# What did Charlie Brown ever do to anyone? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 28, 2011, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-charlie-brown-ever-do-to-anyone/601109 "2011-10-28T19:04:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-charlie-brown-ever-do-to-anyone/601109/21 "2011-10-28T21:23:04Z")
Actually, Charlie Brown started out as slightly younger (or at least shorter) then most of the other characters, and kind of bratty… sort of like the kind of kid who would keep trying to tag along, and you’d try to brush him off, and he’d just get more obnoxious trying to get attention. That aspect of his persona faded early on, and he turned into the nebbish everyone knows so well. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-charlie-brown-ever-do-to-anyone/601109/22 "2011-10-28T21:27:15Z")
Who the hell were these adults handing out rocks for Halloween? ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-charlie-brown-ever-do-to-anyone/601109/23 "2011-10-28T21:38:57Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > The kite, don’t forget the kite in the tree. It’s not just people, it’s nature itself. > > The explanation is that the Brown family is cursed, and no doubt deservedly so. One of CB’s ancestors did the wrong thing to the wrong supernatural being and the family has been paying for it ever since. > > Clearly CB’s parents have had so many horrible things happen to them that showing them in a comic strip would violate all rules of decency. > > Run away Little Redheaded Girl. Run away. You don’t want to be part of this family. If that’s the case, then Charlie Brown’s sister, Sally, would also be a schlimazel. However, she isn’t afflicted with as much as 10% of the misfortune and disrespect as her older brother is. Perhaps the curse only affects the Brown family’s males? ---
**Author:** ![Indyellen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/indyellen/32/4176_2.png) [@Indyellen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indyellen)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-charlie-brown-ever-do-to-anyone/601109/24 "2011-10-28T21:44:50Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > If that’s the case, then Charlie Brown’s sister, Sally, would also be a schlimazel. However, she isn’t afflicted with as much as 10% of the misfortune and disrespect as her older brother is. Perhaps the curse only affects the Brown family’s males? I’d say that’s likely. When you have male pattern baldness in elementary school, you’re obviously cursed. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-charlie-brown-ever-do-to-anyone/601109/25 "2011-10-28T21:46:20Z")
Dude, it’s not the Brown family. It’s the human family. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-charlie-brown-ever-do-to-anyone/601109/26 "2011-10-28T21:57:02Z")
> [@Indyellen](#): > > I’d say that’s likely. When you have male pattern baldness in elementary school, you’re obviously cursed. IIRC, it’s that whenever Charlie is feeling especially down, he cheers himself up by hanging out with his dad, even if his dad is at work. His dad happens to be a barber. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-charlie-brown-ever-do-to-anyone/601109/27 "2011-10-29T04:32:01Z")
Every baseball game they ever lost, he was the pitcher. Blood feuds have been built on less. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-charlie-brown-ever-do-to-anyone/601109/28 "2011-10-29T04:38:11Z")
Charlie Brown? He’s a clown. ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-charlie-brown-ever-do-to-anyone/601109/29 "2011-10-29T06:28:34Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > Charlie Brown? He’s a clown. He’s gonna get caught, just you wait and see. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-charlie-brown-ever-do-to-anyone/601109/30 "2011-10-29T06:34:40Z")
Why’s everybody always picking on me? ---
**Author:** ![3trew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/13edae/32.png) [@3trew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3trew)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-charlie-brown-ever-do-to-anyone/601109/31 "2011-10-29T08:53:09Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > Watched “Great Pumpkin” last night (as I do every year). Made me wonder WTF Chuck did to deserve that, among the other indignities he’s endured. Oh, he knows what he did. He knows damn well. ---
**Author:** ![caligulathegod](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/caligulathegod/32/9685_2.png) [@caligulathegod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caligulathegod)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-charlie-brown-ever-do-to-anyone/601109/32 "2011-10-29T11:00:49Z")
[![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h38srxvt6qE) ---
**Author:** ![Arkcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Arkcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arkcon)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-charlie-brown-ever-do-to-anyone/601109/33 "2011-10-29T11:39:27Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Who the hell were these adults handing out rocks for Halloween? No one. Treats left their hands, hit the Charlie Brown bad luck energy field, and were converted to rocks. Just so Charlie could say, in his perfect intonation … “I got a rock.” Remember also, Charlie Brown’s costume is a failure, too many holes. He could have done better, or start over, but he went around in a lackluster costume of _ **his** _ choosing. Recall the implied contract – free candy in exchange for your best costume. Charlie didn’t live up to his side of the bargain. True story: At 11 I went with my sister and a friend trick or treating, I wore a sheet as a ghost. My sister wore a store bought costume, her friend wore a hand made, perfect, costume. Mine began to rip as I walked. So I wrapped it around myself as a mummy costume. Towards the end of the night, some lady said, “Good costumes, girls.” I guess the homemade, make do, just roll with it costume, on a pre-teen, wasn’t what she wanted to see. Still got candy 'tho. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-charlie-brown-ever-do-to-anyone/601109/34 "2011-10-29T13:24:19Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > Watched “Great Pumpkin” last night (as I do every year). Made me wonder WTF Chuck did to deserve that, among the other indignities he’s endured. He was a blockhead! Also he kept pitching a crappy game of baseball. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-charlie-brown-ever-do-to-anyone/601109/35 "2011-10-29T16:35:48Z")
> [@Indyellen](#): > > I’d say that’s likely. When you have male pattern baldness in elementary school, you’re obviously cursed. > [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > IIRC, it’s that whenever Charlie is feeling especially down, he cheers himself up by hanging out with his dad, even if his dad is at work. > > His dad happens to be a barber. [Obligatory Trope link.](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CharlieBrownBaldness) ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-charlie-brown-ever-do-to-anyone/601109/36 "2011-10-29T17:54:27Z")
> [@Arkcon](#): > > Remember also, Charlie Brown’s costume is a failure, too many holes. He could have done better, or start over, but he went around in a lackluster costume of _ **his** _ choosing. Recall the implied contract – free candy in exchange for your best costume. Charlie didn’t live up to his side of the bargain. Apparently nobody on his block [ever read any Lovecraft](http://images.ados.fr/divers/photo/hd/4505309450/lovecraft/scott-flanders-2738706efe.jpg). Ain’t Chuck’s fault. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2011, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-charlie-brown-ever-do-to-anyone/601109/37 "2011-10-30T16:56:29Z")
> [@bup](#): > > He didn’t hate them. He \*was \*them. Well, Lucy was his first wife. One does not necessarily preclude the other. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2011, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-charlie-brown-ever-do-to-anyone/601109/38 "2011-10-30T17:38:22Z")
> [@Johnny\_Q](#): > > There are stories that suggest that the continuing functioning of the universe requires being mindlessly cruel to an innocent child. Charlie Brown is that child. If he ever experiences true prolonged happiness the universe will explode. No, he’ll lose his soul and start killing again. (Or possibly not, I always confuse Charlie Brown and Angel) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-charlie-brown-ever-do-to-anyone/601109.md?page=1)