Why Did Uncle Charley Call Everyone "Alice"? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

horizonbeach11 · 05-17-2018, 10:14 AM

I've recently been watching the season 10 and 11 episodes on MeTV and YouTube and I have noticed that Uncle Charley often refers to Ernie, Rob, etc. as "Alice". e.g. "Well, Alice, if you don't get in here and eat your dinner I'm gonna throw it in the garbage!" Maybe this was a thing in earlier seasons too, I don't know, but why does he do that? Who is Alice?

Anyone?

stevea · 05-17-2018, 05:22 PM

IDK, but the only thing I can think of, is that it's a throwback to seafaring days. I can see sailors doing that.

Bonniegirl · 05-17-2018, 05:49 PM

That was like Eddie calling Wally "Gertrude" on Leave it to Beaver !

horizonbeach11 · 05-18-2018, 11:00 AM

Eddie called Wally "Gertrude"? LOL, I've never watched that show regularly enough to pick up on that. That's funny. Eddie was so weird.

I also figured that the whole "Alice" thing was supposed to be a holdover from Charley's old seafaring days but I didn't know if that was an expression common to real sailors or just something that William Demarest made up to add character to his character, so to speak.

TV Guy · 05-18-2018, 09:13 PM

He was secretly hoping that Linda Lavin would make a guest appearance.

Coffeecup · 05-20-2018, 06:14 PM

I figured he says Alice when he can't think of the persons name.

Hazel Anyday · 05-21-2018, 07:23 PM

Wow, has today's world fallen so far as to not know an insult when you hear it. Calling a man by a girl's name is meant to be an insult to their manhood. In Charlie's case he wasn't serious but used it more as a funny insult, but come on, let's not be so P.C. that we can't state the obvious. I'm always happy to be as non P.C. as possible, P.C. is just an innocent word for censorship, plain and simple.

horizonbeach11 · 05-23-2018, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hazel Anyday

Wow, has today's world fallen so far as to not know an insult when you hear it. Calling a man by a girl's name is meant to be an insult to their manhood. In Charlie's case he wasn't serious but used it more as a funny insult, but come on, let's not be so P.C. that we can't state the obvious. I'm always happy to be as non P.C. as possible, P.C. is just an innocent word for censorship, plain and simple.

I'm not PC and I'm not a feminist, and I remember when it used to be a thing for boys to call other boys who they considered sissies girls' names, especially a variation of their own name, like calling someone named Michael "Michelle". However, Uncle Charley uses this nickname almost constantly throughout those last few seasons when referring to one of the boys for any reason, so I can't imagine that he was trying to attack their masculinity every time he spoke to them, that would have been abnormally abusive and cruel, even for Uncle Charley. That's why I think it may be more likely that it was an old seafarer's term, or at least one that the writers of M3S created to make Charley look like the Old Salt that he constantly claimed to be.

horizonbeach11 · 05-23-2018, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan Brady's Hair

It's Alice in Wonderland. He's telling the person that his head isn't screwed on straight.

That actually makes sense, I can see Uncle Charley doing that!

Hazel Anyday · 05-23-2018, 07:11 PM

You seemed to have ignored my out for Charlie in the case with the kids, and I quote, "In Charlie's case he wasn't serious but used it more as a funny insult" Please read before you leap.

horizonbeach11 · 05-23-2018, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hazel Anyday

You seemed to have ignored my out for Charlie in the case with the kids, and I quote, "In Charlie's case he wasn't serious but used it more as a funny insult" Please read before you leap.

You are correct, when I read over your reply again I did miss that part somehow and I apologize. That was a good analysis of Uncle Charley's personality, because even when he was trying to be funny he still seemed grouchy.

Bonniegirl · 05-23-2018, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hazel Anyday

You seemed to have ignored my out for Charlie in the case with the kids, and I quote, "In Charlie's case he wasn't serious but used it more as a funny insult" Please read before you leap.

Yeah because all three boys were secure in their masculinity! None were sissies ! They knew Uncle Charlie was just playing, not seriously insulting them!

