More TV Wokeness: The Big Bang Theory's Spin-Off Series Ruin Sheldon's Mother

Over at Instapundit, Ed Driscoll and Glenn Reynolds reports on Doctor Who, a British science-fiction series with a 60-year+ run which ended up becoming so insufferably woke that it may not return to the small screen for five years and, frankly, it seems slated to disappear once and for all. 

This brings up the subject of another TV sitcom, one many conservatives don't particularly seem to care about, but as far as I am concerned, I confess that — even when faced with obvious leftist leanings (say, Penny aka Kaley Cuoco wearing a Vote Hillary T-shirt in 2016) — I have enjoyed The Big Bang Theory, along with its characters, and that I have been enjoying re-connecting with old scenes on various phone apps. 

Some episodes that I was particularly impressed with were those dealing with Sheldon's brother (Jerry O'Connell) back in Texas, showing that conservative characters could get a fair deal.

More to the point: In the original series, it was pretty clear that the religious mother of Sheldon "sweet Sam Houston" Cooper was not the character the creators of the CBS TV series, Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, were prone to identify with.

And yet… 

And yet, the writers gave Mary Cooper (Laurie Metcalf) some excellent lines, they did not show her losing the debate any time a leftist (not excluding her own son) opened his (or her) mouth (usually to disparage her Christian religion), and especially her main antagonist — Leonard's mother, Dr. Beverly Hofstadter (Christine Baranski) — was so cold and unlikable that Mary came out on top many a time.

 
However, since the series ended in 2019, it has given rise to several spin-offs. They are the prequel series Young Sheldon and a second prequel series, Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage (with a fourth series promised this summer, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe). FYI: Full disclosure — I haven't seen any episodes on the telly of the second prequel series, mainly short-ish outtakes on various iPhone apps…

These spin-offs have also descended into wokeness. Young Sheldon Cooper seems to — decisively — win every argument he has with either his mother or Pastor Jeff (Matt Hobby), either in private or in front of the entire congregation inside the latter's Baptist church. 

As I wrote in an in-depth post regarding another TV series, The Talking Points of The Newsroom's Opening Scene, Examined—Dispassionately—One By One (the longest post ever written in the history of this blog), 

The first thing to notice [about the tirade in the opening scene of The Newsroom's Episode 1, sometimes referred to as "The Most Honest Three Minutes In Television History"] is that (exactly like Aaron Sorkin's other TV series, The West Wing) HBO's TV show is fiction, with the entire story and every scene set up, with a central character (a Democratic idealist) giving a brilliant speech with unimpeachable arguments that manages to bring out the truth (sorry, to bring out the Truth with a capital T, nay, more — to bring out nothing less than thuh Reh-ve-lay-tion), shaming his clueless opponents (and everyone else) in the process — indeed, silencing the whole room — and, in typical Hollywood fashion, leaving everyone on a higher plane of truth.

Isn't this a mainstay of the Hollywood dream factory: the wise man (no matter how young, as it is as often as not a teenager or even a child) engaging in theatrics and bringing mind-boggling revelations to his (clueless and uneducated) peers?

 … This works exceptionally well, provided everybody with a differing opinion (or better yet, with facts) agrees to refrain from responding. In the real world, of course, real people have to put up with differing arguments, with give'n'take, and with opponents providing replies and counter-arguments 

It seems clear that Mary Cooper (played in the prequels by Zoe Perry, who happens to be the daughter in real life of Laurie Metcalf) is little more than a hypocrite (consciously or otherwise), as are the various men at the church (one of whom the married Bible-thumper — almost? — had a liaison with), and after the death of Sheldon's father, she seems to be utterly naïve regarding men with ulterior motives. 

In contrast to the original series, little that the character says is ever helpful or insightful. Unless she manages to break away from her Baptist beliefs. Worst of all, every time Mary Cooper mentions the Bible, everybody has the same reaction. When everybody sighs and/or rolls their eyes whenever this alleged killjoy brings up the subject of religion or going to church — her husband, her daughter, her sons, her mother, her in-laws; indeed, every single one of the other characters — it ends up becoming tedious in the extreme… 

Maybe it might not be a bad idea for the writers to consider reading a volume or two in Dennis Prager's Rational Bible series…

 … The title of this commentary is “The Rational Bible” because its approach is entirely reason-based. The reader is never asked to accept anything on faith alone. In Dennis Prager’s words, “If something I write is not rational, I have not done my job.” 

Soccer: The Football World Cup Starts Today, and the Vikings Sail to America

As the World Cup teams sail (or fly) to America, today is the start of that sports event. Thanks to Vincent Bourdonneau for the article Inside the making of Norway’s ‘Viking’ photo for World Cup by Greg O'Keeffe: 

They beat Christopher Columbus to North America by centuries. Research shows that Vikings first made the remarkable journey across the Atlantic more than 1,000 years ago.

Now, it looks like they’re back.

Just take in this gang of grizzled Nordic warriors assembled beside a fjord, weapons in hand, long boats in the background, preparing to raid.

But look a little closer at the picture above, perhaps at the sword-brandishing warrior with the long blond hair, and they appear quite familiar. That’s because this group of fearsome explorers is actually the Norway national team, posing for [David Yarrow's] iconic image to mark their first appearance at the World Cup in 28 years.

Update: 1994 — Things I Remember From the Last Time the World Cup Was Held in the United States

Muslim Big Shot to USMC Officer, 1904: "Your President Is Mad!"; USMC Captain (Saluting, with Utmost Delight): "Yes, Sir!"

As talks with Iran continue, it is time to dwell briefly upon an epic adventure movie starring Sean Connery that came out a few years before the Ayatollahs' revolution. Filmed 50 years ago by John Milius on a script loosely based on the Perdicaris affair of 1904, The Wind and the Lion features one of the most patriotic, pro-American battle scenes ever filmed (at YouTube, divided in two parts below): after part one, be sure not to miss the last few seconds of part two as the marines bring the battle to an end, when this brief dialogue takes place. 

Capt. Jerome, USMC: Captain Jerome, United States Marine Corps, and you are my prisoner, sir.

The Bashaw of Tangier: You are a very dangerous man, Captain, and your President Roosevelt is mad.

Capt. Jerome, USMC: Yes, sir!

And speaking of Theodore Roosevelt, check out the 1975 dialog in which the TR character foresees the arrival of Donald Trump (from the post A Grizzly! Congress's Wittiest Senator Lays Bare an Awesome Description of Donald Trump, Echoing 50-Year-Old Sean Connery Epic Movie's Striking Prescience).

Theodore Roosevelt: The American grizzly is a symbol of the American character: strength, intelligence, ferocity. Maybe a little blind and reckless at times... but courageous beyond all doubt. And one other trait that goes with all previous.

2nd Reporter: And that, Mr. President?

Theodore Roosevelt: Loneliness. The American grizzly lives out his life alone. Indomitable, unconquered — but always alone. He has no real allies, only enemies, but none of them as great as he.

2nd Reporter: And you feel this might be an American trait?

Theodore Roosevelt: Certainly. The world will never love us. They respect us - they might even grow to fear us. But they will never love us, for we have too much audacity! And, we're a bit blind and reckless at times too.

2nd Reporter: Are you perhaps referring to the situation in Morocco and the Panama Canal[?]

Theodore Roosevelt: If you say so... The American grizzly embodies the spirit of America. He should be our symbol! Not that ridiculous eagle — he's nothing more than a dandified vulture.