Penny’s Apartment

Penny is an aspiring actress who waits tables at Cheesecake Factory, which begs the question of how she can live without a roommate. In one episode, Sheldon says that he can’t afford to live alone, so renting an apartment in their building is clearly not cheap.

Howard the Predator

Before Howard married Bernadette, he was a big creep, with Penny often being the unfortunate recipient of his attention. Unsettling moments included a teddy bear with a webcam, stalking “America’s Next Top Model” contestants, and forcibly trying to kiss Penny.

Mocking Raj

Raj's Indian heritage was often the subject of mockery, with poverty, overpopulation, and the appearance of a Hindu goddess all serving as jokes. Over time, the attacks became more personal, with his bad luck with women and “feminine” interests becoming the new punchlines.

Penny’s Put-Downs

Soon after their wedding, Penny started becoming more than a little mean towards Leonard. She belittled his accomplishments, made fun of his relationship with his mother, and frequently mocked him in group settings.

Alien Women

Although the later seasons gave us strong female characters, the early seasons were only interested in presenting women as the mysterious "other.” The show was built on the awkwardness of the male characters, but it led to one-dimensional women who only existed for the men to lust over.

Lack Of Education

Howard’s friends often sneer at him for not having a PhD, but they behave even worse towards their less-qualified friends. A frequent point of contention in Penny's relationship with Leonard is that she does not feel smart enough for him, which Leonard agrees with.

Mocking Howard’s Mom

Although we never saw Howard's mom, she was the butt of many jokes in early seasons, due to her weight and unhealthy relationship with Howard. Pretty much every main character mocked her, which was not something that happened with other parents on the show.

Penny the User

Penny was initially presented as the sole voice of reason, but she was clearly aware of the effect her looks had on the guys (save Sheldon). One of her most obnoxious favors was having Leonard go to her Bully ex-boyfriend's house to pick up her things.

Sheldon’s the Worst

In the hands of a lesser actor, Sheldon Cooper would be the most insufferable character in television history. He constantly mocks his friends for not being as smart as him, and he has knowingly made many misogynistic jokes and racially insensitive remarks.

Emotional Abuse

It would be hard to overstate just how much emotional abuse Leonard’s mother, Beverly, subjected him to from a young age. She withheld affection, was always critical and dismissive, and even subjected him to experiments, and she continues to treat him terribly as an adult.

Geeky Representation

The show is chock-full of references to the most obscure facets of geek culture, but its exploration of them is questionable. Oftentimes, the entire punchline is that these grown men are actually interested in something so "geeky,” and the jokes are often just a bunch of references.

Real Disorders

Many characters have traits clearly inspired by real-life medical disorders, but the show rarely makes direct references to them. Raj has selective mutism, and Sheldon’s behavior is often compared to someone on the autism spectrum, but they’re simply punchlines.

Bernadette is Terrible

Bernadette may seem sweet, but she is quite sneaky about being a major bully. Not only has she threatened children she was supposed to entertain, but everyone at her office is terrified of her, even her boss.

The Big House Theory

Sometimes, you have to wonder how the guys haven't wound up in jail. Leonard almost divulged state secrets to a North Korean spy, Howard crashed the Mars Rover, and Sheldon and Leonard even tried to illegally procure liquid helium through a shady contact.