I call bull (based on this quote; too lazy to read the linked article). Referential humor is in the same vein as any other pop culture joke.*

My objection to this is the same as my previous disagreement with hating on BBT for its perceived mocking of geeks and autistics. Compare with other sitcom shows, e.i., Friends. Just a different culture set taken to satirical extremes. Pet monkeys, having your brother's triplets, awkward romancing? No different than having a "spot", near-constant social misunderstanding, and getting a trip to the ISS.


* Full disclosure: yes, I am a geek, and yes, I laugh heartily at referential humor.**

** "Why is it always ducts?" Bwhahahaha!

The article's not very in-depth, that pullquote was the part that resonated with me. As The Big Bang Theory is so popular, it makes it an easy target. Too often on the show, the punchline of the joke is just a mention of something geeky. Which doesn't do much for me. I'd prefer something more like The IT Crowd, which is deeply geeky, but IMHO is a funnier show all around, and doesn't just rely on 'it's funny because this person is just such a nerd.'

(And I never really liked Friends either, but that's just me not being a big fan of sitcoms, really.)

It (or Nerdcore, at least) is often funny by juxtaposition. All the tropes of a rap song about being a bad ass, but the lyrics are actually about programming.

Filk is often funny for the same reason.