Welcome to the third installment of 411's Top 100 Movie/TV Characters. So far we have seen some heavy hitters come very early in the countdown (Freddy Kruger, Shrek, Bart Simpson, Tyler Durden) which has caused readers to shake their finger indignantly...isn't it great! More than a few people have questioned how the rankings were compiled so they can better understand why they ended up in the place they did.
About 15 writers here at 411 compiled their own personal favourite 100 characters list. Each ranked character was given a points value with everyone's #1 pick worth 100 points. Each successive character down the list receives one less point than the character above until we reach #100 who gets 1 point. All these lists are then tallied and the final hundred is produced.
By using this system it smooths out any anomalies that may appear. To use an example from the first ten..Bart Simpson has controversially placed #95 and The Bride at #91. In the votes tally Bart never really placed highly in anyone's list. He generally got a vote from most voters but ended up mostly being in the bottom 50 of each list. The Bride, while having less people overall vote for her, received higher votes each time. So each was rewarded in two ways, Bart for consistently making most lists but not highly placed and The Bride for having made it high on a few but nothing else. However, since both neither managed to score high and consistently they ultimately didn't place high.
This means the higher we go the more likely the character did both, get actually included in peoples lists and place highly. You also need to take into account that the people voting on this characters list are all male and aged between 20-32. It's going to lean heavily in certain directions and be influenced by television in a big way since TV is such a huge part of our lives now.
Anyway, enough talk. I hope that clarifies some things for you and explains how and why we came up with the list we did. However, we have a countdown to get to, so without any more rambling our next ten characters starts of with a modern day character who took self empowerment to a whole new level
#80 Lester Burnham
As Played By Kevin Spacey Where Have You Seen Them - American Beauty Classic Dialogue -You don't get to tell me what to do ever again. Most Well Known Trait - Discovering its never too late to re-invent yourself Write-Up By 411's - George H. Sirois
Lester Burnham didn't expect to be on a list like this. He didn't really expect much of anything with the way his life was going. He married his college girlfriend Carolyn, who had a wild side that really turned him on. Unfortunately for him, as they got older and had their daughter Jane, Carolyn suddenly became turned on by things other than Lester. Like her rose bushes. Or her job. Or Buddy Kane, a rival realtor that suggests a merger between the two of them, in more ways than one.
No, this is not the way Lester expected to live his life, trapped in the suburbs with a wife who pays no attention to him and an ungrateful daughter who wants nothing to do with either of them. In time, the light literally dies from his eyes and he goes about his business by making as little impact in people's lives as possible. It was like he was just waiting to die.
But then, during a fateful trip to the school basketball game to see Jane cheerleading, something happened that literally woke Lester out of his daze. He sees her. Angela Hayes. One of Jane's friends and a member of the cheerleading squad, Angela is a blonde vixen that literally oozes sex. She brags to her friends about how much she gets it, and how grown men just yearn for her. And even though we find out later that she talks a good game but can't back it up, she is right about a grown man yearning for her. Lester is immediately enraptured with her. He dreams about having her, he calls her home and hangs up and eaves-drops on her and Jane talking about him in Jane's bedroom.
What this sudden awakening does for Lester, however, winds up being the best thing to ever happen to him. He takes stock in his weak excuse for a life and decides to do something about it. It's the ultimate mid-life crisis that we all fear and yet by doing what he does for himself, Lester becomes a hero.
Though his inspiration may tend to creep some people out, Lester's transformation from that point on in the movie is mind-blowing. He finds his old dumbbells in his garage and starts using them. He goes jogging with his neighbors. He buys some pot from Ricky, his other neighbor who is infatuated with his daughter. He extorts a year's worth of salary and benefits from his boss as he is getting fired. He trades in his car for the one he had been dreaming of owning all his life. And he spends his days working in a fast food restaurant so that he has a daily minimum of responsibility.
It's this brand new outlook on life that allows him to take the discovery of his wife cheating on him with an unexpected whimsy. He's so reborn in his ways that he is actually pleased that she was caught just so he could tell her, "You don't get to tell me what to do. Ever. Again." And of course, his newfound freedom pushes him to make the fateful move on Angela that, for a fleeting moment, both of them wanted.
Although the conclusion of the movie shows Lester's life getting cut short, we knew him as a representation of our greatest fears and our greatest ambitions. He started out being the kind of man that nobody wants to be, and evolved from his mid-life crisis in the best possible way.
