The Middle Earth Popularity Cup

[Lalwendë]

Alright, time for me to stop being facetious.

I must make a decision and even though Gollum is a far better literary creation, I have to hold up my 'white hands' right now and admit that I find Saruman utterly cool and always have done. So if I had to live without one or indeed spend time with one of them, it would be Saruman and I'd be a fool to deny it. He's just so clever and interesting with his 'Third way' of doing things, thinking he could do things his way apart from either the Valar or Sauron.

++Saruman

[Boromir88]

++Saruman

Hands down the most effective liar in the history of literature.

[Ilya]

++ Gollum

He's the only ringbearer who actually accomplishes exactly what he sets out to do.

[Nerwen]

Well... let's see... Gollum is much the more sympathetic villain, but

++Saruman

is cooler.

(Besides, I came out as him on the character quiz.)

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

These

Originally Posted by Gollum the Great

what I really find enthralling (as an addition to perfection, if you know what I mean) is the whole of Isengard and Orthanc as a stronghold, base of operations, and center of doings for Saruman.

three

Originally Posted by Ibrîniðilpathânezel

if for no other reason than that he apparently was, at one time, a good guy.

things

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

He's just so clever and interesting with his 'Third way' of doing things, thinking he could do things his way apart from either the Valar or Sauron.

reflect clearly the variety of possibilities for which one can like Saruman: that's exactly the variety inside him which I was talking about! Many-colours, indeed...

Originally Posted by Boromir88

Hands down the most effective liar in the history of literature.

And skip, you may be the starter of this thread, but if you try to undermine our voting efforts, we are going to drop a Palantír on your head.

[Boromir88]

Aye Legate, and his "crows and gibbets" speech is purely a thing of beauty.

[Aganzir]

++ Saruman

The silver-tongued white-handed red-hot wizard of many colours indeed.

[skip spence]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

And skip, you may be the starter of this thread, but if you try to undermine our voting efforts, we are going to drop a Palantír on your head.

Okay, okay, those things are really heavy!

Saruman wins 9-4

Match 9 of round 1

Next up is another exiting encounter. Both are bearded, old and in possession of supernatural abilities but whereas one lives for his work, the other lives for pleasure.

Gandalf vs Tom Bombadil

[Gollum the Great]

Definitely

++Gandalf

Wielder of the Flame of Anor. Wise old counselor. Reminds my of my grandfather, full of intelligence, speaks in riddles, stern at times yet lovable.

[Groin Redbeard]

Bombadil is too silly for me. He is, at least to me, the ultimate ADD patient. Therefore I would have to pick Gandalf.

++Gandalf

I don't vote for Gandalf because I dislike Tom Bombadil (lots of people in this thread are simply voting the other way because they don't like the match up), but because I really enjoy Gandalf better than that crazy "jolly Tom". Tolkien's way of sanctifying a prophet in his myth, Gandalf shows the true selflessness of a leader, and he is the only one out of the five Blue Wizards who stay true to the original purpose of Eru. We see the best of him as a care free old wander while in the Shire (as a rule only, as Aragorn states) and we see the cunning wise wizard that he is while he executes his plan to unite the free peoples of Middle-earth to fight against the forces of evil. Yet for all that we know about him there is still a sense of mystery around him, not even Galadriel knew his full purpose.

Anyway, I think Gandalf sayed it best in the comparision between him and Bombadil when he said: "He is a moss gathere, and I am a stone doomed to rolling."

[Thinlómien]

++Gandalf

Such a lovely mix of gentle wisdom, pity, true caring for citizens of Middle-Earth and a flaring temper with more than a little "toughness". Besides, he has an incredibly funny sense of humour at times.

Jolly old Tom is rather sympathetic too, but he just can't compete with one of my all-time favourites.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Groin Redbeard

he is the only one out of the five Blue Wizards who stay true to the original purpose of Eru.

I think you mean one out of the five Wizards. Only two of them were Blue, and Gandalf was certainly Grey.

Speaking of him,

++Gandalf

Another great personality, and there's lot about him to admire, and besides, there's so many tales which could be told about him, so many things about which we know just hints! (To name just the most "obvious" ones: How exactly did it go when he as in Dol Guldur? What did he do in Moria when he was there for the first time? What did he do in Angmar or Nurn?!?!) Old TB is not a bad guy, but... he just is not as interesting.

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by skip spence

Okay, okay, those things are really heavy!

Saruman wins 9-4

Match 9 of round 1

Next up is another exiting encounter. Both are bearded, old and in possession of supernatural abilities but whereas one lives for his work, the other lives for pleasure.

Gandalf vs Tom Bombadil

Seriously, Skip, I have you pinned now. I've got your number. I know who you are.

You, sir, are the evil pixie who lives in the bottom of the machine thing that they draw numbers out of for FA Cup Fixtures and who nixes it and makes for evil match-ups.



Anyway, as much as I lurve (yeah, lurve, bleurgh) Tom Bombadillo, it has to be Gandalf as he's runner up Best Wizard Ever.

++Gandalf

[Boromir88]

Oh come on where's the TB love?

++Tom Bombadil

I don't think any other character has as many thread dedicated to him than ole Bombadil.

Besides...Gandalf is the perpetrator of the horribe "Gandalf uncloaked!" gags, and he eats hobbits.

[Tuor in Gondolin]

+ + Smaug , oh wait, he wasn't invited
to this contest

Well, then + + Tom Bombadil , since
he wasn't invited to PJ's movies.

Besides...Gandalf is the perpetrator of the horribe "Gandalf uncloaked!" gags, and he eats hobbits.

And he assaults noble Stewards of Gondor (Hey, it must be true, it's on tape)!

[mormegil]

Originally Posted by Boromir88

Besides...Gandalf is the perpetrator of the horribe "Gandalf uncloaked!" gags

All the more reason to vote for him. I must agree with Lal in that this is a difficult match up indeed.

++Tommy

His taste in women is much better than Gandalf's

[skip spence]

Is a remarkable comeback under way? Gandalf raced to a 6-0 lead but Bombadillo has clawed himself back into it and now trails only by 9-7. Tom was the first to walk the hills and fields but will he also be the last man standing? Sing up a storm Tommy!

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

Seriously, Skip, I have you pinned now. I've got your number. I know who you are.

You, sir, are the evil pixie who lives in the bottom of the machine thing that they draw numbers out of for FA Cup Fixtures and who nixes it and makes for evil match-ups.

Now that's just plain ridiculous! I'll have you know I'm just a regular run-of-the-mill pixie who isn't evil in any way and wouldn't dream of mixing with the draw of any competition, in association football or otherwise. Besides, pixies don't fit into lottery machines, everybody knows that! What the FA Cup and the Popularity Cup have in common though is that there's no seeding.

[Aganzir]

Originally Posted by Nogrod

To be honest I do love Gandalf as all of you others but we need some competition here - and Aganzir painted my boots yellow anyway!

++ Tom Bom, jolly Tom

One of my favourite characters. His carefree attitude is something I try to remember myself - why worry about minor things? All in all he's a better role model to me than Gandalf.
I guess the most important things why I like him are his independence and freedom. I would love to live like him in a small house in the middle of a creepy forest, not being afraid of it because it has no power on him. And yes I agree with morm - his taste in women is way ahead of Gandalf, although having read the Adventures of Tom Bombadil, one might want to question his means.