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| Age 128 |
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| Age 33 (plausible) |
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| Age 41 (plausible) |
.jpg) |
| Age unknown (...) |
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| Age 49 |
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| Age 53 |
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| Age 61 |
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| Age 42 (nailed it) |
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| Age 52 |
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| Age 71 |
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| Age 40 |
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| Age 52 |
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| Age 29 (overcompensation!) |
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| Age 49 (plausible) |
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| Age 51 |
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| Age 78 |
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| Age 119 |
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| Age 30 (nailed it) |
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| Age 101 |
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| Age 59 |
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| Age 43 (nailed it) |
Prior to this, I haven't watched a sitcom since The Simpsons, so maybe the giving of established (that is, old ones that everyone is familiar with) names is standard practice because it makes them easier for viewers to remember?
10 comments:
Based on my names' peak popularity, I was born yesterday.
The absurdly old age for "Oscar Martinez" is not so strange considering that the character is Hispanic. It's one of those names that has remained popular among Hispanics even while its use elsewhere has largely died out.
Peter
Noah,
My 8 month old nephew shares your name, heh.
Peter,
Good point. Per usual, ethnicity makes 'standardized' measurements difficult.
Maybe Scranton is just a bit behind the times. Also, just because a name peaked in a certain year doesn't mean it wasn't still popular (just not as popular) later. E.g. James (Jim) peaked 71 years ago, but in 1982 (assuming Jim is about 30) it was still #6.
Saint Louis,
In addition to being older, the names are also all common, especially at the peaks of their popularity but more contemporaneously as well. Is that standard practice for most series, or are distinctive (and presumably more memorable) names the norm?
Is that standard practice for most series, or are distinctive (and presumably more memorable) names the norm?
This is not a scientific survey, but an off-the-top-my-head sample of hit programs of which I have seen at least a few episodes, with total number of main characters (by my count) and unusual names:
Cheers: 10/4 (Woody, Frasier, Lilith, Clifford)
Frasier: 5/3 (Frasier, Niles, Roz)
Simpsons: 10?/4 (Homer, Bart, Ned, Apu)
Friends: 6/3 (Phoebe, Chandler, Ross)
ER: about 20 (about 8 in any given season)/ 2 (both immigrants, and not original cast members)
FWIW
Note that the actors playing Angela, Phyllis, Creed, and Oscar have the same first names as their characters. So by definition their names are exactly right for their ages!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0386676/fullcredits#cast
Anon,
Haha, thanks for that.
fyi, i always thought lilith from cheers was quite a babe. dat booty.
My name is Adam
First!
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