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The Sexy Science of The Big Bang Theory. Essays on Gender in the Series Nadine Farghaly and Eden Leone, Editors. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2015.
This anthology examines what The Big Bang Theory {BBT), a phenomenally successful television series, has to say about America's popular culture, especially in relation to sexual behavior.
A few caveats for the reader. First off, writing about a current sitcom results in out-of-date analysis: none of the essays reflects character changes after May 2012, the end of the sixth season. That means that Leonard is about to leave Penny for research on the North Sea; Sheldon is still studying string theory, while Amy is still studying Sheldon; Bernadette finally persuades Howard, whose mother still lives, to move in with her; and heartbroken Raj no longer needs booze to talk in front of women. Second, if you're looking for what-Ilike appreciation, celebrity gossip, or description of funniest clips, you've come to the wrong place. Here you'll find serious scholarship about scripted behavior of characters (their actors are irrelevant) from ten different viewpoints. The results, as expected in any multi-authored anthology, are uneven. The...