WHICH CARTOON CHARACTER ARE YOU?

Those of us who grew up watching animated cartoons undoubtedly found ourselves identifying with certain characters... often because we would perceive traits in those characters that we admired. or that reflected similar aspects of our own personalities.

There was Bugs Bunny, who would (generally) never go out of his way to pick a fight - but if anyone messed with him, he would administer a serious beatdown. “Of course you know this means war!”

There was Dudley Do-Right, who despite a general air of cluelessness, always defended the honor of his sweetheart Nell while fighting for Truth, Justice, and the Canadian Way.

There was Popeye, a member of our armed services, a student of the Sweet Science of fisticuffs... and a man who understood the value of proper nutrition.

At one time or another, who among us has not felt a hot flush of Donald Duckian anger... or of Daffy Duck-style ridiculousness? And breathes there a milquetoast who cannot relate to the Ur-Milquetoast of Cartoondom, Mickey Mouse hizzownself?

Me, I never cared much for the Hanna-Barbera stable of characters, but there was one among them for whom I always felt a sort of kinship. I speak, of course, of Fred Flintstone.

I’m not sure what it was I liked so much about Fred. Patterned on Jackie Gleason’s immortal Ralph Kramden of The Honeymooners, he was - to put it delicately - a Neanderthal of the first water. Not exactly the sharpest knapped-edge flint knife in the drawer... and yet he was a solid citizen, a good and loving husband, and blessed with a prodigious appetite. All qualities I could respect. Also a tad stubborn and short-tempered, qualities maybe not to be respected, but certainly ones I had in common with him.

(I always thought Betty Rubble was more attractive than Wilma Flintstone, though. Maybe it was her bizarre, yet infectious cackle laugh, a laugh that SWMBO can duplicate perfectly. Barney never knew how good he had it.)

I liked Fred, but I never thought of myself as identifying with him... at least, not until very recently.

Here’s Fred...



...all ready for his monthly lodge meeting. Yes, Fred was a member of a Fraternal Organization, the Loyal Order of Water Buffalos - the model and inspiration for any number of similar organizations today, such as this one:



After the events of this past weekend, though, maybe I have more in common with Fred than I previously thought...


Yeah, there’s definitely some Fred Flintstone there.