Now we're getting down to the business end of the countdown. With 60 characters already accounted for, we're getting into the really big hitters, characters that defined and changed people and integrated themselves into the pop-culture conscious. Or in other words, we're about to get serious.
As with every one of these that we have posted, we welcome all feedback and all interesting and topical emails will be included into tomorrows countdown.
Let's go!
#40 – Frankenstein's Monster
As Played By – Boris Karloff amongst others Where Have You Seen Them - Various Frankenstein movies, TV shows and cartoons Classic Dialog - He's Alive….well, he doesn't say it but the dude doesn't speak! Well Known Trait - The bolts in his neck Write-Up By 411's - Trevor Snyder
First off, let's get something straight – we're talking about the monster here. And no, his name is not Frankenstein. Exasperated horror fans have been making this distinction for years, ever since James Whale's amazing 1931 film, which turned both the monster and his creator from mere literary legends into flat-out pop-culture icons.
And yet, in an odd way, this common mistake is perhaps the best evidence of the character's popularity, and why he deserves his place on this list. Sure, the name of the movie (and the numerous remakes and re-tellings that followed it) is Frankenstein, and yes, it is primarily the doctor's story. But we all know who the real star of the show is; who really captured the audience's imagination. Thanks to the haunting, yet soulful performance from legendary Boris Karloff, the monster became an immediate sensation, and would go on to become arguably the most famous movie monster of all time.
Since Karloff first brought Frankenstein's creation to life, the monster has become a cinematic mainstay, resurrected time and time again. And, like Dracula (his only real competition for that "most famous monster" title), the monster has proven to be incredibly adaptable, able to be re-invented and re-worked in order to fit into all kinds of tales. Sometimes he shows a childlike innocence; other times he's an evil villain. Sometimes he is frightening; other times he's comedic. Sometimes he's intelligent; other times he's as dumb as a bag of rocks. Some time's he's portrayed by an unknown stuntman; other times he's played by Robert DeNiro(!).
Through it all, one thing has remained consistent – the public's fascination with him. No matter how many variations are trotted out, there is always an audience for this walking, talking (sometimes) collection of body-parts. Dr. Frankenstein may have been the one to have brought life to this creature, but it is the fans who have kept him alive over all these years.
And, actually, that's a perfect way to put it, because it gets right down to the element that makes the monster so enthralling – life. Almost all horror is about death, and the story of Frankenstein's monster is no different. And yet, it is not just the scary unknown of death that this tale offers. Instead, it presents us with an intriguing concept – the actual conquering of death by man's hand. From the beginning of time, we have felt that our eventual fate is, for the most part, out of our hands. Yet Frankenstein suggests that it need not be, that the wonders of man-made science can provide a life after death.
Of course, whether or not man has the right to play God is the true point of the story, and it is reflected in the monster's often sad tale. The monster did not ask to be created; he does not wish to be a "monster." He is feared and hated simply for existing, something that is completely out of his control. He is a monster, but he is also human, and like all of us, he wants nothing more than to find his place in the world.
He might not realize it, but he's already found it – in the hearts and minds of audiences around the world.
#39 – Bugs Bunny
As Played By – As voiced by Mel Blanc Where Have You Seen Them - Looney Tunes Cartoons Classic Dialog - What's up Doc? Well Known Trait - Not taking the left turn at Albuquerque Write-Up By 411's -
He stands at an imposing three foot three, four foot if you count the ears. He was born in Brooklyn, but where ever he lives now, he took the wrong turn at Albuquerque to get there. He is a lifelong womanizer and a cross-dresser. I'm speaking, of course, of the iconic Looney Toon we all know and love, Bugs Bunny!
There's a reason he's lasted as long as he has in the public eye. Bugs has made a living getting into trouble and then worming his way out, all with a bite out of his carrot, a little "What's Up, Doc?" and a smart-ass attitude. He's foiled the plans of such dastardly characters as Elmer Fudd, Yosemite Sam, Danny DeVito and that one schmuck who kept saying he wanted, oh, three or four lumps. No matter the odds, Bugs has counted on his wits and his adversaries' stupidity to get out of any problems. Granted, one time he did need Michael Jordan's help, but for the most part, Bugs has been able to handle anything himself.
Bugs works so well as a character simply because he caters to everyone – man, woman, child and stoned college student. No matter how old you are, he's going to make you laugh. And for me, being from New York, Bugs will always have a special place in my heart. After being in about a dozen features and over 175 short films, Bugs Bunny will continue to make every generation – past, present and future – laugh. No matter what, I'll always be a fan.