#79 Spider-Man
As Played By Toby Maguire and many other on TV Where Have You Seen Them - The movies, in cartoon and on TV series. Classic Dialogue - I'm your friendly, neighborhood Spider Man Most Well Known Trait - Swinging from his spiffy web through the city. Write-Up By 411's - Trevor Snyder
You might not believe this, but I am not the sole survivor of an alien world. Nor am I an eccentric, multi-millionaire orphan with unlimited resources. And, last time I checked, I am not a super-genius (much to my chagrin), nor a combat-scarred, ex super-soldier. And while I try not to assume anything, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say this is all true of most of my fellow comic readers as well. We love our heroes, but, for the most part, we sure as heck can't relate to them.
But, wait, a nerdy teenager with girl problems? Man, I've been there. And, I dare say, so have a lot of people. And therein lays the strength, and appeal, of Spider-Man, and the reason many fans (including myself) consider him to be the most interesting super-hero ever created. When Stan Lee and Steve Ditko first brought Peter Parker to life, they made sure he was not just another handsome, muscle-bound Adonis. Parker was just an average kid, not looking to be a hero. In fact, his first thoughts upon receiving his amazing powers were how he could use them to make some money. Not the most admirable goal, perhaps, but certainly a realistic one.
Everything changed for Peter after a horrible tragedy taught him that "with great power, comes great responsibility" (not only a great slogan, but actually good words to live by imagine how much better off we might be if people like George W. Bush subscribed to that theory). And yet, even as he accepted his role as hero, his problems never vanished they increased. No other superhero is more defined by their hardships. Spidey has taken terrible beatings, lost friends and girlfriends (and I mean permanently), and has had to deal with a populace that has never quite completely trusted him. And yet, through it all, he has risen above the adversity and done the right thing, time and time again.
It is this resolve, this desire to do the right thing no matter what, that has appealed to readers for over 40 years now. It has inspired filmmaker Sam Raimi to make the first comic-book film series with as much heart as it has action. And it will continue to drive the character for years to come. We'll be there with him every step of the way, rooting for him, cheering him on. Because, in Spider-Man, we see ourselves. He might stick to walls, have spider-sense, and the proportionate strength of a spider, but, at the end of the day, no other superhero feels more like us.
#78 Gob Bluth
As Played By Will Arnett Where Have You Seen Them - Arrested Development Classic Dialogue - I'm dating this Christian girl right now. She wants me to be honest and reconnect with my son. And I'm trying to get her to renounce God and fuck me, but I just want to prove to her that I'm worth it. Most Well Known Trait - Redefining how much you can suck at being a magician Write-Up By 411's - Tim O'Sullivan
Yeah, the guy who's writing on a $10,000 laptop is going to respect someone like Scott Rutherford C'MON!
It speaks volumes for the quality of Arrested Development that one of its characters has made this elite one hundred, despite only being broadcast for a paltry three seasons. The charismatic yet lazy member of the Bluth family deserves credit for standing out from the AD pack, because the eclectic class of the ensemble was the reason why the show never produced a dud episode.
Even in this era, uniqueness and originality can still be produced, and Will Arnett's portrayal of the worst magician since Paul Daniels epitomises that very fact. Sure, he has the wackiness, eccentric charm and mannerisms close to other characters from television history, but make no mistake, GOB Bluth is not "the next" anyone. He is fresh. He is original. He is one of the greatest sitcom characters in history. Not just the last few years. Not just the decade. But EVER.
#76 Edmund Blackadder
As Played By Rowan Atkinson Where Have You Seen Them - Blackadder Classic Dialogue - Unless I think of something, tomorrow we go to meet our Maker: in my case God, in your case God knows. Most Well Known Trait - Cold hearted, sarcastic bastard Write-Up By 411's - Owain J. Brimfield
Let's get one thing straight at the outset - the Blackadder we know and love isn't the sniveling, weaselly coward from the first series. He's the scheming, sarcastic, power-hungry, Machiavellian aristocrat that lit up British screens from Blackadder II onwards. Love Ben Elton or hate him, his main contribution to the show was transforming Blackadder into a character whose cold, cold heart somehow warms our own. Always in a position of power without the power to gain more power, Blackadder is frequently more intelligent than his superiors and peers, and has enough world-weary cynicism for ten dozen Scotsmen. Whether plotting to sabotage Dr. Johnson's dictionary or trekking round the globe (or at least, the English Channel) to one-up Sir Walter Raleigh, Blackadder remains eternally pissed-off at the stupidity of the world around him. Sadly for him (but of course, entertainingly for us), his schemes are constantly thwarted and he remains completely unable to improve his lot.
