others, then chances are they would be unpopular and be singled out as being a nerd or geek; which mean the same thing. 

In terms of Will's nerdy characteristics, this is as far as they go. The way he is portrayed is that of a typical British nerd, as oppose to American. This is clearly Beesley and Morris's view of a nerd; someone who is well educated and dresses formally. Will isn't portrayed to spend multiple hours gaming online like characters from the Big Bang Theory or Francis from the previous post. He in fact spends a lot of time out with his three close friends, and the antics they get up to ultimately make the programme. This programme, along with the IT Crowd, provides an example of the British perception of a nerd, and we can look at it and draw up similarities and differences to the American perception of a nerd. It seems that the two perceptions can appear different, and that will become increasingly evident in future blog posts.

Boogie2988 Youtube Channel

This video is by a Youtube uploader called 'Boogie2988'. He tackles the modern day issues through posting videos of him talking about recent events. He also performs comedy sketches, where he takes on the role of a character called 'Francis', which he created. Francis is a classic example of a nerd, as he gets up to all sorts of nerdy things in his many videos.  The video above is named 'Early Christmas Present', and includes Francis receiving two Star Wars lightsabers from his mum. The way he reacts to the presents and what he does with them are heavily associated with the stereotype of a nerd. 

Francis is obese, wears glasses and speaks with a lisp. All these things could lead to him being bullied and classed as a nerd. Francis doesn't wear extravagant, superhero marked clothing like the characters in 'The Big Bang Theory' do, but instead he wears plain clothing. This could be because it is hard for him to find clothing his size, and it also shows a lack of style. He has a great knowledge of computers and other form of technology, and he is a serious gamer. He also lives with his mother, even though he is over 30 years old. Other videos that can be found on his Youtube channel associate him with these things. 

The video opens with Francis playing video games as he ignores his mothers call. He is surrounded by high-tech equipment and isn't interested in coming away from it until his mother says that he can open an early Christmas present. The viewer will get the impression that he is like a child and has failed to grow up and mature, and this is proven by his reaction to the news that he can open a present. He is gaming online using his computer and is wearing a headset. There are also empty cups and litter on his desk, which shows that he spends a lot of time at once gaming as he collects a stash of food before starting to play. It also shows that he doesn't care about the mess he is leaving, and is only focusing on his game. 

The main part of the video shows Francis both opening and playing with his new lightsabers. His reactions when he opens his presents can be heavily associated with a child's. His face expresses a look of shock and excitement as he marvels at the lightsabers. His dialogue expresses more excitement on his part as he shouts out the names of characters who own the lightsabers from the Star Wars films. He repeats the phrase "Oh My God" as he unboxes the toys, and his excitement grows as he starts to play with them. He imitates the movements of the characters from the films and seems generally overwhelmed with excitement and joy. He is enjoying himself too much to stop when his mother asks him too. He also goes to play outside, which shows that he doesn't care if he is seen playing with kids toys in public. 

Here are some other videos from the Boogie2988 Youtube channel:

Guardian Newspaper article by Alice Bell (Oct 2010)

'Who's the Geek?'
Article on what the word 'geek' actually means, with famous people revealing their geeky secrets. The article is inspired by a date with a man of which the author attended, and how he expressed that his geeky secret was 'too embarrassing' to share. He enjoyed Warhammer, which involves taking small, plastic models of orcs and painting them. Alice Bell didn't arrange to see the man again, but revealed that it was because he was ashamed of his geeky interest and not because of what the activity actually involved. The article contains several quotes from several celebrities on the topic of the geek and what it actually is.

•  'Words like Nerd and Geek have been reclaimed in recent years. It used to be an insult, now it just means you're into your stuff. That you're proud of what you love, it's about being enthusiastic. It's a liberation.' Simon Pegg
• 'A geek is being able to be serially obsessed with things. I'm a geek and proud - I used to spot buses.' - Professor Brian Cox
• 'Geek used to mean people who collected Star Wars figures, but now it means anyone who'sgot an interesting slant to them.' - Jonathon Ross
• Geekery is being passionate about something, without caring how it might look to other people or social norms.' - Sydney Padua

Nerd/Geek Research - Media Magazine (Sept 2011)

'In Defence of Media 2.0 or How to Stop Worrying and Learn to Love Being a Geek.'
Nick Potamitis reflects on his own experiences as a producer, and calls upon Media students everywhere to embrace their inner geek. He mentions some of the activities he enjoys which can be classed a nerdy, and these include comic designing and Warhammer. 

