Observation Assignment ! Site Location The Big Bang Theory !

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Assignment 1 Revision February 12, 2014 The Big Bang Theory Description of the Location: The main location this observation took place was in Leonard and Sheldons apartment. The apartment is laid out with the living room and kitchen visible as soon as you open the door. The living room is where the gang hangs out, eats and watches tv together. Down the hall is the bathroom and Leonards and Sheldons bedrooms. In the corner off the living room is a nook with a bunch of science fiction memorabilia and work equipment. Leonards and Sheldons desks are lined up along the wall next to the kitchen. Throughout the entire apartment is science fiction memorabilia, which is an important artifact to the show because all of the men in the show are obsessed with science fiction. Click here to visit my website to see a hand drawn floor plan of the apartment and character bios/ pictures. Figured World: is a community with its own sets of rules and standards for how one should act, speak, etc. An example of this is a workplace, or any other place where a social group would be. The figured world I will be observing is the television show The Big Bang Theory. I will be focusing on what takes place in Leonard and Sheldons apartment. This is where Leonard, Sheldon and their group of friends hang out during most of the episodes. Many different activities take place in this apartment, such as the sharing of meals, research for the different scientific projects, socializing with friends, and much more. In this circle of friends, Sheldon dictates how the group functions. He has many different tendencies and rules, such as they eat a specific type of food each day, they play certain video games/watch TV shows at specific times, etc. Sheldon also has a roommate agreement with Leonard that spells out the specific dos and donts he expects. Some dos and donts are: no loud noises, Leonard must drive Sheldon wherever he (Sheldon) wants, along with several ridiculous rules that have to do with the Zombie Apocalypse and Superpowers. Inappropriate behaviors would include sitting in Sheldons spot on the couch, getting the wrong food on the wrong day, and doing anything that annoys him or violates his roommate agreement. The two main discourse communities are the group of scientists, and then the group that are not scientists. Whether it is at their workplace or at home, there are always these two distinct groups. The only person in the non-scientist group is Penny, their next door neighbor and Leonards girlfriend. When she is around Sheldon, Leonard and their other friends she has no idea what any of them are talking about, which makes the show entertaining, since most viewers are just as lost as she is.

Observation Assignment ! Site Location The Big Bang Theory !

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Actors: Actors are individuals in the figured world that play are important in fulfilling specific roles set up by the figured world. Sheldon Cooper: A child prodigy turned Theoretical Physicist. He is roommates with Leonard, and lives across the hall from Penny. He is extremely socially awkward, and doesnt know that appropriate dos and donts in friendships and relationships. Sheldon is the leader in this figured world, setting the tone and creating schedules for his interactions with friends and later his girlfriend, Amy. He is also an actor, in which he portrays the stereotypical nerd, from lacking common sense to his obsession with sci-fi memorabilia.

Leonard Hofstadter: Roommate, coworker and friend of Sheldon Cooper, Leonard is an Experimental Physicist and is nowhere near a prodigy like Sheldon. Leonard is the most downto-earth of the bunch, often cleaning up the messes Sheldon creates. He understands that fine line between friendships, relationships and work. His shy personality contrasts nicely with how boisterous his roommate is. Although still a nerd, and very much into sci-fi memorabilia, he would be willing to walk away from all of that if it meant he could be in a real relationship with a woman. His sense of being down-to-earth is important in this figured world.

Penny: An actress turned waitress, who is a neighbor to Sheldon and Leonard. Penny never received a college degree, and she brings a sarcastic breath of fresh air to the party of scientists. Her role in the figured world is to help viewers understand what exactly is going on in these situations, along with bringing the romantic comedy aspect when she becomes involved with Leonard. Raj Koothrappali: an Astro-physicist who works with Sheldon and Leonard. He was afraid to talk to people, especially women in earlier seasons, but has gotten over that fear. He brings a sense of humor to the figured world. Howard and Bernadette Wolowitz: Howard is an Aerospace Engineer and Bernadette is Microbiologist, and they are both coworkers with Raj, Leonard and Sheldon. They got married during the final episode of Season 5. Howard and Bernadette are an important part in this figured world by showing that anyone can find true love. Amy Farrah Fowler: A Neurobiologist, who is a coworker and later becomes girlfriend to Sheldon. Their relationship is abnormal, seeing as there is no physical contact or anything of that nature. In the figured world, she shows that even though she is smarter than the average woman, she still has desires that every woman has.

