Wisecracking Best Friend

Steve Zahn in Saving Silverman (2001)

special guest post by Ben BenAry, co-host of Ben & Ariel Live From College 


Appearance
The dimensions of the Wisecracking Best Friend depend on that of his protagonist counterpart.  Whereas the protagonist is classically good looking, his clever cohort may be of the short and rotund variety.  Likewise the Wisecracking Best Friend may be tall and gangly if that contrasts better with his romantically entangled companion.  In the rare instance when the protagonist is a white male, this opens the door for a black or Jewish Wisecracking Best Friend.  The Wisecracking Best Friend does not care too much about his appearance, as he has always had his hilarious wisecracks to fall back on.

Personality & Behavior
The Wisecracking Best Friend is a sounding board for our more handsome, but less comically gifted protagonist.  He can dole out advice, but his specialty is zingers.  They may be at the protagonist's expense, but they may also be at his own.  If it weren't for the protagonist, the Wisecracking Best Friend wouldn't have any friends, and thus no one to enjoy to enjoy his antics.  The Wisecracking Best Friend usually has an ex-girlfriend on whom he is still fixated, but she has long since moved on.  She's with some bland jerk now, who couldn't hold a candle to the Oscar Wilde-esque wit of the Wisecracking Best Friend.  She'll see.

Review
The Wisecracking Best Friend is actually a pretty great guy.  He has some personality issues, but as he might quip, "What else is new?"  The Wisecracking Best Friend is the whole package, Groucho, Chico, and Harpo (but not Zeppo, he was the straight man).  Peace.


SCORE
19/17