The Big Bang Theory 10 Things About Leonard That Have Aged Poorly

The Big Bang Theory: 10 Things About Leonard That Have Aged Poorly

While Leonard remains a likable character, there are several things about him that current audiences won’t like. So what makes him so problematic?

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Leonard Hofstadter is the de facto protagonist of The Big Bang Theory, as most of the major storylines revolve around him. He is also the center of the group due to being Sheldon’s best friend, Penny’s boyfriend-turned-husband, and the one who lived in the apartment where the social group met.

All things considered, Leonard is a character who was better suited for audiences from back when the sitcom first aired, because present-day viewers’ mindsets tend to work differently. Fans who rewatch the series know what’s going to happen, which makes Leonard’s actions lack the ambiguity they once had, making it even harder to excuse several problematic things about him.

Leonard’s Inability To Be Happy Without A Girlfriend

The in-love-with-being-in-love trope isn’t as charming as it used to be because viewers value self-worth and independence more these days. Leonard’s goal of wanting a woman to be with was considered innocent at the time, but he comes off somewhat desperate in retrospect.

Leonard would even fall into depression if he didn’t have a girlfriend, which doesn’t make him look too good considering he dated Bernadette’s friend even though he despised her and hooked up North Korean spy Joyce Kim. Viewers today are likely to think that Leonard is avoiding some internal issues by channeling them toward his need for a relationship.

Leonard’s Generally Whiny Nature

Every character in The Big Bang Theory had certain good and bad quirks, with Leonard’s worst his tendency to whine about most things. It was used to depict how clueless he could be, which is something that is hard to see when his 12-year worth of complaining is taken into account.

Leonard also whined about menial things, such as not having a girlfriend, not being successful in collecting Comic-Con tickets, among other things. He seems to overlook the privileges he does have in life over stuff that doesn’t really matter or can be claimed sometime later.

Leonard’s Unfaithfulness To Penny While On His Expedition

The show did a good job in portraying Leonard as the standard image of a good guy, so much so that fans were quick to forgive his unfaithfulness to Penny. Leonard apologized by claiming he was caught up in the party lifestyle of the North Sea expedition when he kissed a colleague, which Penny ended up forgiving.

It doesn’t make Leonard look good now when the story is rewatched, seeing as the excuse he gave was mediocre at best. At the time, the plot point of Leonard and Penny getting married was more important, but his unfaithful actions are now very striking to consider.

Leonard’s Neediness When He And Penny Were First Together

Leonard isn’t the best Big Bang Theory character in the third season due to his constant neediness toward Penny. While she wasn’t ready to be so serious about what was a new relationship, Leonard wanted to claim his love for her and got offended when she didn’t say it back.

Fans today aren’t easily convinced with the love-conquers-all theme and don’t place much weight into romance aspects as people did back in the show’s third season. Leonard largely appears to be pushy around Penny during this arc and it’s difficult to sympathize with him when Penny breaks up the relationship.

The Gang Alienating Penny Because Leonard’s Girlfriend Didn’t Want Him To Meet Her

The value of friendship is considered to be worth more in storytelling nowadays over choosing love interests, which makes all of Leonard’s Season 4 arc appear in a bad light. Leonard ended his friendship with Penny because Priya didn’t like her and then even had the group alienate her.

Fans felt bad for Penny back then as well, but Leonard seems like a villain in retrospect. After all, he could have asked the others to be with Penny rather than ditch her altogether. Since Priya’s arc also went nowhere, fans largely view the whole angle as Leonard’s mistake.

Leonard’s Pushy Attitude Toward Wanting Penny To Marry Him

Although certain aspects about Penny in The Big Bang Theory’s run haven’t aged well either, viewers are likely to side with her now over the topic of marriage than before. Audiences have become more liberal in terms of what commitment means, so getting married isn’t seen as the ultimate goal.

Leonard hounded Penny for marriage all the way from the fifth season to the end of the eighth when they finally got hitched. The show made it out as if Leonard slowly managed to convince Penny to give marriage a shot, but it looks more around the realm of Leonard pressuring her in retrospect.

Leonard Hooking Up With Priya Despite Raj’s Objections

Many sitcoms have highlighted the importance of the male/bro code by now, to the point where staying loyal to friends is seen as a stronger quality. Leonard had promised Raj he would never make a move on Priya, only for it to be revealed that he’d been having an on-off affair with her for years.

Leonard even hooked up with Priya in Raj’s house while he yelled his disapproval from outside the door for what was meant to be a slapstick form of comedy. However, today’s viewers will be inclined to see Leonard as a bad friend who didn’t respect Raj’s wishes in favor of a fling with his sister.

Leonard’s Jealousy Toward Penny’s Study Partner

Penny decided to attend community college when her acting career wasn’t working out, which Leonard was supportive of until he saw that she had a handsome English study partner. Leonard then became jealous and tried to talk her out of it because of his insecurity.

The issue was sidestepped when Penny accidentally said she loved Leonard, which was such a big deal at the time that fans got in on the moment as well. Now, though, Leonard’s jealous streak can be perceived as an unhealthy possessiveness that he had for Penny that made him insecure about her talking with other men.

Leonard’s Inability To Break Up With Stephanie

While there are things about Howard that haven’t aged well in The Big Bang Theory, he at least backed off when Stephanie didn’t show interest in him. Leonard went through a three-episode arc with Stephanie where he wanted to break up with her but couldn’t because she kept sleeping with him.

Viewers of the current TV landscape have been exposed to so many forms of intimacy in shows that watching characters make wrong decisions based on hooking up isn’t all that funny. Leonard also appears rather sleazy since he kept playing around with Stephanie’s emotions instead of giving her a clean break.

Leonard’s Tendency To Throw His Friends Under The Bus For Personal Gain

Contemporary audiences want to see group dynamics that justify why characters stick together instead of being forced to accept it. This is why Leonard’s occasional ill-treatment of his friends comes across in bad taste, as opposed to seeming funny when the show was on-air.

Leonard did things like buying himself a cool laser when he was supposed to give grant money to his friends, ditching the boys to hang out with Wil Wheaton’s celebrity gang, among other antics where he didn’t consider his friends’ feelings. Fans are more likely to question Leonard’s character over finding these scenes to be particularly funny.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/big-bang-theory-leonard-things-aged-poorly/

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