The Gaming Den

Fictional character indeed. Everyone forgets that Uncle Sam was based on an actual guy.

Shad, Count, we try not to carry shit-fueds from thread to thread. Because it's shit.

Shad, don't make attacks on the writing of the post. Nor the person writing it. That's a bullshit way of arguing, and Denners are a lot more savvy than that.

Fantasticillion dollars sounds like an awesome value.

Judging__Eagle wrote:Fantasticillion dollars sounds like an awesome value.

I would say it sounds Fantastagorical!

Prak wrote:It's bizarre. I guess I understand how the list is created, and it makes sense, but there are some nerds with way too much time on their hands...

My guess is that's it a way to get non-typical readers to read Forbes. It's actually quite a cool magazine, though I'm not someone who goes out of her way to read it - but everytime I visit my dad, I end up getting completely enthralled by his copy.

Judging__Eagle wrote:Fictional character indeed. Everyone forgets that Uncle Sam was based on an actual guy.

Many on that list are based on an actual person.

Mr Monopoly on the robber barons and railroad moguls for example.

But a retard like yourself wouldn't understand where most of these characters are based on real people at the time of their creation.

Didn't know Uncle Sam was a real person, though I imagine it's kinda the same way Joe the Plumber is a real person.

Maj, that's what I figured, because it did actually pique my interest.

Shad, Mr. Monopoly is (supposedly) a caricature of a specific person. He's not "every" robber baron. He looks like a specific robber baron.

I never said that the other characters are also fictional, nor that Uncle Sam is the only 'real' person there. Just that "Uncle Sam" was a real person. Some are caricatures of real people, others are just fictional characters. You need to re-read, or in your case re-listen, in order to get better comprehension, because whatever program you're using obviously isn't giving you that.

Just because X is counted in a group, doesn't mean that Y is suddenly not part of that same group.

You assumed that Y, (other entries), was not counted in a group (non-fictional characters). I really have no idea why, or how, you made that mistake, but you obviously did.

Wait... I actually think I know how you made that mistake. I mentioned one person specifically. You assumed that I was singling them out as the only person with a certain criterion (be a real person). Then you made some jump to assume that the caricatures aren't counted as being based on real people.

For the other characters, for the most part, they're fictional. Some are derivative, and some are caricatures. At least one is named after an actual person, and looks like them, and isn't a caricature. I have no idea why a tall, skinny, goateed man with gaunt cheeks represents america, but it now does.

Scrooge McDuck, was based on Ebeneezer Scrooge (duh). Richie Rich is based on rich child-heirs (double duh).

Bruce Wayne is rich b/c it's part of the Batman origin. Likewise with Tony Stark, and Ozymandias. They're rich b/c plot demands it to be so. Funny how that works. Really, aside from Veidt, you don't see the other two spend their massive fortunes to actually fight crime. They use their money to beat up the mentally insane.

I blame stupid writers.

The rest are either easy (Ned Clampett: any schmuck who got conned out of natural resources for more wads of cash than they can count) or I have never heard of, and don't give a damn about (Artemis Fowl, Gordon Gekko).

*:

Supposedly, it's J.P. Morgan. However no one knows who did the original art, so it can't be ascertained as to who the character is based on.

It's a misplaced fact leaves a very plausible, but unsure, answer at this point.

shadzar wrote:

Judging__Eagle wrote:Fictional character indeed. Everyone forgets that Uncle Sam was based on an actual guy.

Many on that list are based on an actual person.

Mr Monopoly on the robber barons and railroad moguls for example.

The argument is that the name is derived from a specific person, not a type of person; unless Mr. Monopoly is derived from a specific robber baron then the example doesn’t support your argument.

tzor wrote:

shadzar wrote:

Judging__Eagle wrote:Fictional character indeed. Everyone forgets that Uncle Sam was based on an actual guy.

Many on that list are based on an actual person.

Mr Monopoly on the robber barons and railroad moguls for example.

The argument is that the name is derived from a specific person, not a type of person; unless Mr. Monopoly is derived from a specific robber baron then the example doesn’t support your argument.

Who was the railroad tycoon?

When the Quackers creted the game that became Monopoly, they didn't have a figure in charge of "the board". Milton Bradley created him.

OK...maybe banker nor railroad tycoon....It isn't known anymore though who it was based on other than the looks of him.

Orbanes later wrote, in 2006, that the character was also partially influenced by the stature and dress of financier and banker J. P. Morgan.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rich_Uncle_Pennybags

I guess no one wrote my little spoiler at the bottom.

I spelled out that it is meant to look like Morgan, but it's in contention, b/c the original artist is both unknown, and never said who the inspiration for the character was.

Judging__Eagle wrote: I have never heard of, and don't give a damn about (Artemis Fowl, Gordon Gekko).

Artemis Fowl is some kid-lit character.

But if you don't know who Gordon Gekko is, nor the real people he was based on, then you are in fact responsible for the recent economic collapse.

Hint: Bernie Madoff and Ken Lay are not the first, nor will they be the last.

Josh, I haven't read newspapers or watch news in the last nine years with even the smallest amount of regularity. I haven't watched television with any regularity for the last 6 or so years.

I don't live in the US, and while I 'may' be responsible for economic collapse (i.e. I don't consume anywhere as much as other people do. I tend to set aside 50-70% of my income and either put it in bonds, or a savings account that has higher than average interest rates compared to most of the other banks where I live), I do not know who you are talking about.

The wiki page describes this character. I'll be honest, people like that are shit. Also, movies like that are even worse shit. Just reading the wiki page tells me that I'll never want to watch that movie, it's a coming of age story that deals with a youth being tantalized by wealth beyond their previous imaginations. Honestly, pass. I've had people try shit like that on me in the past, watching other people get bought and not realize that there is always a hidden cost is boring at this point.

You should have mentioned Sherman McCoy from Bonfire of the Vanities.

That's something that I actually know, and I recommend everyone reading it. Although, that story is more the opposite of talks more about how being a master of the financial universe doesn't mean that you can't be dragged into the gutter, financially, emotionally, socially and politically.

Josh_Kablack wrote:But if you don't know who Gordon Gekko is, nor the real people he was based on, then you are in fact responsible for the recent economic collapse.

He's the gecko on the insurance commercials, right?

/facepalm