I remain now, and will always be, a Duckman.

Well, this bartender served up a Weekly Special that made me all fumbly with my own barware. Dropping shot glasses and liquor bottles all over the place! Seemed simple enough to answer at the time, but once you start trying to wrap your brain around the question, it's the "of all time" part that throws you for a loop.

I wanted my choice to be someone that I never tire of watching. Someone I admire and am like in some ways, but wish to be in others. Obviously they would be witty. A bit of a badass, but also sweet at the core. Would they necessarily be a lead character, or more of a sidekick?

My mind automatically went to male characters, which is interesting in its own rite, although a few female characters became contenders: Penny Lane from Almost Famous, Jenna from Waitress, and because we've been watching it so much around here, Annie from Annie. Or even Grace Farrell. Or Miss Hannigan!

I was so very, very tempted to go with the most obvious choice, the one I thought of initially when I came up with this question: John Bender from The Breakfast Club. I named my dog after him, for heaven's sake. Who could resist Judd Nelson's interpretation of a high school rebel, knocking down the popular kids several pegs with his blunt sarcasm, not to mention the principal, which such fantastic questions as, "Does Barry Manilow know that you raid his wardrobe?"

But I had to go with my gut. My favorite character is, and will always be, the Duckman. Phil Dale, or Duckie, from Pretty in Pink. He's geeky but charming, has a fearless sense of style. Loyal. Fiery, and yet forgiving. He has, as Iona attests, strong lips. In fact, even though Andrew McCarthy (Blane? That's a major appliance, not a name!) worked it out with Molly Ringwald, I'm still kind of pissed the Duckie got the shaft. Test audiences allegedly wanted it this way, and John Hughes wasn't satisfied with the original ending, so what can you do. But Duckie, I will always admire you again today.