#38 - Cartman
As Played By – Voiced by Trey Parker Where Have You Seen Them - South Park Classic Dialog - Respect my authoritah! Well Known Trait - Overweight, annoying and his mothers a crack whore Write-Up By 411's - Owain J. Brimfield
Trey Parker and Matt Stone have said it themselves - Cartman is the best character to write for. Their original plan for South Park was to cast Stan and Kyle as their alter egos, but as they moved down the line they found they both had a greater affinity for the fat kid with the red jacket. It's easy to see why, as Cartman has become the mouthpiece for the large majority of the show's filthiest jokes and taboo-smashing, censor-baiting set pieces, while remaining perplexingly loveable as a character. How many other people could get away with feeding another child his own dead parents, or choreographing a musical number about how their friend's mum is such a bitch, and still have you root for them? Not many, folks, which is why we should all respect Cartman's authoritah.
Raised as an only child by a single mother with a shady, sex-video past, Cartman is doted on at home. But this isn't enough for the evil little guy, and he seems to devote most of his days to destroying other people's happiness - and bizarrely, chiefly that of his closest friends. Most of the time Stan, Kyle and Kenny are horrified at Cartman's outrageous behavior, but they stick with him because they know that eventually (well, occasionally) he will get his comeuppance. Cartman has had a hand in many of the show's greatest moments - I defy anyone to forget the Jennifer Lopez episode - and he is, of course, indirectly responsible for the greatest line in the history of South Park: "This kid has cancer... in the ass!" Whether he's baiting Ethiopians, leading a ginger uprising or dressing as a robot to mess with Butters, Cartman is infused with such a foul-mouthed joie de vivre, such an impossibly infectious
enthusiasm for his own evildoings, that you just can't help but love the fat (sorry, "big-boned") bastard. Now, if you'll excuse me - screw you guys, I'm going home.
#37 – Randall Patrick Murphy
As Played By – Jack Nicholson Where Have You Seen Them - One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Classic Dialog - I'm a goddamn marvel of modern science. Well Known Trait - Causing a disturbance in the nut house Write-Up By 411's - Ian Wright
There's a school of thought which says that Jack Nicholson doesn't really act in his films, he just plays himself but he's such a charismatic motherfucker that he can get away with it. I'm not quite sure if that's entirely accurate because when the mood strikes him he can play restrained but if you're looking for the epitome of Nicholson at his scenery-chewing wild-man best then looking no further than his portrayal of Randal Patrick McMurphy.
McMurphy as an allegorical embodiment of the 60's counterculture doesn't quite sit right with me, the fighting part of "fight and fuck too much" doesn't match the peaceful image that I have in my head of those who went against the establishment yet he's seen as one of the defining counterculture figures in film and literature. And I think this failure to even conform to the common idea of an antiestablishment figure is why he represented the spirit of rebellion so perfectly. He was a drunken Mick brawler who did whatever the hell he wanted anyone who told him he couldn't was in for trouble. This
doesn't necessarily make him bad (and in truth no one who displayed the kindness he did towards some of the other inmates in the asylum could be truly considered bad), or even mad because he was certainly saner then the system which he found himself trapped in and which ultimately destroyed him when it realised that it couldn't control him but his attempts to antagonise those who challenged him was asking for trouble.
And that's probably the great tragic flaw of McMurphy. His inability to back down from fights that weren't even his led to his downfall and even though his actions did have some positive effects; the Chief coming out of himself and the formerly cowed Cheswick being able to finally stand up for himself the negative consequences of what he did, as shown by the death of Billy Bibbit could be disastrous.
#36 – Buffy Summers
As Played By – Sarah Michelle Gellar & Kirsty Swanson Where Have You Seen Them - Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV show and movie Classic Dialog - I'm not like other girls Well Known Trait - Killing vampires…..often having sex with them as well Write-Up By 411's - Ian Wright
Right, before I start let's make clear that I'm writing about the TV
show and not the film.
Populist, teen/young adult starring television is supposed to be a
dumb, unchallenging (guilty) pleasure. By that reckoning then Buffy The Vampire Slayer fails right off the bat because it was one of the smartest shows in the history of television. And I'm not just talking about any single aspect of it, the whole show was smart; the concept, the casting, the writing, the execution, everything. If you wanted to sit down and come up with the perfect TV series to appeal to young people then this what you'd get.
Buffy had a little bit of something for everyone; fantasy, adventure, romance, humour, action, strong but hot girls, cute boys, (kinda poorly acted) pathos, drama, the lot. And the fact that it melded those aspects together so seamlessly is a testament to the quality of writing involved in it.
