Sunday, May 19, 2024

Gotta get a good education!

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Gotta get a good education! 

"The Big Bang Theory" is a popular American sitcom that aired from 2007 to 2019. The show primarily revolves around a group of friends who are scientists and their interactions with each other, blending humor with scientific and nerd culture references. "Young Sheldon" is a prequel to "The Big Bang Theory," focusing on the childhood of Sheldon Cooper, one of the main characters from the original series. It provides a deeper look into the early life of the brilliant but socially awkward Sheldon, set in the late 1980s and early 1990s in East Texas. 

Recurring Themes of Young Sheldon:

Family Dynamics: The show delves into the Cooper family interactions, highlighting the challenges and joys of raising a child genius alongside his siblings.

Education and Growth: Sheldon’s experiences in high school, his relationships with teachers and peers, and his academic achievements are central to the plot.

Social Challenges: The series often portrays Sheldon’s struggles with social norms, making friends, and understanding the behaviors of those around him.

Humor and Heart: While focusing on Sheldon’s unique perspective, the show balances humor with heartfelt moments, particularly in the context of family relationships.


Recurring Themes of TBBT:

Science and Nerd Culture: The show frequently references scientific theories, experiments, comic books, video games, and science fiction, making it popular among viewers with similar interests.

Friendship and Relationships: The dynamics among the main characters highlight the importance of friendship, personal growth, and romantic relationships.

Humor and Social Situations: Much of the comedy arises from the characters’ awkwardness in social situations, particularly Sheldon’s inability to understand social norms and Leonard’s efforts to maintain a normal relationship with Penny.

I understand that someone reading this Sunday Blog might not have seen either show. At all. I am hearing Sheldon Cooper's voice in my head right now, telling the statistical chances of that, in different regions of the world. But here is something that I thought of after watching the final episodes of Young Sheldon:


It was all about education. 

Did you pick up on how in TBBT everyone in the main cast was brilliant - less Penny? And, in Young Sheldon everyone was (not) brilliant - less Sheldon? 

Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons): A theoretical physicist with an IQ of 187, Sheldon is highly intelligent but socially inept, with obsessive-compulsive tendencies and difficulty understanding social norms. His relationship with Amy Farrah Fowler, a neurobiologist, grows from a friendship into a romantic partnership, culminating in their marriage. Oh, and together they win the Nobel Prize. 

Sheldon Cooper (Iain Armitage): A highly intelligent and precocious child with a love for science and a lack of social skills. Sheldon’s journey involves navigating high school, dealing with bullies, making friends, and maintaining his unique perspective on life.

In both TBBT and Young Sheldon, the true "main" theme that linked the two shows together was - education. How a 9-year-old Young Sheldon who tested with an IQ of not just genius but SUPER genius - lived in the part of the country (East Texas) that could not properly support his educational needs. 

Truly everything about both TBBT and Young Sheldon revolved around how it would be such a tragedy to keep Sheldon from achieving his full potential. How from age 9 to 14 the journey of everyone in the family, and the local Texas community had a mission to get Sheldon to MIT. Or maybe Caltech? 

Everyone in the cast of both TBBT and Young Sheldon - even the other geniuses knew that Super Genius Sheldon with IQ of 187 simply MUST get a good education. The best education. 

And so, this revelation hits me maybe a little different than most. I run the DLA (Distance Learning Association) where at our core - we are all about delivering education to parts of the world that would normally miss out. We are all about delivering knowledge, technology and talent to every time zone in the world.

TBBT aired from 2007 to 2019. The sitcom ended before COVID-19 changed our world. The show ended before "Zoom" became a verb. I wonder how either show would have dealt with a 14 year old Super Genius being forced to take online classes at Caltech - from home - from East Texas. 

And with that, I can hear in my head Sheldon's Meemaw saying with love...

"Shelly, you gotta get a good education...."

True. And don't we all. Deserve a good education. The best education possible. No matter where we live. 





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