Saint Patrick’s Day in TV and Movies: A Pop Culture Celebration
Every March 17th, the world is awash in green, shamrocks, and Guinness as people celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day. While the holiday itself has roots in Irish history and the life of Saint Patrick, its modern pop culture presence is undeniable—especially in television and film. From sitcoms and animated classics to wild party movies, Saint Patrick’s Day has been used as a backdrop for hilarious (and sometimes chaotic) storytelling.
Sitcom Shenanigans: The Saint Patrick’s Day Episode
Sitcoms love a good holiday episode, and Saint Patrick’s Day is no exception. It provides the perfect setting for mischief, mistaken identities, and a whole lot of green beer.
How I Met Your Mother took the holiday to a new level with its episode No Tomorrow, in which Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris) embraces the idea that anything goes on Saint Patrick’s Day. His reckless behavior leads to one of the show’s long-running mysteries: the identity of the Mother. The episode captures the party-hard mentality often associated with the day, but also sneaks in a lesson about responsibility.
The Office (U.S.) also delivered a memorable Saint Patrick’s Day episode, in which Michael Scott tries (and fails) to impress his new boss Jo Bennett. Meanwhile, Jim and Pam struggle with the realities of being new parents. The contrast between office antics and real-life responsibilities makes for a classic workplace comedy moment.
Animated Hijinks and Irish Stereotypes
Animated shows have had their fair share of Saint Patrick’s Day episodes, often playing with (or outright mocking) common Irish stereotypes.
In The Simpsons, the episode Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment is a wild ride inspired by Prohibition-era history, but it kicks off with Springfield’s rowdy Saint Patrick’s Day parade. Bart accidentally gets drunk, leading to a full-blown alcohol ban in the town. The episode uses the holiday as a catalyst for a larger story about rebellion and government overreach—classic Simpsons satire.
Meanwhile, Family Guy leans into absurdity with Peter’s Two Dads, which features Peter Griffin’s realization that his real father is Irish. The exaggerated Irish stereotypes in the episode—such as constant drinking and chaotic pub fights—are played for laughs, but also reflect how American media has often depicted Ireland in a humorous (if not entirely accurate) light.
Saint Patrick’s Day on the Big Screen
Movies have embraced Saint Patrick’s Day as a setting for wild parties, heartfelt reunions, and even crime capers.
One of the most famous Saint Patrick’s Day scenes comes from The Fugitive (1993), in which Dr. Richard Kimble (Harrison Ford) evades U.S. Marshals by blending into a massive Chicago parade. The scene wasn’t staged—the filmmakers actually shot during the real Saint Patrick’s Day parade, making for a thrilling and authentic escape sequence.
On the comedy side, The Boondock Saints (1999) is a cult favorite that leans into Irish Catholic themes, crime, and vigilante justice. While not strictly about Saint Patrick’s Day, the film’s strong Irish identity and pub-centered moments make it a go-to watch for the holiday.
For those who love full-blown party movies, Leprechaun (1993) is an over-the-top horror-comedy starring Warwick Davis as an evil leprechaun hunting down his stolen gold. It’s campy, ridiculous, and has become a bizarre yet beloved part of Saint Patrick’s Day movie marathons.
Dressing the Part: The Rise of Funny St Patrick’s Day Shirts
Of course, no Saint Patrick’s Day celebration is complete without festive attire. From leprechaun hats to green tutus, people love to dress up for the occasion. But one trend that has taken over in recent years is the rise of funny St Patrick’s Day shirts.
Pop culture references, sarcastic slogans, and pun-filled designs are everywhere. Some of the most popular include shirts with phrases like “Kiss Me, I’m Irish (Or Drunk, Or Both)” and “Let’s Get Shamrocked.” Others play on classic TV and movie moments—think It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia-inspired designs featuring Paddy’s Pub or quotes from famous Irish-themed episodes.
A Holiday Worth Watching
Whether you’re binge-watching sitcoms, revisiting classic movies, or just enjoying a few pints while wearing a ridiculous t-shirt, Saint Patrick’s Day has become a pop culture staple. The holiday’s representation in TV and film reflects both its fun-loving nature and its sometimes over-the-top stereotypes.
So this March 17th, grab a Guinness, throw on your funniest Saint Patrick’s Day shirt, and enjoy the holiday—whether that means hitting the town, watching The Simpsons, or simply reveling in the luck of the Irish from your couch.
