Via Entertainment Weekly, comes this fun but flawed list of notable sidekicks, couch sitters, and syncophants.

I don't recall seeing a list quite like this anywhere else.

Of course, the list has some problems: We can argue about Jay and Silent Bob being down at 39 -- but that's really an issue of preference. The bigger offense is putting former Conan O'Brien sidekick Andy Richter at # 18, while David Letterman's present sidekick Paul Shaffer is sucking wind at 37. 

There are some truly egregious errors:

The typical Human foible of over-emphasizing recent data is given prominence here. The Office sidekick Dwight at no. 10 way way ahead of the Barneys -- Fife and Rubble at 19 and 34?

Are you shitting me?

Then there's the simply ignorant pairing of Keith Richards as a "sidekick" to Mick Jagger? I guess those songs and their classic guitar riffs must write themselves; (Hey, they're called the Glimmer Twins for a reason). One would think the buffoons at an Entertainment magazine might know that. If Keith is a sidekick to Mick, then is Jimmy Page a sidekick to Robert Plant? How about Peter Townsend as Roger Daltry's sidekick?  I didn't think so either.

Also beyond my comprehension: The inexplicable inclusion of Andrew Ridgeley as Sidekick to George Michael; It can only be explained by an editorial directive demanding more usage of the "who really gives a fuck" file. Otherwise, I can't explain it.

There are some notable omissions: A few missing pairings:

Spock - Capt. Kirk
Bud Abbot / Lou Costello
Hobbes & Calvin
Alfalfa and Spanky
Sonny Crockett / Ricardo Tubbs

Aside from these minor quibbles, the idea is fun and the execution is only half bad. Anyway, most of the list is pretty fun.

Here are the 50 Greatest Sidekicks of All Time

1. Ed McMahon
Sidekick to: Johnny Carson

2. Robin
Sidekick to: Batman

3. George Costanza
Sidekick to: Jerry Seinfeld

4. Chewbacca
Sidekick to: Han Solo

5. Ethel Mertz
Sidekick to: Lucy Ricardo

6. Dr. Watson
Sidekick to: Sherlock Holmes

7. Samwise Gamgee
Sidekick to: Frodo Baggins

8. Ed Norton
Sidekick to: Ralph Kramden

9. Tattoo
Sidekick to: Mr. Roarke

10. Dwight Schrute
Sidekick to: Michael Scott

11. Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger
Sidekicks to: Harry Potter

12. Donkey
Sidekick to: Shrek

13. Robin Quivers
Sidekick to: Howard Stern

14. Sancho Panza
Sidekick to: Don Quixote de la Mancha

15. Andrew Ridgeley
Sidekick to: George Michael

16. Waylon Smithers
Sidekick to: C. Montgomery Burns

17. Willow Rosenberg
Sidekick to: Buffy Summers

18. Andy Richter
Sidekick to: Conan O'Brien

19. Bernard P. Fife
Sidekick to: Andy Taylor

20. Turtle
Sidekick to: Vincent Chase

21. Gromit
Sidekick to: Wallace

22. Pedro Sanchez
Sidekick to: Napoleon Dynamite

23. Rhoda Morgenstern
Sidekick to: Mary Richards

24. Goose
Sidekick to: Pete ''Maverick'' Mitchell

25. Art Garfunkel
Sidekick to: Paul Simon

26. The Supremes
Sidekicks to: Diana Ross

27. Hank Kingsley
Sidekick to: Larry Sanders

28. Falstaff
Sidekick to: Prince Hal (1 Henry IV and 2 Henry IV)

29. Walter Sobchak
Sidekick to: Jeffrey ''The Dude'' Lebowski

30. Keith Richards
Sidekick to: Mick Jagger

31. Garth Algar
Sidekick to: Wayne Campbell

32. John Oates
Sidekick to: Daryl Hall

33. Leonard ''Lenny'' Kosnowski and Andrew ''Squiggy'' Squiggmann
Sidekicks to: Laverne de Fazio and Shirley Feeney

34. Barney Rubble
Sidekick to: Fred Flintstone

35. Flo
Sidekick to: Alice

36. Ford Prefect
Sidekick to: Arthur Dent

37. Paul Shaffer
Sidekick to: David Letterman

38. Lane Kim
Sidekick to: Rory Gilmore

39. Silent Bob
Sidekick to: Jay

40. Larry Dallas
Sidekick to: Jack Tripper

41. Piglet
Sidekick to: Winnie-the-Pooh

42. Jeff Green
Sidekick to: Larry David

43. Jimmy Olsen
Sidekick to: Clark Kent/Superman

44. Duckie
Sidekick to: Andie

45. Igor
Sidekick to: Dr. Frankenstein

46. Bender
Sidekick to: Fry

47. Sallah
Sidekick to: Indiana Jones

48. Fred ''Rerun'' Stubbs
Sidekick to:  Roger ''Raj'' Thomas

49. Randy Hickey
Sidekick to: Earl J. Hickey

50. Joseph ''Blue'' Pulaski
Sidekick to: The guys of Lambda Epsilon Omega

Source:
The 50 greatest sidekicks of all time
Entertainment Weekly, SUNDAY, August 20, 2006
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/commentary/0,6115,1213384_1_0_,00.html

Posted at 06:58 AM in Film, Humor, Television | Permalink

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