Penny was a Bully | The Big Bang Theory

“Shh that'd how you wind up in a cornfield”
Season 5 Episode 11: The Speckerman Recurrence
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[@PrometheusD12]

Funny how as the series went on Bernadette started to become more and more of a bigger bully than Penny.

[@Saskaruto16]

It's honestly not that surprising though. It's really one of those classic "power corrupts" or in this case "enables" cases on display. She went from a "daddies girl" and former college slut, who had no real power or authority over anyone or anything except herself and even then only some when she first appeared. Then she clearly saw how much control she could attain, how much that influence affects things in her life from looking at Howards mom and Penny, and realized how little pushback she would get specifically because of who she is. She was somewhat controlling from the beginning she just didn't have power/influence to feed into that yet. She slowly worked to get it becoming more aggressive and bossy the whole time in line with the greater power she wields socially and financially. We see her especially in the middle seasons continually pushing how far she can take control in as many aspects of the groups lives as she desires, with her repeatedly adjusting this as certain things are considered acceptable and unacceptable for the group. Towards the end of the series she hold pretty dominant control of the female side of the social group, is probably top 2 or 3 for their friend group overall even occasionally being able to influence Sheldon to get what she wants. Financially and socially completely dominating Howard, having basically complete control over Stewart and Raj who will do whatever she asks them to, and completely dominates her workplace and even her relative field to such a point that she's the one intervening with the opposition trying to hire Penny, with her own personal bathroom and coffee machine, even influencing the marketing side Penny works under when she's actually on the research side which should be separate. If the series went on any longer she would probably have had her bosses job in another few years too since she was clearly moving in to control more aspects of the company than her title would allow.

[@lordybelance3410]

Yup

[@mai_komagata]

@@Saskaruto16 being dominant and being a bully are not the same thing.

[@sadcrab69]

Wheel chair chatty and calling a 7 year a crybaby are not sassy back talk

[@davesnothere.]

@@mai_komagata Drive makes you dominant, greed makes you a bully.

[@Katie-ct1xl]

How can you not think tying someone up and leaving someone overnight in a cornfield isn’t being a bully? 😂

[@मृदुलशर्मा]

thats what every bully thinks

[@tonyp9313]

What Penny just said was a thing that happened in Smallville.

[@Lokhir100]

Most people just like to stay in denial of anything messed up they did. Easier to cope with I guess

[@katie.hin.1318]

Honestly, I'd say it's worse than bullying. Like, that's straight up abduction xD

[@tonyp9313]

@@katie.hin.1318 True

[@uvl.g5611]

As someone whos been bullied all his life, Penny wasn't just a bully she was a major thug. If you connect all the dots and stories across the series, she did some seriously messed up things, and she always got away with it.

[@velvetsky5117]

Being one of the most beautiful girls in her town could've helped her

[@dolliehoraney4216]

Came here to say this ​@@velvetsky5117

[@samalvey8168]

For those who say bullying builds character...............WRONG!!!!! It hurts and ruins people like you wouldn't believe.

[@Arthur_Draneel1865]

Fucking hate those people who say that shit

[@notsureiL]

​@@Arthur_Draneel1865 Something a bullys parent would say. Sonic fans are awesome.

[@velvetsky5117]

I wish someone taught me to not get mad at my bullies. Only get even. I could've played a bigger prank on my bullies to teach them a lesson in humility through humiliation.

[@subratanandy2142]

People who say ' bullying builds character ' are the bullies . They repeat that lame dialogue to justify their actions.

[@adammilette3076]

Misery builds character

[@kevinmclaughlin2594]

The way Leonard's mother described Penny in an earlier episode really rings true in this scene. She values herself how others see her which is probably why she ended up a bully in her youth, just wanted to fit in with the cool people.

[@Tim85-y2q]

That's how a lot of bullying happens.

[@Atemar98]

That mother did something useful, wow!

[@DianaGohan]

Feels like Penny was more one of those "Bully by association." You know someone in the cool and popular kids group who though was probably nice also just went along with the crowd doing whatever and never assumed the consequences of her actions. Thus never even assuming until now that girl was a victim of the prank until it was pointed out to her. Which yeah does happen sadly enough.

[@maximilianoferrer6841]

Nah, by the way she laughed at that girl's expense at the cornfield, she was definitely not a bully by association.

[@gd7886]

If anything that makes it worse. She so nice that she'll stand by and let someone be bullied.

[@piedadleon817]

True and only copied others

[@PerfectAlibi1]

I think Penny was the ring leader of her popular girls group. And she is also a bit of a "hands on" type, so she definitely had a hand in those "pranks". Maybe the occasional "prank", she was just a bystander, but not often.