In Retrospect, DC’s The Flash Was Actually a Pretty Good Show
It’s easy to take The Flash for granted. The CW’s superhero universe (Arrowverse, as fans affectionately dubbed it) was once a powerhouse, churning out interconnected storylines, massive crossover events, and a steady supply of comic book action on a TV budget. But in the golden age of peak television, when cinematic-level production values became the norm, The Flash often felt like the underdog.
Yet, looking back now, it’s clear that The Flash was actually a pretty good show—sometimes even great.
The Heart of the Show
At its core, The Flash was always about heart. While Arrow leaned into darkness and brooding, The Flash embraced optimism, humor, and the sheer joy of super-speed. Grant Gustin’s Barry Allen wasn’t just a hero—he was a friend, a mentor, a husband, and, most importantly, a guy who genuinely loved being The Flash.
Gustin was the perfect lead. Unlike Ezra Miller’s take in the DCEU, which leaned more into awkward comic relief, Gustin’s Barry was endearingly nerdy but also deeply human. His relationships—whether with his surrogate father Joe West (the ever-charismatic Jesse L. Martin) or his eventual wife Iris West (Candice Patton)—gave the show its emotional core.
And let’s not forget Tom Cavanagh, who played multiple versions of Harrison Wells with an almost absurd level of range. Whether he was the sinister Reverse-Flash or the goofy yet brilliant Sherloque Wells, Cavanagh kept audiences entertained with each new iteration.
The Villain Problem—And Its Bright Spots
Like many long-running shows, The Flash struggled with repetitive storytelling, particularly when it came to villains. The “evil speedster of the season” formula got old fast, with Zoom, Savitar, and Godspeed all blurring together (pun intended). The non-speedster villains, however, often shined brighter.
Eobard Thawne/Reverse-Flash (also played by Cavanagh and Matt Letscher) was easily one of the best villains in the entire Arrowverse. His personal vendetta against Barry made him compelling, and every time he showed up, you knew things were about to get serious. Then there was Gorilla Grodd—one of the most ambitious CGI villains on network television—and Captain Cold (Wentworth Miller), whose campy, calculated performance made him an instant fan favorite.
The Highs and Lows
No show runs for nine seasons without some missteps, and The Flash had its share. The later seasons, especially after Crisis on Infinite Earths, struggled to recapture the magic of the earlier years. The storylines got convoluted, some supporting characters were sidelined or written out, and budget constraints led to some questionable CGI moments.
But when The Flash was good, it was really good. The Flashpoint adaptation, while different from the comics, was one of the show’s most ambitious swings. The early seasons nailed the balance between procedural and serialized storytelling, making each episode feel like a fun comic book adventure.
And then there were the crossovers—Crisis on Earth-X, Elseworlds, and Crisis on Infinite Earths—which showcased just how much love The CW had for DC’s history. Seeing Gustin’s Barry interact with John Wesley Shipp’s ‘90s Flash and even Ezra Miller’s DCEU version was a dream come true for fans.
The Lasting Legacy
Despite its flaws, The Flash will be remembered as a defining superhero show of its era. While Marvel dominated the big screen, DC found a home on TV, crafting an interconnected universe that, for a time, was more consistent than the DCEU.
The show also had an undeniable cultural footprint. Remember the explosion of The Flash merch in the mid-2010s? If you walked into any pop culture store, you’d find The Flash hoodies, hats, and, of course, tv show t shirts. It became a staple of geek fashion, right alongside Batman, Superman, and The Walking Dead.
And let’s not forget how many future superhero projects it influenced. Without the Arrowverse, it’s unlikely we’d have gotten Superman & Lois or even Peacemaker, both of which carry on the legacy of fun, serialized superhero storytelling.
So, in retrospect, The Flash wasn’t just “another CW show.” It was a genuinely solid superhero series that, for a while, gave fans the best live-action Flash we’d ever seen.
And for that, we should be grateful.
Four Pokemon You Can Use On Mewtwo in Red/Blue
We all remember the old Pokemon games, Red and Blue. Later on, long before Gold and Silver shook things up with many new species, Yellow added to the fun by taking the ordinary model and adding many new features, such as a Pikachu that would follow you around. Although the balancing wasn’t perfect, the original Pokemon games were a unique experience and for many of us, were our first introduction to Nintendo. The Pokemon games are the reason so many people still wear Nintendo t shirts, or at least, one of the reasons. We all had a blast playing Pokemon and putting Pokemon posters on our walls..
