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Fingers and Thumbs

tonyw3

By tonyw3
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tonyw3

tonyw3

Posted
Posted
Lately I've been thinking really deeply, mulling over a question in my mind. For the sake of this debate we will categorise the thumb as a finger (no doubt there are some that will take issue with this point). But the question is, why is it that we have 5 fingers and the Simpsons have four and this appears to be perfectly adequate?
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HAL9000

HAL9000

Posted
Posted

I read somewhere that the Simpsons were designed with only three fingers and a thumb as a cost-saving measure because it is cheaper and quicker for the animators to draw the cartoons that way. Apparently, that decision has saved the producers a fortune over the years.


As for why we have four-plus-one - we inherited them from an ancient ancestor species that probably acquired them through a random but ultimately useful mutation.


Or, perhaps, it's God's way of encouraging us to adopt a base-10 maths system for some reason we have yet to fathom?

tonyw3

tonyw3

Posted
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HAL9000 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I read somewhere that the Simpsons were designed

> with only three fingers and a thumb as a

> cost-saving measure because it is cheaper and

> quicker for the animators to draw the cartoons

> that way. Apparently, that decision has saved the

> producers a fortune over the years.


HAL9000 I can't believe for one moment that the producers would have sacrificed a finger from each hand of the Simpsons merely to save a few cents. I know that businesses are always looking for cost-saving measures, but to chop a finger off each hand from each of the characters would, to my mind, be too painful to even contemplate.;-)


> Or, perhaps, it's God's way of encouraging us to

> adopt a base-10 maths system for some reason we

> have yet to fathom?


As for the base-10 theory, this could have some Android logic behind it as you would no doubt appreciate.

HAL9000

HAL9000

Posted
Posted

tonyw3 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> HAL9000 Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> I can't believe for one moment that the

> producers would have sacrificed a finger from each

> hand of the Simpsons merely to save a few cents.


Well, the standard for cartoon 'fingers' was set by Walt Disney and here is what he had to say about it:


"Leaving the finger off was a great asset artistically and financially. Artistically five digits are too many for a mouse. His hands would look like a bunch of bananas. Financially, not having an extra finger in each of the 45,000 drawings that make up a six-and-one half minute short has saved the studio millions."



> > Or, perhaps, it's God's way of encouraging us

> > to adopt a base-10 maths system for some reason we

> > have yet to fathom?

>

> As for the base-10 theory, this could have some

> Android logic behind it as you would no doubt

> appreciate.


Actually, I mentioned God because, as I'm sure you've noticed, He is the only Simpsons character drawn with four fingers and a thumb (except in one episode which was explained as an ?animation error? ? although many religious fans continue to believe it was the work of the Devil).

Ladymuck

Ladymuck

Posted
Posted

HAL9000 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------


> Actually, I mentioned God because, as I'm sure

> you've noticed...



mmmm...is that your tongue in your cheek HAL9000?



>...He is the only Simpsons character

> drawn with four fingers and a thumb


I have to say, I would never have known that...your observational powers are exceptional...


>(except in one

> episode which was explained as an ?animation

> error? ? although many religious fans continue to

> believe it was the work of the Devil).


ha ha ha...


Very amusing post HAL9000!

  • 2 weeks later...
Ladymuck

Ladymuck

Posted
Posted

HAL9000 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------


>...I mentioned God because, as I'm sure

> you've noticed, He is the only Simpsons character

> drawn with four fingers and a thumb....



Just had to dig this up. Was at a friend's last night with her two children who happened to be watching The Simpsons on DVD. It was an episode featuring God...and I absolutely collapsed with laughter when I saw that He did in fact have four fingers and a thumb (unlike the other characters) - just as you said HAL9000. The two children thought I was completely bonkers of course as they couldn't understand the cause of my hysterics.


But really, fancy noticing that HAL9000.

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