101 Most influential people who never lived
Interesting list over at USA Today — The 101 Most Influential People Who Never Lived.
Fictional characters, and the influence that they have on society, is a very, very interesting question. Now, I can’t say that I agree with the whole list, at least not without knowing their ranking criteria, but it is an interesting question that’s sure to generate much debate. Thankfully (and somewhat surprisingly…) they didn’t include any religious figures. It shouldn’t surprise me, but given the tenor of today’s culture, I must say that I am pleasantly surprised.
Fwiw, my top 5 would include (in no particular order):
- Charlie Brown
- Bugs Bunny
- Dilbert
- Superman
- Calvin & Hobbes (they cannot be separated!)
I’m sure if I put some more thought into it I could come up with a bunch more, of varying levels of significance. But I’m comfortable that the five I just listed are both iconic and influential enough to merit inclusion — and four of my five didn’t make it on to the “official” list! 
What say y’all?
-ghp
Ever wish you were animated?
An intriguing question — Have you ever wished you were animated?
Yup. I’ll admit it. I did.
I grew up rather obsessed with the Peanuts/Charlie Brown universe, with the apex being roundabouts 4th grade. The genius of Charles Schulz has always appealed to me, and I’m pretty sure that it always will. I would’ve jumped at the chance to live in Charlie Brown’s neighborhood, even for a day. Sympathize with Charlie Brown. Talk theology with Linus. Hang with Snoopy & check out his van Gogh. You know, the standard stuff. A simpler time that really wasn’t all that simple…
In later years, I got more involved with the Archie Comics universe. I would’ve really liked to live in Riverdale, and be a part of the gang. Hang with the guys. Play pranks on the ‘Bee. Get a soda at Pop Tate’s. Rescue Betty from the indignity of playing second fiddle to that spoiled brat Veronica.
I’ve enjoyed a great many other cartoons & comic strips over the years, but those are really the only two that I’ve ever wanted to live in and/or be a part of.
What about y’all?
-ghp
Things That I Should Like, But Don’t
There are some things out there, entertainment-wise, that I really should like, given my propensity for darker, cynical, snarky, and/or irreverent humor.
But I don’t.
Family Guy is my gold-standard example of this. By all rights, I should be a huge Family Guy fan. After all, I was a huge Ren & Stimpy fan right from the get-go. Same with South Park & Futurama, just to name a few. But Family Guy just doesn’t get it done for me, and I’ve wondered & thought about why for quite a while now. I think it has to do with the fact that Family Guy is over-the-top just for the sake of being over-the-top. I don’t mind a certain amount of crudity and/or off-color humor, if there’s a point being made. And that’s where, IMO, Family Guy falls far short of the mark. It’s not literate enough for my tastes. South Park, for all it’s faults, is very literate, and has quite a bit of valid social commentary just under its oft crude & slimy surface. And, while Family Guy isn’t as gratuitously grotesque & without any redeeming qualities as, say, Drawn Together, it’s still not worthy of the acclaim it’s received, IMO.
All that, however, is just a prelude to my officially backtracking on another entry in this category. Specifically, Napoleon Dynamite is no longer in this category. The first time I tried to watch this movie, I couldn’t make it all the way through it. I hated it. And even though it bothered me a little that I hated it, I was more than willing to write it off as a lost cause. Lately, however, I’ve been hearing some renewed buzz about how good the movie is, and that some folks didn’t “get” it until they’d seen it a second or third time. So, when I saw that it was on HBO (we just got HBO added to our DirecTV so that we could watch new episodes of The Sopranos, don’tcha know…), I figured I’d give it another shot.
And, what do you know, it didn’t suck! 
So I can change my opinion, after all…
(but it won’t happen with Family Guy…)
-ghp
Minor Revelations
5 things about me that I haven’t mentioned (or expounded on) before in this blog…
- I like, and try to exclusively use, fountain pens. My current ink of choice is Noodler’s Ink (Legal Lapis [blue], Waterproof Black, & Red-Black). I tend toward the lower/cheaper end of the spectrum (i.e., none of my pens cost more than ~$65, and the majority cost in the $20 range), with my favorite brands being Rotring, Wality, & Pelikan. My favorite pen-related vendors are Pendemonium & Swisher Pens. My current paper of choice is made by Rhodia & sold by FollyFolio. Writing, when using a good pen to put great ink onto quality paper, is a sublime experience.
- I love Boston Terriers. I have been around BT’s my entire life (38 yrs as of 11/02), and I plan on always having at least one around from here on out. Currently, we have a 3 y/o male named Hammie. My first foray into creating a website was for Hammie’s sister Bwanna, who was the first “child” my wife & I had (from just before our first anniversary in 1990 until her passing last year). Courtesy of the Internet Wayback Machine, you can see Bwanna’s home page as it was in April of 2001, which included a photo album of the Piper family Bostons that was current at that time. Pugs & French Bulldogs are also cool little beasties, but BT’s are the best!
- A new, growing obsession of mine is Scrabble. I’m currently in the “honeymoon” type of stage, where I’m almost obsessive in wanting to learn more about the game & its strategies, and more than a little impatient with my (lack of) progress along the learning curve.
- I love cartoons, but not universally. From the “Golden Age” of cartoons in the 1940’s & 1950’s, Warner Bros. toons are by far the best. I’ve always preferred the WB Looney Toons/Merrie Melodies stable of characters & toons to those from Disney or MGM (e.g., Tom & Jerry). These Golden Age cartoons are my overall favorites. From the 1960’s, there were only a few that I liked, and continue to like. I find most of the Hanna-Barbera toons to have aged quite poorly, while ones like Bullwinkle are still quite good, thanks to their high-quality writing. I also like the Charlie Brown cartoons (esp. the ones for Christmas, Halloween, & Thanksgiving), even though they (much like the comic strip could) make me sad — but a good kind of sad. I remember many TotalTelevision offerings (like Underdog & Tennessee Tuxedo), along with other cheesy toons like Speed Racer & Kimba, quite fondly, even though they don’t really hold up too well today. The Freling-Depatie offerings were horrible, IMO. The 1970’s & 1980’s were, in terms of cartoons, a vast wasteland. There was a renaissance in cartoons beginning in the early 1990’s with the arrival of Ren & Stimpy (though it was never the same once John K. got forced out…). The Simpsons is good, but Futurama was better. Current favorites include The Fairly Oddparents and Catscratch.
- Rock Star: INXS is better than American Idol! This may surprise some of you who’ve read my (sometimes way too detailed) reviews of AI, but RS:INXS (which ends tonight — go Marty!) has improved upon the formula that AI established (and kudos to Mark Burnett for that!). The music is better (genre and performance), the judging is better (Dave Navarro rocks!), and the House Band is incredible!! I also like the way in which the voting is run (where the public votes for the bottom 3, from which the band chooses the person sent home), as it helps safeguard against some of the injustices that AI is forced to endure. RS:INXS also does a better job in letting us get to know the contestants. Oh yeah, and the host of RS:INXS is better than AI’s…
Ok, that’s about it for this round of self-revelation. It went a little longer than I’d planned (particularly #4), but as I find editing to be more painful than writing, I’m leaving it well enough alone. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to ask/make them, and I’ll do my best to respond intelligently…
-ghp
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