MARK JUDGE: The Bad News Bears and Our 1980s Bacchanals. “The Bad News Bears is one of the most hilarious and politically incorrect films ever made. It came out in 1976, when America was a more freewheeling place, for better and worse, and was a huge hit. It portrayed kids realistically. The little-league Bears cussed, used stereotypes, thought their alcoholic manager Morris Buttermaker (Walter Mauthau) was useless, and got into fights. They were real kids. That include the girl pitcher Amanda Whurlitzer, brilliantly played by Tatum O’Neal. Amanda fired right back when the boys razzed her, and mowed them down with her fastball. She was tough, smart, and independent. Those are things we used to hope girls would be.”

Turns out it’s more useful to the powers that be to keep them insecure, anxious, and full of free-floating hostility.