Dumb question: entire USA sits at one table. Who sits at the head of it?

bootlegger10

I thought of something tonight that I thought about a few years ago.  If all of the USA (currently living) was having dinner at ONE table, who would sit at the head of the table.  My thought was it would be.......Bruce Springsteen.  Actors love Bruce, politicians love Bruce, blue collar people love Bruce, white collar people love Bruce.    I couldn't think of anyone cooler or that wouldn't be more excited to meet Bruce than Bruce to meet that person.  Maybe Tom Hanks but I don't think so.

Dumb question. Sorry to waste your time.  If you have another name though, throw it out there. 

rgambs

Round table.

Hobbes

Well, Bruce is the Boss.

bootlegger10

rgambs said:

Round table.

haha.  nice. 

who would sit in King Arthur's seat....

Wobbie

me.

duh.

PJWGIII

Couldn't agree more. He's the only boss all Americans actually listen to anyway!

SVRDhand13

I’ll go with Obama

Meltdown99

I'm going with Springsteen ... He can bring people together.  

brianlux

First of all, I like the question- a lot.  It got my brain whirring right away. Great thread, bootlegger!

I like the Springsteen, for sure. 

But it's a tough question because there might me some other strong possibilities...

Willie Nelson.  Loved by North and South, not strong politically connected and he would get the whole table stoned and a hell of a lot of laughing would ensue.  And then when the meals over and the party slows down he'll pull out Trigger and play "Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground" and everyone will have tears in their eyes and but smiling too.

Sidney Poitier would be another choice.  Wise, intelligent, handsome, soft spoken.  How could anyone argue with Mr. Poitier at the head of the table? 

Robin Williams, were he with us.  Oh man.

Meltdown99

brianlux said:

First of all, I like the question- a lot.  It got my brain whirring right away. Great thread, bootlegger!

I like the Springsteen, for sure. 

But it's a tough question because there might me some other strong possibilities...

Willie Nelson.  Loved by North and South, not strong politically connected and he would get the whole table stoned and a hell of a lot of laughing would ensue.  And then when the meals over and the party slows down he'll pull out Trigger and play "Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground" and everyone will have tears in their eyes and but smiling too.

Sidney Poitier would be another choice.  Wise, intelligent, handsome, soft spoken.  How could anyone argue with Mr. Poitier at the head of the table? 

Robin Williams, were he with us.  Oh man.

I like the choice of Robbin Williams ... one problem, he'd have us laughing so hard we'd never finish dinner ... lol

Tom Hanks would be a good choice as well...

brianlux

Meltdown99 said:

brianlux said:

First of all, I like the question- a lot.  It got my brain whirring right away. Great thread, bootlegger!

I like the Springsteen, for sure. 

But it's a tough question because there might me some other strong possibilities...

Willie Nelson.  Loved by North and South, not strong politically connected and he would get the whole table stoned and a hell of a lot of laughing would ensue.  And then when the meals over and the party slows down he'll pull out Trigger and play "Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground" and everyone will have tears in their eyes and but smiling too.

Sidney Poitier would be another choice.  Wise, intelligent, handsome, soft spoken.  How could anyone argue with Mr. Poitier at the head of the table? 

Robin Williams, were he with us.  Oh man.

I like the choice of Robbin Williams ... one problem, he'd have us laughing so hard we'd never finish dinner ... lol

Tom Hanks would be a good choice as well...

Hanks!  Yes, we still have Hanks.  Great choice!

bootlegger10

SVRDhand13 said:

I’ll go with Obama

Yeah...that would be tough competition for Bruce.  Maybe Bruce has the age factor.  A lot of the country doesn't like Obama, but again a lot of right leanings don't like Bruce either.  You could be right though. 

tempo_n_groove

Oprah. 

What is wrong with you people?

Everybody loves Oprah!!!

bootlegger10

Haha.  Some solid contenders here.  

darwinstheory

Oprah and Hanks for sure. 

OOooRRRrrr...
David S. Pumpkins! Any questions?

KC138045

tempo_n_groove said:

Oprah. 

What is wrong with you people?

Everybody loves Oprah!!!

I don't like Oprah or Bruce(his music anyways)

I say Morgan Freeman just so he can narrate the dinner

bootlegger10

darwinstheory said:

Oprah and Hanks for sure. 

OOooRRRrrr...
David S. Pumpkins! Any questions?

Several....

bootlegger10

brianlux said:

First of all, I like the question- a lot.  It got my brain whirring right away. Great thread, bootlegger!

I like the Springsteen, for sure. 

But it's a tough question because there might me some other strong possibilities...

Willie Nelson.  Loved by North and South, not strong politically connected and he would get the whole table stoned and a hell of a lot of laughing would ensue.  And then when the meals over and the party slows down he'll pull out Trigger and play "Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground" and everyone will have tears in their eyes and but smiling too.

