ululate!

Perhaps disgusted with the state of politics in 2020, actor Sean Connery has peacefully quit this plane of existence at the age of 90, passing away in his sleep at his home in the Bahamas.  The man was a walking paradox:  he loved his native Scotland so much that he actively fought for its independence, yet he accepted being knighted by overlord authority Queen Elizabeth (to become Sir Sean thereafter) and moved his residence out of Scotland to sun-bright locations like Spain and the Bahamas.

I'll remember Connery best for his roles in Never Say Never Again (I hadn't seen too many of his older Bond movies at that point in my life; that came later), The Untouchables, The Hunt for Red October, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (oh, and let's not forget the corny Highlander and The Rock).  The man's résumé included a long filmography; I doubt I've seen a tenth of the roles Connery played over the course of his career.  That said, I have enough Connery in my cinematic diet to know he was a Hollywood icon and maybe even a cultural force.  His bid for Scottish independence didn't succeed (Scotland itself seems fine remaining teat-dependent on the UK, if not the EU, in a post-Brexit world), but legions of male fans do Connery impressions, begging beautiful women to shit on my feysh.  Saturday Night Live used Connery—who had made controversial statements about "handling" women in years past—as comedy fodder for a slew of Jeopardy-themed sketches.  Without a doubt, Connery had a major impact on Western culture.

It's sad to think we now live in a world without Sean Connery, but it's said that we die to make room for future generations, so maybe, somewhere in the future, a cinematic talent like Sir Sean will arise.  And who knows:  perhaps the new Connery is already among us.