sleep, that's where i'm a viking

[plainenglish]

Greg's interpretation is just plain silly and here's why:

In what universe is Ralph Wiggum capable of metaphor?  

Even if he meant that he was good at sleeping, he would have said "Oh boy, sleep! I'm really good at sleeping." Maaaaaaybe he could come up with "I'm a champion sleeper!"  But "I am a Viking at sleeping"? Not one single chance.

And here's the clincher: Ralph Wiggum is so surface-level and unimaginative that he has the same dream every night. What kind of brain is that? Frankly, I'm surprised that he doesn't dream about feeding his cat Mittens every night; in any case, it illustrates his limitations to the point where, clearly, Greg has rocks in his head.  

Ralph is excited about going to sleep because he likes the dream where he's a Viking. That is all. It's funny because a normal child, told to go to sleep in class, would have some kind of "wtf?" reaction.  Ralph is so simple and biddable that he doesn't even question the instruction. Furthermore he  completely misses the underlying message that he is really too stupid to be taught. His one and only completely uninsightful reaction is that he's happy because he gets to have the Viking dream. Again.

C'est tout.

[girl]

Yeah, I wasn't going to get in on this one, because I hate to side against the Nog, but Deb's right.  It's as simple as Ralph likes sleep because he gets to be a viking.  Like if he said "lunch is the one with sandwiches".

[dumbfish]

On behalf of everyone else who was right but couldn't quite say why, I'd like to thank our northeastern colleagues for the last two posts. Oh tee Emm.

[DCDave]

It's amazing how wrong Greg and Freddy are.


Simply staggering.

[Greg Nog]

Aw, Christ, you guys, I was about to go to bed.  But then I read all this malarkey, and it hurt me.  It hurt me deep in my soul.  It hurt me with how incredibly wrong you are.  The pain of your wrongness, it scraped against my heart like sandpaper against a sandpiper.

So I didn't want to have to do this, but apparently, for Queen and Country, I must.

So, plainenglish: your argument is that Ralph is too simple to be capable of metaphor.  So all right, let's examine two options here with possible reasoning for each one, and see how each of these two lines of thoughts relate to my thesis:

1) Ralph Wiggum is capable of metaphor.
2) Ralph Wiggum is incapable of metaphor.


1) Ralph Wiggum is capable of metaphor.

Most humans are capable of using metaphors, and what proof do we have that the opposite may be true for Ralph Wiggum?  None.  In fact, we've seen that he most definitely is capable of punning, as evidenced by his obvious delight in -- and understanding of -- Lisa's Valentine's Day cards for him: "'I Choo Choo Choose You'... and there's a picture of a train on it!" and "'Let's BEE friends'... and there's a bee on it!"  Ralph is clearly capable of multiple levels of linguistic understanding.  In this context, I don't think we can rule out the idea that wee Ralph could use metaphor.

But to tell you the truth, I don't even think that matters.  Because the following is closer to what I believe:

2) Ralph Wiggum is incapable of metaphor.

When Ralph says that sleep is where he is a Viking, what does he mean?  We, with our lifetimes of learning, might assume that he's referencing the Nordic pillagers, all giant and flaxen-haired and strengthly.

But why should assume that Ralph knows what a Viking is?

I would like to propose that Ralph heard the term "Viking" at some point in his life, and he just assumed that, rather than referring to a specific type of Scandanavian people, it was simply a synonym for "one who does a thing well."  

(speculation follows)
Perhaps his parents -- Clancy and Sarah -- made him a bowl of pasta one night, and he ate it with great gusto.  Clancy, approving his boy's ravenous appetite, may well have said, "That's our little Viking!"  And Ralph picked up his definition of "Viking" from context alone.

Does this seem like a stretch?  Perhaps.  But surely no more of a stretch than the idea that Ralph actually learned the dictionary definition of the word "Viking".  Has Ralph ever made reference to any other nation, tribe or subgroup of humanity in any other episode?

Ralph does not know what a Viking actually is.  He actually believes that it means champion, and is unaware of any other definition for the word.

[DCDave]

Occam's Razor.

[Greg Nog]

Occam's Razor what?

[hannah]

I think Greg and Crystal would be right IF and ONLY IF Ralph Wiggum were Milhouse van Houten.

