China & The Big Bang Theory

The Big Bang Theory is one of the world's most popular serials. The story of a group of science nerds, it has captured the imagination of millions of viewers around the world. 



Apart from featuring some quirky and nerdy characters, there are some very different reasons as to why the Chinese have taken to this western television show. Foreign Policy magazine carried an interesting piece on the popularity of the show in China. Here's an excerpt: 

Awkward bookworms like the male characters in The Big Bang Theoryare becoming more hip in China, or at least more mainstream: One of China's most popular words in 2013 was diaosi, a once-pejorative term for poor, girlfriend-less geeks that translators generally render as "loser." In one survey conducted by popular Internet portal Sohu, over 80 percent of respondents aged 24 to 34 identified as diaosi. On Douban, a social media platform for television and book lovers, one commenter remarked that "many diaosi were watching" The Big Bang Theory. The state-run newspaper Guangzhou Daily wrote in an August 2012 review of the sitcom that "we have experienced the life of a diaosi," which is why "we see ourselves in The Big Bang Theory."

Strongly recommended read; click here.



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