What are the rah-rah characters of mainstream American media?
January 30, 2018 1:45 PM Subscribe
I'm looking for examples of super-sweet peppy characters in mainstream fiction/movies/TV. Like, Glinda the Good Witch floating in on a bubble, but even cheerier. Super-chipper, "always look on the bright side" types. Overly optimistic. Someone who says "Yay!" unironically. Can you think of some character examples like that?
Ned Flanders
Chris Traeger (Rob Lowe's character on Parks and Recreation)
Kenneth Ellen Parcell (30 Rock)
posted by bondcliff at 1:47 PM on January 30, 2018 [8 favorites]
Chris Traeger (Rob Lowe's character on Parks and Recreation)
Kenneth Ellen Parcell (30 Rock)
posted by bondcliff at 1:47 PM on January 30, 2018 [8 favorites]
Response by poster: Like the Pollyanna part + loads of energy. (Caveat: I've never actually read Pollyanna but I get the idea of that character.)
posted by BlahLaLa at 1:48 PM on January 30, 2018
posted by BlahLaLa at 1:48 PM on January 30, 2018
In the 'Scout & Friends' educational video series, there is some kind of hamster named Penny who fits the bill.
posted by bq at 1:49 PM on January 30, 2018
posted by bq at 1:49 PM on January 30, 2018
Claudia O'Doherty's character Bertie on Netflix's series Love is a fun update of this type, as she's relentlessly chipper, but also aware of how that causes people to minimize her.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 1:50 PM on January 30, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by DirtyOldTown at 1:50 PM on January 30, 2018 [1 favorite]
Based on childhood memories, maybe bill nye the science guy? bill! bill! bill!
posted by aniola at 1:55 PM on January 30, 2018
posted by aniola at 1:55 PM on January 30, 2018
Tigger
posted by aniola at 1:56 PM on January 30, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by aniola at 1:56 PM on January 30, 2018 [5 favorites]
Shirley Temple.
posted by Melismata at 1:56 PM on January 30, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Melismata at 1:56 PM on January 30, 2018 [2 favorites]
Janet, from the Good Place
posted by General Malaise at 1:59 PM on January 30, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by General Malaise at 1:59 PM on January 30, 2018 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Loving the suggestions so far. Are there any you can think of that fit the cheerleader mold? Like, out of a teen movie or something like that?
posted by BlahLaLa at 2:01 PM on January 30, 2018
posted by BlahLaLa at 2:01 PM on January 30, 2018
I remember Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) in Legally Blonde being this way, most of the time. There are moments of self-doubt, early in the film.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 2:05 PM on January 30, 2018 [12 favorites]
posted by Huffy Puffy at 2:05 PM on January 30, 2018 [12 favorites]
Joy from Inside Out, of course. Cadet Tilley on Star Trek: Discovery. Linda Belcher from Bob's Burgers ("All riiiiight!" is her catchphrase).
posted by torridly at 2:08 PM on January 30, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by torridly at 2:08 PM on January 30, 2018 [2 favorites]
Karen from Mean Girls
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 2:09 PM on January 30, 2018
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 2:09 PM on January 30, 2018
Another one from Mean Girls, Regina's step-mom.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 2:10 PM on January 30, 2018
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 2:10 PM on January 30, 2018
Ella Lopez from Lucifer
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 2:17 PM on January 30, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 2:17 PM on January 30, 2018 [1 favorite]
Not american but Colin Creevy from HP.
posted by edbles at 2:17 PM on January 30, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by edbles at 2:17 PM on January 30, 2018 [3 favorites]
I think you may be looking for this TVTrope:
GenkiGirl
posted by edbles at 2:21 PM on January 30, 2018
GenkiGirl
posted by edbles at 2:21 PM on January 30, 2018
Knives Chau from Scott Pilgrim vs The World
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 2:23 PM on January 30, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 2:23 PM on January 30, 2018 [1 favorite]
Ty Lee from Avatar the Last Airbender
posted by prewar lemonade at 2:26 PM on January 30, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by prewar lemonade at 2:26 PM on January 30, 2018 [3 favorites]
Bubbles, from Powerpuff Girls
posted by LobsterMitten at 2:29 PM on January 30, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by LobsterMitten at 2:29 PM on January 30, 2018 [1 favorite]
Melissa Joan Hart's character in "Can't Hardly Wait".
posted by lovableiago at 2:29 PM on January 30, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by lovableiago at 2:29 PM on January 30, 2018 [1 favorite]
Leslie Knope from Parks and Rec, though not a cheerleader type.