I realize that I've spent the previous 150 odd words talking about
Buffy, the show rather than Buffy, the character but really that's
because it's hard to separate one from the other. There may have been a strong supporting cast but to all intents and purposes Buffy was the show. And the character of Buffy was as well rounded as the show was. She wasn't merely some supernatural chosen one whose only function in life was to slay vampires or fight demons. There was a sense of genuine humanity to Buffy which is what made her a truly great character. She was a (relatively) normal girl with normal girl issues; problems with boys, fighting with (then losing) her mother,
struggles with school and in later years college and work, Buffy was relatable. And that's often something that can't be said about characters even in straight drama.
#35 – Lucy Ricardo
As Played By – Lucille Ball Where Have You Seen Them - I Love Lucy Classic Dialog - RICKYYYYYY! Well Known Trait - The red hair Write-Up By 411's - Ron Martin
Ask 50 random people to name a whiny redheaded celebrity past or present and I bet a good portion of them will come up with Lucille Ball. Ask 50 more people the funniest female in television history and just as good a portion; maybe even a bigger one will say Lucille Ball. Lucille Ball is often intermingled with Lucy Ricardo, the character. The character that is being recognized here as one of the best ever.
For those of you who just landed on Earth, Lucy Ricardo is the titular character in the classic I Love Lucy. Lucy's zany exploits make for some of the funniest moments in TV history. Often parodied and imitated, but never duplicated, Lucy was a pioneer for women in Hollywood and for physical comedy. Each week Lucy would devise an overly complicated but hilarious plan to get something she wanted/needed (most notable to be in Ricky's show). More often than not, Lucy was able to talk neighbor Ethel into following along and the hilarity began.
While not the first pregnancy on TV, Lucy's pregnancy with Little Ricky remains, to this day, the most important. Not only did Lucy play trailblazer once again, but also the episode where she gave birth (ironically enough, the episode aired the exact day she went into labor in her real life) commanded close to 70% of all televisions viewed that day. There must have been schlock on the other channels, right? If you consider the inauguration of President Eisenhower schlock, that's your personal business.
The word "classic" has been whored out so much in the last few years that most people think that the word is just a synonym for old. If someone wanted to know the true meaning of the word, they need look no further than the I Love Lucy DVD sets. Whether it's smashing grapes, making candy or dressing like a hobo to get into Ricky's show, Lucy Ricardo is not only a classic but an American treasure.
#34 – Norman Bates
As Played By – Anthony Perkins Where Have You Seen Them - The Psycho movies Classic Dialog - Not so much dialog but that sound in the shower scene Well Known Trait - Dressing like his mother….and killing people Write-Up By 411's - Ron Martin
Norman Bates wasn't what one would call a sane man. Sure, he seemed like a nice enough fella when he was checking you into the Bates Motel. A little on the odd side, but harmless nonetheless. It was when he put on his dead mother's clothes, thinking he was her or talking to her actual corpse that you really had to be on your guard. Hey, the daily ins and outs of running a crappy motel that is barely keeping its head above water will do that to you.
As you peruse through this list of characters, you notice how some of them have affected your life, and maybe some haven't. Norman Bates is one of the characters that you think hasn't affected you, but he has. It's a stormy night, you're in the shower, don't even try and convince me that you're not going to look through the shower curtain to make sure there's not a silhouette of a person with a knife waiting to slice into you. Maybe you've been weary of a strange desk clerk at a cheap rundown motel. Either way, Bates has gotten to you.
Bates performed what may be the most iconic murder scene in all of movies when he took the knife to Marion Crane in Psycho. However, Bates, the character would go through a lifetime of dramatic events in four different Psycho flicks. Abused as a young boy, confused and mentally ill as a young man, Bates was also the target of cruel actions by other family members after being released from the mental institution. With a lifetime of pain, it's no wonder Bates is the first image likely to pop into someone's head at the mere mention of the word psycho.
#33 – Archie Bunker
As Played By – Carol O'Connor Where Have You Seen Them - All In The Family Classic Dialog - Well Known Trait - Political incorrectness Write-Up By 411's - Bryan Kristopowitz
Archie Bunker is prejudice.
Archie Bunker is a racist.
Archie Bunker is a bigot.
How unappealing. How unappealing all around. And yet, for some reason, Archie Bunker is one of the most well known and loved characters in the history of television. Why? Why would a large throng of the television watching public (and the critical media establishment) essentially lionize a character, a man that "good and decent" society says is someone who should be ostracized, ignored, and banished?