Of course he also possesses the sharpest tongue on the screen, courtesy of Elton and writing partner Richard Curtis, and his scathing put-downs are an absolute delight to behold. For all his devious qualities, there's a part of Blackadder that represents a person everyone wishes they could be - someone who doesn't
suffer any fools and is capable of a devastating rejoinder or killer witticism in almost any situation imaginable. Everyone encounters morons in their daily business, and what fun it would be to happily mock them with impunity! Blackadder paves the way for social relations, constantly indulging his own superiority complex while wishing life had dealt him a fairer hand. And for all his yearnings over the years, for all the desperate circumstances in which he finds himself, he finally attains the position
that life has denied him in Blackadder Back and Forth - and you can't help but feel that there is no-one more deserving.
#77 The Janitor
As Played By Neil Flynn Where Have You Seen Them - Scrubs Classic Dialogue - I don't jump out and scare you. I follow you around all day. I only got about an hour and a half of work around here, and the rest of the time I track you, like an animal. Most Well Known Trait - Makes being a Janitor at a hospital seem like a really cool job Write-Up By 411's - Tim O'Sullivan
Ah, to think this chap was supposed to be a small-time player in this little show we call, "Scrubs".
The Janitor is a maverick. He is too damn street-wise and charismatic to be a janitor, but for the sake of small screen comedy we love him for playing that role with such panache.
He can play riddles with JD. He can pretend to be drinking buddies with Doctor Cox. He can wind-up Turk about not getting laid. He can form the coolest air band in the world. He can do it all and make it glorious viewing in the process.
The Janitor may not be the glue that holds the show together. He may not even be the catalyst to the show's success. But he's the shining light in a superb ensemble cast, and with the characters around him that's something to be proud of. We salute you, Neil Flynn. Oh yes.
#75 Det. Frank Pembleton
As Played By Andre Braugher Where Have You Seen Them - Homicide: Life on the Streets Classic Dialogue - He who loses control, loses. Most Well Known Trait - Being caught between the person he is and the job that he loves Write-Up By 411's - Scott Rutherford
Stage-trained Andre Braugher has helped shape his character, Detective Frank Pembleton, into the most complicated, endlessly fascinating character on prime-time today.
Angry, chain-smoking and fiercely intelligent, Pembleton is a Shakespearean tragic hero in J. Crew khakis and sturdy leather suspenders. Brooding and compassionate, confident and self-flagellating, he strides into the squadroom like a conquering prince, striking down lesser men with a stab of contentious wit. Plagued by hubris, haunted by a moral code instilled by Jesuit teachers at an early age, Pembleton is doomed to permanent disappointment, usually at the world for not measuring up to his standards but mostly at himself for some perceived failing as a cop, a husband, a man, a black man. To put it plainly, Pembleton is mightily pissed off. And he shows no sign of lightening up.
A less inventive actor might convey Pembleton's inner struggle with pained contemplation. But Braugher understands that the conceited Pembleton takes that stuff about being created in His image quite literally. Pembleton's God is one cranky dude who happens to be the best at what He does. So when Pembleton asserts matter-of-factly, "Luck had nothing to do with it. God reached down and graced the fool with wisdom,'' after having narrowly escaped a knifewielding ex-con, you believe it. Hey, Pembleton would have done the same for Him.
And as a black cop, what Pembleton sees when he stares at the ceiling at night must be very close to the waking nightmares of O.J. Simpson prosecutor Christopher Darden. So physically similar are Braugher and Darden (the shaved head, the somber gaze, the preppie garb) that they seemed to morph into one as the trial of the century limped to its agonizing conclusion.
But long before Darden found himself wedged between the rock of his job prosecuting one of America's most popular black sports heroes and the hard place of Johnnie Cochran's race card, Pembleton was playing out a nearly identical soul-wracking dilemma for Homicide's small but loyal viewership.
Pembleton's reputation as the best detective in the department would seem to transcend race, but, of course, it doesn't. During the show's run, Pembleton has slugged it out with a white cop who called him "Boy" and lit into well-meaning colleagues for pretending that race doesn't matter. Still, Pembleton is too conservative to make race a rallying cry (it's difficult to imagine him, say, going on the Million Man March). Does this make him a traitor?
In a spectacularly provocative scene that anticipated both Mark Fuhrman and Johnnie Cochran, Pembleton threw Giardello's words back at him and demonstrated how, in a white-dominated society, a black cop whose first loyalty is to the badge can be as dangerous as a white cop whose first loyalty is to other white cops.
Interrogating a black witness to the incident, Pembleton plays up the brothers-in-oppression angle and wheedles, preaches to and guilt-trips the kid until he confesses to the murder he didn't commit.
Finished with his tour de force of self-loathing, Pembleton sneers to Giardello, "He would have had a better chance in the back of a paddy wagon.''
