h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I thought it might be fun to list a few marvelously pretentious role models worth immitation.

My first would be Oscar Wilde. For an American example, I recommend Samual Clemens (aka Mark Twain). Both of these have entries at h2g2. Try http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A507052 and http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A195662 respectively.

Oh! And lest I leave out the women altogether, I recommend Greta Garbo as well. Her entry is at http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A471458.

Too populist for true pretension, I'd have said. Instead of Wilde I'd have Andre Gide, Twain is OK, but you'd have to call him Clemens (and look down on people who don't know who you mean) and instead of Garbo I'd have Elsa Lanchester, the Bride of Frankenstein. All fabulously pretentious.

A pretentious woman would have to be tallulah 'Daaaaaaahling' Bankhead.

She once drank champagne from a shoe...

You should read the 'Pseud's Corner' column in Private Eye avidly, and follow the excellent example set by the people featured there.

Hello,

I'd have to say the character played by Gloria Swanson in "Sunset Boulevard" is probably one of the best pretentious examples out there.

Yours,
Jake

I agree, Mr. Cogito. I think fictional examples differ from real life ones, in that the writer tends to exaggerate their pretentiousness. A pretentious person in real life is more subdued in part because they don't want to be called pretentious. After all, this is part of the game they play. Nobody likes a smarta**.

She was also the first woman to have her name up in lights...

I'd say Frasier and Niles Crane on _Frasier_ would be suitable...

Wannabes, the pair of them.

See... someone replies.

Wouldn't aspiring to pretentiouness tend to be pretentious?

Wouldn't aspiring to pretentiouness tend to be pretentious?

Oops, sorry...

No, but reptition/double posting might

and what about being smug Ashley

Not that Mr. Stewart-Noble has never ever double posted in his entire time on h2g2.

Not let me see if I can find an example before the post is removed by the moderators.

I actually did that recently - where, I cannot remember...

Well I know I did it talking to you yesterday.

I'm sure I can dig up a number of example from the dark ages.