The Middle Earth Popularity Cup

[the phantom]

Oops. I didn't realize there was a deadline. Did Beleg win?

[Rune Son of Bjarne]

Originally Posted by the phantom

Oops. I didn't realize there was a deadline. Did Beleg win?

5 votes and you win, so Beleg won with your vote.

[Tuor in Gondolin]

Not meaning to be petty, but it
must be ++Mim , praps Gollum
was right about nassty elvsees attacking
nice small peoples. And Pippin seemed to
get along nicely with the mean nassty hobbit.

[mormegil]

I see no problem in continuing without Skip...what would be fun *looks at some of our Downer artists* is to get some nice brackets. Tummy, here is an idea why don't we do our own version of March Madness here on the downs?

Anyway between Mim and Pippin

++Mim

Less a vote for Mim, while he is an interesting character, but more a vote against Pippin. Is there a worse hobbit in the whole world? I doubt it, he's mundane and predictable. He nearly destroys the whole point of the fellowship multiple times. The only real accomplishment he can claim is slaying a troll but first off who hasn't slain a troll? Also, his was more on accident than an actual feat of prowress and cunning.

[Gollum the Great]

I can't pick between the two up for vote right now. But I will say that:

Originally Posted by mormegil

Also, his was more on accident than an actual feat of prowress and cunning.

I think that just charging the Olog was courageous.

[the phantom]

Originally Posted by morm

Tummy, here is an idea why don't we do our own version of March Madness here on the downs?

I will give that some thought. I'll write at the top of a blank page in my notebook "Middle Earth March Madness" so I remember.

[skip spence]

Originally Posted by mormegil

I see no problem in continuing without Skip...what would be fun *looks at some of our Downer artists* is to get some nice brackets.

Neither do I and yes, brackets would be nice.

The choice between Mim and Pippin is tough. No, actually it isn't. Pippin is a little brat, isn't he - dangit he's almost 30 years old but still acts as if he's on a field trip with school, goofing around and learning nothing. Mim is the last of his kind, fortunately perhaps given his treacherous ways, but you can't help feeling sorry for the old bugger, can you? And in a way the outlaws had it coming, didn't they? Bad deeds lead to more bad deeds and all...

'nuff said, ++Mim

That makes it 3-0 to the Petty Dwarf. Is an upset on the tables?

[Nerwen]

++Pippin.

At least he's honest.

[Thinlómien]

Oh I knew I shouldn't miss a thread like this... I missed the good old survivor games and this reminds me of them. Well, just for the record, I would have voted Frodo (one of the most touching characters in the books, I love his pacifism and also, he has some absolutely brilliant lines - and actually, the more I read LotR, the more I like Frodo and the less I view him as a simple character) and Beleg (that guy is just cool and besides, hey, actually, now I know - like Frodo, he's an unbelievably gentle person without being "soft" or "weak", and that's something I love) too.

Ahem, anyway, now we're talking about Mîm and Pippin... wow, this is difficult. I mean, I dislike Mîm, he's pitiful and unpleasant but you can kind of understand him really, and I just love many those characters of Tolkien's that are more than just balck-and-white. On the other hand, the more I read LotR, the more I like Pippin (although I've always preferred Merry). Pippin, just like Frodo, is a very touching character - it's is beautiful to see how he grows as a person, and also, his friendship with Bergil and Beregond, as well as his sort of loyalty to Denethor are very beautiful things. And you can't deny he can be funny, although he can be annoying too (why the heck throw the stone to the well?!? ). Ah, I just can't vote yet. I'll have to think about this more.

And skip - this thread is so horrible. It makes me recall so very strongly how much I love Tolkien's work that I almost started crying in the school library and nowe I really feel like skipping my next lesson and going home to read LotR...

[Groin Redbeard]

Originally Posted by mormegil

Also, his was more on accident than an actual feat of prowress and cunning.

Well, at least he showed the courage to actually fight him. You will notice that this particular feat alone shows the vast change that Pippin has made since going on his adventures with Frodo. I think we can give him some credit here, after all he was still in his "tweens".

Let's see here, Pippin has always been an adorable character to me (my little brother is just like him) and although he can be foolish, he can, at times, be very resourceful. After all I credit the escape of Merry and Pippin from the Uruk-Hai chiefly to Pippin: it was he who dropped his elven brooch for the Three Hunters to find and it was he who first cut his bonds off with the edge of a sword.

Mim, has always been an exception for me. I mainly defend Dwarves with a passion but with Mim I have difficulties doing. He may have had good reasons for hating Beleg, and even Turin, but Mim I would say is an evil Dwarf (Tolkien in the beginning drafted the Dwarf race as evil so this shouldn't be a surprise). I cannot vote for someone who had dealings with the enemy and caused such pain to those in his household. Hurin was right to slay him at Nargathrond...

This was a difficult choice, but I'm going with ++Fool of a Took for his ability to learn from mistakes and to see his character transform from that of a fool to wise young Hobbit.

[mormegil]

Originally Posted by Groin Redbeard

Well, at least he showed the courage to actually fight him. You will notice that this particular feat alone shows the vast change that Pippin has made since going on his adventures with Frodo. I think we can give him some credit here, after all he was still in his "tweens".

But the whole time he was belly-aching and only wanted to be there to prove how courageous he supposedly was when in face he was a coward. He did not rush off to meet them, don't think of the movie, he waited and the only thing he did was hold up his sword and poach the kill that Aragorn was getting.

Originally Posted by Groin Redbeard

Let's see here, Pippin has always been an adorable character to me (my little brother is just like him) and although he can be foolish, he can, at times, be very resourceful. After all I credit the escape of Merry and Pippin from the Uruk-Hai chiefly to Pippin: it was he who dropped his elven brooch for the Three Hunters to find and it was he who first cut his bonds off with the edge of a sword.

What an idiot Pippin was! To drop such a gift is wholly irresponsibly and shows the lack of sense. If he only understood what great trackers both Aragorn and Legolas were he would have known that there was no need to drop such a gift. Also, think of the litter factor, it is well documented that Pippin is the first litterer in all of Middle-earth. Up until then nobody even thought of littering...you should have seen the rubbish heaps that formed in Hobbiton after word of this dead was relayed to them by Pippin...he caused an epidemic himself.

You, sir, are a dwarf hater and only voted Pippin because Mim is a dwarf.

Incidentally I believe the voting for Pippin and Mim is over and Pippin is off to the gallows but I cannot resist a good rip at the old Pippin.

[mormegil]

Next round...

Okay let me ask you this, is Sauron really a character. I mean what has he done lately?

The kind of character I like knows where to put his trust and power and in a ring...I mean it makes no sense. I can only imagine the thought process "Hmmmm I am evil and want total world domination, what to do? What to do? *snaps fingers* I know I'll make a ring. I'll pour all my power and malice on it..."

A ring!?!? Why not a mask or a sword or maybe even a sneaker. How easy are rings to lose.

++Tuor

Any relative of Turin is a friend of mine.

[Morthoron]

++ Mim

To me. in many respects he is reminiscent of Shylock in the Merchant of Venice, a tragic figure caught up in revenge and grief. He's more of a layered character than Pippin, and the side-history (or lack thereof) of the petty-dwarves is intriguing as well. Petty-dwarves...rather redundant.

[Ibrîniðilpathânezel]

++Pippin

He makes me laugh (something I can use after the last few months), and I think he of all the LotR characters demonstrates the most accessible "humanity." He makes mistakes, he can be foolish and short-sighted, yet he can also summon courage even when his knees are quaking, and dignity. He is not servile, yet he can be humble. He needs to grow up a bit, but then, don't we all in one way or another?