TV Quote of the Day (‘The Big Bang Theory,’ As Bob Newhart Figures Out the Genius Among the Nerds)

[Initially, Sheldon and Leonard are surprised to find at their door—out of breath from having to take the stairs—an elderly actor named Arthur Jeffries. But they end up delighted to learn that he is the hero of their childhood, the host of a science show, “Professor Proton.”]

Dr. Sheldon Cooper [played by Jim Parsons]: “Professor Proton, it’s an honor to meet you.”

Arthur [played by Bob Newhart] [still exhausted]: “Just, just call me Arthur.”

Sheldon: “Leonard, you hear that? Professor Proton said I should call him Arthur. That means we’re friends.”

Arthur: “No. A friend would’ve, would’ve told me about the elevator.”

Sheldon: “Look at me. I can get as close to you as I want without my mom saying it’s going to ruin my eyes.”

Arthur [turning to Leonard, confused and disturbed]: “Is, uh, is he dangerous?”

Leonard Hofstadter [played by Johnny Galecki]: “Actually, he’s a genius.”

Sheldon: “I am.”

Arthur: “That doesn’t answer my question.”

Leonard: “Mr. Jeffries, I’m, I’m Leonard. This is my girlfriend, Penny.”

Arthur [turning to face her, finally perking up]: “Hi.”

Penny [played by Kaley Cuoco]: “Hello.”

Arthur: “Well, I hope I haven’t, uh, kept the kids waiting too long for, for the show.”

Sheldon: “Oh, no, there are no kids. No, the, the show’s for me. Come on. I’ll race ya, Arthur.”

Arthur [to Leonard]: “Is the, is the blond girl really your, your girlfriend?”

Leonard: “Yes, sir.”

Arthur: “You’re the genius.”—The Big Bang Theory, Season 6, Episode 22, “The Proton Resurgence,” original air date May 2, 2013, teleplay by Steven Molaro, Eric Kaplan and Maria Ferrari, directed by Mark Cendrowski

Quote of the Day (Arthur Conan Doyle, on Mediocrity and Genius)

“Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself, but talent instantly recognizes genius.”— British mystery writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), The Valley of Fear (1915)

(The image accompanying this post shows Basil Rathbone as Doyle’s great literary creation: Sherlock Holmes. Countless others have played the great detective, but—perhaps because I grew up knowing him first in the role—nobody embodied him so well as Rathbone. Need I say that Inspector Lestrade symbolizes mediocrity and Holmes genius?)

Quote of the Day (Louisa May Alcott, Warning Against Conceit)

''Conceit spoils the finest genius. There is not much danger that real talent or goodness will be overlooked long; even if it is, the consciousness of possessing and using it well should satisfy one, and the great charm of all power is modesty.'' — Marmee March to her artist daughter Amy, in American novelist Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888), Little Women (1868)

(The image accompanying this post shows Laura Dern as Marmee in the marvelous new film version of Little Women, written and directed by Greta Gerwig.)

TV Quote of the Day (‘The Big Bang Theory,’ on Sheldon and ‘The Toad of Truth’)

Howard Wolowitz (played by Simon Helberg): “Sheldon, what the hell are you doing?”

Dr. Sheldon Cooper (played by Jim Parsons): “The same thing I’ve been doing for three days. Trying to figure out why electrons behave as if they have no mass when travelling through a graphene sheet.”

Bernadette Rostenkowski (played by Melissa Rauch): “With marbles?”

Sheldon: “Well, I needed something bigger than peas, now, didn’t I?”

Bernadette: “Sheldon, when was the last time you got any sleep?”

Sheldon: “I don’t know, two, three days. Not important. I don’t need sleep, I need answers. I need to determine where in this swamp of unbalanced formulas squatteth the toad of truth.”

Penny (played by Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting): “Toad of truth? Is that a physics thing?”

Leonard Hofstadter (played by Johnny Galecki): “No, that’s a crazy thing.” — The Big Bang Theory, Season 3, Episode 14, “The Einstein Approximation,” original air date Feb. 1, 2010, teleplay by Chuck Lorre, Steven Molaro and Eric Kaplan, directed by Mark Cendrowski       

TV Quote of the Day (‘Big Bang Theory,’ on Sheldon’s ‘Physically Exhilarating’ Appeal)

Ramona Nowitzki (played by Riki Lindhome): “Oh, sorry I'm late. I just got so caught up reading the draft of your latest paper.”

Sheldon Cooper (played by Jim Parsons): “Did you enjoy the humorous footnote where I illustrate mirror-symmetry by likening it to the Flash playing tennis with himself?”

Ramona: “Oh, funny. But the idea that you might be able to incorporate gravity, I have to tell you, I found it physically exhilarating.”

Sheldon: “My hypotheses tend to have that effect.”— The Big Bang Theory, Season 2, Episode 6, “The Cooper-Nowitzki Theorem,” original air date Nov. 3, 2008, teleplay by Tim Doyle and Richard Rosenstock, directed by Mark Cendrowski

Song Lyric of the Day (Yip Harburg, on the Dour Profits of Genius)

"Mozart died a pauper

Heine lived in dread

Foster died in Bellevue

Homer begged for bread

Genius pays off handsomely—

After you are dead.” —Lyricist E. Y. (Yip) Harburg (The Wizard of Oz), quoted in “Good Vibrations: Sarah Ruhl and ‘Finian’s Rainbow’ Score,” The New Yorker, November 30, 2008

Quote of the Day (Marcel Proust, on a ‘Woman Whom We Need’)

“A woman whom we need and who makes us suffer elicits from us a whole gamut of feelings far more profound and vital than a man of genius who interests us.” — French novelist Marcel Proust (1871-1922), Time Regained, Vol. VI of In Search of Lost Time

This would deeply disappoint Sheldon Cooper of The Big Bang Theory, for it means that his best friend, Leonard, experiences far more in the presence of Penny than himself. Not that the “man of genius” didn’t surmise this already…