But then there’s that little rascal, Mewtwo! It was obviously a lot of fun to play Mewtwo when you’re the one knocking enemy Pokemon around with zero effort. But suddenly, when you run into another player who is kicking your butt with their Mewtwo, it’s not fun anymore. The only real option is to pull out your own Mewtwo and go head-to-head, and that just gets boring after a while. So what are some non-Mewtwo Pokemon you can use to knock that sucker out? Is there any way to beat him without hauling out a long list of your own legendaries, or is he just invincible?
The first thing you could try is Parasect. I know what you’re thinking: “Parasect? That weak bug Pokemon? How in the world is he going to help me against Mewtwo?” Well, there is a specific moveset that you have to use. That moveset is as follows: substitute, spore, sword dance, mega drain. Start off by using spore to put Mewtwo to sleep. Then throw out a substitute and begin using sword dance to raise your attack. Finally, spam mega drain until big M2 bites the dust. The attack boost from sword dance, plus the bug-type bonus against psychics, ensures that mega drain will deal huge damage to Mewtwo. Even better, if Mewtwo wakes up and uses psychic to kill the substitute, you can just put him back to sleep with spore, which has a very high accuracy. On top of that, mega drain restores health to your parasect, so you can easily toss out another substitute once Mewtwo is sleeping again. If you can pull this off, there is nothing Mewtwo can do!The second thing you could try is Snorlax. The Snorlax moveset you want is amnesia, rest, headbutt, and selfdestruct. Simply use amnesia three times to begin with. This raises your special greatly so that Mewtwo’s psychic can’t knock you down. You can even rest and leave Snorlax out there for three rounds. His HP is so high he can weather three rounds of an angry Mewtwo, provided he has three amnesias under his belt. Then attack repeatedly with headbutt. Headbutt has the side effect of causing Mewtwo to flinch, which can open him up for another headbutt. Once Mewtwo’s hp is low enough, use selfdestruct for the KO.
Two final options are Dugtrio and Electrode. With Electrode, attack with thunderwave to paralyze Mewtwo, explosion to take a chunk from his HP, and then send out Snorlax. With Dugtrio, just use fissure repeatedly and hope for that one-hit KO.
George Lucas Returns!
Why is it such good news that George Lucas is returning to Star Wars? Why would it matter to the kind of person who watches all the movies and wears Star Wars t shirts? The reason is that George Lucas is the original force (or Force, if you will) behind the whole Star Wars franchise. He was the mastermind behind the original series, and his return triggers the hope for a return to form. With George Lucas back at the wheel, it is hoped that the original series, which lost its way a long time ago, will be back on top and ready to really inspire people and show true creativity in a way that the Disney-funded franchise did not.
Let’s rewind. George Lucas was the man behind the myth as far as Star Wars is concerned. The original creative genius behind the series was a man with very original ideas who was able to craft something the world had never seen. The Joycean, or perhaps Campbellian, genius behind the original Star Wars is something that could never be replicated by a committee or a focus group. It’s the kind of true creativity that nobody could replicate besides the original Jedi master himself.
Then Lucas created the prequels, which weren’t as good. Now that nobody could tell George Lucas “no”, he was able to make all the self-indulgent creative mistakes he was prevented from making during the first trilogy. Because he was famous and well-known now, nobody dared to tell him “no”. Perhaps he surrounded himself with suck-ups, or perhaps it was mere happenstance, but George Lucas was now able to do whatever he wanted, and it ended up with an absolute mess of a prequel trilogy. This finally ended when he sold the franchise to Disney. This, it was thought, might repair the series.
But that ended poorly, too. Once Disney got ahold of the series, it became democratized, corporatized, commodified, fed through focus groups and committees, a creature of bureaucracy. It was now a product, and not a product in the sense of a creation by an individual. Star Wars became something mass-produced, and that killed its appeal. It was one more politically correct franchise aiming to appeal to the lowest common denominator in a country with no unity and no common culture. It was a product for the masses, with no identity and no sense of exclusion or boundaries. It was simply a creative travesty.
With George Lucas back at the helm, we dare to hope for something better. We dare to hope that his self-indulgent tendencies have been fully attenuated, and that he will serve as a guide to take Star Wars back to creative validity. We want to see something new and exciting, not self-indulgent like the prequels and not a corporate mass-production like the latest films, but the true product of a creative mind. We want to see if George Lucas still has it in him. Let’s hope for the best. May the Force be with him.
Is Star Wars Actually Fantasy?
