Bazinga!

My wife and I are quite new to the party, but we have become addicted to The Big Bang Theory. It is one of those rare sitcoms where we find ourselves laughing out loud. Obviously, the characters and the situations in which they find themselves are way over the top (thus the humor). However, I find myself identifying to some degree with most of the characters on the show at some point or other.

Outrageous as he is, there are parts of Sheldon that I identify with. There are times that the things that make us special can also cause us to feel out of place. As a child, I was saddled with the curse of being labeled as “gifted.” Part of me definitely enjoyed this distinction, and my parents and teachers liked it; but for my peers, it was not a badge of honor. Instead, it marked me as weird and different. It wasn’t something that I dwelt on, but there were certainly times that I felt out of place.

In fact, the varying insecurities of each of the characters are pretty universally relatable, I think. We all have our discomfort in different situations and for different reasons. Of course, each of the characters also has strengths. And hopefully we can relate to those as well. Sometimes they’re even the same thing.

Our other favorite sitcom these days is Modern Family. It’s also outrageous and downright silly at times. For the uninitiated, it centers on the extended Pritchett family, of which 60-something Jay is the patriarch. He has remarried to a vivacious Colombian of about half his age who has a ten-year old son. Jay’s daughter Claire is married to real estate agent Phil Dunphy and has three kids. Mitchell, Jay's son and Claire's brother,  is in a same-sex marriage with Cam, and they have adopted an Asian girl named Lily.

On the surface, only the Dunphies have a “traditional” marriage. But despite their differences, all three model strong, loving families. As silly as the situations often get, every episode ends with a hopeful, loving moment—without being maudlin or heavy-handed. Even crazy sitcoms can teach us something!