Sheldon Cooper

In the pilot episode of The Big Bang Theory, it's inferred that the character of Sheldon Cooper is a prolific masturbator and demonstrates at least a passing interest in the opposite sex. Then as the show went on they made him more and more asexual. By the time he developed a relationship with Amy they were treating his sexuality in the most cringe-worthy and juvenile way ("I think I'm ready to move to second base now", cue canned shock noises from the audience; he actually kisses Amy, cue "AWWWWW!!!" shrieks, etc).

So my question is this: Do you think they originally intended Sheldon to have a relatively ordinary sex drive, but once they saw Jim Parsons' performance they realized they had to either make him gay or a "kooky genius"?

Yes, he was originally going to have a normal sex drive

I'm afraid I have no idea.

You’d think Amy would make one become asexual, not awaken one’s licentiousness.

It's incredible just how hand-eatingly awful they depict his sexuality since the early days. They've turned him into a child, rather than just make him asexual or gay.

I'm so glad someone brought this up, it has been bugging me FOREVER!!

I really wish they had just made Sheldon gay, but I don't think Chuck Lore would have the guts to put a gay character on one of his shows.

You could tell they were worrying about Sheldon's sexuality early on in the first series because they actually go out of their way to address it in the scene where Penny asks the others what Sheldon's "deal" is. "Is it girls? Is it guys?" And they just say they assumed he had no "deal". It's such a cop out.

Can we please look up the difference between implied and inferred again? Almost as bad as those lend/borrow people.