World Enough and Time

I got Westley! Without even cheating! At all!

Oh, you don't remember yours? He was fun, he was. Think "small and evil".

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Small and evil?

Hmm.

I don't think of myself as either. I'm more... plump and benign. I like to think I have hidden depths, though. I just haven't found them all yet.

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vervassal.livejournal.com

(http://paradox.of.arden.tripod.com/quiz/princess/index.html)

Which Princess Bride Character are You? (http://paradox.of.arden.tripod.com/quiz/princess/index.html)
this quiz was made by mysti (http://www.livejournal.com/users/mamaslyth)

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Hee! Well done!

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Maybe it was the intellectual angle that got you this result :)

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To be smart is to be evil? There's an odd metaphysical assumption there!

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Well, he got outsmarted by the good guy..

Hey, I didn't write the movie.

Although another movie says, "evil will always triumph over good, because good is dumb".

I think perhaps stupid evil just dies very early; smart evil lives on. *goes to pet Lex Luthor*

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kikibug13.livejournal.com

OOh. Do, do see it again!

I got Miracle Max - good, although I'd have LOOVED Inigo. Thank you!

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Yes - I did this ages ago and got Vizzini.
"Never go up against a Sicilian when death is on the line!"

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You're welcome!

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Never go up against a Sicilian - now, why does that make me think of Federigo Secundo? Or maybe Robert Guiscard?

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A common motif in popular culture, alas. Probably because most people are stupid.

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Yes!
(Mind, I did adapt the quote once in

oltramar to "Never go up against a Piemontese...")

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Well, he got outsmarted by the good guy.

As so often happens.

Hey, I didn't write the movie.

It was William Goldman, wasn't it? I love his writing - ! (Yes, it's as good as yours, but less inclined to be brief.)

"evil will always triumph over good, because good is dumb".

Which movie? And was it a villain who said so?

I would say, having pondered the question for all of three seconds now, that moral virtue and level of intelligence are not connected in any quantifiable proportion. I would argue instead (as in Camelot) that it's easier to be good and happy than it is to be evil and happy, but that intelligence is an accident of genetics that has no relationship to either.

stupid evil just dies very early; smart evil lives on

That, I believe!

goes to pet Lex Luthor*

My hero! (well, one of them!)

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Hmm, good alteration. So what might happen if Conrad went up against one of those Sicilians? - it's like the old Marvel comics game of guessing "who is stronger, the Hulk or Thor?" Not a question with an answer, unless any random writer wants to give it one, but rather fun to play with in a speculative way. Conrad died a few years before Federigo was born; I like to think they'd have had interesting conversations. And come to think of it, they had a fair bit in common, both being Kings of Jerusalem under controversial circumstances.

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Spaceballs (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094012/quotes). If you haven't seen, I rec you do. Funny 80s. It was said by Dark Helmet, IIRC a small and dumb version of Darth Vader.

If you plan to take this a serious way (which I hadn't until just now), it's mostly depending on what one considers good and evil. Or smart and stupid, for that matter.

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I find it hard to sympathize. Though it might help explain why I like certain evil characters more than, or as much as, their heroic counterpoints - especially when there is a prospect of rapprochement between them.

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Spaceballs

No, haven't seen it. There are so very many movies I haven't seen...

It was said by Dark Helmet

I like his name!

it's mostly depending on what one considers good and evil. Or smart and stupid, for that matter.

Yes, concepts like this slide around when you look at them. I've always liked the morality of the Lex Luthor in Smallville, though I haven't been tracking the character much lately. Ditto some of the other characters I'm thinking of - Magneto is only evil if looked at a certain way. (Or in the hands of certain writers.)

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I think he'd tell Fred off for keeping his grand-daughter more or less locked up, until she died producing an heir at the age of 16!

But they were both very intelligent and cultured, and would probably have much to talk about. And, of course, Fred did win back Jerusalem by treaty!

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One of the reasons I couldn't stand SV is that the "good guys" were behaving in a way I can't, in a million years, call remotely sane, let alone good. And the bad guys all seemed rather easily explainable. Dunno. Couldn't tolerate it after a while.

