So.............Wilt is a patriotic Harlem Globe Trotter!? He is a nice enough guy and he's got the moves to be a Globe Trotter....

Man I wish my brain would work tonight:terrconf:

Throughout most of the '70's in the US, leading up to 1976, there was a LOT of hype regarding our Bicentennial celebration. EVERYTHING was red, white and blue! I can remember this starting as early as '72, and it just got more and more prevelent as '76 approached. It should come as no surprise that a kid, inundated with images in red, white and blue, would create an Imaginary Friend that bore that very color scheme.

Kinda unrelated, but yesterday, while going to talk with a car restoration guy about trading my T-Bird for finishing restoration work on my '51 Studebaker, I saw a basketball just like that one that Wilt carried with him back to the Holy City, only much more faded and dirty, in a front yard. That's the first one I've seen in years, though they used to be everywhere, and I think that my father bought one for my brother way back when, while trying to get him interested in sports(didn't work).

pitbulllady

Wow! XD

Yeah...now Basketballs comming in multiple colors (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, etc) are the latest thing. But there's also the casual brown. XDD

If that red, white and blue basketball was the only thing in Wilt's "hobo stick" in GWH, how would he've survived? Didn't he, like have to eat or something? XDD

Hmm... Maybe he has magic pockets XD I mean, he DID take his tooth brush with him and yet I saw no tooth brush in that hobo stick bag of his.

It's always the same with cartoons. Like I was watching Fairly Odd Parents earlier and Timmy Turner just puls a randomlly huge maths book out his pants leg. It always happens, cartoon characters always seem to have these magic pockets that you can't even see.

About the food thing, perhaps, BEFORE he arrived back in his home town, he had money in there or something, I mean, he DID buy those bus tockets for him and Foofy, so perhaps he bought food for himself as well, and ran OUT of money just as he got there... Of course surely he couldn't have known that he was gunna get flown back home in a PEEERIVATE LEAR JET (or however that's spelt) so he must have had more money for a bus ticket back...

... Yeah I'm going back to my magic pocket theory.

If his cross-country journey was anything like Alvin Straight's (whose lawnmower-riding antics were the inspirations of Wilt's) then he possibly ate road kill along the way...

Eww, I'm not going to elaborate any further on that one. :P

We've sorta discussed that before, but it's still an interesting topic. Bloo points out, while back at Foster's, that Wilt's toothbrush was missing, and his locker was empty, yet when he arrives in Charleston, all he has in that hobo bundle is the basketball. It's up to speculation as to what he did with his shoes, socks, toothbrush and other personal belongings; I figure he most likely tossed the toothbrush and donated everything else to a charity bin(though I have to wonder how many needy and homelss people have feet THAT big). I doubt he would have carried any food with him, since it most likely would have spoiled along the way, and I'd think that Salmonella poisoning would tend to have a very adverse effect on one's basketball skills. Most likely, Wilt would have planned on eating something at each of his stops, since most bus stops and train stations do at least have vending machines. If he did carry anything to eat with him, given the delay in his arrival at his planned destination, he surely would have eaten all that he'd packed by the time he arrived for his final confrontation with Larry. I really don't think that Wilt expected to come out of that encounter alive, win or lose. He just needed to win in order to vindicate himself TO himself, perhaps hoping that word would eventually get back to Jordan that his creation had made the "Ultimate Sacrifice" to regain his creator's respect. Wilt does seem to have that "Death Before Dishonor" code, and cannot accept quitting. He's the type who would rather die trying than to live being known as a loser or a quitter.

pitbulllady

Eduardo says Wilt's toothbrush was gone, not Bloo.

...Dang, if that was true, he's taking it WAAAAAY too seriously. It's just a freaking GAME. XDD

Not to someone like Wilt, it's not "just a freaking game". To him, it means being able to justify his own existance and find forgiveness...from himself. His whole mentality is so strongly geared towards finding that acceptance, that he's willing to go whatever distance necessary to get it. That's why I've often compared Wilt to a Pit Bull-he refuses to give up, even when it's obvious that continuing will probably kill him. I know that most people can't relate to that, but there are those individuals who just won't go down without a fair fight, a fight to the finish if need be.

pitbulllady

If you ask me, I think a pretty big reason as to why Wilt felt so bad about losing is, not just because he beleived that it was his fault it happened but also because Jordan conciously created him to make him a better basket ball player. And to make Jordan a better ball player Wilt felt he had to be 'The Best'. And because he lost, he felt as though he'd failed at his supposed main purpose.

