# Those Lovable Drunks **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 3, 2021, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-lovable-drunks/947974 "2021-08-03T15:43:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2021, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-lovable-drunks/947974/1 "2021-08-03T15:43:10Z")
Read about old-timey publishers and businessmen leaves the impression people used to drink very heavily, even at work. Books on management in the 1950s say every bank had executives who one did not visit on Friday afternoons as society turned a blind eye to the problems caused by alcohol, a great pleasure for many. Was driving home listening to the radio when WC Fields was followed by a routine making fun of Dean Martin being so drunk he “picked up a snake and was trying to club a stick”. Made me think you don’t really see drunks treated as lovable misfits in the media these days. Who were the last ones? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2021, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-lovable-drunks/947974/2 "2021-08-03T15:46:33Z")
I’m thinking [Foster Brooks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foster_Brooks) might have been the last of the lovable drunks. His character hit the rocks by 1980 or so though and even he gave up the schtick. ---
**Author:** ![gnarator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gnarator/32/8266_2.png) [@gnarator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnarator)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2021, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-lovable-drunks/947974/3 "2021-08-03T15:49:23Z")
Probably _Arthur_ (1981). ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2021, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-lovable-drunks/947974/4 "2021-08-03T15:58:50Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > Made me think you don’t really see drunks treated as lovable misfits in the media these days. Who were the last ones? [Barney Gumble](https://simpsons.fandom.com/wiki/Barney_Gumble) on _The Simpsons_ might be sort of a (deliberate?) example of this stereotype, though you could argue he’s neither high-functioning nor lovable enough. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2021, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-lovable-drunks/947974/5 "2021-08-03T19:51:47Z")
The guy on Shameless. “William Macy is proud to be the drunken dad in ‘Shameless’ - [silive.com](http://silive.com)” [William Macy is proud to be the drunken dad in 'Shameless' - silive.com](https://www.silive.com/entertainment/tvfilm/2013/01/william_macy_is_proud_to_be_th.html) ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2021, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-lovable-drunks/947974/6 "2021-08-03T23:52:30Z")
I always liked that Barney Gumble was good friends with Linda Ronstadt. Because, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2021, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-lovable-drunks/947974/7 "2021-08-04T01:08:43Z")
_Es solamente un borracho_ ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2021, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-lovable-drunks/947974/8 "2021-08-04T16:50:53Z")
Otis was my favorite. [![](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D_AXXgma7LE/V7874tiephI/AAAAAAAAZDM/PNvoGRwyklseDkyRjv2mNnFTD0805E--gCLcB/s1600/latest.gif) ](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D_AXXgma7LE/V7874tiephI/AAAAAAAAZDM/PNvoGRwyklseDkyRjv2mNnFTD0805E--gCLcB/s1600/latest.gif) ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2021, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-lovable-drunks/947974/9 "2021-08-04T17:04:28Z")
Maybe not as a “lovable drunk” schtick, but lots of shows feature drinking/drunkenness as a more or less endearing thing- look at “How I Met Your Mother” for example. Or “Big Bang Theory”, albeit less so.