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I think he'd tell Fred off for keeping his grand-daughter more or less locked up,

Yes, and quite rightly, too.

they were both very intelligent and cultured, and would probably have much to talk about.

Interesting parallels.

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The writing on Smallville became increasingly inexplicable to me. I have never liked Superman much as a character (though there have been some excellent Superman stories from time to time). I did like the idea of an adolescent Superman learning how to use his powers and come to terms with his alien nature - well, come to think of it, I always liked the character of Superboy (in contrast to Superman). But on the show, Clark Kent has more and more shown himself to be morally contradictory, passive, dangerous and even malevolent - and always seems to be excused his crimes while Lex Luthor, however well-meaning, can't get a break.

Of course my judgement was affected by the fact that I found Michael Rosenbaum's Lex to be sexy.

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I'm sure Fred's falconry expertise would be of interest, too! Any gentleman should be knowledgeable about birds.

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Rosenbaum was/is with no doubt the prettiest of Lexes.

I just couldn't stand a LOT of the people there and their morals, or what passed for their morals, or the way they were presented as "good". It gave creeps and made for cringe. I can rant about this show for hours - literally - perhaps even days if someone was to listen and I didn't explode any small blood vessels. But I'd rather not.

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I just couldn't stand a LOT of the people there and their morals, or what passed for their morals, or the way they were presented as "good". It gave creeps and made for cringe.

Yes. It looked hypocritical, and though I may be tolerant of a lot of dramatic flaws in my heroes, 'hypocritical' is not one I cope with. I'm all for moral ambiguity in heroes, but this wasn't even that. It was moral inconsistency. Made no sense.

Naw, don't rant, not necessary. Certainly not with me, as I probably agree with you on all key points.

The difficulty in finding truly intelligent characters - particularly heroes - on television is that writers uusally can't write characters more intelligent than they are. When it happens - when we do get such a character - it can be brilliant. Mulder in the early seasons. Methos. Veronica Mars. A breed too rare.

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Any gentleman should be knowledgeable about birds.

Well, I like to think people in general should be knowledgeable about birds! I remember once a friend of mine - an intelligent man - being surprised that birds slept, like mammals do. His surprise rather shocked me, in that it seemed so clueless. As if he'd never thought about birds as living, thinking beings - least of all the bright, loveable creatures I know them to be.

I think Conrad would have respected expertise in any field, but falconry was both an important and a specialized one. Impressive.

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But I do seem to be liking more villains, or sidekicks, or evil sidekicks, than heroes. They do seem to be smarter in a lot of the popular media - yeah, the evil ones. Don't know why that is.

In Eureka, not so much evil ones, and everyone's smart one way or another. I'm not used to that.

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Since I have something of a passion for heroism (or maybe it's a fetish), it seems odd that I should so often like villains - but the intelligence factor might explain it, as I also have this passion for intelligent characters. (Brainiac 5 and Saturn Girl. Spock. Funny, though, I've never liked Sherlock Holmes.)

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I remember once a friend of mine - an intelligent man - being surprised that birds slept, like mammals do. His surprise rather shocked me, in that it seemed so clueless. As if he'd never thought about birds as living, thinking beings - least of all the bright, loveable creatures I know them to be.

How bizarre! I thought most people knew they tucked their heads under their wings and dozed. (they look so cute doing it, too!).

Birds are wonderful. Please tell Logan that for me.

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I thought most people knew they tucked their heads under their wings and dozed.

I thought so too! I guess not.

Birds are wonderful. Please tell Logan that for me.

I will, as soon as I get home. He'll enjoy hearing it. I've been calling him both "little Logan" and "mighty Logan" and he seems to respond equally to both names. He just likes having me talk to him.

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He's a wee sweetie.

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I'm home now, and he's chirping sweetly to me.

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monsieureden.livejournal.com

INCONCEIVABLE!!

hahaha. Oh man, that guy's a loon. We have a patron who looks just like him and has a similar voice and every time he comes in we say 'inconceivable!' in the office, haha.

I need to recommend the Princess Bride to him, lolz....

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Good idea! Maybe it's already his favourite movie...

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filkferengi

You might remember this actor, Wallace Shawm, from "My Dinner With Andre" [which, despite the promising title, had--alas!--nothing to do with Andre Norton].

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