Observation Assignment ! Site Location The Big Bang Theory !

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Stuart: Owner of a comic book store the boys frequently visit, Stuart is a sad, pathetic, depressed man who makes a connection with Raj over the fact that they repel women. His role in the figured world is to show how the world views stereotypical nerds.

Artifacts: Items (either an actual object or an idea/feeling) that are important to the actors individuals and their entire group. Science Fiction Memorabilia: These artifacts are important to each of the men, and the group as a whole. All of them are obsessed with science fiction, and each piece in their collections has significance to each of the men. Pennys Acting Career: This is extremely important to Penny. She moved to Pasa Dena in hopes of her career taking off, but she is instead working at The Cheesecake Factory until she lands a role. This idea is also the main flow of this observation. Sheldons Humor: Sheldons sense of humor is different from the others in the show, so this is also an artifact. He has a very dry humor, and most of his humor comes from the fact that nobody knows what he is talking about. Discourse Communities: Groups of individuals that share interests with each other in the figured world. Raj and Stuart: They both share a common issue, which is not being able to attract girls. Couples: Amy and Sheldon, Bernadette and Howard, and Penny and Leonard bring the romantic comedy aspect to this figured world. P.H.Ds: Having a doctorate degree is also a discourse community. There is a level of intelligence expected, and few people can invade this circle. Penny and Stuart are the only two people that have become a part of this group. Literacy Practices: Ways of communication, both with words and with actions. Sheldons Schedule: There is an unspoken agreement with the group about not ever asking Sheldon to change his schedule. He is extremely set in his ways and he will lash out if you try to change it. If you follow this, there will be harmony in the figured world.

Observation Assignment ! Site Location The Big Bang Theory !

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Observation 1 Tuesday, January 28, 2014 Time: 10:00-10:36am Season 7 Episode 12 Hesitation Ramification Note: The timeframe of which this scene was observed was when I watched it, not when the scene actually took place. The scene took place over several days, at different time periods, so one must suspend their disbelief for the sake of the observation. Also, since this is a television show, there were commercial breaks, so the gaps in time are where the commercials took place. 10:00am: (Opening Scene) Amy, Howard, Raj, Sheldon and Leonard are all sitting around eating. All of the boys are on their phones, and Amy makes a comment about it being nice that they could all sit and share a meal together and asked if they could put their phones away and have a real conversation. Sheldon then makes a sarcastic comment about because of Steve Jobs they dont have to. Suddenly Penny bursts in stating that she got a part in a TV show NCIS, and they all congratulate her (it was her first part in a tv show in years) 10:06am: Everyone is gathered at The Cheesecake Factory eating dinner. The guys crack a sarcastic joke that Sheldon doesnt understand. He then goes on to define the dictionary definition of a joke. 10:07am: While walking home, Sheldon asks Leonard if he thinks he is funny. Leonard quickly responds with a long noooooo. Sheldon then goes on to state that he thinks that he is hysterical. He then states that he is going to create a Theory of Comedy. 10:09am: Bernadette, Howard, Raj and Stuart are driving to Pennys apartment for the premiere of her scene in NCIS. Bernadette tells Raj that she didnt know he was going to take a date to the party (referring to Stuart). Raj explains that he almost had a date with a woman but blew it due to crude humor. Howard then tells Raj that he should go talk to more people to get practice talking to women. 10:11am: Everyone is gathered to watch Pennys performance. Sheldon complains to Amy about his uncomfortableness of watching the show without seeing the first episodes. Amy tells Sheldon to pretend to view the previous episodes as a prequel to this episode, which Sheldon is ok with. When they finally get to Pennys scene, it wasnt in the episode. Penny is crushed that they cut her scene, and flees the apartment. Sheldon wants to follow her to tell her a joke, but Leonard stops him.