I once heard someone, a favorite author of mine on Quora, make an observation like this: “Sci-fi is about ideas, and fantasy is about spirituality.” This left me scratching my head at first. How in the world is something like Lord of the Rings about spirituality? And how is something like Star Trek about ideas? But the more I thought about it, the more I began to think that that guy was actually right. Sci-fi really is about ideas, and fantasy really is about spirituality. I thought long and hard, and I eventually came to a surprising conclusion: Star Wars is really fantasy, not sci-fi. The kind of guy who wears a Star Wars t shirt might disagree, but hear me out.
We all know that Tolkien is fantasy, right? And The Lord of the Rings really is about Tolkien’s spirituality. Tolkien was very Christian (he was Roman Catholic and devout) but also very pagan, in a way. There is something very deeply Norse about Tolkien’s worldview; his outlook on life has some of the pathos and tragedy of Norse mythology, but it’s wrapped in the hope (in fact, the certainty) of an ultimate triumph that comes from his Christian beliefs. CS Lewis is even more obvious. Michael Ende’s Neverending Story is an expression of Anthroposophy, which was a spiritual philosophy that he believed in.
Sci-fi is about ideas. Star Trek is the idea of utopia and how we can move closer to it. Dune is the idea of human potential being pushed to its limit. Michael Crichton’s books are about the abuse of technology and all the ways that that can become a problem. He was especially interested in the abuses of biotech. The difference is that sci-fi is much more analytical, much more rational and deductive, whereas fantasy is much more emotional and mythological. Fantasy can contain ideas, yes, but in a much more “blurry” way, not as clean cut or logical.
These two genres can be disguised as one another. What I mean is, there are a lot of so-called “fantasy” that is actually sci-fi, and a lot of so-called “sci-fi” that is actually fantasy. If you’re reading a book that looks like fantasy, but where there are definite rules of magic and systems in place, and where wizards do “research” to further their magic, then you’re looking at sci-fi disguised as fantasy. Those wizards are just physicists in pointy hats. Similarly, just as there are some fantasy franchises that are just disguised sci-fi, there are some sci-fi franchises that are actually disguised fantasy.
One of those is… Star Wars! I said earlier that fantasy is an expression of a person’s spirituality. I hazard a guess that George Lucas has a very particular view on this kind of thing. I don’t know anything about the guy, but if what I said about fantasy is true, then George Lucas probably has a very particular kind of spirituality to him, and that’s what is coming up in Star Wars. The Force almost seems like a concept out of Eastern religion! There is something vaguely Hindu or Buddhist about the themes expressed in Star Wars. So since fantasy is an expression of a person’s spirituality, I think it’s safe to say that Star Wars is fantasy.
The Stormtrooper Effect
If you’ve ever watched Star Wars, you may have noticed the the supposedly “feared” Imperial Stormtroopers are lousy shots. This is something that people in cinema of continuously commented on. You can look anywhere on the internet and see people complaining and joking about this. On forums and other websites, everybody cracks jokes about the Stormtroopers being unable to hit the broad side of a barn. This has become legendary, a trope, so to speak. In fact, at this point, it even has a name: the Stormtrooper Effect. The Stormtrooper Effect is not limited to just Star Wars, but is present in many other franchises.
But why? Why would something so strange and ridiculous be so common? You’d think that such an unrealistic trope would have no place in most media, because if the audience doesn’t buy it, it won’t make any money. However, there’s more to it than that. You see, the Stormtrooper Effect is actually inevitable in any media where the heroes are fighting against hordes of mooks. Because if the mooks all had good aim, then the heroes would be dead at the beginning, and then there’d be no story. Not only is this not unique to Star Wars, it’s downright ubiquitous!
On top of that, you have to remember that the Stormtrooper Effect is not so unrealistic. In fact, it’s very, very realistic. Most soldiers who fire their weapons in war never actually hit an enemy. It takes hundreds of rounds fired on average for one kill to be scored. This is because the Stormtrooper Effect is actually a realistic depiction of how hard it is to hit a moving, intelligent human target who doesn’t want to be shot. If anything, the lack of realism flows in the other direction: it’s the heroes who have the unrealistic aim. Their aim is unrealistically good!
If you’re a big enough fan of the series to wear Star Wars t shirts, then you can probably point out some places where the Stormtrooper Effect doesn’t apply. For example, in the prequels, whenever a main character has a lightsaber that they can use to deflect blaster shots, the Stormtrooper Effect is no longer a problem. Now that the main character has a lightsaber to protect them and make sure they make it to the end (since they’re indispensable to the plot) the Stormtrooper Effect is no longer needed. It makes sense, and also provides a sense of realism because it shows that Stormtroopers do sometimes hit their targets, even if that target is a Jedi who can deflect the shots. That’s what you see on a Star Wars t shirt.