First, while "A. Bunker here" is prejudice, racist, and a bigot, he's also an idiot. A total idiot. He's not quite a moron (morons tend to do lots of pratfalls and weird physical comedy), but he's not exactly a rocket scientist, either. Archie Bunker isn't "book" educated (He's never read any sociological studies on this and that). You could say that he's a product of "the streets," a product of the "school of hard knocks," and that the stereotypes he latched onto and used throughout his life were a result of what he experienced early in life. When he was a young boy and a teenager America wasn't integrated. If you weren't Caucasian you weren't really an American, you were something else (think of any minority racial epithet and that's what you, non-Caucasian, were). Blatant, out right racism was expected by society, even encouraged. So what do you expect from someone totally immersed in that environment? Idiocy.
And it doesn't help, either, when you mangle words and phrases and you don't know that you're doing it.
"Mike Stivic: You know, you are totally incomprehensible.
Archie Bunker: Maybe so, but I make a lot of sense."
See? Idiot.
Second, Bunker loves his wife Edith. He doesn't always treat her well. He often makes fun of her, calls her stupid, calls her a "dingbat," but he also provides for her. Yes, when he gets home he wants to know why dinner isn't on the table, he wants to know why he doesn't have one of those yellow beers ready to go on the small table next to his chair, he wants to know why Edith hasn't prevented someone from sitting in his chair, and he wants to know why Edith isn't happy with just being a housewife. Edith often humors her husband because she, too, deeply loves him, but she doesn't always take what he gives her. She isn't always the big pushover that he thinks she is. And when Edith decides that Archie has done something extremely bad and harmful she lets him know and he eventually figures it out. She knows there's quite a bit of "bad" about her husband, but she also sees the "good" stuff. That's why she keeps hanging around.
Third, Archie loves his daughter Gloria. He was a "good" father to her. He provided a home and food and he spent time with her as a child. He created a loving bond with her. Even after marrying the ultra liberal atheist Mike Stivic, Archie allowed Gloria and Mike to live with him at 704 Hauser St. Archie didn't have to. He could have told his "little girl" to hit the road if she wanted to marry the atheist Meathead. But he didn't. He allowed it to happen. And even after complaining about Meathead's lack of a job and Meathead's ultra liberal views and his apparent constant eating, he let him stay. Archie did it all for his little girl.
Fourth, he loved to argue with Mike. "All in the Family's reputation for talking about social and political issues is best seen in the many, many arguments Archie and Meathead had. Again, Mike was the liberal, and Archie was the conservative Republican (he's probably what sexual harasser Bill O'Reilly would call a "traditionalist") and the "views of the day" were distilled through the both of them. If you were a liberal you probably loved it when Mike would make Archie look like an ignorant fool, and if you were a conservative, you probably loved it when Archie made Meathead crazy and yell (because when you have nothing good to argue all you can really do is make the other side look like a raving lunatic. Look at the creationists and their "debates").
"Archie Bunker: Well if all blood's the same, let me ask you this: how come they ain't got no Swedes in the mafia?
Mike Stivic: What does that got to do with anything?
Archie Bunker: Because your Italians got a lock on it. That's why. It's in their blood. Same way it's in your blacks' blood to do the 'scooby-dooby-doo'."
And fifth, Archie Bunker was played by Carroll O'Connor. O'Connor was, and while he's now dead, still is one of the best character actors of all time, be it TV or movies. O'Connor was personally against everything that Bunker stood for (O'Connor was a well known evil leftist), but yet made Archie Bunker "three-dimensional," a full on human being. He never had to wink at the camera or play off a line or a word to let the audience know that Bunker was an idiot. O'Connor just played it straight. And while playing Bunker straight he made him real. You may have detested him and everything he stood for, but you couldn't deny that Bunker was a person with feelings and emotions. He was always wrong, sure, but you still kind of wanted him to hang around. You always felt like you knew him.
A man of many contradictions? A man of many things? Archie Bunker was a kind and decent man with absolutely horrible views and ideas. He was what he was.
#32 – Jay & Silent Bob
As Played By – Jason Mewes & Kevin Smith Where Have You Seen Them - The View Askiewinverse Classic Dialog - Snoogins Well Known Trait - Infantile humour, drugs, talking about sex and The Quick Stop Write-Up By 411's - Scott Rutherford
In many ways they are the perfect screen couple. In many ways a lot of you reading this Top 100 Characters will be thinking we cheated when allowing two separate roles be considered one but really, when you're talking about Jay & Silent Bob, where one goes the other is surely not far behind.
As with anything truly great it almost always starts out as an accident. Jay & Silent Bob were peripheral characters is Kevin Smith's no budget homily to convenience store workers Clerks. They only had a few scenes but they usually stole those bad boys right out form under the noses of everyone else. So much so that when Smith made his next movie Mallrats, these characters where transplanted over and again stole every scene they were in. Bar one exception (Jersey Girl), Jay & Silent Bob have appeared in every Kevin Smith film and more often than not, they were the best thing going. So what is it that makes us want these two and why must they always be together?