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10:14am: Penny is in her apartment talking to her dad on the phone. Leonard comes in to check on her. She is angry about her scene being cut. Leonard then makes an unsupportive comment about Pennys acting which infuriates her. She asks him if he believes 100% in her acting skills, and he says no. He thinks her goals are unrealistic.

10:20am: Sheldon and Amy are talking about theories of humor. He tries the theory of surprise and she yells at him for startling her, not making her laugh. While she is talking though, Sheldon drops his pants. Amy is taken aback, then agrees with Sheldon about that being a good prank and both shared a hearty laugh. 10:22am: Stuart and Raj are at the mall taking Howards advice and attempt to find someone to talk to. 10:23am: Sheldon and Amy are sitting on the couch going through the dictionary trying to find words that are funny. Meanwhile, Penny is sitting in her apartment, watching TV and pointing out every actor that didnt get his scene cut. Leonard walks in and apologizes and tells her that he got her an audition for Star Wars. She then learns that its a PR stunt, which irritates her. 10:25am: Raj and Stuart are still at the mall, trying to work up enough courage to talk to someone. 10:26am: Amy meets Bernadette and Howard for dinner and complains about Sheldon. Bernadette tells her to fake laugh if she doesnt find things funny, which makes Howard ponder if Bernadette has ever done that to him. Bernadette then starts uncontrollably laughing for a while which makes Howard uncomfortable, then stops and acts like nothing happened. 10:28am: Leonard is looking into ordering roses for Penny. Penny, who is drunk, walks in, Leonard hangs up without ordering anything, and Penny then proceeds to apologize for overreacting. She shares her frustration about having nothing to show for her acting career. Leonard states that she has him, which causes Penny to propose. Leonard hesitates (since she is drunk), which causes her to recant the proposal. Then Sheldon waltzes in and shares a joke he thinks is humorous, but Penny already left and Leonard went to his room before Sheldon finished the joke. 10:30am: Raj and Stuart are still at the mall, and havent talked to a soul. The mall security guard walks up to them and tells them its time to leave, because the mall is closing. Raj asked him if he enjoyed being a security guard, which earned him praise from Stuart, since he finally talked to someone. 10:31am: Leonard is up in the middle of the night. Sheldon asks him whats wrong. Leonard spills that Penny proposed to him, but recanted, so he doesnt know if their relationship is over. Sheldon then asks Leonard why he hasnt asked, and Leonard states that it is because he is afraid

Observation Assignment ! Site Location The Big Bang Theory !

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of the answer she will give. Sheldon then apologizes (which is completely uncharacteristic of him), while placing a Kick Me sign on Leonards back. Leonard calls him out on it, and Sheldon slinks back to his bedroom.

10:36am: Howard is in his bedroom filming his Star Wars audition tape. Bernadette shouts about him not replacing the toilet paper, which ruins his audition video.