So the Stormtrooper Effect is ubiquitous because it has to be, but you can see some places where it doesn’t apply. Generally speaking, it helps to have some variety in fiction. Having the bad guys just miss is a default option for the writers. In order to mix things up a little, it helps to have other reasons for the heroes not to get shot.
What Is The Best Party Game?
Everybody has their own opinions about what constitutes a good party game or what games are best for parties and family gatherings. I think that if you’re just at a default party, with no especial theme or demographic, then the best board game for parties is Trivial Pursuit. There are a few things that make Trivial Pursuit stand out. Of course, everyone has their own specific tastes, but here’s why I think that Trivial Pursuit is the best. You can disagree with me if you want, but after reading this, you can not possibly deny that Trivial Pursuit is a fantastic party game. You might even like it enough to wear a Trivial Pursuit t-shirt!
First of all, Trivial Pursuit can be played using teams or single players. There are several colors that can be used, so that makes it possible to have up to six people, each with their own colors. If you’re willing to have teams, then you can have up to twelve people, with each color corresponding to a pair of persons. Or, if you only have six people, you can just have three teams of two.
Second of all, Trivial Pursuit is knowledge-based. It’s not about skill at playing a particular game, like Splendor or Settlers of Catan or Carrcassonne. It’s also not about speed or how fast you can grab a piece or react to a bell ringing. Instead, Trivial Pursuit is about knowledge. You have to know the answers to the questions. And more importantly, there are enough different areas of knowledge to keep any single player from dominating the game. Even the egghead in your family will probably not excel at the sports section!
Third, Trivial Pursuit is very replayable. Unlike system-based strategy board games, such as Secret Hitler or Arkham Horror, Trivial Pursuit cannot really be “gamed”. You simply know the facts or you don’t. And since the game comes with so many cards, it’s always replayable.
Was Twisted Sister A Metal Band?
Twisted Sister is primarily known as a hair band, or hair-metal. It’s not true metal, but a kind of pop rock that was popular during the 1980s. However, they did have a few songs that were closer to true metal. While Twisted Sister primarily wrote songs that were poppy and anthemic, similar to Poison or Motley Crue, they did write a few songs that were less teased hair and leotards and more leather and spikes, more in the vein of Iron Maiden or Judas Priest than Whitesnake of Bon Jovi. So what songs were those, and what made them sound like metal?
The first of their more metal tracks is Burn In Hell. The very title already sounds like a legitimate metal song rather than a hair metal bonanza, and that’s what they delivered on this track. Covered later on by no less a legendary black metal band than Dimmu Borgir, Burn In Hell begins with slow, ominous minor-key power chord riffing. The singer stays away from the higher end of his range and sings in a rough baritone: “Welcome to the abandoned lands/Come on in child, take my hand”. It’s the sort of singing that frequently accompanies heavier tracks in 80s metal. When he finally unleashes a high-pitched scream, the track kicks into overdrive, with the tempo increasing and the intensity ramping up. The chorus, a simple refrain of “You’re gonna burn in hell” serves to drive home the grim nature of the track. Interestingly, when viewed closely, the lyrics are not about Satan and death and evil at all. Rather, they’re a warning for the listener to change their ways before they “burn in hell”. Whether this is a reference to a literal Christian afterlife punishment, or a simple warning about the consequences of one’s actions, is anybody’s guess.
The second heavy track from Twisted Sister, which is the reason why so many metalheads still occasionally wear Twisted Sister t shirts, is Under The Blade. Under The Blade begins with fast palm mutes in a manner reminiscent of Judas Priest. The singer begins menacingly, saying, “A glint of steel, a flash of light/You know you’re not going home tonight”. At the end of the first verse, when he finally screams the word “Blade!” near the upper end of his range, the guitars go from fast low palm mutes to being ripped open by power chords higher on the fretboard. This is the sort of thing that Rob Halford would have had fun with. Amusingly, this song was highlighted by Tipper Gore as a reason to censor music and put parental advisory stickers on CDs, because she assumed that it was about lascivious, deviant practices. This is very funny, because Tipper Gore seems to have been projecting: in reality, Under The Blade is just about getting oral surgery, which is a very frightening experience, as anyone who has had their wisdom teeth out knows full well. Although it’s good that we all now know what Tipper Gore was doing on the weekends, if you get my drift.
