What is a Lovable Doofus?

According to Merriam Webster Online:
lov·able var. love·able / 'l&-v&-b&l / adj. [ < Old English lufu : 14th century]
    : having qualities that attract affection
    - lov·abil·i·ty / "l&-v&-'bi-l&-tE / n. - lov·able·ness n. - lov·ably / -blE / adv.
doo·fus / 'dü-f&s, -fis / n.   plural doo·fus·es / -f&-siz / var. doo·fi / -fI /  [ < ? perhaps alteration of goof  : 1970 : slang]
    : a stupid, incompetent, or foolish person
    - doo·fu·si·ty/ dü-'f&s-s&-tE / n. a foolish action.  doo·fus·ness n. foolishness.

In my own words, a lovable doofus is a person who is essentially a flake with a heart of gold.   The kind of person who would give you the shirt off his back but what you really need is a phillips screwdriver.  The classic doofus exhibits a child-like innocence as well as total incompetance. The truly lovable doofus is someone who is so likable that you are able to overlook their shortcomings to remain their friend.  If you befriend an LD then you feel honor-bound to protect them. To have an LD as a friend is a responsibilty similar to having a pet.  It's a lot of work but worth it in the long run.

Let's take a few moments to discuss the character of the lovable doofus in television.  There have been many lovable doofuses throughout the history of the television situation comedy.  One of the first lovable doofuses was played by Art Carney in The Honeymooners.  The character of Ed Norton had all of the essential personality traits of the lovable doofus.  He was a little slow on the uptake, but was an essentially likable character. 

In my personal opinion Howard Borden (Bill Daily) of  The Bob Newhart Show was the all time best lovable doofus.  My favorite doofusity he pulled was the time Bob and Emily were being robbed and standing against the wall with their hands over their heads.  Howard enters the room and instead of doing something about the robber, he rushes over to stand beside the Hartleys to help hold up the wall.  Another good example of Howard's doofusness was the time he offered to save Bob and Emily the trouble of hosting a party.  Howard offered to host the party with a little help from Emily. He only needed to borrow, chairs, plates cutlery, glasses, napkins, food and drinks,   then he'd be all set. 

There is a contender for new champion, Charlie (Andy Lauer) on Caroline in the City has been giving an excellent performance as a lovable doofus. Isn't it ironic that Bill Daily has been cast as Charlie's dad on the show. When those two get together it's almost too much to take.

Doofus Hall of Fame

Not So Great Doofuses

Can a sit-com survive without an LD?

This question has been asked by many, and the answer is yes!. A situation comedy can survive without a lovable doofus but it is difficult.  Most of the shows that have succeeded without an LD have done so by allowing the regular characters to alternate in that role. For example Home Improvement does not have a lovable doofus. (Some will argue that Tim is supposed to be the LD.) The other characters share the attributes of the LD. Al is the innocent. Tim is the klutz and Wilson's conversations with Tim show Tim to be woefully uninformed.  Another highly successful show that has no designated LD is NBC's Fraiser. Again, the LD characteristics are distributed among the regular cast members.   Niles becomes an LD when ever Daphne is around.

Other shows that survive without an LD are those shows which feature children such as Full House and Growing Pains. The innocence is provided by the children and the parents often end up looking foolish.

Who is Your Favorite Lovable Doofus

Please enter the name of your favorite lovable doofus. 
You may choose one of the people listed above or enter your own doofus name.
Of course if you name someone like your little brother, they won't be getting many votes.
The results will be posted in March.