With each bitterly sarcastic remark and impolitic blow-up, Braugher drives home the strain of Pembleton's high-wire-act. Will Frank ever be able to accept his calling as the squad's moral center and voice of reason, without fearing the loss of his racial identity? Can't he ever stop trying to be perfect? It isn't easy being God's favorite cop.
#74 Agent Smith
As Played By Hugo Weaving Where Have You Seen Them - The Matrix Trilogy Classic Dialog - Hello, Mr. Anderson Most Well Known Trait - The glasses and REALLY hating the human world Write-Up By 411's - Trevor Snyder
It's somewhat telling that, as popular as The Matrixis, the only character to make our Top 100 is the series' villain. You'll find no trace of Neo here, no Morpheus, no Trinity. But the acerbic, calculating Agent Smith? You bet. Why is that? Well, as most fans of the franchise will tell you, Smith is simply the coolest thing going. In a series full of ground-breaking effects, jaw-dropping action sequences, and mind-bending ideas, Agent Smith steals the whole show.
As portrayed by Hugo Weaving (in a star-making performance which, if nothing else, guaranteed that Weaving will never again find himself hurting for voice-over work), Smith is at first the perfect embodiment of the Matrix, and the suppression of freedom and free will that it demands. He and the other Agents are mere tools, cogs in a system.
And yet, Smith desires more. And therein we find the appeal of Smith's character, and what turns him from just another emotionless enforcer into one of the most interesting screen villains of all time. We expect the human characters of the films to fight back against their machine oppressors. But when Smith removes his ear-piece and reveals his intense hatred for humans, it is our first evidence that even a computer program can become individualistic. He might be loath to admit it, but Smith is actually a lot like Neo and the other humans he is programmed to destroy like them, Smith is a being who no longer enjoys being just another piece of the machine, and wants more.
This parallel with the human characters would only grow in the sequels, which see Smith now "freed" of his original programming. No longer an "Agent," Smith becomes the malevolent yin to Neo's Messiah-like yang. Once tasked with keeping the status-quo of the Matrix, Smith now desires nothing more than the complete destruction of man and machine alike.
Of course, with a series like The Matrix, which is open to so many multiple interpretations, it could take days to analyze every single facet of the Smith character, and just what exactly he is meant to represent. So, instead, why don't we just boil it down to this he's a hell of a lot of fun. In fact, sometimes it feels like Smith is the only character having any fun in the Matrix.
Personally, I've always wondered if Smith was always intended to become the series' main villain (and the eventual architect of the Matrix's destruction), or if the Wachowski's made that decision after he turned out to be the breakout character of the first film. Whatever the case, Smith's place is the "villain hall of fame" is assured. Hell, if only he could have stopped that rave scene in The Matrix Reloaded, he might have been a candidate for greatest character ever!
#73 - Borat
As Played By Sacha Baron Cohen Where Have You Seen Them - Borat Classic Dialog - Nice! Most Well Known Trait - Being the most wrong man in history. Write-Up By 411's - Scott Rutherford
Love or Hate. When it comes to Borat, you either love him or hate him. There is no middle ground. No room to be persuaded to rethink your position. He polarizes everyone. Created from the disturbingly fertile mind of Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat is a television presenter from the land of Kazakhstan who comes to America...to try to fuck Pamela Anderson I think but really, who cares. It's just funny watching him wander though the heartland of America and seeing how people act towards him.
And there in lies the brilliance of Cohen's art as a comedian and an artist.
People call Borat offensive and disgusting but that was the point. Cohen's whole modus operandi was to turn a mirror on America and just see how far tolerance really goes. Judging by the lawsuits that poured in after the movies release from the unsuspecting people he filmed, it didn't go far at all.
In case you've been living under a rock or under the weapons of mass destruction George Bush Jr is having so much trouble finding, I'll give you some background. Borat is, in any sense of the word, highly offensive. He does things that leave your jaw dropping and you pissing in you pants because 1) Cohen has REAL balls to do some of things he did, where he did them 2)the reactions from these uptight snobs who preach tolerance show they only tolerate what they like. While the movie is indeed fiction and so is the character Borat, the people he interacts with are real and so are their reactions.
Now don't get me wrong, Cohen knows how to push buttons and boundaries and even someone like myself who enjoyed his antics thought he was crossing the line when he shit in a bag and gave it too an unsuspecting housewife, mainly because she was one of the few people in the movie that went out of her way to try and be a friend to Borat and showed the patience of a saint with is more than odd ways. It was like Cohen couldn't crack her so he had to escalate it to extremes. It wasn't funny.
