Name that ’Toon: A Reader Poll

While we were at Beth’s parents’ house, her father commented that June reminded him of Maggie from The Simpsons. When I laughed he hurried to explain himself. It was because of the way she’s always darting around and “because she’s so smart.” He didn’t say anything about Maggie’s and June’s ever-present pacifiers, but that had to be part of it. The reason I was laughing, however, was that I had just been telling Johnny how my sister Sara recently said June reminds of her Cindy Lou Who from How the Grinch Stole Christmas and how Andrea often says June reminds her of Pebbles from The Flintstones. I’m not sure what it is about June that calls cartoon characters so readily to mind: Is it her petite size? Her classic little blonde girl looks? But there you have it. I’m suppressing my immediate instinct to protest—But she’s a real girl!—and instead I’m embracing this facet of my daughter’s public persona by presenting you with the following poll:

Which animated girl-child does June most remind you of?

Please vote if you’re reading this. It’s been ages since anyone has commented on this blog. You can rely on pictures and text from blog entries or from personal experience if you’ve had to pleasure of meeting June.

The contestants:

A) Cindy Lou Who
(http://jpbutler.com/images/cindy-lou-who.jpg)

Pros: Blonde hair, big blue eyes, close to June’s age. (She’s “no more than two.”) Pretty articulate for her age. Speaks to the Grinch in complete sentences.

Cons: The antennae.

B) Pebbles Flintstone
(http://pattisoriginals.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/pebbles.gif)

Pros: June used to be a redhead, especially from nine to eleven months. Check out the first photo in the blog archive for a look. Andrea says their voices are similar. It’s been so long since I’ve watched The Flintstones I will have to take her word for it.

Cons: June has never worn her hair in a ponytail on top of her head with a bone stuck through it.

C) Maggie Simpson
(http://www.simpsoncrazy.com/gallery/images/MaggieSimpson3.gif)

Pros: Highly mobile, intelligent, pacifier-loving youngest child.

Cons: An infant. Spiky crown-like hair.

Bonus Contestant:

D) Sally Brown
(http://www.snoopy.com/comics/peanuts/meet_the_gang/images/meet_sally_big.gif)

Johnny threw this one into the pot the day after his dad made the comment about Maggie Simpson, as a joke. “You know who June reminds me of? Sally from Peanuts.” It was just a throwaway line, but the more I thought about it the more merit I decided it had. Do you remember the scene in A Charlie Brown Christmas when Charlie Brown is disgusted with Sally for requesting “tens and twenties” from Santa? She responds, “All I want is what I have coming to me. All I want is my fair share.”

This morning Beth and I tried to ignore both children pulling on Noah’s sultan puppet and screaming “It’s my puppet!” as we ate our eggs and read the Sunday paper. The day ended with June sliding into Noah’s bed, pulling the covers up to her chin and shouting “It’s my bed!” when he tried to get in. In between, I watched her drag Noah’s hopping ball all over the lawn while asserting it was “June’s ball” even though she is too tiny to scale it, let alone bounce on it.

All I’m saying is that I can see her uttering Sally’s line one day.

Pros: Blonde, little sister, assertive and acquisitive.

Cons: Older than June, wears those weird puffy dresses all the girls in Peanuts do. All together too gushy over Linus.

E) Other. (Nominate your own character and explain.)

That’s it, folks. Please leave your votes in the comments section. An anxious family awaits your verdict.