I know they are wrong, however, because Ralph Wiggum is Ralph Wiggum and Ralph Wiggum DOESN'T KNOW WHAT DREAMING IS.

Anyway, I'll e-mail the AV Club tomorrow. If nothing else, the posts in the comments section will be hilariously annoying.

[Greg Nog]

I know they are wrong, however, because Ralph Wiggum is Ralph Wiggum and Ralph Wiggum DOESN'T KNOW WHAT DREAMING IS.

Anyway, I'll e-mail the AV Club tomorrow. If nothing else, the posts in the comments section will be hilariously annoying.

The AV Club knows nothing of this, you're wasting your time.

Please point me to the point in the text where it is established that Ralph does not know what dreaming is.

[Greg Nog]

Side note: I can't stop laughing now, because I just realized that this is the most invested I've become in an internet-argument in a looooong time.

[DCDave]

Occam's Razor what?

A) Ralph frequently dreams of being a viking.
B) Ralph has an understanding of the term viking that leads him to believe it means "One who is good at something" and uses it in an odd sentence construction to express that he is very good at sleep.

[Greg Nog]

Seriously, I love you guys.

Let's make a pact, to come back here in twenty years

friends 4 life guys?

[Greg Nog]

Occam's Razor what?

A) Ralph frequently dreams of being a viking.
B) Ralph has an understanding of the term viking that leads him to believe it means "One who is good at something" and uses it in an odd sentence construction to express that he is very good at sleep.

Actually, goes more like this:

A) Ralph has learned the actual definition of the word Viking
B) Ralph has learned a false definition of the word Viking

Given what we know about Ralph's capacity for learning, which strikes you as more likely?

[DCDave]

Seriously, I love you guys.

Let's make a pact, to come back here in twenty years

friends 4 life guys?

Oh. I thought we said 9:30.

[DCDave]

Occam's Razor what?

A) Ralph frequently dreams of being a viking.
B) Ralph has an understanding of the term viking that leads him to believe it means "One who is good at something" and uses it in an odd sentence construction to express that he is very good at sleep.

Actually, goes more like this:

A) Ralph has learned the actual definition of the word Viking
B) Ralph has learned a false definition of the word Viking

Given what we know about Ralph's capacity for learning, which strikes you as more likely?

Not really.

[Greg Nog]

No, I said 9, so that we'd all be here by 9:30

[girl]

Sorry, I have plans.  I'll be there in spirit though.  That's where I'm a viking.

[cool banana]

I feel happy.

[crystalcakes]

hannah- in your question to need to have them ask david cohen.  otherwise, it is pointless.

greg- agreed on all counts.

[FreddyKnuckles]

yeah, greg's still right

[hannah]

Please point me to the point in the text where it is established that Ralph does not know what dreaming is.

IN SLEEP






Okay, here you go, Mr. Nog: as others have graciously pointed out, Ralph is probably frequently told "go to sleep" and I infer that he infers -- he of bent Wookiees and he who is prone to observe that his cat's breath smells of cat-food (heavens!) -- that "sleep" is a place -- think "go to hell" -- so when he says "Oh boy, sleep! That's where I'm a viking" the "where" is very much a "where," just as I might say, if somewhat tongue-in-cheek, "Oh boy, hell! That's where I left my harp, after all!"

Yeah?

I mean, I mean, I mean, you are just wrong. Crazily wrong, at that!

Again, like, Milhouse would probably be the one who would say "Oh boy, sleep! That's where I'm a viking!" but he'd also probably phrase it as "Oh boy, sleep! I shall maraud and plunder thine sandy shores!" and in such a way achieve the sense you think Ralph capable of.

If Ralph were in the Catskills he'd probably laugh hysterically at "I just flew in from Boca and boy are my arms tired" and then chuckle to himself and say "ha ha duckies are cute."

[hannah]

okay Miss Hoover says "try to" not "go to" whatever whatever my point still stands I am tired and have heartburn and am writing the e-mail now, I promise I won't be biased and I will insist that Mr. Cohen weighs in on the matter

[morgan]

GREG, I LOVE YOU.

[Doctor Bob]

GREG, I DISAGREE WITH YOU.

[elpollodiablo]

This is the best thread I have seen since old times