@Knixon said:

That doesn't mean he's not, for the show. Sheldon even said so, directly. When he said that if one of their group drops out, then Stuart might be able to join. Unless it was Raj, in which case they would probably get another "person of color." And Raj nodded agreement too.

What was Franklin's personality? What did he do in the cartoons? What was he like? That will help us decide which Big Bang Theory character he should be.

Well, Franklin wasn't as insecure as Raj, but neither is any other Peanuts character except Charlie Brown and he's already taken. Linus could arguably be the most "party planner" of any of the Peanuts characters but that's just because of the Thanksgiving show where he suggested Charlie Brown have two Thanksgiving "dinners." And still not enough to overcome Franklin's - and Raj's - primary roles as "person of color." Plus you know what? REALIZING that doesn't make you or I guilty of anything. At worst, it means we've simply perceived the evil-ness of the show creators/writers/etc in making the characters that way.

@Knixon said:

Well, Franklin wasn't as insecure as Raj, but neither is any other Peanuts character except Charlie Brown and he's already taken. Linus could arguably be the most "party planner" of any of the Peanuts characters but that's just because of the Thanksgiving show where he suggested Charlie Brown have two Thanksgiving "dinners." And still not enough to overcome Franklin's - and Raj's - primary roles as "person of color."

You and I see this differently. Again I ask, what was Franklin's personality? Let's take Raj out of this for a moment.

If Raj was here to answer he would say "Dude that's racist". Raj isn't a "person of color". He is cuddly Asian boy. Besides Indians in the sciences ? That is just Ka-Razy.

@Lemons said:

Again I ask, what was Franklin's personality?

Franklin has no differentiating personality. Only the core Peanuts characters do. The rest are just there for background. Leslie Winkle has to be Peppermint Patty. Well in a round about sort of way because Sara Gilbert is a lesbian and Peppermint Patty, well need I say more?

What? Are you taking a marijuana? Peppermint Patty was interested in CHUCK. i.e., Charlie Brown. i.e., Leonard. If anyone is the gay Leslie Winkle character, it would be Marcie. Who hangs around - and probably yearns for - Peppermint Patty.

@Knixon said:

What? Are you taking a marijuana? Peppermint Patty was interested in CHUCK. i.e., Charlie Brown. i.e., Leonard. If anyone is the gay Leslie Winkle character, it would be Marcie. Who hangs around - and probably yearns for - Peppermint Patty.

Peppermint Patty and Marcie . Bert and Ernie. Just give them a few years, they are just kids now. Even Lisa Simpson thinks so.

Marge: How about a family outing? 
Bart: Family outing? I'll start. Lisa's gay! 
Lisa: [sarcastically] Right. 'Cause I wouldn't wanna be gay like my heroes! Billie Jean King, Susan Sontag, Sappho of Lesbos, 
and I suspect, Peppermint Patty. 

From the episode "No Loan Again Naturally" 

How do you explain Peppermint Patty pursuing Charlie Brown so much? Is he just supposed to be the sperm donor for her and Marcie to have a baby? c'mon. Marcie is the gay one. Same as Velma. She's the gay one, interested in Daphne, but Daphne doesn't return the interest.

And I know Lisa Simpson is supposed to be preternaturally smart, but remember, she's been in second grade - or is it third, now? - for over 20 years.

This is what I was getting at, and then I think I'm done with this thread. Franklin did have a personality. He was quiet, but smart and kind. He was a background character. Therefore based on this description I'm going to say that a similar Big Bang Theory character is Bert. Raj and Franklin don't need to be linked solely based on being minorities. They have other attributes.

The other comparisons in this thread were based on personality, save one comparison of Penny to Sally because they're blonde, so I see no reason that this comparison should be based on race.

Raj is also a background character. So he fits that way too. He's also smart and kind, plus needy etc.

@Knixon said:

Raj is also a background character. So he fits that way too. He's also smart and kind, plus needy etc.

If you had presented it that way, I would have agreed with you from the start.

Do you think Leslie Jones was cast in the remake Ghostbusters because she has the same personality as Ernie Hudson?

@Knixon said:

Do you think Leslie Jones was cast in the remake Ghostbusters because she has the same personality as Ernie Hudson?

Nope. But that has nothing to do with the kind of comparisons we were making in this thread. They were personality-based comparisons. Now once and for all I think I've said all I need to say. Plus I'm sleepy.