Middle-earth is Not the Muppet Show!
hen...@swirve.com
Row and Sesame Street are practically identical are simply excavating
lies out of their own brains - or rather, the suppurating garbage
heaps they flatter by calling them brains.
Horus Engels
Öjevind Lång
Dear Professor(?) Engels,
I beg to disagree. There are some striking similarities between the
inhabitants of Middle-earth and the Muppets. Just think of Gandalf and
Saruman, for example. They are almost indisinguishable from Ernie and
Burt. Gwaihir? Big Bird. Kermit the Frog? Gollum. Miss Piggy? Fatty
Bolger. Fonzy? Beorn. The Swedish Chef? The spitting image of Sam
Gamgee.
Öjevind
pmh
It's "Bagshot Row." At least get the names correct.
Pseudonymus al-Faqha'ter III
This is typical of the fairly simple level at which TEUNC minds
function, or don't. Anyone can make a list of things and say they're
alike. For example, our first-year students compile lists of 100
things the One Ring reminds them of. But when they start to become
*scholars*, they move beyond that to the deeper significance of
TOLKIEN's works.
For example, the important thing about Gwaihir isn't that he reminds
you of Big Bird (or Jay Leno, as a number of my students have
observed). The important thing is that he teaches self-reliance and
individualism by not taking the Ring to Mt. Doom. The hobbits have to
do it on their own, without any Big Government to help them out.
That's what matters.
(Really.)
Derek Broughton
> Anyone can make a list of things and say they're
> alike. For example, our first-year students compile lists of 100
> things the One Ring reminds them of.
I'm afraid I couldn't get past 0.
--
derek
Noel Q. von Schneiffel
No, the correct Westron spelling, used in the Red Book, is
"Baggershot". However, in Bilbo's time, it was pronounced "Bagshot", a
mere contraction caused by slurry speech. Professor Tolkien used this
spelling in the translation to emphasize the rustic nature of the
hobbits.
The name, of course, originates from "Baggins' Hot", as this was the
place where female ancestors of Bilbo worked as prostitutes before the
family gained wealth and reputation.
Noel
Paul S. Person
An article in the current /Science News/ (on invisibility cloaks, of
all things) not only appears to confuse Harry Potter with Science
Fiction (although, since magic is taught, has laws, and can be
researched in the reality of Harry Potter I suppose an argument could
be made along those lines), but also states, as a known fact, that the
One Ring was based on the ring of Gyges (Plato, Republic).
So I guess the question of where JRRT got the idea for the One Ring
has been settled, at least in the scientific sense.
--
Here lies the Tuscan poet Aretino,
Who evil spoke of everyone but God,
Giving as his excuse, "I never knew him."
Pseudonymus al-Faqha'ter III
Yes. The name "Baggins" referred originally to "getting them in the
bag."
In related news, the High Hay was originally meant to be rolled in.
Öjevind Lång
<pseudony...@fats.teunc.org> wrote:
[snip]
> > I beg to disagree. There are some striking similarities between the
> > inhabitants of Middle-earth and the Muppets. Just think of Gandalf and
> > Saruman, for example. They are almost indisinguishable from Ernie and
> > Burt. Gwaihir? Big Bird. Kermit the Frog? Gollum. Miss Piggy? Fatty
> > Bolger. Fonzy? Beorn. The Swedish Chef? The spitting image of Sam
> > Gamgee.
>
> This is typical of the fairly simple level at which TEUNC minds
> function, or don't. Anyone can make a list of things and say they're
> alike. For example, our first-year students compile lists of 100
> things the One Ring reminds them of. But when they start to become
> *scholars*, they move beyond that to the deeper significance of
> TOLKIEN's works.
>
> For example, the important thing about Gwaihir isn't that he reminds
> you of Big Bird (or Jay Leno, as a number of my students have
> observed). The important thing is that he teaches self-reliance and
> individualism by not taking the Ring to Mt. Doom. The hobbits have to
> do it on their own, without any Big Government to help them out.
> That's what matters.
I agree that there are similarities between Gwaihir and Jay Leno. I
also think Glenn Beck is a very wicked caricature of Lobelia Sackville-
Baggins.
Öjevind
Pseudonymus al-Faqha'ter III
Glenn Beck's wisdom is foreshadowed by that of Gandalf.
hen...@swirve.com
<pseudony...@fats.teunc.org> wrote:
<snip>
> > > For example, the important thing about Gwaihir isn't that he reminds
> > > you of Big Bird (or Jay Leno, as a number of my students have
> > > observed). The important thing is that he teaches self-reliance and
> > > individualism by not taking the Ring to Mt. Doom. The hobbits have to
> > > do it on their own, without any Big Government to help them out.
> > > That's what matters.
>
> > I agree that there are similarities between Gwaihir and Jay Leno. I
> > also think Glenn Beck is a very wicked caricature of Lobelia Sackville-
> > Baggins.
>
> Glenn Beck's wisdom is foreshadowed by that of Gandalf
He laughed - laughed - as he set fire to his hair. Frodo or Ann
Coulter, no matter.
Horus Engels