Strip my Mind

I was watching some Popeye earlier, and a few things occured to me.  Overlooking the fact that there wasn’t any actualy continuity– I can accept that, plenty of shows have a set of characters that simply get put in myriad situations that don’t necessarily have anything to do with one another– why is it Popeye continues to pursue Olive Oyl?  Time is a less fickle mistress.  "Oh hello Popeye, I am quite fond of- whoa, who’s that guy over there?"  She almost always finds herself in the clutches of somebody trying their damnedest to commit date-rape (a concept that apparently didn’t exist in 1939) only to have Popeye sock ’em one and nonchalantly put his freakishly large arm around her as he toots his pipe and proclaims his dominance with the tried and true mantra of, "I’m Popeye the sailor man!" But then again, I think that’s all a part of the charm of Popeye cartoons.  With rare exception, you know precisely what’s going to happen, just not necessarily how they get there.

Another thing that came up during this Popeye watching– did people in the early 40’s walk around with mustard just in case somebody needed some for their hamburger?  Wimpy asks a recently pummelled Bluto, "Pardon me sir, would you happen to have any mustard?" just as Bluto passed out from the hardcore whuppin’ Popeye put on him.  Reminds me of the old Grey Poupon commercials.  That had to start somewhere.  Also, sleepwalkers.  When did the old "walk around in a dangerous area, totally oblivious to the fact that you’re traversing the tops of construction sites or weaving through factory equipment" gag start?  I guess it’s just more entertaining than if Olive wandered into the kitchen and put napkins in the toaster and made and ate large sandwiches before waking up to a house fire like that video I watched in whatever class it was in college I watched it in. 

I had some other things in mind to write about, but a phone call distracted me for long enough that the rest of my ideas leaked out of my brain like the goo from a damaged Stretch Armstrong. 

 This is the best picture I could find of the Stretch that I remember, the 90’s Stretch.  I couldn’t find a bigger one, or one of him leaking. I’m very disappointed.  Stretch is no Billy Zane.

 Pretty soon this guy’s gonna think I have some sort of actual vendetta and come looking for me.