Icons of Incompetence
March 16, 2013 7:05 AM Subscribe
What cultural figure might you compare someone to (individual or group) if you wanted to portray them as bumbling and incompetent? E.g. Keystone Cops, Inspector Clouseau, the Washington Generals... I'm particularly interested in international examples that Americans (like me) might not know about.
Best answer: The British might say Colonel Blimp, based on the David Low cartoons (and not the movie, The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp). "Low developed the character after overhearing two military men in a Turkish bath declare that cavalry officers should be entitled to wear their spurs inside tanks."
posted by TWinbrook8 at 7:19 AM on March 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by TWinbrook8 at 7:19 AM on March 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
American example, but Captain "Wrong Way" Peachfuzz from Rocky and Bullwinkle. You'll still occasionally hear someone say "wrong way, Peachfuzz!" when someone is lost or misguided.
posted by dayintoday at 7:52 AM on March 16, 2013
posted by dayintoday at 7:52 AM on March 16, 2013
Not a person, but Fawlty Towers is a cultural touchstone for bumbling incompetence.
posted by bimbam at 8:08 AM on March 16, 2013
posted by bimbam at 8:08 AM on March 16, 2013
It seems most cultures have their own version of "Polish" jokes. For example, in Ireland, you tell a Kerryman joke.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 8:11 AM on March 16, 2013
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 8:11 AM on March 16, 2013
Best answer: Mariano Melgarejo was president of Bolivia in the 1860s and his gross incompetence is the stuff of legend there.
posted by silvergoat at 8:57 AM on March 16, 2013
posted by silvergoat at 8:57 AM on March 16, 2013
Best answer: Van der Merwe is one from South Africa. The character Wikus Van der Merwe in District 9 is a reference.
posted by logicpunk at 9:02 AM on March 16, 2013
posted by logicpunk at 9:02 AM on March 16, 2013
Best answer: Frank Spencer from Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em.
posted by HandfulOfDust at 9:11 AM on March 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by HandfulOfDust at 9:11 AM on March 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Another British TV example (to join Mr Bean and Fawlty Towers): Dad's Army
posted by James Scott-Brown at 9:26 AM on March 16, 2013
posted by James Scott-Brown at 9:26 AM on March 16, 2013
Best answer: In Yiddish story telling tradition, when you want to tell a story about foolish people you would place it in the mythical village of Chelm.
A young housewife living in the town of Chełm had a very strange occurence. One morning, after buttering a piece of bread she accidentally dropped it on the floor. To her amazement, it fell buttered side up.posted by Chocolate Pickle at 10:16 AM on March 16, 2013 [3 favorites]
As everyone knows, whenever a buttered piece of bread is dropped on the floor, it always falls buttered side down; this is like a law of physics. But on this occasion it had fallen buttered side up, and this was a great mystery which had to be solved. So all the Rabbis and elders and wise men of Chełm were summoned together and they spent three days in the synagogue fasting and praying and debating this marvelous event among themselves. After those three days they returned to the young housewife with this answer:
"Madam, the problem is that you have buttered the wrong side of the bread."
The St. Louis Browns, one of the worst but most colorful baseball teams in history.
posted by steinsaltz at 10:19 AM on March 16, 2013
posted by steinsaltz at 10:19 AM on March 16, 2013
Wrong Way Corrigan.. Got his nickname by flying from NY to Ireland instead of California.
posted by Gungho at 11:39 AM on March 16, 2013
posted by Gungho at 11:39 AM on March 16, 2013
George W. Bush or Rick Perry
posted by a humble nudibranch at 6:03 PM on March 16, 2013
posted by a humble nudibranch at 6:03 PM on March 16, 2013
Best answer: Obama or Biden. See I can do it too... Stick to the program
Homer Simpson. It's in the dictionary under "to do a Homer"
posted by Gungho at 5:25 AM on March 17, 2013
Homer Simpson. It's in the dictionary under "to do a Homer"
posted by Gungho at 5:25 AM on March 17, 2013
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posted by ecsh at 7:13 AM on March 16, 2013