In “Peanuts” Is Charlie Brown Bald?

Video Why Brown Charlie Is Bald sad Do you celebrate National Peanut Day on September 13 every year? Of course, we all do! What a coincidence that the big peanut moment comes every fall, as do the kids who are heading back to their increasingly peanut-free school. If you don’t have allergies, you might love peanuts in trail mix, in banh cuon, or in bread (in butter form only). But how much do you really know about protein-rich foods? Ken Jennings of Jeopardy!, is here to tell us that a lot of your favorite facts about this beloved snack are just plain nuts.The Debunker: In Peanuts, Charlie Brown Bald?Read more: why is charlie brown bald Read more: why is almond butter so expensive | Q&ACharles Schulz has always hated the name Peanuts. When he introduced his revolutionary manga to the United Feature Syndicate in 1950, he called it Li’l Folks, the name of a children’s comic series that had been serialized since 1947 in the St. Paul Pioneer Post. Executive producer Bill Anderson suggested Peanuts as an alternate name, referring to the “peanut gallery” audience used by children’s television shows of the time. Schulz considered the new name “absolutely ridiculous” and lacked dignity, and spent years trying to get his bosses to drop the Good Ol’ Charlie Brown film. That’s why the Sunday strip is labeled as Peanuts, featuring Good Ol’ Charlie Brown for most of its length. But well, Charlie Brown has been misunderstood for decades. Because the strip’s iconic “round-headed kid” is always drawn with a wispy curl of hair on his forehead, a small bun in the back, and nothing in the middle, most readers assume that he we are bald. The New York Times called him bald; also, there’s Entertainment Weekly, US News & World Report and TV Guide. As a child myself, I assumed Charlie Brown’s round pink hair was bald. In fact, at the age of six, I was very upset when I saw on my parents’ original album about the musical You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, the main character played by an ordinary guy (M* A * S * H’s Gary Burghoff!) With normal hair Read more: why do we have two kidneys | Q&ABut The creator of Charlie Brown has been noted for his ego-altering hairstyle, and the answers may surprise you. “I don’t think it’s the lack of hair,” Charles Schulz told NPR’s Terry Gross in 1990. “I think it’s blonde hair that doesn’t look very well, that’s all.” In other words, Charlie Brown has light-colored hair that is cut close to his head, like the children’s ponytail that was so popular in his era. Two small buns suggest a full head of hair, not all that remains. Do you really think an eight-year-old has male pattern baldness? So sad! Quick question: Charles the Bald, the fifth Holy Roman Emperor, was the grandson and eponymous of which famous ruler? Ken Jennings is the author of 11 books, most recently The Genius Guide for Children, Because I Said So!, and Maphead. He is also the proud owner of a terrible Bag o’ Crap. Follow him at topqa.info or on Twitter as @KenJennings.Read more: Why my cat loves cheerios