Observation 2 Monday, February 3, 2014 Time: 10:50-11:31 am Season 7 Episode 13 The Occupation Recalibration Note: The timeframe of which this scene was observed was when I watched it, not when the scene actually took place. The scene took place over several days, at different time periods, so one must suspend their disbelief for the sake of the observation. Also, since this is a television show, there were commercial breaks, so the gaps in time are where the commercials took place. 10:50am- Leonard and Sheldon are walking up the stairs, and Sheldon is furious about his boss making him take vacation days. Leonard is unsympathetic because of his situation with Penny. He then states that he is going to talk things through with Penny, and Sheldon walks into his apartment complaining about having to relax. 10:52am - Penny answers the door and apologizes for not answering any of Leonards texts. Leonard tells her that he understands if she wants to break up with him, which she says she isnt and he tears up. Penny tells him that he was right. Leonard tells her that he supports her in anything she wants to do, and she proceeds to tell him that she quit her job at the Cheesecake Factory, which flabbergasts him. 11:00am- Sheldon is begging Leonard to take him to work. He chases him down the stairs. Leonard tells Sheldon to stay like a puppy; Sheldon whimpers and sits on the steps. 11:01am- Bernadette visits Stuart at his comic book store. She burned one of Howards comic books with her curling iron and wants Stuart to get her a new one. Stuart says it will take him a few days to track it down. Bernadette tells him if he can find the book that day, she would hook him up with meds (anti-depressants, etc). He readily accepts. 11:04am- Amy is looking at a rat brain under a microscope. Raj and Howard walk in and ask her if she would like to have lunch with them. Burt, a coworker, walks in and brings Amy a rock

Observation Assignment ! Site Location The Big Bang Theory !

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from his lab. The boys tell her that Burt likes her. Disturbed, she asks the boys for advice, and they tell her to tell burt about Sheldon, her boyfriend. 11:06am- Penny is heading out to run errands. She passes Sheldon on the steps, and asks him why he is sitting on the steps. He complains to her that he is on vacation. He acts so dejectedly that she invites him to run errands with her. He then runs down to her car like a happy little puppy. 11:07am- Stuart finds the comic book for Bernadette and offers to drive her to the store to make sure she doesnt get ripped off. 11:08am- The gang is at lunch at work and Leonard is telling that about Penny. He calls her to check on her and she tells him that she is at the Cheesecake Factory. Leonard, assuming she went and got her job back, rushes to tell her that she made the right choice getting her job back. Penny, who is very pissed off now, tells him that she is just returning her uniform, and He backtracks and tells her that he supports her. She doesnt believe him though. 11:12am- Sheldon is waiting for Penny in her car listening to meditation cds and making fun of it. Penny comes back, looking quite angry. She asks Sheldon if he thinks her quitting her job was a mistake. Sheldon tells her that the best way to achieve a goal is to devote 100% of your attention and energy to it. She asks him why Leonard doesnt understand this, and Sheldon tells her that it is because they are dreamers. 11:15am- Burt asks Amy to accompany him to a rock show, but she informs him that she has a boyfriend. He makes a comment about her making up having a boyfriend and acts really dejectedly. Amy then changes his mind, and he instantly perks up. 11:18am- Bernadette and Stuart walk into Capital Comics book store. The owner, Jesse, is extremely rude to Stuart, which infuriates Bernadette and they leave without the book. 11:20am- Amy asks Raj and Howard for advice on what to do with Burt, but they crack jokes and arent very helpful. She asks them how they would want a girl to tell them that she wasnt interested. Raj says that he would want a girl to sit him down, tell him that she was wrong, and that she loved him. Howard readily agrees. Amy isnt buying it, and they guys offer to tell Burt. She thanks them, and as theyre walking out, they make a joke about telling Burt that she is lesbian. 11:23am- Penny and Sheldon are doing yoga in Sheldons apartment. Leonard walks in, but Penny ignores him. She makes a comment about Leonard not supporting her. He tells her that he does support her, but he thought they had the kind of relationship where they make decisions together. She says that maybe they need to rethink what kind of relationship they actually have. Sheldon butts in and asks if theyll ever get married and where they all will live. Sheldon takes Pennys side in this argument. Leonard says that he is on her side, but she tells him that he needs

Observation Assignment ! Site Location The Big Bang Theory !

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to start acting like it. Leonard commends her on her strength and bravery, and tells her he is proud of her. 11:28am- Bernadette goes back to the comic book store without Stuart and asks for the comic book. 11:31am- Raj and Howard are going with Burt to the rock show. He says that he doesnt need Amy when he has the boys to go with.