Sandy from Grease, literally a cheerleader. There are probably lots more from or depicting that era.
Which reminds me of Betty from the Archie comics who I think is sort of the ur-peppy cheerleader.
posted by lunasol at 2:32 PM on January 30, 2018 [5 favorites]
Sandy from Grease, literally a cheerleader. There are probably lots more from or depicting that era.
Which reminds me of Betty from the Archie comics who I think is sort of the ur-peppy cheerleader.
posted by lunasol at 2:32 PM on January 30, 2018 [5 favorites]
Chrissy Snow from Three's Company
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 2:36 PM on January 30, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 2:36 PM on January 30, 2018 [1 favorite]
Brittany from Daria?
posted by little cow make small moo at 2:38 PM on January 30, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by little cow make small moo at 2:38 PM on January 30, 2018 [4 favorites]
Sue from The Middle
posted by catwoman429 at 2:40 PM on January 30, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by catwoman429 at 2:40 PM on January 30, 2018 [4 favorites]
I just ctrl+F'd "Pinkie Pie" and didn't find any hits, which is surely a mistake?
posted by waffleriot at 2:53 PM on January 30, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by waffleriot at 2:53 PM on January 30, 2018 [5 favorites]
Ned Ryerson (Stephen Tobolowsky), the insurance salesman, in Groundhog Day
Any syrupy Shirley Temple vehicle
Princess Poppy (Anna Kendrick) in the Trolls movie
Joe (Bobby Cannavale) in The Station Agent
Pinky, Pinky and the Brain
posted by Iris Gambol at 3:00 PM on January 30, 2018 [3 favorites]
Any syrupy Shirley Temple vehicle
Princess Poppy (Anna Kendrick) in the Trolls movie
Joe (Bobby Cannavale) in The Station Agent
Pinky, Pinky and the Brain
posted by Iris Gambol at 3:00 PM on January 30, 2018 [3 favorites]
As far as "always look on the bright side" types, the cigar-chomping embodiment of Virile! Manliness! caricatures of Teddy Roosevelt who shout "Bully!" seem like a classic male American archetype of this.
Fozzie Bear from The Muppet Show might fit as well, and I think is in part based on an archetype from earlier in the 20th century of a relentlessly optimistic hobo who remains cheerful and in blithe good humor despite his adverse material circumstances.
posted by XMLicious at 3:11 PM on January 30, 2018 [3 favorites]
Fozzie Bear from The Muppet Show might fit as well, and I think is in part based on an archetype from earlier in the 20th century of a relentlessly optimistic hobo who remains cheerful and in blithe good humor despite his adverse material circumstances.
posted by XMLicious at 3:11 PM on January 30, 2018 [3 favorites]
Phil, from Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events (The Miserable Mill and The Grim Grotto)
"My left leg is broken, but at least I'm right-legged. That's pretty fortunate."
posted by Mchelly at 3:44 PM on January 30, 2018
"My left leg is broken, but at least I'm right-legged. That's pretty fortunate."
posted by Mchelly at 3:44 PM on January 30, 2018
Cher from Clueless
posted by galvanized unicorn at 4:17 PM on January 30, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by galvanized unicorn at 4:17 PM on January 30, 2018 [3 favorites]
Annie Edison from Community? She gets fleshed out more over time but at first, that is sort of her thing. Chirpy.
posted by jessamyn at 4:28 PM on January 30, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by jessamyn at 4:28 PM on January 30, 2018 [1 favorite]
The movie "Happy-Go-Lucky" from 2008 is about Poppy (Sally Hawkins), who is irrepressibly upbeat, or so the trailer would have me believe. I haven't seen it, so maybe she turns.
posted by Sunburnt at 4:30 PM on January 30, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by Sunburnt at 4:30 PM on January 30, 2018 [6 favorites]
Response by poster: Thank you for all these great suggestions! Many of them I'm not familiar with, so I'll be diving down a YouTube rabbit hole now.
