# Which grown-up characters had something that seemed unacceptably childish? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 13, 2015, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-grown-up-characters-had-something-that-seemed-unacceptably-childish/740307 "2015-12-13T05:00:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2015, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-grown-up-characters-had-something-that-seemed-unacceptably-childish/740307/41 "2015-12-14T19:28:50Z")
**The Clue in the Old Album** , a Nancy Drew mystery by whichever ghostwriter was Carolyn Keene at the time featured a middle-aged woman who collected dolls. (One of which had a concealed poison needle, by the way…) ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-grown-up-characters-had-something-that-seemed-unacceptably-childish/740307/42 "2015-12-15T23:53:52Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Even more telling is the suit he sewed for Robin. Hell-o! :dubious: :eek: Robin’s costume is based on the leotards worn by the Graysons in their circus acrobat act. Anyway, what about that creepy doll collection Susan had? The worst was that her favorite one just happened to look like George’s mom. How could anyone like a doll that looked like that, child or adult? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-grown-up-characters-had-something-that-seemed-unacceptably-childish/740307/43 "2015-12-16T00:30:04Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > Robin’s costume is based on the leotards worn by the Graysons in their circus acrobat act. And Batman’s is based on…? :dubious: 😕 Come on, old Brucey obviously had a “thing” for bodysuits, capes, and tights! 😛😉 ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-grown-up-characters-had-something-that-seemed-unacceptably-childish/740307/44 "2015-12-16T00:38:01Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > On “Cheers”, Diane kept in her bedroom a menagerie of stuffed animals that she each gave a name to. Which goes a long way to explaining why Sam could never make things work with her. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-grown-up-characters-had-something-that-seemed-unacceptably-childish/740307/45 "2015-12-16T00:53:57Z")
There are certainly many fictional characters who have childish affectations. The question is, are those believable quirks in well conceived characters, or just silly gimmicks dreamed up by gag writers? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-grown-up-characters-had-something-that-seemed-unacceptably-childish/740307/46 "2015-12-16T01:00:45Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > And Batman’s is based on…? :dubious: 😕 [Also circus performers. And wrestlers.](http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/12/superheroes-wear-underwear-outside/) ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-grown-up-characters-had-something-that-seemed-unacceptably-childish/740307/47 "2015-12-16T01:01:57Z")
One of the main characters in the movie “Safety Not Guaranteed” is an intern in his late 30s (!) who is obsessed about his co-workers’ virginity statuses, in particular that of his 22-year-old Indian colleague. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-grown-up-characters-had-something-that-seemed-unacceptably-childish/740307/48 "2015-12-16T01:05:03Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Steven Taylor from classic **Doctor Who** had a teddy bear. He had been stuck alone on a planet and he used it like Wilson in \*\* Cast Away\*\*. [Nitpick] It was a plush Panda bear named Hi-Fi. [/Nitpick] It actually led to one of William Hartnell’s great retorts: > [@](#): > > Steven Taylor : “I’ve seen some spaceships in my time, admittedly nothing like this, but… what does this do?” > > The Doctor : “That is the dematerialisation control, and that over yonder is the horizontal hold. Up there is the scanner, those are the doors, that is a chair with a panda on it… Sheer poetry, dear boy! Now please stop bothering me!” 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![galen\_ubal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galen_ubal/32/4440_2.png) [@galen\_ubal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen_ubal)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-grown-up-characters-had-something-that-seemed-unacceptably-childish/740307/49 "2015-12-16T01:08:42Z")
Humbert Humbert? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-grown-up-characters-had-something-that-seemed-unacceptably-childish/740307/50 "2015-12-16T01:14:09Z")
Do none of you have a stuffed animal? I’m going to be 36 in a few weeks and I have my teddy bear Ted. I’ve had him since I was a baby. Ted and the blanket my great grandmother crocheted for me while I was still incubating are the only two things I’ve had with me my entire life, in every home, including 9 foster homes. I’d be devastated if anything happened to Ted or my blanket. They both have a place of honor on top of my bureau, which is where the dogs can’t get them. I can see being confused by adults with huge collections of stuffed animals but one special one is not odd at all. If I’m particularly sick or sad, I still hug Ted. He has given me comfort my entire life. I see no reason to stop now. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-grown-up-characters-had-something-that-seemed-unacceptably-childish/740307/51 "2015-12-16T01:21:16Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > [Also circus performers. And wrestlers.](http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/12/superheroes-wear-underwear-outside/) So if I want to wreak vengeance on the forces of evil I have to don a kinky outfit? :dubious: I like the approach used by real ninjas (not the ones who dress themselves in black): dress like a bum and blend in with the surroundings! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-grown-up-characters-had-something-that-seemed-unacceptably-childish/740307/52 "2015-12-16T01:25:30Z")
