I Rewatched The Big Bang Theory, and Bernadette Is My Favorite Now

Summary:

• The Big Bang Theory is a CBS sitcom that ran from 2007 to 2019.
• Bernadette Rostenkowski remains one of the most hated characters.
• In reality, however, Bernadette was no more or less cruel than any other character on the show.

The Big Bang Theory fandom has never been the safest place to express the opinion that you like a female character more than any of the 4 guys leading the show. This, of course, went hand in hand with all the sexist jokes and ideas that the show openly promoted in its early seasons.

Led by 4 male characters and only 1 female, the show was just following the trends of its time. It was a sitcom released in the 2000s, so all the jokes that objectified, sexualized, and dismissed women were to be expected. In Big Bang Theory's defense, things got a lot better as the story progressed and pop culture in general moved forward.

However, some viewers seemed stuck in the past. The amount of negativity and hate that new female characters Bernadette and Amy received upon their introduction only further proved this point. Even though they weren't morally better or worse than the show's originals, they were immediately deemed unworthy.

TBBT’s Bernadette Worst Moments

Of course, like every other character on the show, Bernadette got worse as the seasons went on. At some point, as the writing got lazier and lazier, every one of The Big Bang Theory's favorites reached a point where they became a caricature of themselves from the beginning of the show.

For Bernadette, the creative team decided to rely on her annoyingly high-pitched voice, which bears no resemblance to the real-life voice of actress Melissa Rauch, and make her increasingly mean. But hey, Sheldon's been doing it since season 1, and the rest of the crew has never shied away from an off-color joke here and there.

One of the things that people like to hold against Bernadette is the way she treated Howard, almost painting her as abusive. In reality, she was just a young woman trying to navigate the relationship and then the whole marriage with a man-child.

Dependent on his mother all his life, Howard must be grateful to have a woman like Bernadette in his life, as she managed to push him in all the right ways to grow up and take responsibility. Even when she didn't want him to go into space, she acted like an adult: barely surviving training, Howard put himself in harm's way.

Smart and independent, confident and willing to help her friends, Bernadette wasn't a fan of the delusional lifestyle preferred by most of the other characters. She was The Big Bang Theory's most down-to-earth character and was not afraid to call anyone out, which naturally earned her the worst possible reputation in the fandom.

If you want to argue, go ahead, but be sure to rewatch the show first to get your memories straight. The Big Bang Theory is available to stream on Max.