# Dinner for Six **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 15, 1999, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-for-six/16849 "1999-10-15T18:26:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 1999, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-for-six/16849/1 "1999-10-15T18:26:00Z")
This is another Polycarp-provokes-a-discussion thread. Scenario: You and your SO are planning an evening of dinner, after-dinner beverages, and conversation. Mr. Peabody and Sherman his pet boy have graciously consented to use the Wayback Machine to bring you any four historical or quasi-historical people you choose to attend your party, from anywhere in time. (Quasi-historical, to avoid sidetracks like, was Jesus real? or whatever: if you choose to invite Agamemnon, we will assume for the thread that the Trojan War legends were founded on fact.) Your challenge: What four people would you invite, and why? Or, after people have posted their answers, you may question their choices on the basis of exploring why that person might be interesting to have at your party. ---
**Author:** ![NicePete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee7513/32.png) [@NicePete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NicePete)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 1999, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-for-six/16849/2 "1999-10-15T18:32:00Z")
Moe, Larry, Curly and Shemp. I like a good pie fight. * * * Plunging like stones from a slingshot on Mars. ---
**Author:** ![Atrael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Atrael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atrael)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 1999, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-for-six/16849/3 "1999-10-15T18:39:00Z")
Hmmm…Good question… 1. Nikola Tesla 2. Julius Cesar 3. Abraham Lincon 4. Gotta get back to you on this…forget the guy’s name and don’t have the book with me. I’m assuming language wouldn’t be a problem right? * * * _I haven’t lost my mind, I have a tape backup around somewhere._ ---
**Author:** ![mikehardware](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5fc32e/32.png) [@mikehardware](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikehardware)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 1999, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-for-six/16849/4 "1999-10-15T18:54:00Z")
Jesus Abe Lincoln Mark Twain Leonardo DaVinci ---
**Author:** ![neuro-trash\_grrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3ab097/32.png) [@neuro-trash\_grrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neuro-trash_grrrl)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 1999, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-for-six/16849/5 "1999-10-15T18:59:00Z")
1. Jesus 2. Socrates 3. Buddha 4. Lao-Tze Why those four? Because they left no texts behind. All that we know about what they did and said, we get from their students and contemporaries. I’d like to get it from the horse’s mouth, so to speak. ---
**Author:** ![VegForLife](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/9de0a6/32.png) [@VegForLife](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VegForLife)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 1999, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-for-six/16849/6 "1999-10-15T19:00:00Z")
Jesus, without a doubt. Galileo. Benjamin Franklin. Adolph Hitler. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 1999, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-for-six/16849/7 "1999-10-15T19:04:00Z")
I am going to assume languuage would indeed be a problem and confine myself to English speakers, like: Lincoln Washington D.W. Griffith Marlene Dietrich Beatrice Lillie Charles Dickens Of course, would they all say yes? Here’s part II of this question (this doesn’t count as a highjacking, does it?). What LIVING people would you ask, provided they had to say yes? I’d go for President Clinton Ute Lemper (cabaret singer) Queen Elizabeth Dennis Miller Jan Morris (wonderful travel writer and memoirist) George Clooney (I need something to look at, too) well my Mom, of course! ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 1999, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-for-six/16849/8 "1999-10-15T19:08:00Z")
Queen of Sheba Helen of Troy Cleopatra Marilyn Monroe Unfortunately, on that same evening, my SO has been called out of town unexpectedly. Why would I invite those guests, you might ask? Take a guess. 🙂 * * * Jacques Kilchoer Workers of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 1999, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-for-six/16849/9 "1999-10-15T19:10:00Z")
Darn it, I can’t participate in this thread. I don’t **have** an SO! * * * Quick-N-Dirty Aviation: Trading altitude for airspeed since 1992. ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 1999, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-for-six/16849/10 "1999-10-15T19:11:00Z")
Ex wife number 1 Ex wife number 2 The girl that “Dear Johned” me in the Army Ted Bundy ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 1999, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-for-six/16849/11 "1999-10-15T19:13:00Z")
Saul of Tarsus Mohammad Joseph Smith L. Ron Hubbard And dinner will be something very messy and easily flung. (Alternatively, John Locke, Mao, Karl Marx, and Charlemagne.) I just looooove a good food fight. -andros- * * * “Listen Children Eternal Father Eternally One!” Exceptions? None! -Doc Bronner ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 1999, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-for-six/16849/12 "1999-10-15T19:19:00Z")
andros, good one! On the same theme, how about General de Gaulle Winston Churchill Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Dinner: Entree Split pea soup Beet salad Main course Mashed potatoes Beef stew Boiled yams Dessert: Chocolate pudding Jello * * * Jacques Kilchoer Workers of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 1999, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-for-six/16849/13 "1999-10-15T19:40:00Z")
1. Jesus 2. Pat Robertson 3. Jerry Falwell 4. Madeline Murray-O’Hare Some of the guests will be eating crow. * * * The overwhelming majority of people have more than the average (mean) number of legs. – E. Grebenik ---
**Author:** ![SoxFan59](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@SoxFan59](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SoxFan59)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 1999, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-for-six/16849/14 "1999-10-15T19:45:00Z")
Let me say that I love this question, but think the rules should be modified, or at least I would modify the requirements for me. Being a Christian, I believe that Jesus is God and has no need for the wayback machine to attend my dinner, in that He exists eternally, and is omnipresent. He is in attendance whether invited or not. Otherwise, I believe the 4 guests I would invite would be: Joe Jackson Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain John Marshall Uzziah, King of Judah * * * SoxFan59 “Its fiction, but all the facts are true!” ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 1999, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-for-six/16849/15 "1999-10-15T19:57:00Z")
“He is in attendance whether invited or not.” Well, obviously He needs to brush up on his Emily Post. ---
**Author:** ![Gaudere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@Gaudere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaudere)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 1999, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-for-six/16849/16 "1999-10-15T20:03:00Z")
::howling with laughter:: Great retort, Flora. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 1999, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-for-six/16849/17 "1999-10-15T20:21:00Z")
Good point, Flora. But remember that an “invitation” from the King/Queen of England has the force of a command. The rules for etiquette among deities are somewhat different. Or you could check that matter out with Io, Europa, Leda, Ganymede (equal opportunity here!), etc. ---
**Author:** ![Sake\_Samurai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sake\_Samurai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sake_Samurai)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 1999, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-for-six/16849/18 "1999-10-15T20:33:00Z")
1. The Holy Ghost (I always wondered what the hell that was all about) 2. Whoever started my family’s line (so I could violently torture the dirty ape) 3. Georg Trakl (his words would be the perfect background for the blood and screams) 4. The Marquis de Sade (I could probably use a few pointers) ---
**Author:** ![RickG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rickg/32/5174_2.png) [@RickG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickG)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 1999, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-for-six/16849/19 "1999-10-15T21:24:00Z")
Moses Hillel Jesus Saul of Tarsus Kosher catered, of course :). Gut shabbos to all, Rick ---
**Author:** ![GLWasteful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f05b48/32.png) [@GLWasteful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GLWasteful)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 1999, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-for-six/16849/20 "1999-10-15T21:33:00Z")
Sox: Would that be Joe Jackson of the infamous Black Sox? Or the Joe Jackson of angst rockers such as “Is She Really Goin’ Out With Him?” Waste Flick Lives! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-for-six/16849.md?page=2)