Nerds, Geeks and the Big Bang Theory

I don't know many nerds who enjoy The Big Bang Theory. The same goes for geeks. It's not an issue of the stereotypical depictions of the show. As someone who straddles the line between geek and nerd, I'm not bothered by the fact that the characters are into Star Trek or can geek out about Shrodinger's Cat. No, the real issue is that the show itself isn't geeky. For the most part, it's standard, replayed sitcom jokes, played behind a laugh track (or a live studio audience). It's overly formulaic. The show itself doesn't geek out. There are more geeky moments in Pawnee, with the ironic humor of the morning show or the local libertarian character or the fact that the whole town uses Alta Vista. In other words, they created a show about geeks that is, on some level, still hoping to aim toward geeks. But the writers don't seem to understand the intricacies of geekery and nerdiness. I contrast this to the greatest geek show in recent years. Watch a few episodes of Phineas and Ferb and you get a love of nerds. You get a deep understanding of nerd culture. You end up with lines like, "So what is your awkward tragic backstory" or "I'm a woman of science . . . at least that's what horoscope says." The show is geeky, not just in its humor, but in the depiction of using one's mind to solve problems. Here, the nerdy protagonists are not social outcasts, but a great band of misfits spouting off witty lines and getting excited about all things geeky - from math to pop culture to science to history. In other words, it is a show by and for geeks. Or nerds. I can't really tell. So, it has me thinking about school. How often are teachers and schools creating systems and lessons and structures that they think kids will enjoy when in fact they don't get kids on a deep, relational level? How often do well-intentioned people insult the minds of students when they try to figure out what kids like? How often are we falling into the Big Bang effect?