I've been binging this series to see why it was as huge at it was when it aired. I'm currently on season 10, and I am absolutely floored by how pretty much every man on this show is either a LV or NV man (with the exception of Raj who is a romantic and loves to spoil his dates). All of the women are also pickmeishas to the fullest extent.

If you're a fan of the show, I apologize in advance for the slaughter. Without further ado, here we go!

Howard is the WORST offender and takes first place LVM, actually no, he is flat out a NVM. He constantly spends Bernadette's money on junk and depends on her for everything. When she is pregnant, he does nothing but make her work long hours, cook, and clean all day while he doesn't even provide the bare minimum. Both Raj and Stuart actually step in, and pay for many pregnancy goods for Bernadette and the baby, including a crib that they build, and an ultrasound device she uses to hear her baby's heart. They also dote on her and keep up with her appointments.

Howard though? Nothing.

He doesn't even go to the supermarket when she asks! He manipulates her however, into buying herself a soccer-mom van so that he can feel better about himself as a husband. Aww. *gags*

As for the baby? Oh yeah, Bernadette didn't even want to be a mom! She was a career woman with goals! She pickme'd her way into being swayed by Howard (and her NV dad) because Howard promised he would "always be around" for his kid. Lol. Okay. What the actual hell. So for that I am unfortunately giving Bernadette top pick me on this show too. Just... Every time they're on screen and the audience laughs to how terrible Howard treats his wife makes my stomach turn. Brb, puking.

Leonard takes second place, I will be generous and say he is a LVM, only because he supported Penny into her acting career (partially) and bought her a car when hers broke down... but only after watching her struggle and grind at her waitressing job with a credit card debt that he holds over her head even after they get married. There is this ongoing joke that he "wore her down" into being in a relationship with him because she's the "hot girl" and he's "the nerd". Like this literally becomes a bragging point for him. Shitty trope.

Penny deserves better but she likely feels he is the best she can do since she is known for sleeping around with dumber LV/NV men. Painful pickme logic, so let's give her second place pickmeisha beside her husband. Part of me wishes she would put all of her attention into her acting career like she said she would when she quit waitressing, Leonard even said he would support her... but the writer's don't want women to accomplish their goals apparently because they instead make her settle for a job she hates as a pharmaceutical representative, all in the name of her being "responsible". Kay.

Third place LVM goes to Sheldon, who is very sexist/misogynistic which he learned from his father, and makes Amy wait a whopping 5 years before they go anywhere near being intimate. The only exception I will leave for him is that he is presented as someone on the spectrum and perhaps Amy is as well, though less so evidently. Usually when confronted for poor behavior Sheldon learns from it or attempts to adjust it but, he makes Amy jump through too many hoops for a modicum of his affection, and she is often left mothering him at her expense.

No woman should have to give up years of their life and youth for a man to be ready. Amy is probably the least Pickme on the show though as she does stick up for herself often, enforces boundaries with Sheldon, and even breaks up with him... temporarily of course. Sigh.

Stuart is a LVM simply because he is terrible with money, and has an identity based on his depression and self-defeating beliefs about himself. That aside, he actually can be very sweet with women and respectful but, I would suspect that is because he is looking for a woman to be his therapist and not because he would have much to offer her aside from being a business owner (of a failing comic book store). Fourth place for Stuart. Yay.

Raj is exempt for me at this moment. I will be placing him somewhere between MiddleVM and HVM (on his best day). I personally adore Raj. He comes from wealth, is generous, kind, and takes initiative with the women he is interested in. He also loves spoiling his dates with fancy dinners /gifts and demonstrates consistent emotional intelligence. Bonus: he actively cares for his hygiene, style, and his dog too! Raj is almost always respectful around other women, and aside from being unaware of himself in the earlier seasons, he learns and takes accountability / apologizes when he recognizes he's been pushy or overbearing. HVM don't need to be told when they're out of line, they are mindful enough on their own.

My favorite scene is when he cleans his entire floor at work so that the woman he is interested in seeing (a custodian) doesn't have to, and can take a break from her shift to relax over a romantic dinner that he prepares for her. Prior to this, he asks to take her out on a dinner date, but she tells him her schedule is too busy as she works two jobs. She turns him down even though she likes him and he takes the initiative to add value to her life in a small way, making the investment to get to know her by making her feel special. King shit? Safe to say.

None of the other men on the show come even close to this type of effort for their wives or girlfriends. None.

I appreciate Raj's character arc in this series because from season 1 to date, he matures and has only gotten better as a man because he already had HV roots at the start. The sad part is that he is the only person of color, and the fact that he treats women better than his friends do is usually made into a joke for the audience to laugh at. They feminize him to be funny which is deeply racist on part of the writers. The one caveat so far that I will say about Raj is that he needs better friends. It is always suspicious when a HV/MV man has close LV/NV friends.

So for now, I'm still keeping an eye out for Raj, but I don't expect the last few seasons to develop any of the other main characters out of their toxic LV / Pickme dynamics. Thanks for reading, let me know if I missed anything as I would love to hear other FDS women give their opinion of this show.

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TLDR; Howard, Leonard, Sheldon, and Stuart, are LVM. Bernadette, Penny, and Amy, are Pickmeishas settling for poor treatment. Raj is a HVM by comparison to his friends. While some of the humor is hilarious on this show, a lot of the jokes are based on LVM being shitty to their Pickme chicks.