Ralph

Cidu Bill on Dec 5th 2008

ralph.jpg

Filed in Bill Bickel, CIDU, Pickles, comic strips, comics, humor | 15 responses so far

15 Responses to “Ralph”

  1. PeterW Dec 5th 2008 at 12:19 am 1

    Ralph is a childish old man who was either in a car or a wheelchair.

  2. FL Dec 5th 2008 at 12:26 am 2

    Ralph is an old man’s name, and a baby with the name would act like a crotchety old man.

  3. Miwo Dec 5th 2008 at 01:35 am 3

    Baby Herman from ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ came to mind but I still don’t get it.

  4. Yaniv Dec 5th 2008 at 02:07 am 4

    The old man in the strip is named Earl, and he’s comparing his name to the name Ralph, dictating that they’re both out of style. His wife’s little story is playing off that comparison, and is actually about him, not a guy named Ralph.

  5. heather Dec 5th 2008 at 09:30 am 5

    I LOL’ed at this one. To my mind, it’s about the perceptions we have of different names, and the idea that a name will influence a personality.

    For example, if you think of a girl named “Candi” you probably think of a busty bimbette, right? You don’t see many bimbettes named “Eunice”. You’d think “Eunice” is someone rather plain and conservative, even old-fashioned.

    You don’t think your high-paid corporate lawyer is going to be named “Lance” or “Seymour”. “Lance” is a stud and “Seymour” is a nerd. The lawyer will be something traditional and strong, like “John” or “Richard”.

    And how about “Cletus”?

    In other words, whether true or not, names have stereotypes. There are bimbo names, jock names, nerd names, doofus names, business-like names… etc etc.

    So FL is right — a baby named Ralph would act like our stereotype of Ralphs — crotchety old men with cigars.

  6. Suzanne Dec 5th 2008 at 10:05 am 6

    No- I think PeterW had it. Ralph is an old man acting like a baby.

  7. eeyore19 Dec 5th 2008 at 10:23 am 7

    heather: I’ve noticed that all of the women I’ve known named Shirley, they’ve all had the nickname “Squirrelly Shirley” (and deservedly so).

  8. Charlene Dec 5th 2008 at 11:26 am 8

    When I think of the name Ralph, I think of a fat, wife-beating alcoholic with a fourth-grade education who does well in life mainly because he has more luck than brains. Can’t figure out why that would be…. (whistles)

  9. padraig Dec 5th 2008 at 12:21 pm 9

    My FIL is named Ralph and he offered $100 for the first (presumably male) grandchild named “Ralph.” I told him he’d have to up the ante.

  10. J-L Dec 5th 2008 at 12:52 pm 10

    Like Heather, I also laughed at this one, and I happen to agree with her. Her brilliant explanation is “spot-on.”

  11. Mark Jones Dec 5th 2008 at 01:02 pm 11

    Heather nailed it. It’s the stereotype associated with the name Ralph…which, in a roundabout sort of way, is probably the reason you don’t see many children named Ralph anymore.

    (BTW, the name Ralph always makes me think of Ralph Wiggum, not a cigar-smoking old man.)

  12. Lessa Dec 5th 2008 at 02:15 pm 12

    For those of us over a certain age, the name conjours up the late Jackie Gleason’s Ralph Cramdon. An over-weight, loud-mouthed bus driver. “To the moon, Alice!”

  13. Mark in Boston Dec 5th 2008 at 03:50 pm 13

    By the way, have you noticed how many boy’s names are now girl’s names? Once a name is used for a girl it can never again be used for a boy. There’s Evelyn and Joyce and of course Bambi. No stag, no matter how many points he has on his antlers, will ever again be named Bambi.

  14. Cedar Dec 5th 2008 at 05:37 pm 14

    My sister has a very Eastern European name (As our ma’s parents are from that area of the world), and she hated it growing up, as it sounded old-fashioned and weird. Nowadays, with so many Russian/Eastern European models and actresses, I think it has such sexier connotations (and similarly negative ones, as she gets a ton of “mail order bride” jokes). So there’s hope for everyone, even Ralph.

    (Ralph does indeed sound old and stodgy to me, but Ralphie is pure Christmas Story)

  15. todd Dec 6th 2008 at 03:01 pm 15

    Ralph Malph comes to mind for me.

    I think ralph could also be considered a throwing up sound. Maybe that’s why nobody names their kid that anymore.

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