Sidney Poitier would be another choice.  Wise, intelligent, handsome, soft spoken.  How could anyone argue with Mr. Poitier at the head of the table? 

Robin Williams, were he with us.  Oh man.

All good suggestions.  

This thread has already tripled the responses I thought I would get.  

Meltdown99

Another good choice Samual L. Jackson

pjhawks

Michael Jordan

curmudgeoness

Hmm. I'm not a fan of most of the names mentioned. They might be fighting words, but I'd wager that Tom Hanks is the most overrated actor of our time.

I like the round table idea.

How about more women? In the Willie Nelson vein, how about Dolly Parton? She's Nelson's songwriting equal. Or Mavis Staples? Or Michelle Obama?

While I'm tempted to argue the absurdity of the original question (no offense intended, OP, my mind immediately went to visualizing the size and placement of the table, how one would even know where the head was and who sat there, etc.), I think it does lead to an interesting cultural question: who is the defining character, the embodiment, of American (literary) culture? England has Shakespeare, Russia has Pushkin, Germany has Goethe, Poland has Mickiewicz (nice statue of him in Krakow!) -- who is the quintessential American author, the "father" of American literature? We also could have the same discussion about other art forms -- who is the embodiment of American music? Etc. 

Meltdown99

Tom Hanks over-rated ... now that gave me a great laugh.  Not only is he not over-rated he's one of the most genuine celebrities on the planet...

tempo_n_groove

Meltdown99 said:

Another good choice Samual L. Jackson

If you like to hear the word "muthafukka" all the time, then yes.

KC138045 said:

tempo_n_groove said:

Oprah. 

What is wrong with you people?

Everybody loves Oprah!!!

I don't like Oprah or Bruce(his music anyways)

I say Morgan Freeman just so he can narrate the dinner

For narrating it should be James Earl Jones.

Meltdown99

tempo_n_groove said:

Meltdown99 said:

Another good choice Samual L. Jackson

If you like to hear the word "muthafukka" all the time, then yes.

KC138045 said:

tempo_n_groove said:

Oprah. 

What is wrong with you people?

Everybody loves Oprah!!!

I don't like Oprah or Bruce(his music anyways)

I say Morgan Freeman just so he can narrate the dinner

For narrating it should be James Earl Jones.

Then Samual L it is ... 

Annafalk

It's Eddie Vedder off course,  

dankind

Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo

tempo_n_groove

dankind said:

Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo

Damn Dan, why you gotta go that route?

Poncier

Mary Lou Retton

darwinstheory

curmudgeoness said:

Hmm. I'm not a fan of most of the names mentioned. They might be fighting words, but I'd wager that Tom Hanks is the most overrated actor of our time.

Please accept my sincerest apologies but, I found myself unable to take you're otherwise well written post with a great seriousness upon reading your opening statements.

I don't think we would be able to have someone with a formal political background. Especially with the great divides amongst people and parties in recent times. For this reason, the likes of Michelle Obama would likely not be the best choice. I'd be fine with it, but I'm sure it is only a matter of time before a far right person gives his/her $.02. Just as many would do if someone suggest any members from our current administration. 

It is my belief, that we are looking for someone whom people with all political affiliations can get behind. I think that's where people (myself definitely included) come up with the likes of the Oprah's and the Tom Hanks of the country. Obviously there is nobody that all Americans will get behind. But the most well liked and respected American female HAS to be Oprah, doesnt it? Who is the most well liked and respected American male? Gates? Hanks? Warren Buffet? Ditka? Lol...hell, I don't know.

PJWGIII

darwinstheory said:

David S. Pumpkins! Any questions?

The idea of David. S. Pumpkins doing this is so perfect for the concept of the character it is absolutely awesome.

HesCalledDyer

curmudgeoness said:

Hmm. I'm not a fan of most of the names mentioned. They might be fighting words, but I'd wager that Tom Hanks is the most overrated actor of our time.

I like the round table idea.

How about more women? In the Willie Nelson vein, how about Dolly Parton? She's Nelson's songwriting equal. Or Mavis Staples? Or Michelle Obama?

While I'm tempted to argue the absurdity of the original question (no offense intended, OP, my mind immediately went to visualizing the size and placement of the table, how one would even know where the head was and who sat there, etc.), I think it does lead to an interesting cultural question: who is the defining character, the embodiment, of American (literary) culture? England has Shakespeare, Russia has Pushkin, Germany has Goethe, Poland has Mickiewicz (nice statue of him in Krakow!) -- who is the quintessential American author, the "father" of American literature? We also could have the same discussion about other art forms -- who is the embodiment of American music? Etc. 

Probably Mark Twain. But there's also Hemingway, Hawthorne, Whitman, Poe, Dickinson (mother of American literature?) to choose from.