I guess he didn't know that you gotta lose sometimes to win sometimes. :D

If Jordan had not been in the picture, then it WOULD have been "just a game", and Wilt would have been able to handle losing. Like Vampyre said, though, Wilt felt that his main purpose, no, his ONLY purpose, was to make Jordan a better player, and by losing the game, he believed he'd failed in his purpose and hurt the one person he cared about the most. For him, that was like the Unforgiveable Sin. Wilt, like so many of his human counterparts, did not realize that he actually was created for, and fulfils every single day, many, many purposes. Hopefully now that Jordan has pointed this out to him, he'll begin to realize his own self-worth.

pitbulllady

I was just wondering, now that Wilt "redeemed" himself, how is his personality going to be? I don't think he's going to go through a major personality change, but he may be a bit different. I just thought that may not feel as responsible for everything like he did before.....and not offer to punish himself (poor guy). I don't know, just a thought.........

He may show a little more self-confidence in future episodes, and signs of being on the road to recovery, but as I've said before, I hope his character flaws will still remain pretty much intact - they're what makes him so special, after all. :D

Even if all of Wilt's anxiety problems were rooted in his "failure" to live up to Jordan's expectations (and it's liable that not all of them were - we still don't know exactly what Wilt went through in his eight-year period of independence, after all) I imagine that it would still take time to undo all the damage that has been done. It has been thirty-odd years, after all, and while gaining some much-needed closure in his relationship with Jordan might have brought him some sense of relief, his insecurities would probably have become pretty deeply ingrained within his behaviour and thought patterns during that time. They're not likely to clear up over night. I 'd lived (although for most it unknowingly) with OCD for a comparatively mere eight years before I took any action about it, and one of the first things they told me was not to expect any instant improvement, given the length of time I'd been experiencing it for. One of the most difficult compulsions I've been having to shake, interestingly enough, is the compulsion to apologise for every tiny little thing that may have gone wrong.

Obviously, none of that need apply to Wilt, who is, after all, a fictional character (unfortunately :( ), not bound by the limits of human pyschology, and I guess we'll just have to wait for Season Five before we can know for sure. But I'm just giving some reasons why, even after the events of GWH, Wilt could plausibly retain his loveable neurotic self. :D

Yeah, and two seconds after Jordan told him to stop saying "Sorry", he does it again. And, even though he truely didn't mean it (You can hear him giggling a bit to himself as he says it) in the last scene of the movie (before the credits) Wilt was saying "sorry" a million times over. So I'm not worried that he's gonna change.

Fictional or not, I don't see why the issues of human psychology would NOT apply to Wilt, since they sure seem to apply quite well to the other characters on the show! Wilt, as well as the other IF's, were, after all, created by HUMANS, and intergrate themselves into human culture, and definately appear to suffer from all the emotional problems that can afflict us. Wilt is probably even moreso to have to go through all the same process of healing, that "it's gonna get worse before it gets better" phase, because he's more intelligent and complex, more like an adult human, than most of his fellow IF's, so his emotional issues are likely to be more complex, too. He's had this burden of guilt and pain bottled up inside him for 30 years, and like you said, there's no telling what else he's been through that we don't know about, and he's not just going to become all well and better overnight.

pitbulllady

Hmmmmmm....I wasn't thinking "overnight" persay, I was actually leaning towards if would see a gradual change in him as the new episodes air (guess I should learn to be more specific8D ) I'd personally love to see him with more self-confidince, but you know, still be his old apologetic self.

To be totally random......I'd also like to see interactions between him and Larry............;)

Well, the best thing Wilt would probably think that if Larry HAS to live at Foster's as he does, then they would need to work something out, or else Wilt'd end up whooping for joy when Larry DOES gets adopted, much like how Frankie just wants Duchess to get adopted and get away from her (and many other residents - Scratch that, EVERY SINGLE RESIDENT - of the house's) life.

You never know.....Wilt's a pretty forgiving guy, even if Larry did crush his arm (I wouldn't forgive him:terrence: ). I think, if Larry really has changed (interesting thought) they may actually be able to get along....though it probably isn't likely, old habits do tend to die hard.....but still, the interactions would be interesting no?

.....O_O Gosh......look how much I contradicted myself up there. Oh the shame! *hides*

For some odd reason, I can't really picture there being much tension between Larry and Wilt actually. If you scrape off Larry's competitive side, then I don't think he's too bad a bloke. I mean TECHNICALLY him sitting on Wilt's arm WAS an accident; He didn't know Jordan was there in the first place nor did he know Wilt was pushing him out the way until he landed on his arm. Larry seems like the kind of guy who would get Wilt in a friendly head lock and give him a nuggie... I dunno, I can see them acting kind of... brotherly toward one another.

