Netflix recently received a legal notice for an offensive joke on The Big Bang Theory.
As detailed by ScreenRant, the joke occurs in Season 2, Episode 1, "The Bad Fish Paradigm," in which Raj (Kunal Nayyar) references two popular Bollywood actors, referring to Aishwarya Rai as a "goddess" and Madhuri Dixit as a "leprous prostitute" by comparison. This derogatory comment provoked outrage from social activist and author Mithun Vijay Kumar, who had his legal representative send Netflix a notice demanding it immediately remove the episode from the platform.
Although The Big Bang Theory is well-known for its controversial style of comedy, Kumar believes that such jokes should not be allowed because of the broader impact they can have on society and its treatment of women. In the notice, Kumar condemns Raj's joke for not only "insulting the modesty" of Madhuri Dixit, but for being "highly derogatory" towards "Indian culture and women," Kumar goes on to argue that such comments can "perpetuate harmful stereotypes and discrimination against women" and "promote sexism and misogyny." The episode also allegedly violates "Indian laws and regulations regarding the depiction of women and the promotion of gender equality," making it a possible target of legal action. Netflix has not yet clarified if it will comply with the terms of the notice.
The Big Bang Theory's Treatment of Women
There is a history of contention when it comes to the portrayal of women on The Big Bang Theory. In the earlier seasons, Penny (Kaley Cuoco) was often criticized for her oversexualized wardrobe. Cuoco later spoke up about this, explaining that the character's transition from wearing "booty shorts and Juicy Couture zip-ups" to more conservative clothing was done to show her gradual evolution from "the cute girl next door to the nerds" to a more grounded, fleshed-out character. Although Penny is first introduced as a wannabe Hollywood star, she ultimately chooses to become a pharmaceutical sales representative, settling down in a comfortable marriage with Johnny Galecki's Leonard.
The early version of Big Bang Theory's Howard also faced pushback from viewers for his inappropriate treatment of women. Howard's actor, Simon Helberg, agreed with critiques of the character, stating, "people were very unhappy with some of the things Howard would do or say, and I was like 'Yeah, I agree.'" While Helberg did not feel that Howard should be removed from the show, he said that he enjoyed playing the character more as "his heart got bigger and he shed his layer of sleaze."
Source: Twitter, ScreenRant