"D'oh" Not a Deer, A Female Deer...

MMMMM...Doughnuts

I watch very little television, not because I think it's aimed at a five-year-old mentality or that it's simply mindless repetition of one good idea, or even because I cannot figure out how to work my TiVo. No, truth is, I watch very little television because I have too much to do. You know how retired people always say, "I have so much to do that I don't know how I did all of it BEFORE retired."? Well, that's partly true in my case. I spend a lot of time reading newspapers and visiting internet websites...for the articles NOT for the pictures. I generally read at least two books a week in addition to all the textbook reading I am allowed to do in order to facilitate matters for my students...today, for example, I got to explain in student terms the process of sensory integration accomplished by the brain in order to create movement. But I do watch a movie most Friday nights down in the Love Shack (A.K.A. the "Mazda Miata" with carpeting, a bathroom, ping pong table, comfy furniture and a big screen TV) so I have some kind of idea of the entertainment business. I will occasionally watch Chelsea Lately because I think women are funnier than men, but I had to admit a lack of pop culture knowledge when Entertainment Weekly came out with its list of the most popular TV and film characters from the last 20 years.
To be fair to me, I had heard of all of them and have a basic idea of why each was famous, but sadly, I had to admit that I had only been personally involved with three of them...by that I mean I've actually watched them on television or at the movies.
First, the list, and then you can guess which ones I am familiar with enough to have actually spent time watching their exploits.
For the sake of brevity, I will note the top ten in reverse order, beginning with the 10th most popular character:

10. SpongeBob Squarepants
9. Carrie Bradshaw (from Sex and the City)
8. Hannibal Lecter
7. Edward Scissorshands
6. Rachel (from Friends)
5. The Joker (Heath Ledger version, not the Ceasar Romero or Jack Nicholson versions)
4. Tony Soprano
3. Buffy the Vampire Eradicator
2. Harry Potter
1. Homer Simpson

How about you? Which ones can you claim to have actually watched? My pitiful list included numbers 1,2 and 10. That's it.
Does it count that I have seen about a zillion Simpsons' episodes?
Yeah, I thought not.