[@cjoor]

...and that's how bullying persists

[@WithCars9]

Penny looked surprised and confused at the same time when Bernadette Told her "Maybe A Felon" 😂😂

[@KamranShaikh-sv6fx]

"Shhhh, that's how you wind up in a cornfield"

[@anju43458]

I love that in the end Penny works for Bernadette, someone who she definitely would have bullyed had she been in her high scool.

[@BenE8844]

I hated that part of the show.

[@TPTGopher]

All the more ironic when you consider that Penny got the job only because she and the interviewer bonded over Bernadette bullying them...

[@BenE8844]

@@TPTGopher It’s still really lazy writing.

[@frankinsaneandmyrrh1202]

@@BenE8844 unfortunately I feel like there's a lot of lazy writing on this show, to be honest

[@BenE8844]

@@frankinsaneandmyrrh1202 Oh, man, you have NO IDEA. Chuck Lorre is an idiot, especially in the last FOUR seasons. Have you seen them? If not, then DON’T! Penny becomes a mega BITCH, and I hated the writers for that.

[@nunziocombattelli6311]

Jokes on them. Rogaine doesn’t work NEARLY that well.

[@elizabethescalante8114]

Yeah, suddenly I don't feel bad for Penny when Sheldon takes his vicious jabs at her.

[@Rat_Queen86]

Wow Penny was a psycho

[@yazaru798]

CONTINUED BEING

[@yvaincallipso84]

I genuinely think everyone did an act of bullying at least once in their lives as a kid. Some bullies may genuinely think they're all having fun when in reality, they're just tormenting someone. No one likes to think of themselves as the bad guy after all.

[@antithoughtpolice7497]

Yeah, that's something that annoys me about a lot of bullied kids: I know they also bullied someone else. It was never one of the other at my school.

[@yvaincallipso84]

@antithoughtpolice7497 you do have to keep in mind that there is very much a difference between a kid not realizing that his classmate hates being called four-eyes and stuffing a classmate in a locker. Because there is no possible way that the girl who loved to dance in front of my little cousin before school every day with a cute little song about how ugly and stupid my cousin was thought they where both having fun.

[@velvetsky5117]

The difference between bullying and pranking is a bully doesn't like to be made fun of due to their own insecurities and domineering tendencies. A prank should bring shared laughter including the person being pranked. That's why Bernadette asked if the girl being tied up was laughing too.

[@bluebay1031]

There’s a difference between an act of bullying and being a bully, much like how there’s a difference between doing shitty things from time to time and *being* a shitty person. Pretty much everyone’s been mean to someone unnecessarily at least once in their life, but not everyone’s actively *been* a bully.

[@kiwimusume]

I’m not even going to attempt to reason with someone with that username.

[@jerrydboss7251]

How did they go from this to being scared of bernadette😅

[@AutobotAvengerXL]

That does explain Penny’s sour behavior from the first few seasons.

[@matiaspereira9382]

Ironic that Bernadette was afraid of Penny 1 season later

[@BenE8844]

This show is actually lazy in many regards. Penny threatened Bernadette once. 🤦‍♂️. The writers are in drugs.

[@houchi69]

Also Bernadette turned into a bully later

[@BenE8844]

@@houchi69 Exactly. There are a bunch of stupid plot holes and continuity errors. Like when Penny scared Bernadette in the college episode 🤦‍♂️. It’s become clear that they weren’t even trying anymore.

[@user-uu8sb3bu1k]

Amy also started off with the exact personality as Sheldon. She also acts like a robot. But she suddenly changes to a normal person that knows how to identify sarcasm and feelings.

[@matiaspereira9382]

@@user-uu8sb3bu1k I really miss this Amy!

[@Donathon-qx8kq]

I always thought that Amy was the only 'nice' character on the show

[@victoiresouledelafont3428]

When I think of all of those classmates who used to mock and bully me and destroyed what was left of my self-esteem, and how today they’re probably like « oh, how mean can bullies be ! I would never do such things ! », certain that they’ve never done anything wrong and that they’re not like these bullies we see on tv and that they’re such good people when they basically ruined my teenage years… like Penny in this scene URGH ! Just speaking about it makes me angry !

[@TaxingIsThieving]

They lie to themselves

[@justsaiyan3294]

Sometimes it does happen that people don't realise that they are being mean to someone or hurting them. They may think that "we're just joking".

[@victoiresouledelafont3428]

@@justsaiyan3294 people dragging you on the floor by your legs because you’re in what they consider their spot ? Calling you « The Friendless One » or « No-Life » ? Hitting you the head with your books ? They had no way to think that this was a bit too mean to « just be joking » ?