Like Eddie calling Wally Gertrude, same thing as the Douglas boys and Wally didn't get upset over it!

stevea · 05-24-2018, 08:10 AM

It was a good answer...and since the question, I've heard him use it 4 or 5 times!

biffbronson · 05-31-2018, 09:38 PM

Another example of a character who's flippant regularly in a similar way is "Kookie" Kookson of 77 Sunset Strip, who calls his male coworkers "Dad" (he's the younger man). I wouldn't read too much into Charley's "Alice;" I think he's just being flippant to be funny.

05-17-2018, 10:14 AM	#1
horizonbeach11 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Mar 05, 2018 Location: Inside a console TV Posts: 109	Why Did Uncle Charley Call Everyone "Alice"? I've recently been watching the season 10 and 11 episodes on MeTV and YouTube and I have noticed that Uncle Charley often refers to Ernie, Rob, etc. as "Alice". e.g. "Well, Alice, if you don't get in here and eat your dinner I'm gonna throw it in the garbage!" Maybe this was a thing in earlier seasons too, I don't know, but why does he do that? Who is Alice? Anyone?

05-21-2018, 07:23 PM	#7
Hazel Anyday Member Senior Member Join Date: Apr 12, 2002 Posts: 2,135	Come On Margaret, let's not play dumb Wow, has today's world fallen so far as to not know an insult when you hear it. Calling a man by a girl's name is meant to be an insult to their manhood. In Charlie's case he wasn't serious but used it more as a funny insult, but come on, let's not be so P.C. that we can't state the obvious. I'm always happy to be as non P.C. as possible, P.C. is just an innocent word for censorship, plain and simple.
	__________________ Haaazeelll!!

05-23-2018, 07:11 PM	#10
Hazel Anyday Member Senior Member Join Date: Apr 12, 2002 Posts: 2,135	A Brilliant Man Once Said You seemed to have ignored my out for Charlie in the case with the kids, and I quote, "In Charlie's case he wasn't serious but used it more as a funny insult" Please read before you leap.

05-17-2018, 05:22 PM	#2
stevea 22 Years On Sitcoms Moderator Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 13, 2003 Location: Indy Posts: 44,749	IDK, but the only thing I can think of, is that it's a throwback to seafaring days. I can see sailors doing that.

05-17-2018, 05:49 PM	#3
Bonniegirl AKA Hazel Horvath Forum Addict Join Date: Jul 10, 2014 Posts: 65,814	That was like Eddie calling Wally "Gertrude" on Leave it to Beaver !

05-18-2018, 11:00 AM	#4
horizonbeach11 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Mar 05, 2018 Location: Inside a console TV Posts: 109	Eddie called Wally "Gertrude"? LOL, I've never watched that show regularly enough to pick up on that. That's funny. Eddie was so weird. I also figured that the whole "Alice" thing was supposed to be a holdover from Charley's old seafaring days but I didn't know if that was an expression common to real sailors or just something that William Demarest made up to add character to his character, so to speak.

05-18-2018, 09:13 PM	#5
TV Guy Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 25, 2001 Location: Boston, MA, USA Posts: 3,419	He was secretly hoping that Linda Lavin would make a guest appearance.

05-20-2018, 06:14 PM	#6
Coffeecup coffeecup. Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 17, 2003 Location: snoozeville Posts: 3,183	I figured he says Alice when he can't think of the persons name.

05-24-2018, 08:10 AM	#13
stevea 22 Years On Sitcoms Moderator Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 13, 2003 Location: Indy Posts: 44,749	It was a good answer...and since the question, I've heard him use it 4 or 5 times!

05-31-2018, 09:38 PM	#14
biffbronson Sentimental Fool Forum Star Join Date: Aug 22, 2009 Location: Near Notre Dame Posts: 10,502	Another example of a character who's flippant regularly in a similar way is "Kookie" Kookson of 77 Sunset Strip, who calls his male coworkers "Dad" (he's the younger man). I wouldn't read too much into Charley's "Alice;" I think he's just being flippant to be funny.