• Being a geek is about 'Being able to be serially obsessed with things.' - Professor Brian Cox
• 'Being a geek is a creative act. It's not just about collecting things and facts, although that is a lot of what it's about.' , 'Geek can be used as an insult now'. - Nick Potamitis
• 'It just means you're into your stuff. That you're proud of what you love, and you're happy to know a lot about it... it's about being enthusiastic. It's a liberation' - Simon Pegg

Textual Analysis and Connotations

Media	Textual Analysis	Connotations
The Big Bang Theory TV	Leonard is wearing a suit to go to a date with penny. He doesn’t look relaxed and looks nervous. He is also wearing glasses, which is a typical accessory worn by a nerd.	Shows that nerds get overly nervous around girls, wear glasses, wear smart clothing but lack a sense of style. However, it does show that nerds can attract girls, and those of the status of Penny.
Boogie2988 Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cnL80ItPxA	He is obese. Wearing glasses, polo shirt, trousers and gaming accessories. He also has groomed facial hair.	The start of the video shows that nerds spend a lot of time gaming, and it is obvious that he doesn’t want to be disturbed. It also shows that nerds can be quite childish, as he got excited when he was allowed to open an early Christmas present. The fact that he got really excited by getting toy lightsabers also shows that he is childish, and has failed to mature. He has no interest in the adult world. This idea is supported by the fact that he can’t wait to play with them, as he does so straight away.
The Big Bang Theory TV http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqHpk97qeEc	Sheldon is wearing a superhero T-shirt and trousers. Leonard isn’t wearing typical nerdy clothes, but is wearing glasses and has his hair positioned in an unstylish way.	It shows that nerds still enjoy superheroes and everything that comes with them. They also enjoy childish toys, which is evident by their reaction upon receiving them. The start of the video portrays Sheldon as a very intelligent person, as he is working on some very difficult physics equations. He also expresses how it makes him very happy, when other people may find it incredibly dull and boring.

How and Why is Representation Complicated?

Representation in the media can be complicated in many different ways. The audience is key when it comes to the representation of a certain social group within any type of media. There are a lot of different views around regarding audience and the significance of it. Many people believe that the audience is paramount to the success of certain media, as producers will target a specific type of audience that they feel would take most interest. Many people feel the opposite; that there is no such thing as an "audience" or that the audience is a set of individuals who actively make their own meaning about a text. What ever the belief, the audience is vital as they are the people who take interest in media, allowing it to sell and become popular. They are the best judges of whether something is good or bad.

The audience links strongly to complication of the representation of certain things within certain media. The audiences perception of an opinion or view portrayed in a certain piece of media is crucial. For example, a film could portray a typical view of today's youth; showing them drinking, doing drugs, and just generally causing or getting into trouble. This view is what the majority of people believe through either witnessing it themselves in different ways or just seeing a lot of media texts portraying the same view. As this is the standard hegemony, people will be able to understand and 'read' the media better than they otherwise would if the view being portrayed went against the hegemony. The audience will agree with the standard view and be more receptive to the media if it's something they or the majority believe in. They will also be more comfortable with the view that is being portrayed. Some youths may take slight offence to this view which is being portrayed through all different kinds of media, as they might not do the things that a member of today's youth is perceived to do. The media can also cause confusion if the majority of the audiences view is different to that of the one that is being portrayed, and it goes against the hegemony. The audience will stuggle to connect to the media if what it is portraying is perceived to be wrong by the majority. For example, if a nerd was portrayed to have lots of friends and be good at sports in a film or TV programme, then people wouldn't be able to connect with the piece. It would be perceived as wrong and would be open to criticism.