[@justsaiyan3294]

@@victoiresouledelafont3428 I said sometimes.

[@melodyvines7172]

As a former bully I'm sorry for what you went through. I'm sure you're a wonderful and beautiful person.

[@piedadleon817]

Shh 🤫 you’ll end up in corn 🌽 field

[@rwwilson21]

In elementary school, there was a time during recess when I was being bullied, and out of frustration, I said, ‘fuck you.’ Ironically, I was the one called to the principal’s office. When the principal explained the situation to my mom, she was furious. I remember her saying, ‘Why is my son being punished while the two kids who bullied him aren’t? He was defending himself.’ The principal simply responded, ‘Students aren’t allowed to cuss.’ When my mom came out of the office, I asked, ‘Am I in trouble?’ She said, ‘No, of course not.’ Then she took me to buy the video game I wanted.

[@scottbuckley823]

Not surprising but she does make up for it by being so caring of Sheldon.

[@cdawg9895]

Yes, she did. Absolutely true

[@uvl.g5611]

Right, cuss caring for one toxic lunatic makes up for all the broken traumatized kids she abused in her youth. I'm sure it made all their life long trauma pain fear and suffering vanished into thin air.

[@stefan4159]

@@uvl.g5611 This is asinine. So being stupid in your youth means you are totally irredeemable? You don't think people can change, especially when your brain finishes growing by the age of 25?

[@uvl.g5611]

@stefan4159 Actually, I know for a fact that people don't change. You, I, and everyone else are the exact same monsters we were in our youth. The only difference is that we grew older and dose have less spirit, less energy, and less hormones to make us follow through on our cruel intentions. Sure, we might be more perceptible of our situations and the outcomes of our actions, but overall, the only difference is that we're old tirade and have less strength, so we don't do as much as we wish we could.

[@stefan4159]

@@uvl.g5611 Please don't project your own experience onto me or everyone else.

[@juliansummers5983]

I'm so glad I never went to high school, the bullies would have eaten me alive.

[@joshkamy9050]

Bernadette is actually a bully too

[@navibanfield1591]

It shows you how being bullied in teen can effect you. Penny wasnt bullied, grew up to be a fairly reasonable human but was unnessasarily mean to others in school. Bernadette was bullied and because she was so small she learned to bite back harder than they bit her, which pregressed into her becoming a bully in adulthood. Subconciously she bullies people before they get a chance to bully her first.

[@jackpearce367]

And she’s still somehow the best character I forever stand firm in her being the best spoiled hot girl character (other than maybe Cleo from clone high)

[@मृदुलशर्मा]

she is the least toxic character on the show

[@jackpearce367]

@@मृदुलशर्मा truthfully I’m waiting for the friends fans to come at me for thinking Penny is a better character than Rachel

[@matthewjenkins4559]

We’re going to ignore every moment when Bernadette and bully Penny and her own Boss?

[@kiwimusume]

I would have thought that we would all have the maturity to understand that both are wrong, but maybe my standards are too high.

[@Steve-vf7se]

It goes to show that penny fits in with a bunch of nerds. Leonard is in love with her, she loves him, and sheldon wants to get in the way. Raj probably be single forever, just you wait😉. The whole gang having a hell of a good time, they rule

[@fredworthmn]

I was the one that the cool kids brought along on nasty jokes to use as the scapegoat. I was too delusional to catch on so I was blamed and the cool kids got off. Continued for decades after high school. Totally unaware.

[@superstarultra28]

They're all unlikable, but Penny is without a doubt one of the most unlikable of the main cast.

[@sladjanivkovic2]

She always looks like she just smelled the fart.

[@curtwilliams2606]

her school soft. we had medal detectors & gAng wars at my school.

[@dragonking9388]

Funny when Bernadette is the biggest bully

[@tombaker8481]

I love that Penny was on the "wild" side...

[@rageinbull]

I believe HS bullying is a hierarchy. The Starting QB doesn’t pick on the awkward 9th grader with no friends. He’s not even on his radar. He picks on the second sting Defensive End who picks on the JV WR, who picks on the 3 chair trumpet who picks on the clarinet player, who picks on the theater production kid who picks on the D&D kid who picks on the awkward kid with no friends. This is an example of a chain, but the point is it rolls down hill and every one of them is insecure and trying to achieve use someone else to boost a fragile teenage ego.

[@svetlanaandrasova6086]

She was always a bully and got away with it due to being pretty.

