And Dr. Strangelove? Everyone clearly knows who he is, and he too has hilariously become part of American Culture:
And let's not forget the infamous General Jack D. Ripper (at..."Burbleson AFB!) whose picture pops up all over the place here in comical references. In real life, he was a closeted homosexual, and somehow, that fits into his deranged character. Things like "OPE", "Precious Bodily Fluids" and his obsession with fluoridated drinking water...
I will say, I was always somewhat offended that the General Ripper character was, regardless of who says what, based on a Leftist view of General Curtis LeMay, which was entirely unfair, but given the way the Left viewed the military, entirely predictable. LeMay was wholly rational, and extremely intelligent and practical. But I still thought the Ripper character itself was funny on its own.
It was brilliant satire. The concept of a General and a Soviet Ambassador rolling around the floor fighting like five year olds over a concealed camera with the President jumping up and saying "Gentlemen. You can't fight in here. This is the War Room!" is just deliciously funny to me. But I view it as satire.
There is much of it ingrained in many Americans as a cultural touchstone, so I find it fascinating.
So much in it. Hehe...like Freeper Technically Right, I always giggled when I saw Colonel "Bat" Guano's name tag...and as Freeper Texas Resident points out, Peter Sellers was masterful in all his roles. Brilliant.
But I fully see where it isn't for everyone. I recalled talking to a Freeper (can't remember who) who said that when he was in the Air Force back in the Sixties, they almost universally thought it was hilarious. But not universally, and I get that.
I was watching it years ago late at night, and suddenly I sat straight up when I saw something...I had to rewind and saw this:
Hahahaha...in my mind, I thought I had seen something nobody else had...for about three seconds, when I realized every aviation enthusiast had probably noted it dating back to the movie's release!
But, it it is always good to keep in mind that it is just a movie, and sometimes, the innocence of kids tells the truth, as this graphic below outlines how a kid might have seen Dr. Strangelove: