Big Bang Theory vs. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: One is Autistic! (Episode 123)

An episode that explores autistic and neurodivergent representation in The Big Bang Theory and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. From Sheldon’s neurotypical framing to Charlie Kelly’s proudly autistic chaos, we break down what hits, what misses, and why it matters.

Here’s what’s in store for today’s episode:

• In today’s episode, we’re diving into It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and how it nails autistic representation—unlike The Big Bang Theory, which mostly reflects a neurotypical perspective.

• We start by breaking down what The Big Bang Theory got right—and wrong—about autism, touching on Young Sheldon and the dynamic between Sheldon and Amy.

• After that, we dive into how It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is actually deeply autism-centric, even if it’s not explicitly framed that way.

• Then, we dive into how It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is deeply autism-centric—thanks in large part to Charlie Kelly, who is explicitly autistic and gives the show its neurodivergent heart.

• We also explore how the writers of It’s Always Sunny approach the show from a neurodivergent lens—crafting characters who consistently misunderstand the world around them in ways that feel deeply relatable to autistic viewers.

• Our hosts get into all the autistic tendencies throughout the show—from Sweet Dee, Dennis, and Charlie’s unique quirks to Charlie himself, who has openly identified as autistic multiple times.

• We also talk about how the humor in It’s Always Sunny is specifically tailored to an autistic audience and sense of humor—sharp, absurd, and rooted in social misunderstandings.

• Matt and Angela also discuss the concept of autistic integrity and how it shows up both in It’s Always Sunny and in the core values of this podcast.

• Sometimes we have to play the game of capitalism just to get by—but as long as you’ve got your crew of fellow weirdos to lean on, you’ll make it through.

“It’s representation, but at what cost? We don’t have a seat at the table. There is a picture on the table of a caricature of an autistic person. And then everyone else talking about how weird they are.” - Matt

“The impetus behind It’s Always Sunny was not, ‘hey, let’s make a marketable show and sell it and have lots of airtime and get in the top 20 or whatever.’ They’re like, ‘hey, you know what would be funny? If we did our own thing with a low-res video recorder.” - Matt

“They are very, very socially minded. They’re very, very self conscious about these things, which is the autistic way. They do things in the way that they do it because they think it’s the right thing to do. Whenever they see an issue, they want to call it out on the show. So they do it in the most blatant way possible so that the people watching it will be like, ‘hey, that’s an issue.” - Matt

Did you love this episode? We took a deep dive into autistic representation in pop culture—comparing The Big Bang Theory and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. From Sheldon and Amy’s dynamic to Charlie Kelly’s openly autistic identity, we unpack how neurodivergent humor, character quirks, and autistic integrity show up on screen. We also explore how Sunny nails an autistic lens through its writing, jokes, and chaotic logic. Join the convo with #AutisticCultureCatch!

Related Episodes:

Community is Autistic

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