However, most of the time Borat hit marks the were as incisive as they were funny. Case in point, after literally traveling across the country sticking out like a sore thumb and creating havoc in his wake, Borat stumbles upon a Evangelical church revival. Borat enters, not too sure what to expect and suddenly, deep in the American heartland Borat finds acceptance. Where all his goofy rhetoric failed to find favour elsewhere, it got right to the heart of the congregation and he was accepted whole heartedly. Now, before you use that as some template about how the church excepts everyone you have to understand, they took Borat in because they couldn't tell he was ridiculing them. The fact that this insanely wrong man found his place amongst Evangelicals...that about says it all.
Time will tell if Borat will live on in infamy. Cohen has wisely retired the character at the height of its popularity and before it becomes a parody of a parody. For now, Borat is a time and place and an insidious litmus test on social tolerance that the world will look back on in 50 years time and either call it a brilliant social satire or the painful pranks of a sometimes comic genius.
#72 The Three Stooges
As Played By Moe, Larry, Curly-Joe & Shemp Where Have You Seen Them - The Three Stooges movies and TV show Classic Dialogue - Nyuck, nyuck, nyuck. Most Well Known Trait - Beating the crap out of each other Write-Up By 411's - Bryan Kristopowitz
"Calling Dr. Fine, Dr. Howard, Dr. Fine!"
Moe, Larry, and Curly.
Moe, Larry, and Shemp.
Moe, Larry, and Joe.
Moe, Larry, and Curly Joe.
All four combinations, at one point or another, appeared on screen in either a short subject two-reel movie or a full length feature, as the Three Stooges. What exactly were the Three Stooges? Basically, they were three lower class guys who were never in the same job all that long (the majority of their short movies were made around the Great Depression, so they were in a sense a reflection of what actual lower class people were going through during that time), who were essentially dimwitted, who never understood all that much, and who got through life by beating the crap out of one another. Well, mostly it was just one Stooge beating the crap out of the other two.
And it was all done for laughs.
The most famous, specific trio is that of Moe, Larry, and Curly. Moe was the leader, or "head stooge," with Larry as the middle man/guy that stands back and reacts, and Curly was the "buffoon." Shemp, Joe, and Curly Joe also all played the buffoon, with varying degrees of success (they all had a different way of playing the buffoon). Most of the time, regardless of the setting of a particular short (again, they were shown as lower class work people, like ice truck drivers, plumbers, or were just riding around in a broken down truck with all of their belongings, but there were times where they were "upper class" people), the pecking order was the same. Moe was in charge, Larry just stood there, and Curly got smacked. Larry got smacked, too, but it was mostly Curly. Curly was a fat guy who could move, who many have said "had a great gift for physical comedy." He was the ultimate Stooge in that sense because he could do anything. Fall down stairs? Eyes "poked"? Fist to the forehead? He could do it and then some. He was also adept at making silly noises (nyuk, nyuk nyuk) and doing a "shuffle" that made him look more ridiculous (not to mention that he also deliberately wore clothes that were too small for him).
Shemp was a slightly different kind of buffoon. Where Curly was a big, fat guy, Shemp was a "manly wimp." He wasn't "girlie" or effeminate, but he sure as heck wasn't tough. Although he'd certainly make an effort from time to time to act the part (he'd do a boxing shuffle type of thing challenging someone to a fight and then would get his butt kicked). Joe was a total wimp, effeminate to the billionth degree. "Not sooo hard!" was his cry when Moe or someone else was laying into him (and what was the deal with that arm pull thing?). And Curly Joe, who was the buffoon for the five full length feature films "the boys" made, was sort of an older version of Curly. He wasn't as gifted a physical comedian as Curly, but he was always acting "in the spirit" of Curly.
So why are the Stooges funny at all? I mean, when you get right down to it, the essence of the Stooges is mean spirited, cartoonish violence. People getting punched, kicked, saws and sledgehammers to the head and body (no blood), falling and "blowing" up. Just what the heck is so dang funny about any of that? The simplest answer is that Stooges were simple. The plots were simple, the violence was simple, and the characters were simple. Somehow, that simplicity managed to get people laughing. They could recognize a situation or a characterization and realize just how stupid it all was. And the Stooges themselves were extremely into their characters: the Stooges were the Stooges. Over the course of several short movies, you got to know them and you got to like them. So you got to understand what Moe was doing, what Larry was doing, and what the buffoon was doing. And, well, sometimes watching someone push a grown man's face into a pot of boiling water is just freaking hysterical.
The Stooges are still watched, still revered to this very day. We haven't had a similar physical comedy team since. If you think about it, if you look at what the Stooges collectively did, there's a reason no one has achieved similar success. What the Stooges did was so perfectly done it can only be mimicked, it can't be outdone. The Stooges were, and still are, the best at physical comedy.