A one-shot from _The Odd Couple_ (spoilered in case you’ve never seen this episode):Felix has insomnia and after several nights of it, Oscar brings up some of Felix’s old toys from the basement (storage). There’s his BLANKIE–which he wraps around his shoulders (it’s 24"x36")–some of his storybooks, and his teddy bear (“Mr. Friend,” who is still in the cellophane [you know how dusty those things can get]). Oscar reads storybooks–“Louder, he can’t hear you through the cellophane;” at the conclusion of the last one, Felix is wide-eyed awake and the bear is flopped over on the bed and Oscar says **Mr. Friend is fast asleep and Mr. Enemy is wide awake**. 😃 😃 **congodwarf** , this was posted before I saw your post and is not aimed at you. I’m 55 and tossed my TB earlier this year because it fell totally apart after half a century. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-grown-up-characters-had-something-that-seemed-unacceptably-childish/740307/53 "2015-12-16T18:30:31Z")
Over 50 posts and no mention of _The Big Bang Theory_? All the guys and to some extent Penny (stuffed animals, some of her clothing, etc.). ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-grown-up-characters-had-something-that-seemed-unacceptably-childish/740307/54 "2015-12-16T20:36:08Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Over 50 posts and no mention of _The Big Bang Theory_? All the guys and to some extent Penny (stuffed animals, some of her clothing, etc.). see post 7, 12, 14, 16, and 17 (did I miss any?) ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-grown-up-characters-had-something-that-seemed-unacceptably-childish/740307/55 "2015-12-16T21:57:18Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > see post 7, 12, 14, 16, and 17 > > (did I miss any?) [Post 19](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=18935567&postcount=19) where I point out that a lot of adults buy superhero clothing in 2015, so calling it childish is a bit silly. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-grown-up-characters-had-something-that-seemed-unacceptably-childish/740307/56 "2015-12-16T22:33:00Z")
Judge Harry Stone of Night Court had plenty of childish trappings. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-grown-up-characters-had-something-that-seemed-unacceptably-childish/740307/57 "2015-12-16T22:42:57Z")
I’m blanking on specific examples but Tony Soprano had an inner “mean little kid” facet to his personality that would emerge at times. One of the things that I really admired about Gandolfini’s portrayal was his ability to bring that childish quality in, even in the midst of murder and mayhem. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-grown-up-characters-had-something-that-seemed-unacceptably-childish/740307/58 "2015-12-16T23:37:08Z")
> [@River\_Hippie](#): > > I’m blanking on specific examples but Tony Soprano had an inner “mean little kid” facet to his personality that would emerge at times. One of the things that I really admired about Gandolfini’s portrayal was his ability to bring that childish quality in, even in the midst of murder and mayhem. Considering that Tony saw a guy get his fingers chopped off when he was ten or twelve, and that the chopper was his own dad, yeah, it’s not surprising he was traumatized for life. To him, life was one big prank in which it was okay to kill people if they messed with you. ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2015, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-grown-up-characters-had-something-that-seemed-unacceptably-childish/740307/59 "2015-12-17T00:26:05Z")
Maybe it’s just the people I hang out with, but none of the things mentioned seems particularly odd for an adult to collect/have. _Most_ adults may not, but _some_ do. As my friend says, “If you ain’t geekin’, you ain’t livin’” - ie, everyone should have something they’re a little obssessive about, whether it’s superheroes, knitting, sports statistics, writing fanfiction, setting up model trains, figuring out the exact timeline of Sherlock Holmes’ life in the original canon, birdwatching, doll collecting, or something entirely different - these are the things that bring joy to one’s life. ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2015, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-grown-up-characters-had-something-that-seemed-unacceptably-childish/740307/60 "2015-12-17T02:38:45Z")
Collecting dolls seems mildly creepy to me but not childish. I mean, usually the collectors display the dolls, they do not play with them. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-grown-up-characters-had-something-that-seemed-unacceptably-childish/740307.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-grown-up-characters-had-something-that-seemed-unacceptably-childish/740307.md?page=4)