“THE OLD GUY”

Character Stereotype

The Shades of Age

There are 3 main types:1. The Angry Old Man2. The Wise Old Man3. The Crazy Old Guy

The Angry Old Man

Hate the “young whippersnappers” or “newfangled technology”

Often live very close to the protagonist, usually next-door

May actually assume the role of an antagonist, but usually in a limited context

Most have a heart of gold under their gruff exterior

Angry Old Man

-One Example is Mr. Wilson from Dennis the Menace. He hates Dennis for all ofthe trouble he causes and often worksagainst him. But in the end, he comesto love Dennis.

-In The Sandlot, a group of boys playBaseball in an old sandlot. One day theyHit a priceless baseball over the fence andOnto the property of Mr. Mertle, a local Legend of evil. After exhausting all otheroptions, the boys grudgingly ask Mr. MertleFor the ball, and discover he isn’t a bad man After all.

The Wise Old Man

Kind, caring, and considerate to all; almost never resorts to violence

Wise and knowledgeable from a lifetime of experience

Often acts as a mentor to the protagonist, training him/her for some important event later on

If acting as a mentor, usually leaves the protagonist after training him/her

Wise Old Man

-In The Karate Kid, a bullied boy named Daniel seeks to learn karate to defend himself, and Mr. Miyagi teaches him. But he also shows Daniel that there is more than just fighting in life, thatviolence isn’t always the answer.

-Perhaps the most famous wise man canbe found in Star Wars. Obi-Wan Kenobiteaches Luke not only proper lightsabertechnique, but also about the force, and how it flows through all life, a lesson Luke keepsclose to his heart.

The Crazy Old Guy

Often very extravagant and strange due to mannerisms and phrases from the past; relics of times gone by

Almost always used merely as comic relief in the form of a supporting character

A subtype of this is the oxymoron old man: an older person doing very athletic actions that are not normally possible

Very popular on sitcoms and cartoons

Crazy Old Guy

-On The King of Queens, the Heffernanfamily, Doug and Carrie, live with Carrie’scrazy father, Arthur. On most episodes Arthur can be seen causing chaos in theHeffernan family with his oddball antics andstrange stories.

On Hey Arnold, Arnold lives in a boarding house With his grandparents, who are more than a bit Odd. Arnold regularly asks Grandpa for advice,But this usually backfires in some sort of storyAbout the old days with a humorous and irrelevant moral such as: “Never eat raspberries.”

Craziest Old Guy

And who could forget the Six Flags Man! If you don’t understand why he’s crazy, I suggest you see a doctor.

In Conclusion…

Whether acting as the despised neighborhood villain, the wise pillar of justice, or that kooky old guy who shouts at garden gnomes, the “old man” will persist, as an example of why to not become bitter with age, to teach the wisdom of the past, and make us all laugh at when knee-high socks were in fashion.