"Larry: What's that for? I didn't do nuthin'!
Moe: That's in case ya do and I'm not around!"
"Hoi Polloi" (1935)
#71 Charlie Brown
As Played By Voiced by Peter Robbins Where Have You Seen Them - The Peanuts gang Classic Dialogue - Pig-Pen, you're the only person I know who can raise a cloud of dust in a snowstorm. Most Well Known Trait - A boy and his dog... Write-Up By 411's - Ron Martin
In 1950, Charles Shultz created what would become an American institution known as Peanuts. In the very first comic strip, a kid named Charlie Brown was the butt of the joke. So it was and so it shall be. Chuck represents the everyman in life, getting so close to success and then at the last minute having that football pulled out from underneath him. When life gets you down like that, Charlie Brown has taught us the one way to deal with it you lay on your back, watch the leaves fall around you and utter "Good Grief!"
Charlie Brown is the very definition of "lovable loser". In fact, I would not trust a dictionary that did not have a picture of Charlie Brown next to that phrase. He's not an expert piano player; he doesn't spout off deep philosophy at the wall; he can't give you psychiatric advice. If Charlie Brown's dogged determination to continue after that ever elusive moment of success after years of rain falling on his baseball games, his kite getting eaten by a tree or getting a rock while trick-or-treating doesn't capture your heart, I would question if you own one. For years, children would send Valentine's Day cards and trick-or-treat candy to various television studios to show Charlie Brown that they cared.
Charlie Brown is working his way into the hearts of the sixth generation of children these days. There are few things in the world of entertainment with the staying power of Charlie Brown. Long after the current trends and people are forgotten, kids and adults alike will be sitting down to read Peanuts in the comic section of the newspaper. To this day, many (myself included) can not consider it a successful Halloween season without a mandatory viewing of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. It's the last Halloween special left standing. With all the specials surrounding Christmas, A Charlie Brown Christmas still stands out as one of the best. Both of these were made over 40 years ago. That's a testament to just how much we love Good Ol' Charlie Brown.
I can't believe the crappy characters you put on this list. Especially the ones that are ranked higher than Bart.
Posted By: The Dude (Guest) on February 06, 2008 at 12:17 AM
Well, how the list was composed certainly explains things a whole lot better. Personally, I think once the final list was composed, everyone should have looked over it again. Maybe they did, but, taking Bart again as an example, he may not have ranked as high when everyone was composing their individual lists, but maybe by comparison to the characters that made it above him, some might have rethought the ordering a little. Ahh..who knows, maybe that's what happened and I'm just fussing because I don't agree. Either way, good job, and at least a list like this was made in the first place. I may not love it, but I guess it could be worse. Now, like someone said before, if I see Napolean Dynamite in these upcoming lists, I may have a few strong words to say, but otherwise, it's not like any of you guys are new at this sort of thing.
Posted By: StrykersWeaponX (Registered) on February 06, 2008 at 12:24 AM
How The Janitor from Scrubs is ranked above Bart Simpson baffles me.
Posted By: huh (Guest) on February 06, 2008 at 12:37 AM
Because the janitor from scrubs is funnier then Bart? Unless you still live in 1989
Posted By: Some guy (Guest) on February 06, 2008 at 12:56 AM
Get over it guys, Bart is actually a really boring and stale character after the first couple seasons.
Posted By: Joel Yeomans (Guest) on February 06, 2008 at 01:32 AM
I admit, I do find it amusing how many people are getting in a twost over where Bart is ranked. Considering all the tings in the world that you could channel angst into, that's the thing.
I didn't even vote for Bart FYI. I think about 30-35 of my picks actually made it to the overall list. Being Australian I've never even heard of Father Dougal or the show Father Ted yet allot of people voted for him.
Posted By: Scott Rutherford (Registered) on February 06, 2008 at 01:41 AM
fuck this list and any assclown that agrees with it
Posted By: this list sucks (Guest) on February 06, 2008 at 01:48 AM
there wouldn't have been a Simpsons explosion without Bart...we was everywhere in the 90s, he is an icon...fact
Posted By: Erik (Guest) on February 06, 2008 at 02:54 AM
is this list a early april fools joke? It reaks of crap.
Posted By: cenasucks (Guest) on February 06, 2008 at 03:03 AM
Just becuase I like this list does not mean I agree to have sex with you. Jeez.
Posted By: AdamS (Guest) on February 06, 2008 at 03:23 AM
Why is the Janitor and Borat ranked so low. Both are hilarious characters.
