Star Trek or Star Wars, Ginger or Mary Ann, and Lots More

My friends, don’t look for anything too deep here because you won’t find it today.  When folks play the “either/or” game, perhaps the most frequent comparison centers on which young lady from Gilligan’s Island a guy would prefer:  Ginger or Mary Ann.  In fact, the game is sometimes referred to as the “Ginger or Mary Ann Quiz!”  Selecting from two similar (or sometimes dissimilar) choices is fun and often reveals quite a bit about our character.  Life offers many tough choices, but rarely do we commit to them out loud.  I will make known my preferences here, and ask whoever reads these words to offer a unique comparison of your own in the comment field, if you would.

Ginger or Mary Ann:  Mary Ann.  She was just as hot as Ginger and a lot less intimidating.  I have nothing against Ginger and in fact I love redheads, but Mary Ann was equally beautiful and far more nurturing.    

Fox News or CNBC:  My political affiliations more closely mirror the opinions offered by CNBC than Fox News, but I must confess I watch Fox before CNBC.  Both stations feature delightfully absurd “news” programs, but somehow it comes across better on Fox.

Paper or plastic:  Once the folks that made plastic sacks realized the bag has to be strong enough to hold your groceries without busting open, the choice became obvious.  While my stuff kept rolling around in the parking lot when the bag broke before I reached the car, it wasn’t as clear-cut.

Samantha or Jeannie:  Samantha.  Samantha was just as beautiful as Jeannie, seemingly more powerful and far less ditzy.  Most of Darrin’s problems came from Samantha’s relatives, while Major Nelson’s came from Jeannie herself.  Except for Jeannie’s costume, this one was a no-brainer.

Baseball or football:  Football wins by a mile.  Baseball is too long, too slow, and the integrity of the game has been compromised by supermen on performance-enhancing drugs posing as players.  To set the record straight, I prefer basketball to either baseball or football.  I also prefer tennis to hockey. 

A Charlie Brown Christmas or How the Grinch Stole Christmas:  Watching these two classic cartoons has kicked off the holiday season for me ever since I was a child.  I’ve loved both shows so long it seems a betrayal to pick one, but I have to pick Charlie Brown over the Grinch.  (Frosty the Snowman barely wins out over Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer also…)

Sarah Palin or Tina Fey:  If Sarah Palin showed up missing, they could get Tina Fey to stand in and perhaps no one would notice.  Sarah Palin could never do comedy unless one counts her ability to be unintentionally funny.  Tina Fey is my choice.

Batman or Green Hornet:  This is from their respective ‘60s television shows, of course.  I don’t know how Green Hornet could win a fight wearing that topcoat all the time.  In their secret identities, they almost seemed clones of each other.  My vote goes to Batman. 

Robin or Kato:  Kato (played by Bruce Lee) was probably whipping it up on guys before he was old enough to walk.  Robin never was very tough, except if you count the guts it took to wear that costume.  Kato wins easily—there’s no contest.

Star Trek or Star Wars:  Both made serious contributions to science fiction and popular culture.  While it’s tempting to give the nod to Star Wars for showing the world Harrison Ford’s star potential, I’m going with Star Trek, for longevity, volume of work and for giving us Spock and Data.

Jennifer Aniston or Angelina Jolie:  The ultimate girl-next-door compared with amazing physical beauty, Brad Pitt chose the beauty.  In this case I probably would, also, but who knows who I might choose if you asked me again tomorrow...

Mac or PC:  After many years I gave up trying to use my Mac in a PC world, but Apple’s products to this day are years ahead of Microsoft’s operating systems.  They are easier to use and more aesthetically pleasing, and if I had my way, 95% of the United States would be using a Mac instead of a PC, rather than the other way around. 

Jennifer or Bailey:  You can’t go wrong with either of the gorgeous women who starred on WKRP in Cincinnati.  I go back and forth—as a young man it was hard to ignore Loni Anderson as Jennifer Marlowe, but then Jan Smithers’ soften-spoken portrayal of Bailey Quarters won me over.  Like choosing between Ginger and Mary Ann, ultimately Bailey’s more approachable and nurturing personality won me over. 

Captain Kirk or Captain Picard:   Both men were captains on the Enterprise and Captain Picard is my choice between the two.  He made logical decisions in most situations; Kirk went with his gut every time.  Kirk needed Spock and McCoy to keep him in line—Picard could run a ship without his subordinates babysitting him.

Spock or Data:  They fulfilled the same role in their respective Star Trek programs by providing commentary on the human situation from an outsider’s point of view.  Both became the star of their shows in many ways.  I have to go with Spock, by an ear—uh, I mean nose.

Morning or evening news:  Whether it comes from television or the newspapers, I always prefer to catch the news early in the day.  For some reason, evening news always seemed like “old” news to me.

Partridge Family or Brady Bunch:  It used to be Partridge Family, but somewhere in the last fifteen years I switched to the Brady Bunch.  If I have to watch the episodes where the Brady kids sing, however, I’m going to switch back.  At least David Cassidy and Shirley Jones had acceptable singing voices.

X-Files or Supernatural:  Both were really enjoyable television shows, but I give the edge to X-Files because Mulder and Scully seemed more personable to me.  Supernatural is still a story about weird events to me, while X-Files ultimately became the story of Mulder and Scully. 

Kathie Lee Gifford or Kelly Ripa:  It took a few years for Kelly to come into her own, but she can make me genuinely laugh—Kathie Lee never could.  It sometimes seems Kelly defers to Regis too much while KLG stood up to him.

Coke or Pepsi:  Very much like choosing between the Partridge Family and the Brady Bunch, I preferred Pepsi for years until I switched sides about five years ago.  For the sake of practicality, I buy whichever is on sale at the grocery store and hope they don’t bust through my plastic bag.

LeBron James or Kobe Bryant:  LeBron James is just as good a player and seemingly a nicer guy.  I know Kobe has all those NBA championships, but LeBron is younger than he is, too. 

College or Pro Basketball:  I enjoy watching college basketball more than the NBA.  The players’ skills aren’t as great, but the effort is more consistent.  After watching the Washington Wizards fail to rebound for the entire second quarter in a game against the Celtics and almost win anyway, I could not in good conscience vote for the NBA.

Marvel Comics or DC Comics:  You can’t go wrong with either, but as a child, the allowance money that originally went toward DC Comics started to be spent on Marvel.  Jack Kirby’s Fantastic Four won me over, and Marvel has remained the slight favorite for me.

Beatles or Rolling Stones:  Longevity has given the Stones a great opportunity to transcend the Beatles as the preeminent band of the ‘60s, but they still haven’t quite done it in my mind.  Perhaps it was the movies, which made the Fab Four appear to be lovable lads that had a good time, while the Glimmer Twins reveled in their bad boy image.

Sean Connery or (pick one) George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, or Daniel Craig:  Sean Connery was still the best James Bond.  Roger Moore shared Connery’s humor; Timothy Dalton maintained his ruthlessness; Brosnan balanced them all in a watered-down, moderated way.  Connery had the whole package.  Connery was James Bond.

Italian or Chinese food?  Ford or Chevrolet?  Harry Potter or Twilight?  Charmed or Buffy the Vampire Slayer?  Coffee or tea?  The list can go on and on.  So, now it’s your turn.  Make your choice and let the world know where you stand.