What Does The Fallout Series Do For Us?
The Fallout games are a huge cash cow for Bethesda. For example, Fallout: New Vegas raked in more than three hundred million dollars in the first month after its release. Pause for a moment to reflect on what a tremendous sum of money that is. There are blockbuster films that never touch anywhere near that amount of money. How is it that this series has made Bethesda so much cash? What is it about Fallout that is so compelling that people just have to have it? Granted, it’s not the Elder Scrolls or the fame of Skyrim, but there’s definitely something there that people want. So what is it? What’s with all the Fallout video game shirts?
There are a few things. First of all, the post-apocalyptic genre is relatively underplayed. Yeah, there have been a few movies like Mad Max that had post-apocalyptic settings, but overall, it’s not a hugely popular genre. There are way more high fantasy and sci-fi/space opera settings than post-apocalyptic. Since it’s such an underused genre, Fallout comes across as a very original game by using a post-apocalyptic setting. Moreover, you would expect post-apocalyptic games to be either action or survival horror. Fallout, however, is decidedly a role playing game, which is unexpected and thus a fresh combination.
Secondly, it provides Bethesda with a series that is somewhat less cartoonish than their other games. Skyrim is an enormously popular game, but the voice acting, writing, and plot are all on the same level as you’d see in a Disney film, or perhaps slightly below that. The Fallout games just feel somehow more serious. Part of it is the superior quality of the voice acting and dialogue, as well as the writing. But another big part of it is the setting. While fantasy can be done well, it’s something that must be “sold” in order to be convincing. If we are going to take magical dragons seriously, then we have to be persuaded to do so. Post-apocalyptic settings are just easier to take seriously and lend themselves more to suspension of disbelief.
Another big issue with Fallout is the consistency of the series, which is an element that is missing from the Elder Scrolls. The Elder Scrolls was never a very consistent series. There was Arena, which was more of a beta or prototype than a series-launching game. Then we had Daggerfall, which is the first game that felt a bit like the Elder Scrolls but was still more of a historical achievement than a game that people still want to play today. The first really great ES was Morrowind, which was very different from Daggerfall. Oblivion felt like a more canned Morrowind with slightly better graphics, and Skyrim was just a straight-up action game.
Fallout, by contrast, is a very consistent series. That’s not to say that all the games are, or even feel, the same. However, they’re all clearly in the same genre and proceed along the same general lines. This is in stark contrast to the Elder Scrolls, which feel like a weird experiment with each new game. Fallout, by contrast, is a series where the gamer knows roughly what they’re going to get.
The Vulcan Salute
One of the interesting things about popular culture is that popular culture eventually just becomes culture. What starts off as a joke or a meme or a tv gag eventually finds its way into the common language. Many pop culture phenomena are ephemeral and eventually fade away. Today’s flavor of the week pop song fades away after a few months and that’s that. Maybe it gets a snippet of air play here and there. But some pop cultural phenomena endure and take on a life of their own, living far beyond the bands, franchises, and brands that gave them life.
One of those pop cultural phenomena is the Vulcan salute. Go find a teenager who has never seen Star Trek and ask them if they recognize the hand sign with “Live long and prosper”. I’ll bet you anything that they do. That’s because Star Trek was such a good show that it wound up giving birth to many pop cultural phenomena that made it over the gap and became permanently part of our culture. One of the big contributions to the cultural lexicon from Star Trek is the Vulcan salute, a hand signal typically accompanies by the words “Live long and prosper.” You’ll see this gesture and its accompanying phrase on Star Trek t shirts.
Believe it or not, the Vulcan salute was not created by the show’s writers. The writers of Star Trek did not conceive of the gesture, nor the words. Leonard Nimoy himself invented the gesture and put the words to it. Leonard Nimoy is Jewish and he based the gesture on something he saw Orthodox Rabbis doing when visiting an Orthodox synagogue as a child. He saw that they made a gesture where the ring and middle fingers were separated and the thumbs extended, and that they used this gesture when placing their hands on something to bless it. The hand position mimics the Hebrew letter “shin” which is short for one of the names of God in Hebrew. Nimoy created this gesture when he decided that the Vulcans were a race for whom the hand was very important.
The phrase “Live long and prosper,” while not sourced to any particular historical text, does have some antecedents. Various phrases in ancient Egyptian and medieval English literature have phrases that are not exactly the same as “Live long and prosper” but are fairly similar to it. “Live Long and prosper” is featured on many Star Trek t shirts.