Posted By: Nick (Guest) on February 06, 2008 at 03:59 AM
I suppose there is not a lot of complain about that hasn't already been assaulted in print, but I have to give the list one praise... including Edmund Blackadder. Blackadder is with out a doubt one of my favorite shows, and I have yet to find a single person who has seen the show and not laughed uncontrollably. Thanks for a recognizing an oft-forgotten character.
Oh yeah... one complaint. The janitor from Scrubs? What the hell?
Posted By: Blake (Guest) on February 06, 2008 at 04:28 AM
Bart Simpson is not a great character, and i wouldn't have ranked him in the top 100. much like the rest of the Simpsons, he exploded in the 1990's and stayed there. even though the Simpson's seems to have caught its second wind (after just over a decade of not being really funny at all) it is simply too late. hopefully, Bender, Fry, Leela and Zoidberg will hit the list, as not only are they superior characters that you actually care about, but they are from the superior show. there are only so many times i can sit and watch the simpsons rehash the same lame ass stories from the 1990's before i start remembering that there is nothing on another channel that i could watch instead.
Posted By: Darth Mortis (Guest) on February 06, 2008 at 04:41 AM
And everyone bitching about this list are probably the first ones to run to their computers and read each new instalment. If you don't like how the list is coming out, stop reading it then.
Posted By: Mario (Guest) on February 06, 2008 at 04:53 AM
BLACKADDER FTW!
Posted By: Donkeydick (Guest) on February 06, 2008 at 05:25 AM
Since I'm sure the staff put in a decent amount of time constructing this series, perhaps we can find a way to avoid further spoilers contained within the writeups? (see Snyder, Trevor, Matrix)
Posted By: Guest#7496 (Guest) on February 06, 2008 at 05:54 AM
First, the Bart thing. Bart Simpson is gonna be remembered in 10 year. Not Det. Frank Pembleton and guys like that. What makes a good character is someone you remember threw times, like Freddy Krueger.
Posted By: Spike (Guest) on February 06, 2008 at 07:49 AM
People we have to realise there are A LOT of characters from Movies AND TV. We still have to go through a lot - Batman, Dirty Harry, Casblanca etc.
Posted By: Brad (Guest) on February 06, 2008 at 08:03 AM
Homer will top this chart, Im making the call now! :))
Posted By: Mr Plow (Guest) on February 06, 2008 at 09:08 AM
Honestly, I really don't think the issue is for where Bart is really ranked. The issue seems to be who is ranked above him. I know it sounds stupid, but let's use the arguement which some are using to defend the list(which, to me, is perfecetly reasonable). Some have said "Well, Bart is not funny anymore" or "He hit his peak in the 90's". Those are, arguably, very true statements. But, the only issue with that is, well, what about every other character that's coming from as early as the 60's. When's the last time Charlie Brown has done anything(not that I disagree with his placement). Which comes back to where the list seems uneven. The term Greatness is without a doubt completely subjective. Is this coming down to personal taste of which writer liked which show or movie better than others? Is it coming down to which writer felt which characters had the biggest impact? Or most lasting impact? Or maybe the height of popularity of each character? There are so many ways you can define Greatness, that truthfully, a list like this could NEVER please everyone. I think the Janitor is a great character. But, in comparison to someone like, for example, The Man With No Name, well, to me at least, there is absolutely no comparison. A part of defining Greatness is personal taste obviously, but, for me at least, it's combined with which character had a bigger, lasting impact, and other factors as well. I'm sure the writers had a lot of criteria as to how to choose each character, but I think many were caught off guard by how much personal taste was involved. To use one last example in a different sort of way. There are plenty of movies I don't like or am not interested, but I can't deny how well some of those movies were made. How would I define greatness that goes against my personal taste? Well, it wouldn't be that great in my book, right?
Posted By: StrykersWeaponX (Registered) on February 06, 2008 at 10:29 AM
Although I don't deny that Bart is a great character, and maybe should appear a bit higher on the list, to suggest he needs to be higher based solely on the fact that he was a 90's icon is preposterous. Bart is a good character, but in the history of film and television there are characters with far more depth, and far more emotion than Bart. Again, we must look at the list as a list of great characters, not a list of the most popular characters.
Posted By: Todd (Guest) on February 06, 2008 at 10:36 AM
The fun with a list like this is how much controversy it can cause. Personally, I'm enjoying seeing where my favorites end up in the rankings.
Just thought I'd throw a positive comment out there, amid the histeria. Good job, guys, keep up the good work! :)
Posted By: Accelerator (Guest) on February 06, 2008 at 11:17 AM
No one is going to look at Bart Simpson and say "who?" I agree this list is flawed, and is likely to grow in that respect, as people overtake Charlie Brown and other classic pop culture ICONS...
