Netflix has been known to air some controversial content, with the likes of Tiger King and Inventing Anna stirring up criticism. But would you ever in a million years think the The Big Bang Theory would be in that category for the streamer? Sure, the series’ glorification of nerd culture got it banned in China, and there are elements that have aged badly, but all in all, the CBS sitcom isn’t known for its controversy. The most controversial moment that comes to mind is in “The Staircase Implementation,” where the answer to Kirk or Picard is “Original Series over Next Generation, but Picard over Kirk.” Because it’s always Kirk. But it’s actually an argument between two characters in Season 2’s “The Bad Fish Paradigm” that created controversy.
Penny Is Self-Conscious About Her Education Level in ‘The Big Bang Theory’
“The Bad Fish Paradigm,” the first episode of the season, begins with Leonard (Johnny Galecki) and Penny (Kaley Cuoco) returning from the date they went on at the end of the first season. They kiss in the hallway, after which Penny says they’ll take things slowly before going into her apartment. The entire interaction is seen by Howard (Simon Helberg) and Raj (Kunal Nayyar) via the camera they have set up outside the apartment, and Leonard takes them to task over it when he comes in. He asks Sheldon (Jim Parsons) why he didn’t do anything to stop them, and Sheldon replies that he had a complete lack of interest in what they were doing.
Sheldon may have a complete lack of interest, but he ends up getting pulled in regardless. After meeting Penny in the laundry room, Penny asks for his assessment of her relationship with Leonard and if they have a chance. She’s worried that Leonard will look down on her for not even having completed a community college program, and asks Sheldon to keep her worries a secret from Leonard. The request upsets Sheldon because he didn’t know in advance that he would be expected to keep it secret, and secrets can’t be imposed on “an ex post facto basis.”
Penny Puts Sheldon in a Tough Spot in Front of Leonard
It comes to a head when Leonard and Sheldon run into Penny, and Leonard asks her out again. When she dodges the question by saying she’ll have to check her schedule, Leonard panics, believing Howard’s assertion that Penny wanting to take things slow is a sign that the date was like a fish that tastes bad, and she’s ending anything further by “spitting it out” (hence the episode title). Sheldon, of course, knows the truth but can’t disclose it, causing him to behave awkwardly — more awkwardly, that is — and storm out of the apartment.
He pleads with Penny to release him from the burden of keeping the secret, and despite Penny telling him to simply forget she said anything, he can’t on account of his eidetic memory. There’s only one solution: he has to move out. Sheldon asserts that until he gets a place of his own, he’ll be staying with friends. Howard bolts, leaving Raj as the only viable solution. Despite Raj’s claim of his apartment being too small, Sheldon counters with the reminder that the duties of a Hindu householder are the feeding, caregiving, and the offering of whatever one has to others. The scene switches to Raj’s apartment, where they are sitting and watching an Indian movie. It prompts an argument between the two:
Sheldon: Is that woman Aishwarya Rai?
Raj: Yes, isn’t she an amazing actress?
Sheldon: Actually, I’d say she’s a poor man’s Madhuri Dixit.
Raj: How dare you! Aishwarya Rai is a goddess! By comparison, Madhuri Dixit is a leprous prostitute!
And here is where the controversy begins.
Netflix Faces Legal Action Over ‘The Big Bang Theory’s “The Bad Fish Paradigm”
In March 2023, Mithun Vijay Kumar, a political analyst, sent a legal notice to Netflix over the episode, claiming that “leprous prostitute” is being used as a derogatory term in relation to Dixit. In the legal notice, Kumar, a long-time fan of the actress, claimed that the remarks were defamatory and offensive, and asked Netflix to remove the episode from the streamer or face legal action for promoting discrimination against women. In his official statement, Kumar says:
“It is important to hold companies like Netflix accountable for their actions and to ensure that they are sensitive to the cultural values and sentiments of the communities they serve. I was deeply troubled by the use of a derogatory term in one of the shows on Netflix – [The] Big Bang Theory. This term was used in reference to the acclaimed actress Madhuri Dixit, and it was not only offensive and deeply hurtful but also showed a lack of regard for her dignity,”
A number of Bollywood celebrities mirrored Kumar’s indignation over the remark. Actress and MP Jaya Bachchan said, “Is this man [Kunal Nayyar] insane? Badi gandi zubaan hai [“He is foul-mouthed”]. He needs to be sent to a mental asylum. His family should be asked what they think of his comment.” On the other hand, producer Pritish Nandy had a very different take. While he did find the comment objectionable, he didn’t find it defamatory, and saw it in its fictional context, saying, “I do not like the comment, but the truth is actors’ fans, like cricket fans, talk like this. They feel very strongly and competitively about those who they like and often compare them disparagingly with others.”
While it isn’t a nice remark, or even all that funny, Nandy isn’t entirely wrong, either. Is it sexist? Sure, and that’s one of those things that hasn’t aged well as referenced above. But to call it derogatory, as if Raj’s word carries merit, is a slight stretch. Additionally, “The Bad Fish Paradigm” originally aired in 2008, a good 15 years before Kumar’s legal notice was sent. Given Dixit is still a widely respected Bollywood actress, it would suggest that there was little, if any, detriment to her career over it.
Perhaps the most telling argument about the controversy is that neither Dixit nor Rai have ever released their own statements about it. As for Netflix, they directed Kumar towards Warner Bros., the licensor of the series, and informed producers about the notice. In a statement about the response, Kumar said, “As a sensible streaming service provider that understands cultural sensitivities, Netflix has informed the original producers of the show regarding the gravity of the issue raised by me. I hope Warner Bros will take appropriate content moderation measures and ensure that their content is free from such abusive language towards people and cultures.” To date, Warner Bros. has never released anything about the matter, which seems to have simply died after the initial (but delayed by 15 years) uproar.