That may be the toughest question to answer because everything about them suggests that we really shouldn't have taken them to heart like we did. Smith has often said Jay was based on Jason Mewes when he was about 16 years of age and Silent Bob has been suggested to be based on Smith's father who was economical with his words but always spot on when he spoke. While the basis for the characters make sense they fact the Mewes and Smith respectively play these characters makes it hard to grasp why we love them. While Smith is a student of film and was no real surprise he could guide his way through a character that didn't speak Mewes, who has to carry the verbal side if the duo, had never acted before and need much guidance and patience.
It's easy to see that point, especially in Clerks, as Mewes struggles for timing and you can easily tell he wasted on more than a few occasions. When Mallrats dropped Smith decided to expand the roles and Mewes really had to step up his game which also meant The Jay character started to flesh out and we found out that Jay is pretty much the most offensive stoner on the planet. It would have been easy to be offended by most things that he said but for the most part, everyone loved him.
However things got weirder in Smith's fourth film as he not only revived them again in Dogma they actually were front and centre main characters and Mewes had to really carry a large part of the film while even becoming more offensive. It still makes me wonder how Jay & Bob became so lovable when at the start of Dogma they state they hang around abortion clinics to pick up loose woman…indeed.
By the next film Smith put Jay & Bob front an centre and so it came to pass that a direct and his teenage buddy from the suburbs of New Jersey starred in and carried a film all their own and even though we had such moments as Jay trying to go down on a nun as thanks to her for giving them a ride we couldn't get enough. SO much so that when Smith's Jersey Girl had the rough ride it did he reverted back to Jay & Bob for his seventh film and all was right again.
So I ask again, why so great? For me it's the combination of Jay's devil may care, I'll-say-anything and do-anything way. The character has no limits so when he says rank things we just laugh out loud and shake our heads. Bob is a lovable sidekick who always knows the score but lets his buddy Jay take charge. They balance out each other perfectly.
While it remains to be seen if they'll ever grace the screen in a movie again in any really significant role, we'll always have six great movie and enough wrong, rank and completely hilarious dialogue to get us through.
#31 – Ellen Ripley
As Played By – Sigourney Weaver Where Have You Seen Them - The Alien movies Classic Dialog - Stay away from her you bitch! Well Known Trait - Never being able to get away from the alien. Write-Up By 411's - Trevor Snyder
Here we have her – the highest-ranked woman in the Top 100. No surprise there – I mean, really, how could it be any other way? There's never been a more kick-ass, iconic female character in film history than Ellen Ripley.
And yet, that almost wasn't the case. When Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett first wrote the script that would become Alien, Ellen Ripley was just "Ripley," one of several unisex characters who the two writers thought could be either male or female. Luckily, as we now know, director Ridley Scott would eventually give the role to Sigourney Weaver, and film history was made.
In retrospect, the decision to make Ripley a woman was a fairly obvious one – simply sticking to the usual horror tradition of the sole female survivor. And yet, thanks to Weaver, Ripley was so much more than just another one-note heroine, as the actress brought strength and dignity to a role that, in the wrong hands, could have just been another action bimbo.
The character's depth and complexity would continue to grow in James Cameron's brilliant Aliens. For years, filmmakers had a tendency to pigeonhole female characters into one of several stock character types, such as the "girly-girl" or "butch she-warrior." Not content with such easy classifications, the second film gave us a Ripley that could not only stand toe-to-toe with the ultra-macho Colonial Marines, but was a caring, loving nurturer as well, as shown in her relationship with the young Newt. The performance would earn Weaver an Academy Award nomination; and let's consider that for a moment. She was nominated…for an Oscar…for a big-budget sci-fi action movie called Aliens. If that alone – making even the stodgy, message-film loving Academy stand up and take notice – isn't a testament to the power of this character, then I'm not sure what is.
After Aliens, Ripley's status as an action-icon was assured, and she would return to the screen twice more. No matter what you may think of the series' last two installments – and they certainly have their detractors – the fate they presented for Ripley was an appropriate one. Faced with being the host to a new alien queen, Ripley took her own life in one final heroic act – only to be reborn, against her will, and now actually part alien herself. It was a fitting finale for the character, now forever one with the aliens that had defined her for so very long.
Today, Weaver has not ruled out a potential fifth outing as Ripley. For the galaxy's sake, we can only hope it will come to be. After all, despite what the lame AVP movies would have you believe, we all know that Ripley is the only one with the balls to take the bugs down.
Posted By: guest (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 12:30 AM
Cartman needed to be Top 10
seriously.