[@sub-zero710]

There's a life lesson for you. If you think your high school didn't have bullies, then you probably WERE the bully.

[@mr.l8723]

Bullying is what leads to school shootings. Just pointing that out. Someone had to say it.

[@TrueWalker88]

This makes me miss those 2010s tops, think they're still in my closet...

[@waynehoxit9782]

How mean can penny be real or extremely ❤

[@stormshadowproductions1660]

Penny should be in jail

[@DrSmug-yj9ot]

WAS A BULLY? 🤣

[@kirjom2505]

Me*pouring boiling water on Penny*

[@ethnikistar]

Wow, we need to send the police to your house it seems, you sound pretty fucking crazy

[@alexucon]

was?

[@ninjeti03]

Penny is such a pathetic character

[@AmitCinematicUniverse]

I saw the bullies in my school and hunted them down. I was the hero of my school for beating up those who loved hurting others. It was like being Batman if he had no gadgets but connections with the government. I will never forget that one time a tall girl beat up one of the boys, and I threw her away from him when he begged her to stop. As tall as she was, she was about half my weight.

[@Savitar435]

sounds like you were a bully yourself boy. weren't before but turned into one.

[@Robert-hz9bj]

Was this before or after Nick Fury came to your house to discuss joining the "Avengers Initiative?"

[@Savitar435]

Sure you did Amit. Sure you did.

[@AmitCinematicUniverse]

I find the attitude and timing the two of you share suspicious. I suspect that you are the same guy, trying to spread doubts regarding my past heroics.

[@Savitar435]

@@AmitCinematicUniverse hahahaha!! good thing you wrote it as "i suspect". if you had written it down as "i know" and i would have told you to *PROVE IT* , i wonder what your response would have been? 😂🤣 and let's not even bother trying to address your other sexist, delusional remarks. you wouldn't be able to handle it.

[@simplegirl265]

Why so many parents want to homeschool their kids

[@DragonGoddess18]

Aside from the fact that 95% of all public schools punish the victims and praise the bullies?

[@earlsmith7428]

@@DragonGoddess18 Sad, but true. The "bullies" are usually the most popular people.

[@englishlit0171]

Cuz they are republicans & learning might miss that up

[@salag13]

@@earlsmith7428In my experience, bullies went on to live quite mediocre lives after high school.

[@earlsmith7428]

@@salag13 Wish that were more true. Some of them went pretty high up the ladder.

[@valordelink]

Oh no, here he comes

[@perryionebrooks6002]

Penny does bully but it's only because she stands up for the guys

[@melanieruttle1515]

I always love 💕 this show the Big Bang Theory. I really like Amy says her full name saying her’s penny is bully. Making penny wild pain felt’s. I just like Bernadette thinking penny kinda bully is Why they says wild felt penny feeling. Attack.

[@ameliaflynnhayes]

Penny was a bully then she was a nice person

[@Historyandlegends789]

Debatable on the nice part.

[@ameliaflynnhayes]

@@Historyandlegends789 I mean she can be insulting sometimes

[@Katie-ct1xl]

@@Historyandlegends789she’s no saint but anyone who can put up with Sheldon’s antics and not snap is a nice person in my eyes If anything she tries to be a good person most of the time

[@Historyandlegends789]

@@Katie-ct1xl it says more about how much they enjoy pain when dealing with Sheldon than how good of people they are.

[@YourDadsUnclesFriend]

I don’t think Penny was intentionally bullying people.

[@JohnDoe-dw3hj]

She put dirt in someones mouth for wearing a bowtie. And there's a laugh track. Thats not funny. Its sadistic

[@YourDadsUnclesFriend]

@@JohnDoe-dw3hjAh. Guess she was.

[@jameshudson169]

if you don't know who the bully was at your school.....it was you!

[@poppyfan2842]

I don't know who it was, but that's mostly because I kept my earphones in and ignored everything going on around me and didn't talk to anyone

[@kiwimusume]

@@poppyfan2842You have two choices at this point: you can acknowledge that bullying did happen, or you can be that annoying person in comments sections who goes “this fictional depiction of bullying is unrealistic! No one ever bullies anyone!”

[@poppyfan2842]

@@kiwimusume no, I know bullying happens. I'm being bullied rn for having autism, actually. All I said was I was to quite in highschool so I didn't notice much.

[@NickSharpe-ky6ky]

Hearing that Penny was a mean girl makes her so much hotter

[@MichaelBlaneWalker]

Yea…no. She seemed like this kid in my class who was class clown, but later he stuck up a gas station.

[@Kingkillersstripe632]

Penny is a horrible person what was Leonard thinking in falling in love ❤ with her