Famous Grumps, Grouches & Curmudgeons


Oscar the Grouch, Sesame Street grumpy MuppetOscar the Grouch
One of the best-known grouches of modern history is Oscar, a Muppet character first introduced on "Sesame Street" in 1969. Like all grouches, Oscar's mission in life is to be as miserable and grumpy as possible. He complains about everything, then wants to pass that feeling on to everyone else. When a visitor knocks on his trash can - invariably interrupting him from a nap or an important task - Oscar greets them with a snarl. He's a grumpy old fart, always complaining that he wants to be left alone. But when he's left entirely to himself, he's still dissatisfied since there isn't anybody around to irritate or complain to.
 
Grumpy from Snow White and the 7 DwarfsGrumpy the Dwarf
Do you have a good idea? Are you inspired? It doesn't matter. No matter what you have to say, Grumpy is against it. This know-it-all naysayer from "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," has the disposition of an old boot: tough, craggy, and resistant to anything. The movie in which he starred was Disney's first full-length feature movie, coming out in 1937. You might think that the proper spelling is "dwarves," if you're a curmudgeon. But the Disney company specified the spelling as "dwarfs," probably as a contractual obligation to Grumpy himself. The 7 dwarfs were: Grumpy, Dopey, Doc, Happy, Bashful, Sneezy, and Sleepy
 
grumpy founder of the international society of curmudgeonsAdmiral Thurston Cornelius Plop, RN (Retired)
Admiral Plop has been instrumental in bringing curmudgeonry to the world stage. Throughout his career in the Royal Navy, he was known for his lack of tact but brilliant strategic thinking. During WW I, he became friends with Baron Von Münchausen, and they spent a great deal of time planning out the terrible Battle of Persia. Through his brilliant tactics, Plop was promoted to Admiral of the British fleet, where during WW II he oversaw the entire Pacific theater, in which his wife was an actress of some notoriety. The Admiral retired in 1949, but soon became active in world politics. Eventually, he singlehandedly brought the Sacred Order of Curmudgeons into the World Health Organization, where it resides today.