Posted By: Guest#9781 (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 12:35 AM
Wow, best one of the lists yet, I hope you have Dente and Randel a little later on the list.
Good call on Archie btw, thinking about it, it's hard to explain a lovable bigot to anyone thats never seen the show
Posted By: Post (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 12:38 AM
bugs not in the top ten? how? He's iconic! You can't really think of cartoon without that pesky wabbit. and cartmen over him? no. Bugs is a legend. Cartmen is...well...he's on his way, but will never be in the same light as bugs.Hell, he even emulated him in the episode with osama, that's how much of a legend bugs is.
Posted By: i love digimon (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 12:55 AM
Cartman needed to be higher, and WTF is Malcolm Reynolds?! Arguably the best character on the best science fiction show ever (Firefly)!
Posted By: Guest (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 01:50 AM
i hate to be one of those guys but... CARTMAN IS THE BEST CHARACTER ON TELEVISION TODAY! defintly deserves to be in the top 10. and i never realized how many freakin buffy fanboys were on this site.
Posted By: adam (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 02:11 AM
Why in the Hell isn't Bunker in the Top 10?
Posted By: Master of the Obvious (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 02:19 AM
Am I the only one who thought that Lucille Ball was disgusting and not even a little bit funny or entertaining?
Posted By: JD Koziarski (Registered) on February 12, 2008 at 02:23 AM
Jay and silent bob over Bugs bunny?????????
Riiiight.
Posted By: cenasucks (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 02:44 AM
How Buffy and Lucy Ricardo are even in the same breath is amazing to me. I understand how your guys system works, but how LUCILLE BALL got around the same number of points as Buffy is ridiculous!
Lucille Ball OWNED her own studio! What has Buffy ever done but give some lame scifi watching wannabe critics a hard on? Then again... it probably was the vampires that did that..
Posted By: Guest#2889 (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 02:47 AM
The more of these I read, the more evident it becomes that Ian Wright should've really been in charge of writing all 100 write-ups. Like, REALLY.
Posted By: JCullen (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 02:52 AM
Kool-Aid Man for #1...
Marvin the f'n Martian better be soon...
Posted By: Brad (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 04:43 AM
Buffy the Vampire Slayer.. higher than fuckin BUGS BUNNY?! Jason Mews talentless potty mouth, over fuckin BUGS BUNNY?!
Now see here.. that rabbit is a fucking American Institution! A got'dam Franchise! He's taken on HITLERFORJESUSFUCKSAKES!!
I think we need a control variable for this list, we'll call it "Fanboy Factor". It will add points for each voter that selects a particular show, helping to outweigh any statistical outliers (I'm looking at you, Buffy.. and Bride!)
I mean seriously.. fuckin Bugs Bunny. I hope to Christ that Naploean Dynamite isnt on this list.. or someones gunna have some SPLAININ' to do! FUCKING BUGS BUNNY!!
Posted By: (guest(Guest)(Guest)) (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 04:52 AM
FINALLY the women are appearing again. You fanboys need to step it up for the final 30.
Posted By: HC (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 05:33 AM
I'd take Buffy over Lucy anyd ay. Lucy was a one note characetr who wans't even as funny as some claim. Buffy Summber is an iconic character who carried the story no matter what situations the show put her in. Even when I disagreed with Buffy's actions, she was worth watching.
I think a lot of Buffy (the show) fans underesimtae the character and actrees playing her a great do instead jumping into other characters' bandwagons.
Not enough good things can be said about SMG's protrayal of the role. That's for sure.
She's top 10; but I'll take what i cna get...
Posted By: Volourn (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 05:56 AM
The more of these I read, the more evident it becomes that Ian Wright should've
really been in charge of writing all 100 write-ups. Like, REALLY.
Thanks mum.
Posted By: Ian Wright (Registered) on February 12, 2008 at 06:06 AM
bunker BELOW jay and silent bob???
you must be kidding.
Posted By: MaxPower (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 06:36 AM
If Buffy is on this list and Snake Plissken from the Escape series and Ash from the Evil Dead series aren't I'm going to laugh at how stupid the writers are.
Posted By: Alex Ewing (Registered) on February 12, 2008 at 07:21 AM
I'm sorry, but Buffy is more iconic than Lucy? Yeah, sorry, kid, more people know who Lucy is than Buffy. The character of Lucy did more for television than Buffy ever did.