Observation 3 Tuesday, February 3, 2014 Time: 11:35-12:09pm Season 7 Episode 14 The Convention Conundrum Note: The timeframe of which this scene was observed was when I watched it, not when the scene actually took place. The scene took place over several days, at different time periods, so one must suspend their disbelief for the sake of the observation. Also, since this is a television show, there were commercial breaks, so the gaps in time are where the commercials took place. 11:36am- The boys are on their laptops waiting to buy tickets to Comic-Con. They are all freaking out, and Penny is just observing with a disturbed look on her face. 11:40am- Theyre still waiting to get into the forum, when Leonard finally gets in. They didnt get tickets in time, and theyre all dejected. But Penny just thinks it is sad. 11:42am- At work, Sheldon states he has a solution. He is going to start his own convention. The boys reject this idea and opt to buy fake tickets. Sheldon refuses to buy one. 11:44am- Sheldon is trying to get Robert Downey Jr. to come to his convention, but his agent refuses. Everyone thinks he is just wasting his time. He wants Leonard to call a few actors since he legally cant, due to restraining orders. 11:46am- Penny and the girls are talking about their significant others and Comic-Con. Penny cant believe that they would spend that much money on fake tickets. Amy points out that she spent just as much money on a dress. The girls keep talking and decide to do something grown up, so they go to have afternoon tea. 11:48am- The guys are picking costumes to wear to Comic-Con since Sheldon isnt going. Sheldon walks in and states that James Earl Jones might come to his convention (he stalked the

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restaurant that he will be dining at). He then points out that the guys are being illegal buy fake tickets, but fails to see that stalking a celebrity is not exactly legal.

11:52am- The boys are taking about the guy their buying tickets from. They are getting nervous that he might be a criminal. 11:53am- The girls are at tea. The waiter thought Bernadette was Pennys daughter. There were many little kids at tea, so they decide to go to a bar. 11:54am- Sheldon finds James Earl Jones. James is highly amused and asks Sheldon to join him for dinner. He says Leonard is a weenie for saying Sheldon is a creepy stalker, and Sheldon readily agrees. 11:56am- The guys are reconsidering the fake tickets. They tell Howard to call the guy, but Leonard halts him, saying its their time to be bad asses. 11:58am- James and Sheldon are deep in conversation about StarWars. James invites Sheldon to come have some fun with him. 11:59am- The girls are at the bar. They discuss when they should start feeling like grown ups. Amy states that they both had her beat since she was still a virgin. Penny states that sex isnt what makes you grown up, and Bernadette says that if that were the case Penny would be the oldest one there. 12:02pm- The guys are waiting to meet the guy with the tickets. They are freaking out about it. 12:03pm- James and Sheldon are eating ice cream together and Sheldon is asking him all sorts of questions. 12:04pm- The girls are still talking about growing up. Meanwhile the boys are hiding in the dark from the guy with the tickets. 12:05pm- James and Sheldon go to a fair, sing karaoke, and ding dong ditch an actress. Then they sauna together and Sheldon finally asks him about his convention. James tells him that he will take Sheldon and the boys with him to Comic-Con. 12:09pm- James is telling Sheldon stories in the sauna and Sheldon is falling asleep.