Well, given that Wilt and Foul Larry have the same basic interest (ie: basketball), I could see them being great pals under better circumstances. That Larry came around at the end of GWH was obviously intended to show that he had some good in him, and the actions which led to Wilt's being mutilated were, as you said, an accident. It's just that Larry was always willing to play so rough and had scant regard for the rules of the game, and even though he was moved by Wilt's reunion with Jordan, he never actually seemed to show any direct remorse for the way his actions had affected Wilt in the past (that's not to say that it didn't happen offscreen, but still), so I could still see where at least a little tension might come in. But then, as FailedShapeshifter says, Wilt's very forgiving, or at least manages to suppress a lot of his resentment. I personally think that Larry needs to work on his conduct on the basketball court if he's ever going to be a respectable opponent. :P




Mmm…what I was getting at had less to do with Wilt’s status as a non-human but more the fact that which ever direction his character development ultimately depends upon the will of the writers, and there’s always the chance that it might not necessarily reflect exactly how a real person in his situation would behave. But don’t mind that statement – naturally, I’m just hedging my bets, since the writers have done a marvellous job thus far at portraying his anxiety disorders in a realistic and believable manner. It’s one of the chief things that I’ve always appreciated about Foster’s, and one of the foremost reasons why I wouldn’t want his personality to undergo too significant a transformation. There are far too many “adult” programmes out there which, whenever they want to establish a character as neurotic, will usually portray them as being very flamboyant and in-your-face about their anxieties and compulsions. Falling into that category myself I find this pretty irritating, particularly whenever specific disorders are assigned to them which their behaviours in no striking way match. Such portrayals only distort the public’s perceptions of such conditions, leading to a barrage of clinomorphisms and misconceptions. I can’t tell you how much that gets my hackles up. A lot of people miss the point of what it is to really be neurotic. It isn’t something cute, amusing and charmingly eccentric, and the majority people who have it wouldn’t dare to exhibit or even mention most of their problems in front of others because, in contrast to most psychotic disorders, you know damn well how irrational your thoughts and actions are, and that knowledge in itself is just an added layer of your anguish.

I don’t have much patience for the whole “cartoons are for kids only” standpoint, but nonetheless, Wilt was a character I was initially very surprised to find in a “kids” show on Cartoon Network. It took me a few episodes to completely cotton onto his anxious disposition, but when I did I thought it was magnificently done - most older viewers could probably pick up on his troubles and insecurities, but there is, for the most part, something pleasingly subtle about them. Other characters don’t really seem to notice, Wilt himself never makes much of an issue of them, and he’s constantly striving to keep his thoughts and feelings on sensitive matters concealed, which is a far more accurate and relatable portrayal of neurosis than you could find in most adult-orientated fare, for the reasons outlined above. His case also has the potential to illustrate to viewers to all ages that, whatever notions they might have about mental health issues, most people affected by them are perfectly ordinary individuals who suffer in silence. The Foster's writers have already shown that they have far more insight and sensitivity than a lot of other film and TV writers, and I'm sure they'll remain true and consistent to that.

Sorry for the long post, but when I really get going about this sort of thing I find it hard to stop. :-X

Your description of how the show's writers handle Wilt's emotional issues is dead-on, and yet-another reason why Foster's is NOT "just a kid's show". Like you said, on most live-action tv shows, whether they're comedies or dramas, anytime that there is a character who suffers from some sort of mental or emotional condition, the writers go out of their way to portray this character and his/her actions as over-the-top, which is actually rather patrongizing. It's like saying to the viewers, "You're not smart enough to pick up on this unless we really shove it in your faces". Thankfully, the writers of Foster's are much more sophisticated and indeed, Wilt is a far more realistic portrayal of someone who has all this pain and anguish bottled up inside them 30 years. Wilt is a very complex character, and he is far from easy to figure out. I'd pointed out before, that just when you think you've got him pinned down, in terms of how he'll react, he changes the whole deck of cards. Many fans of the show just said that he was the way he was, behavior-wise, because that's how his creator imaginaned him, which we now know isn't the case, and had him pegged as someone who was "weak" and "spineless" by nature. After seeing what he's been through(some of it, anyway), and seeing how he can manage to hold all these issues inside him, and how he can "man-up" and not show pain, emotional or physical, all I can say is that Wilt is anything BUT weak!