Posted By: Sherwood (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 08:35 AM
you are retarded. seriously. retarded. buffy is more important than bugs bunny.
seriously
you are a fanboy who loves bewbies over content, right. what are your criteria.
you suck. you really really suck.
seriously, what factored in to these choices. are the cast of "the Hills" going to be numbers 10-1. is the "WB". going to sweep the top 25.
you suck, seriously, you suck.
have you gone to school, or anywhere outside your mothers basement and / womb.
you really suck. this list has lost any claim to validity.
in closing,
you suck
seriously.
Posted By: Guest#2772 (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 09:41 AM
another craptastic installment. I'm holding firm to my dartboard theory here. Just keep throwin' those darts.
Posted By: Craig C (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 10:41 AM
I just hope the 411 staff knows there are many of us out there who appreciate the effort that went into this list AND understand how the rankings work. Nobody is going to agree with all choices and/or rankings. Deal with it.
Christ, every new posting amounts to a bunch of whiny little piss ants going "Blah Blah..my favorite should be higher, you guys don't have the exact same taste as me..you all suck...blah blah."
Go make your own fucking lists you fuckin cunts.
Keep up the great work 411.
Posted By: Jason B (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 10:42 AM
the last few lists have been questionable but interesting. Bugs Bunny and Cartman not being in the top ten doesn't sit well with me one bit. Jay & Silent Bob should've been WAY down the list. i bet Homer Simpson is going to be #30 next.
Posted By: bluenoserob (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 10:47 AM
who the hell is ash?
Posted By: Guest#7251 (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 11:04 AM
Archie Bunker should be top 5 at the very LEAST. How old is the guy writing this column?
Posted By: JMASCORPIO (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 11:10 AM
Jay & Silent Bob at #32? You can tell 411 made this list...
Posted By: Guest#6914 (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 11:17 AM
I am a wrestling mark and a comic book geek, but seriously the judges need to get out more; placing Buffy characters this high on the list in front of Icons... This list is called 411's top 100 so Iit is fine if 411 stands for Buffy... I would think 411's list would be littered with Hulk or Mick Foley not Spike =)
Posted By: DontYouWishUWereMe (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 11:41 AM
Damn right, Alex, damn right. Ash for the top 20.
Posted By: Anvil (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 11:48 AM
Nobody cares about Buffy. I like Jay and Silent Bob as much as the next guy but they don't deserve to be as high as they are. Bugs Bunny should be much higher along with Cartman.
Posted By: Stephen Baldwin (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 12:01 PM
1...jay and silent bob over anyone? i am disappointed with this one, seriously. 2, i hope to every god out there that not one character from Firefly darkens the list. 'the best sci-fi show ever' is a statement about Firefly from someone who has obviously never seen any other science fiction show or movie ever. 3, Lucille Ball was awesome on the radio shows, a bit overrated on tv, but she is still iconic.
Posted By: Darth Mortis (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 12:05 PM
List = FAIL
Posted By: Kip (Registered) on February 12, 2008 at 12:08 PM
I wonder if any of the "Lost" characters will make the list as there sure to get more and more iconic as time goes by unless some of them have already been on and i've missed them.
Posted By: superplex (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 01:00 PM
Ash is the main character in the Evil Dead movies and Army of Darkness played by Bruce Campbell. Quite possibly the greatest "B" movie actor in the last 30 years... maybe ever, depends on your taste really.
But he has tremendous comedic timing, and his performances in these movies certainly warrants him a spot on this list.
And yeah man... Napoleon Dynamite better not make this list.
Hogan should though. Probably shouldn't be this high if he is making an appearance, but he's always been a pretty big deal.
Posted By: Bahb (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 01:03 PM
Cartman above Bugs??? WTF??
Posted By: Jim (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 01:21 PM
Bunker needs to be top 10. Way more influential than Jay and Silent Bob, or Ripley.
Posted By: Guest#6959 (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 01:25 PM
#1 is going to be ALF !
Posted By: Gay Mysterio (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 01:51 PM
who ever is maing this list stop, please just stop!
Posted By: kasehard (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 02:32 PM
cartman > bugs bunny?
jay & silent bob > archie bunker?
you're insane, rutherford!
Posted By: Brian (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 02:36 PM
"How old is the guy writing this
column?"
Collectively? Mean? Median?
Posted By: Ian Wright (Registered) on February 12, 2008 at 02:43 PM
jay and silent bob...better than archie bunker and lucy....i think this list just lost all credibility
Posted By: steverthebeliever (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 02:54 PM
Blah Blah..my favorite should be higher, you guys don't have the exact
same taste as me..you all suck...blah blah.
Posted By: Guest#8314 (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 03:19 PM
Donkey Lips for #1! Harvey from "Double Dare" for #2! Nel Carter for #3! Alf for #4! Boss Hog for #5! WALKER Texas Ranger for #6! K.I.T. for #7!