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The Interviews February 4, 2014 Watchers Ryan Weber: 1. Tell me about your favorite character? Why is he/she your favorite? Sheldon Cooper because he is absolutely hilarious. I love how childlike and naive he is about most everything. His mannerisms and expressions are great too. 2. Describe how the characters interact with each other? What are their relationships like? They always joke around with one another, sort of a test of who is the smartest among them. There really is never a serious moment that they have together. 3. What kinds of activities do the characters partake in at Sheldon and Leonard's apartment (the main place where the show takes place)? Watching television, playing quirky and nerdy games, eating and making food, Fun with Flags 4. Describe some of Sheldon's quirks you find most interesting/entertaining? His constant explanations of everything, he doesn't care about anyone else but himself, his lame jokes and pranks he thinks are hilarious 5. Explain how you started watching the show and why do you like it? Bre decided she would look up the episodes on the internet and we watched the first few episodes and it was hilarious. I like to watch the characters develop, see whether Amy and Sheldon's relationship will go anywhere and I also like the fun they have and the funny jokes they tell. Breanne Weber: 1. Tell me about your favorite character? Why is he/she your favorite? My favorite character is Amy Farrah Fowler. Aside from the fact that she's a total nerd (like me), she, in a lot of ways, helps Sheldon learn to be human and have a close relationship with someone. I admire her a lot, as well, for sticking with him even despite her obvious frustration at his inability to show much affection. You can tell that she really likes him, which says a lot for

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her character - there's not another character on the show that could possibly maintain the role of Sheldon's girlfriend, yet she does in a believable way. 2. Describe how the characters interact with each other? What are their relationships like? The main characters' relationships all seem to revolve around Sheldon. Yes, they are all close friends outside of their relationships with Sheldon - obviously, relationships like Leonard and Penny's and Howard and Bernadette's are maintained outside of the circle, but for the most part, the show portrays how the characters interact and react to his antics and how they deal with him.

3. What kinds of activities do the characters partake in at Sheldon and Leonard's apartment (the main place where the show takes place)? Sheldon and Leonard's apartment is pretty much everyone's "home away from home" - they watch television, eat together, play games/video games, etc. there on a regular basis. It is where Howard runs to when he is having trouble at home with either his mom or Bernadette (depending on which season you're watching) and where Penny comes when she needs help. The apartment is a really important part of the characters' relationships with each other. 4. Describe some of Sheldon's quirks you find most interesting/entertaining? I think the most interesting "quirk" of Sheldon's is his asexuality. He just doesn't get how to be in a relationship on the level that Amy Farrah Fowler would like, and his constant misunderstandings of her advances are hilarious most of the time. On the flip side, Amy's reactions to any sort of physical contact/potential for physical contact on Sheldon's part (though it's usually unintentional) are great. I also am a huge fan of "Fun with Flags." Just have to throw that out there! 5. Explain how you started watching the show and why do you like it? My sister had been talking about it for awhile, so there was some exposure there. But like a lot of my (now) favorite television shows, it took someone physically making me watch an episode for me to get hooked. A friend of mine placed season 1 into my hands and made me promise to watch a few episodes, so I did, and I have been watching it ever since. The characters are my favorite part of the show...watching them try to figure out how to deal with Sheldon's quirks never fails to make me laugh. Characters Sheldon Cooper: 1. Tell me about yourself? What do you do for your career? My name is Dr. Sheldon Cooper, PH.D. I am a Theoretical Physicist. I am in a relationship with Amy Farrah Fowler, and my best friend is my roommate, Leonard. 2. Describe your relationship with your roommate? While Leonard can be tiresome and doesnt always stick to our roommate agreement, he is my best friend, and I enjoy his company.

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3. What kinds of activities do you like to participate in during your spare time? Some activities I enjoy are collecting vintage science fiction memorabilia, comic books, and trying to discover the next scientific breakthrough. 4. Describe some of your habits? Every night of the week we eat a specific type of food. For example, Friday we Chinese food. We also partake in specific rituals as Wednesday night Halo Night. Also, no one is allowed to sit on my spot on the couch, or interrupt my schedule in any way. 5. Tell me about your relationships with your friends/coworkers? And your girlfriend? My relationship with my friends and coworkers is fine. We enjoy each others company, although they are far inferior to me. And Amy is the only one of the bunch who is almost my equal. We spend time together, but we dont get physical.

6. Describe your friends' relationships with each other? My friends relationships are rather entertaining. Even with Leonard and Pennys relationship and Howard and Bernadette being married, we still all get along and enjoy being together, most of the time.