Penny Deserved Better: The Cool Girl, Pretty Privilege, and Nice Guys

In this video I talk about how and why Penny of The Big Bang Theory was mistreated by the writers for ironically being too strong of a female character, for being too pretty, too outspoken, and too self-assured, and thus, emasculating the male ensemble. For her punishment, the writers decided to belittle and mock the character both physically and emotionally.

In addition, I talk about how Penny is both like and unlike the cool girl trope in media of the 2000s, and how ultimately she’s ultimately too cool, and falls into the cool girl paradox where women are set up to fail.

TIMESTAMPS:
Content Note 0:00
Disclaimer 0:15
SuperThanks 0:19
Who is Penny and Why She Deserves Better 0:27
The Cool Girl Paradox 16:36
Pretty Privilege 24:28

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My last three videos: (◕‿◕✿)

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Music (from the YouTube Audio Library):

Just Dance by Patrick Patrikios

[taylorgayhart]

It blows my mind that there are people that don’t understand that anytime a woman is trying to get something from a man through her looks or sexuality, that the man is also trying to get sex out of a woman through his money or position. This is a two way interaction, anyone getting their ego bruised one way or another is wrong.

[Toerworth]

I don’t see many people talking about how Penny became successful sales person, but said herself that she wasn’t really happy in that position. And her constant drinking, which was made fun of, but was clearly a sign that she wasn’t all that happy. And it all was just… forgotten at the end? And never addressed? Like, we are all supposed to think that this passionate strong willed character turned back on their dreams only to realise that all she needed all along was.. Leonard? And a job where she sold herself out (as she said herself) and wasn’t fulfilled? What? I felt betrayed by the finale.

[beagotm]

The conversation about how Penny got pregnant is horrifying, imagine trusting your partner in your drunken state and they (who are not drunk) decide to not use protection when they KNEW you didn't want children and then blame it on you

[TheSrawsome]

I'm so tired of writers forcing children on characters who don't want them.

[trinaq]

I really hate the scorn heaped on Penny for choosing not to have children. Not every woman automatically wants to be a parent, and it was refreshing to see Penny stick to her morals. But it felt like a bit of a cop-out when the finale revealed her to be pregnant after all, which went against everything that Penny previously stood for.

[clarakf]

Kaley Cuoco deserved so much better from bbt. I recently watched The Flight Attendant and she's so freaking good in it I'm happy she's been getting better projects now

[michaelfragoso]

Looking back I hate how Howard gets away with his creepy behavior to women especially penny

[taylorgayhart]

It’s not a coincidence that the characters that get punished are the two most traditionally feminine characters. Penny is punished professionally by not achieving her dreams, and then made pregnant despite not wanting to be. And Raj wants nothing more than to be in love, and he’s never given a happy relationship. The other night my husband and I were watching the show, and he said out of nowhere, “Man the writers really hate women huh?”

[ImJazzelle]

Idk man, this show always made me uncomfortable, but this video made me realize why. It reminded me of the computer science classes I took in high school where the language and ideas spouted by my male peers were eerily similar to those you talk about

[MichellaneousMe]

I was so thrown off with how Bernadette berated Penny for not wanting kids when she herself didn’t want any either.

It’s like the writers were trying to put this idea about women who say that they don’t want children, but actually do.

If women don’t want children they don’t want children!

[sarasthoughts]

They did it to Bernadette too. She said multiple times that she wanted a "stay at home dad" because she refused to give up her career for kids. Then, while ACTIVELY describing to Penny how fucking awful having kids is, she SHAMES her for not wanting some herself. What the fuck.

[mewmew]

It's so gross how perverted Howard was and was even rewarded for. He should've never been coddled by the show for his racist remarks and inappropriate behavior/sexual harrassment.

[bigbad]

The fact that Bernadette was faced with the whole have the kid or break things up with your partner was so annoying to me. Both of them had their whole life ahead of themselves so she could have just explain that she wanted to have kids later. The fact that the pregnancy is portrayed so often as a you need to go through with it just because it's so tiring.

[bbrbbr-ongd]

Seeing the comments on the unaired pilot shows why they changed her to be so "forgiving". The "Penny" in the pilot actually sticks up for herself and is a flawed person, but most people only see an "evil woman" rather than one trying to survive in LA.

[LisaFevral]

the fact that the writers made her have an unplanned pregnancy is just so gross. they just kept giving her what she didn't want the entire show

[black-moon]

and the jokes at cuoco's expense only got worse when she got that pixie haircut around the last seasons. it was unbearable, she looked amazing but ”noo!! dumb sitcoms can't have short hair women!!” i couldn't stand it. hopefully someday we get a reboot where the male characters are forced to self reflect about their misogyny bc the concept itself was charming

[mbanerjee]

People like to point out the sexism in many sitcoms but I honestly think TBBT is the worst sitcom for women. While shows like HIMYM, Friends, Seinfeld, Frasier, and Two and a Half Men (just to name a few) have their fair share of misogyny, at least the characters on those shows are called out for their bad behavior. (And at least those shows were funny).
But in TBBT all the men are automatically absolved of any wrongdoing because they are "nerds". Aside from Sheldon, ALL the men on the show are straight-up assholes or creeps. Every joke/premise boils down to the following: Sheldon is weird, Howard is Jewish, Raj is Indian, Leonard is in love with Penny, and Penny is a slut. Everyone, including Bernadette and Amy, is so elitist about their degrees/achievements, and Penny is always made to look like an idiot. Yes, friends tease each other, but they are constantly condescending.

[adam-l]

It’s interesting because so many aspects of penny are well written but then simply fall back onto tired tropes. I wonder if show ever had any female writers give their actual input on the character.

[michiganscythian]

Kaley Cuoco is an avid equestrian and I am too and the whole “Penny is muscular and masculine” hits close to home. I’m not one of those tall, willowy long legged riders in breeches and tall boots (and I have difficulty finding English boots that fit me since my legs are short. Men joke about wanting women who ride since we do tend to have nice butts and legs, but then men realize that they come second to horses and feel threatened by women who aren’t intimidated by a 1200 lb animal and drive a bigger rig than they do. I’ve even been told that dating me is “like dating a dude.”

I’ve noticed that “tomboys” in media tend to still conform to a male ideal being slender, yet curvy, wearing loose hair despite its impracticality, makeup and a sexier version of the outfit than is practical. Mikaela in Transformers is a gear head and instead of working on cars in jeans and an old shirt, has a sheen of sweat in a tank top and short shorts while sexily bending over a vehicle

[lizzetcortes]

The fact that she was so important to the plot yet didn't even have a last name was one of the first things that bothered me about the show, but her overall treatment is appalling to say the least, Kaley Cuoco deserved way better