I also like the way Sheldon’s mother is portrayed. Yeah, she’s a fundamentalist nutball, but she’s obviously wise in a way her son is not, and she is portrayed with affection, not the contempt so common when conservative Christians are portrayed in the media.
None of the parents come off particularly well, and Leonard’s mother was quite obviously a much worse parent than Mrs. Cooper.
You are right….and it’s one of the things I like about the show.
Sheldon’s mom is portrayed at times as a kook, but definitely comes off far better than any other parent, injecting her wise ways into any number of shows. She “handles” Sheldon’s peculiarities with an easy grace that no one else can.
“Leonard’s mother was quite obviously a much worse parent than Mrs. Cooper.”
Probably based on BF Skinner who actually put one of his kids in a “skinner box”. Skinner’s theories were that all behavior is controlled by conditioning. “A clockwork orange” was mostly about skinner’s theories and their ultimate failure.
Yes, Sheldon’s mom is my favorite running gag on the show. They often give her and her Christianity the upper hand and final word.