Ralph Kramden or Fred Flintstone?

[horsemen4ever]

So New Years is almost here, and here in New York you know what that means, the Honeymooners New Years Day Marathon on WPIX 11, and after Boomerang has aired countless Flintstone Christmas specials, the comparisons came to mind.

Anyway which loud mouth character do you prefer, Ralph Kramden or the early Fred Flintstone? Do to be fair, I am only comparing the pre Pebbles is born Fred Flintstone, before he went a bit soft. Which is the reason Gleason has stated many times he never wanted Ralph and Alice to have any kids because he felt it would take away some of the edge of his character.

Anyway which one? They are so similar, they are short tempered, often impelesing the truth, and seemingly ever other week have a falling out with their best friend and neighbor.

[unc40]

I had to go with Fred Flintstone because he was funnier and the story wasn't the same. The Honeymooners seemed to have the same plot with Ralph coming up with some scheme to get rich and Alice telling Ralph what a terrible idea it was and not helping out at all and eventually Ralph failing. A lot of Ralph's ideas were bad but the Apple Peeler was a terrific idea.

[Orange]

Early Fred Flintstone BY FAR

[horsemen4ever]

Before anyone says this, if you think one is a character meant for a more grown up audiance and the other is meant for children, the early Flintstones was made for a prime time audiance, it was not meant for children.

Anyway I love them both I can't decide yet, but I do sympathise a bit more with Ralph as far getting mad at his neighbor. There were times when Norton really screwed him over, like setting up that golf game with Ralph and his boss, or antagonising that big guy in the pool hall and basicly the one responsible for setting up a fight between Ralph and that big guy. I would want to stranggle Norton myself. I don't recall Barney doing anything that bladently stupid.

[Big Daddy Bad Booking]

You can't top the original, and that is what Ralph Kramden proves.

[horsemen4ever]

Dec 29, 2010 21:51:35 GMT -5 Big Daddy Bad Booking said:

You can't top the original, and that is what Ralph Kramden proves.

Yup, and one other big difference is Fred Flintstones has been played by multiple actors and still as entertaining. Grantly no one was good as Alan Reed. But I just can't imagine anyone else playing Ralph Kramden except for Jackie Gleasen. (ditto for Art Carney as Ed Norton) Ralph is more dependent on his actor than Fred is.

And no I have never seen Cedric The Entertainer's Ralph and never plan too.

I recently saw a Yogi Bear Christmas special in which Fred and Barney make a cameo experience. I would have loved to have seen more interaction between Fred and Yogi. It is no contest, Yogi is way more like Norton than Barney ever was.