With regard to Larry, I'd think that if he stays at Foster's very long, he would eventually begin to feel some pretty deep remorse about what happened to Wilt. He KNEW, 30 years ago, that Wilt had been hurt, but at that time, of course, all that mattered to him was beating that tall red guy. I'm surprised he didn't actually make fun of Wilt's missing arm and mess-up eye when confronted by him 30 years later. Wilt is a forgiving sort, and I can see him actually going out of his way to be nice to Larry. Now I'm not trying to shove religion down anyone's throat, but there's a Biblical quote that appears both in the Old Testament and in the Book of Acts, in which the Apostle Paul instructs some of his followers on how to best neutralize an enemy, and it makes sense now, regardless of one's belief system. He tells them to be extra nice to enemies, to feed them and give them nice gifts and praise them at every chance, and by doing so, you will be "heaping piles of burning coals on their heads", in other words, giving them one heckuva guilt trip! I can easily see Wilt doing just this, and Larry becoming more and more regretful about what he did to Wilt, accident or not, eventually breaking down and acknowledging that he did something awful and begging for Wilt's forgiveness, publically.

pitbulllady

Pitbulllady is entirely right.

Guys, don't hold grudges. Forgive, and show kindnes immediately. It's better for you, beter for them - and the best "revenge" possible.

If your enemy is sick, bring him chicken soup. If his car breaks down, offer to drive him places. Whether he accepts or not isn't the issue - you are responsible for your behavior, and your kindness will have a ripple effect over time.

I just realized something. On GWH, there wasn't a "OMG WILT'S BACK" scene. I'm certainly sure everyone in the house knew Wilt was gone, but we don't see anyone (the ones still at the house) celebrating/etc that Wilt has returned. XDDD

I suppose the producers didn't feel that was needed. I don't really think it matters either.

Also, I think the friends were probably more focused on their creators visiting, rather than whos missing and who isn't. They probably didn't even notice him missing until Frankie and the others went searching for him.

I really wish I could have come up with some, deep, long explination like everyone else here does, but alas, I'm not that creative apparantly...that and my "l" key is giving me all kinds of trouble......:'(

So all I can say is GO WILT!:D

Ummmm......Yes he is ^_^ *giggles* Your as random as the rest of us8D

......but yet......not random at all O_o I kid I kid......

omg, I totally thought of something earlier this week,
and I dunno if someone's already asked this,
and I'm sorry if they have,
but when do you think his birthday [or whatever you'd call it for an imaginary friend] is?
or, like, his zodiac sign or something?

If his kindness isn't from Jordan, he's most likely a Pieces. Wilt + Pieces = INSTANT MATCH! :D

OMG!
I'M a pisces!
sweeto!
that'd rawk.

Hmmmmm.......because I'm a nerd and you got me interested, I got this from wikipedia.
In alot of ways that really does sound like Wilt! If you ignore the fickle bit XD That was a pretty good call on your part:D

Now I'm off to find who Pisces are compatible with *sighs*

omg, dude!
it says all that about me.
sweeto!
....
are pisces compatible with other pisces?

Soooooo.....I'm not so pumped about Wilt being Pisces.....because I'm pretty sure I'm wouldn't even be able to be friends with him (according to wikipedia)

Of course, I'm a Gemini...pretty sure not too many are compatible with me8D Though it turns out that the Gemini's "Body parts" are the hands, hips and eyes, and since my eyes are my favorite feature, that's pretty cool.

Oh no......I just went off on a bit of a rant didn't I:D :(

"Physically, individuals born under the sign of Pisces supposedly tend to have small and dainty feet."

8D Not quite with Wilt!!

Off topic: I'm a Taurus. :D

And it so happens that Taurus and Pieces go together. I should know - I have a friend who IS a Pieces, and we never fought before. XDD

Too bad I'm not a fangirl. :D

So that means you and I go together then antgirl? :P I'm a Taurus after all. lolz.

Sweet! I'm a Pisces. I approve. :D

I actually think that Cancer and Scorpio are the most compatible with our kind...maybe I can locate that old chart I used to refer to.

I'm not really big into the whole astrology thing, since too many people I've known have had very little in common with what the signs "say" they should be like. The person I knew who was most like Wilt, in virtually every way, was an Aries, but another person I new really well, who was also an Aries, was the exact opposite, more like Bloo than Wilt. I tend to go more by personality types and think in those terms.

The situation with Wilt and Jordan, and who influenced whom the most, is rather odd, since even though Jordan created Wilt, he himself admits that WILT influenced HIM, and how he thinks and acts even now as an adult, than the other way around. It's kinda like that odd novelty Country song from many years back, "I''m My Own Grandpa", in that Jordan subconciously kinda created his own "father"!

pitbulllady

Tell us something Wilt ISN'T. XDD

Ok...

Short
A bad sport
A cheater
Selfish or self-centered
Good at lying
Lazy
Shy and withdrawn
Overweight or out-of-shape
Stupid
Bad-tempered
Mean-spirited
A pessimist
Lacking in skills or talents
Unsympathetic or lacking in compassion
A coward
Weak
A quitter
Furry, scaly or feathery
Handicapped by the loss of his arm and an eye
A loud-mouth
Immature

pitbulllady