Posted By: Guest#6008 (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 03:20 PM
bart simpson > Cartman.
Sorry, bart simpson is a character that is known even to dying african babies. The same cant be said about cartman.
Posted By: stown (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 03:21 PM
Clark Griswald.. seriously. I know Snake Pliskin cant place this high so he isnt making it. I can accept that. But seriously.. Clark Griswald.
Posted By: Guest#3824 (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 03:22 PM
WOW this list is pretty bad so far. We better being seeing Tony Soprano, Stringer Bell and Omar Little pretty soon or this shit will become completely irrelevant. How can you place characters like Jason ahead of Atticus Finch? The AFI's number one hero in the history of film, and Jason is ahead of him?
Posted By: Matt Lajeskie (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 03:38 PM
[insert name of my favorite character, regardles of how obscure] IS [insert impossible superlative]!!! [expletive]!!!
Posted By: Internet Fanboy (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 03:40 PM
Appreciate the effort but this list sucks donkey balls,eric cartman down so far wtf is going on here
Posted By: smg7 (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 04:01 PM
Other than I think these lists should be renamed the "411 Favorite Characters List" I'm finding these articles fun to read.
Posted By: JLAJRC (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 04:54 PM
the dialogue for Norman Bates should have "We all go a little mad sometimes"
Posted By: chris (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 05:21 PM
I love all the friction that's happen over this. For people that seem to say they don't care they certainly get hot under the collar about certain picks.
I will stand firm on this opinion...if I made a top 10 out of all the characters that people said should have an automatic placement there I would have 30 of them.
As for the Lucy under Buffy argument...I pretty much agree. Lucy fell into the "got high votes from a few people" class where as Buffy got votes form most everyone which boosted her higher.
I too also thought the lack of females on the list in general was disappointing. I don't want to spoil things so I wont get into who did or didn't make it but I will say the picking were slim.
Posted By: Scott Rutherford (Registered) on February 12, 2008 at 06:05 PM
I hope the 411 staff understands that I do NOT appreciate this effort and think that it is a pathetic effort to mimic other list's with better writers. Your whole system of rating sucks. This will not stand. This list has NO authority.
Posted By: raw fan (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 06:58 PM
jay andsilent bob are better characters than any of the others on these lists with the exception of cartman
Posted By: tony (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 08:10 PM
Great list so far Scott! The only complaints I have are Buffy and Spike's rankings. Why? Hated the show. But that's neither here nor there.
Posted By: Dustin James (Registered) on February 12, 2008 at 09:17 PM
I appreciate how difficult a list like this would be to make. But you have Bugs Bunny, the most famous cartoon character of all time, losing to Buffy the Vampire Slayer???
I don't even mind Buffy. She should be on a list of top 100. However, global impact hasn't clearly hasn't been taken into consideration here.
I can't remember who does it, but there's a 'classic album' music award that can only be awarded 20/25/30 years after it was released so that it's overall impact can be properly assessed. Such a system would be better served for this sort of topic, as I doubt Buffy would be so high in 10-15 years time
Posted By: The Real JJ (Registered) on February 12, 2008 at 09:35 PM
Once you got the top 100 votes out of every body then you should have voted again on just those 100 because there is no fucking way bugs bunny and to a lesser extent Cartman should be this low. No 1 better be a really good choice
Posted By: Nick (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 11:00 PM
Buffy is on the list? And in the top half?
You guys better not fuck up #1 because this is quickly getting embarassing.
Posted By: Learning Tree (Guest) on February 12, 2008 at 11:02 PM
Good call on Jay and Silent Bob
Posted By: Lucyfa (Guest) on February 14, 2008 at 06:58 AM
Someone, please, purchase a dictionary for Bryan Kristopowitz. The character of Archie Bunker was "ignorant", not an "idiot". Big diference.
In all fainess, he was spot on when he wrote, "Archie Bunker was a kind and decent man with absolutely horrible views and ideas."
Posted By: David Burcham (Guest) on February 17, 2008 at 11:07 AM
2. Omar Little
1. The Dude
Posted By: Guest#4864 (Guest) on February 19, 2008 at 11:57 AM
there is no way archie and cartman should not both be in the top 10, possibly going 1-2
Posted By: guest (Guest) on April 06, 2008 at 01:10 AM
No room for Hamlet, huh?
Posted By: JT (Guest) on July 04, 2008 at 03:45 AM
Why is Fox Mulder so below on the list? He's more iconic than many above him. And where the hell is Scully? Come on Scully's character broke the stereotypes for the females in TV she's truly iconic!!!
Posted By: Lily (Guest) on February 11, 2009 at 11:01 AM