I hope the later rounds pay homage to the past a little. Lucy, Ralph Cramden, Archie Bunker, George Jefferson...
Stooges shouldn't be so low either. At this rate, I am waiting for Steve, DJ's boyfriend from Full House to be number 5.
Posted By: Tim Haught (Registered) on February 06, 2008 at 11:18 AM
Dear readers: are your lives really so empty that you have to complain about rankings on a subjective Pop Culture list? Get a life! Read it for the entertainment value, quit getting your panties in a bunch, and if you hate it so much then stop reading. I think it's well done. Nobody will ever agree with all the choices...that's the fun of it. And honestly, Bart Simpson is a shit character.
Posted By: Quit bitching (Guest) on February 06, 2008 at 11:19 AM
You know, someone mentioned great characters as opposed to memorable ones. I happen to agree with that one. In the case of this list, I won't care about how iconic a character is or whether he will be remembered, but how great he/she/it is. Bart deserved to be in the 90s, House deserved to be slightly higher, The Stooges deserve to be right where they are.
Of course, by that criteria, if Homer isn't in the top 10 at least = instant fail.
Posted By: Fiz (Guest) on February 06, 2008 at 11:32 AM
The 3 Stooges should of been in the Top 10
Posted By: John (Guest) on February 06, 2008 at 01:07 PM
"At this rate, I am waiting for Steve, DJ's
boyfriend from Full House to be number 5."
No way, if anyone from Full House makes the list it better be Uncle Jesse... have mercy!
All joking aside, this is an interesting list and at the very least has provided some interesting YouTube links to watch.
Posted By: DrBdan (Guest) on February 06, 2008 at 01:58 PM
For what it's worth, I'm not sure Bart Simpson would be in my Top FIVE Hundred. I definitely wouldn't put more than one Simpsons character in my top 100, and Homer is ahead of Bart.
Posted By: JD Koziarski (Registered) on February 06, 2008 at 02:58 PM
Stooges = Easy Top Ten
Posted By: Greg (Guest) on February 06, 2008 at 03:23 PM
What's with all the love for Bart? Let's see where Homer is at and then talk.
Posted By: EricG (Guest) on February 06, 2008 at 03:37 PM
Don't worry about the rankings so much. Right now I'm just reading the commentary for each character and seeing how it works. The numbers themselves are meaningless.
Posted By: Gerald (Guest) on February 06, 2008 at 03:38 PM
Seriously?
I will never get over all of these nobodies being ranked higher than Roseanne, as her character single handily revolutionized the scope of television.
Posted By: LOLZ (Guest) on February 06, 2008 at 03:40 PM
This list is fucked! Who the hell is Lester Burnham? WTF? Bart should be at least in the top 20. Weird Al, Dog the Bounty Hunter and DJ Jazzy Jeff are probably the top three. Fuck this list.
Posted By: Jimmy (Guest) on February 06, 2008 at 04:14 PM
I'm surprised that Neo won't be on this list.
Posted By: JLAJRC (Guest) on February 06, 2008 at 05:24 PM
Please tell me Riddick will be on this list.
Posted By: Guest#1320 (Guest) on February 06, 2008 at 06:30 PM
The Joker better be on this list....
Posted By: THE JOKER (Guest) on February 06, 2008 at 07:52 PM
What a great list. Very enjoyable reading.
Posted By: Guest#6323 (Guest) on February 06, 2008 at 09:46 PM
I went back and checked my own list and lo and behold I didn't vote for Bart. Then I did vote for Mr Burns, Krusty and Homer so I figured it'd be overkill. But then I voted for several characters from the Tick and Red Dwarf and you don't hear me whining about their lack of inclusion.
Posted By: Arnold Furious (Registered) on February 06, 2008 at 10:14 PM
Why in the hell is Spiderman so low. There have been plenty of Spiderman cartoons and the movie trilogy is hugely profitable. I do love seeing Janitor on the list though (he's great).
Posted By: William Baldwin (Guest) on February 06, 2008 at 10:57 PM
I agree with the folks that are calling the Bart Simpson character stale.. Homer is a far more dynamic character (did I just call Homer dynamic?)
Beyond that, I would contend that Bart Simpson isn't even the best animated boy character. The transformation of Eric Cartman from a spoiled son of a crack whore to a flat-out sociopath is epic. Bobby Hill is a deeper character than Bart too!
Posted By: Nick (Guest) on February 07, 2008 at 12:09 AM
Spiderman this low makes the rest of your list irrelevant.
Posted By: the chad (Guest) on February 14, 2008 at 06:26 PM
Arrested Development is God. Enough said
Posted By: The girl who knew too much (Guest) on June 16, 2008 at 02:57 AM