posted by BlahLaLa at 4:57 PM on January 30, 2018
posted by BlahLaLa at 4:57 PM on January 30, 2018
Georgette from the Mary Tyler Moore show. Not rah-rah but always seeing the positive side of life.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 5:59 PM on January 30, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by TWinbrook8 at 5:59 PM on January 30, 2018 [4 favorites]
Technically Canadian, but Anne of Green Gables.
posted by Autumnheart at 7:15 PM on January 30, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Autumnheart at 7:15 PM on January 30, 2018 [1 favorite]
Barbie. I've never seen her depicted as anything except so bright and positive and sweet it makes my teeth ache. (I mean, I've never seen Mattel depict her as anything but that!)
posted by Jane the Brown at 7:46 PM on January 30, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Jane the Brown at 7:46 PM on January 30, 2018 [1 favorite]
A bit surprised no one has mentioned Clarence from the Cartoon Network show of the same name.
Also, I guess Pippi Longstocking is Swedish but I think (North) Americans should know about her.
Neither of these are in the cheerleader mold, though. But they're both super chipper and positive.
posted by mhum at 8:06 PM on January 30, 2018 [2 favorites]
Also, I guess Pippi Longstocking is Swedish but I think (North) Americans should know about her.
Neither of these are in the cheerleader mold, though. But they're both super chipper and positive.
posted by mhum at 8:06 PM on January 30, 2018 [2 favorites]
Spongebob Squarepants?
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 9:07 PM on January 30, 2018
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 9:07 PM on January 30, 2018
Todd and Mr. Peanutbutter, both from Netflix's Bojack Horseman. While the show itself is fairly dark, these two characters absolutely fit that mold -- Todd's catch phrase is "hooray!" and Mr. Peanutbutter has the personality of a Labrador Retriever in the body of -- well, in the body of an anthropomorphic Labrador Retriever. They are comically optimistic and frequently collaborate on terrible business ideas that they are both convinced are sure to succeed.
posted by phoenixy at 9:55 PM on January 30, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by phoenixy at 9:55 PM on January 30, 2018 [3 favorites]
Patty Simcox in Grease.
Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney in Babes in Arms and, well, basically any movie they did together.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 1:31 AM on January 31, 2018
Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney in Babes in Arms and, well, basically any movie they did together.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 1:31 AM on January 31, 2018
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl!
posted by Monster_Zero at 7:38 AM on January 31, 2018
posted by Monster_Zero at 7:38 AM on January 31, 2018
The entire cast of Full House/Fuller House. DJ really epitomizes the type in the Fuller House Netflix series.
posted by crazycanuck at 8:06 AM on January 31, 2018
posted by crazycanuck at 8:06 AM on January 31, 2018
Olaf from Frozen (and Anna, although not as extreme)
Butters in South Park
Disney's Goofy
Luna Lovegood in Harry Potter
Buddy the Elf in Elf
Elmo (and most of the characters, really) in Sesame Street
posted by castlebravo at 8:24 AM on January 31, 2018 [1 favorite]
Butters in South Park
Disney's Goofy
Luna Lovegood in Harry Potter
Buddy the Elf in Elf
Elmo (and most of the characters, really) in Sesame Street
posted by castlebravo at 8:24 AM on January 31, 2018 [1 favorite]
Eddie, the Heart of Gold onboard computer in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
On preview: Crap, that's British.
posted by DrAstroZoom at 12:58 PM on January 31, 2018
On preview: Crap, that's British.
posted by DrAstroZoom at 12:58 PM on January 31, 2018
Loving the suggestions so far. Are there any you can think of that fit the cheerleader mold? Like, out of a teen movie or something like that?
Kirsten Dunst's character in Bring it On is pretty much just that.
posted by Mchelly at 4:27 PM on January 31, 2018
Kirsten Dunst's character in Bring it On is pretty much just that.
posted by Mchelly at 4:27 PM on January 31, 2018
Muffy Tepperman in Square Pegs was literally the chairperson of the pep committee.
posted by zorseshoes at 5:46 PM on January 31, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by zorseshoes at 5:46 PM on January 31, 2018 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by vunder at 1:47 PM on January 30, 2018 [12 favorites]